Color Name Finder API

GET

Match any hex color to its closest CSS name.

Color Name Finder matches any hex color code to its closest named CSS color. Send a hex value to get the matching color name, RGB coordinates, and an exact match flag.

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Request
GETapi.apiverve.com/v1/colornamefinder?hex=FF5733
Query parameters
Verification
Format

No key required to try it. Get a key to use it in your app.

Example
{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "input_hex": "#FF5733",
    "input_rgb": {
      "r": 255,
      "g": 87,
      "b": 51
    },
    "exact_match": false,
    "closest_color": {
      "name": "Tomato",
      "hex": "FF6347",
      "distance": 23.32,
      "similarity": 94.72,
      "rgb": {
        "r": 255,
        "g": 99,
        "b": 71
      }
    },
    "closest_matches": [
      {
        "name": "Tomato",
        "hex": "FF6347",
        "distance": 23.32,
        "similarity": 94.72,
        "rgb": {
          "r": 255,
          "g": 99,
          "b": 71
        }
      }
    ],
    "total_named_colors": 141
  }
}

About the Color Name Finder API

Color Name Finder works by calculating the color distance between the input hex color and all CSS/HTML named colors, ranking them by similarity and providing multiple closest matches with detailed color information.

What people use it for

Design Tools
Identify and name colors in design applications and color pickers
Accessibility
Convert hex colors to named colors for better communication and documentation
Web Development
Find CSS color names for hex values to improve code readability
Color Analysis
Analyze and categorize colors in images and designs with standard color names

Ways to call it

One endpoint, many ways in — REST with JSON, XML, YAML and CSV, plus GraphQL and an MCP interface for AI agents.

JSON
Default REST response
XML
Markup format
YAML
Human-readable
CSV
Tabular export
Beta
GraphQL
Query language
New
MCP
For AI agents

Other ways to use Color Name Finder

Same data, same APIVerve account, same credit balance — one key works on all of them.

Questions.

Common questions about the Color Name Finder API.

Read the docs →
What color catalog does it match against?
It matches against the full set of standard CSS and HTML named colors. The service calculates color distance across RGB space to identify the nearest named color and reports whether the match is exact.
Do hex values need a leading hash symbol?
No, both formats work. You can provide hex strings either with the leading # prefix or without it. The input is parsed and decomposed into its red, green, and blue components before matching.
Are similarity scores and alternative matches included on the Free plan?
No. The Free plan returns the single closest named color, its hex, RGB values, and exact match status. Distance metrics, similarity percentages, and returning a ranked list of multiple closest matches require a paid plan.
Is it cheap enough to name colors for every user palette?
Yes. Each lookup costs 2 credits. The Starter plan provides 100,000 lookups a month, which works out to about $0.0003 per call or $0.30 per 1,000 lookups. The Free plan includes 100 lookups each month.
Can I use the returned color names in a commercial design tool?
Yes, once you are on a paid plan. Commercial use is permitted across all paid tiers, so you can display names and color data inside your application. You may not resell or redistribute the raw color matching data as a standalone dataset.

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