Animated Nametags

Give any entity a living, breathing nametag

Tired of boring static nametags? This addon lets you slap 100+ animations onto any entity or player, from smooth rainbow color flows and fire effects, to glitch, typewriter, galaxy sweeps, and way more. Everything is configured in-game through a clean UI — no JSON editing, no resource packs, no hassle. Whether you're building an RPG server, a minigame world, or just want your mob farm to have some personality, this one's for you.

Feature List

100+ built-in animations across three categories — text movement, color effects, and hybrid (movement + color simultaneously)
Works on any entity — players, mobs, armor stands, anything with a nametag
In-game configuration UI — name, animation, and speed all adjustable without leaving the game
Custom commands /an:set_animation and /an:remove_animation with entity selector support
Animations persist across relogs, server restarts, and chunk reloads via dynamic properties
Speed control per entity — each animation can run at its own pace
Multi-entity support — target multiple entities at once with a single selector
Command block compatible — fully automatable via block commands
No resource pack required — pure behavior pack, works on any world
Uses only stable Bedrock Script API — no experimental toggles needed (beyond scripting)

How to Use — Animated Nametags

There are three ways to set animations: the nametag item (easiest), commands (flexible), and command blocks (automation). All three are covered below.

Method 1 — Nametag Item (In-Game UI)

This is the easiest method. No commands needed.

Step 1 — Get a name tag

Craft or obtain a regular Minecraft name tag item.

Step 2 — Rename it to `$an`

Open an anvil, place the name tag in, and rename it exactly to:

$an

This is the special trigger name the addon listens for.

Step 3 — Use it on any entity

Hold the $an name tag and right-click / interact with any mob or entity (not a player).

A configuration screen will open with three options:

Field	What it does
Name	The text that will be animated on the entity's nametag
Name Effect	A dropdown of all 100+ animations to choose from
Effect Speed	A slider controlling how fast the animation runs (in ticks per frame)

Fill in your choices and confirm — the animation starts immediately.

Step 4 — Remove an animation

Hold the $an name tag, sneak (crouch) + right-click the entity.
The animation stops and the entity's original name is restored.

Note: In Survival mode, using the name tag consumes one item, just like a regular name tag. In Creative mode it is not consumed.

Method 2 — Commands

Commands give you full control and work on any entity including players.

Permission required

You must have Game Director permission level (operator) [and cheats turned on due to a bug] to run these commands.

`/an:set_animation` — Set an animation

Full syntax:

/an:set_animation [entity] [nametag] [animation] [speed]

All parameters are optional depending on how you run it.

Run with no arguments (opens UI for yourself):

/an:set_animation

Opens the same configuration screen as the nametag item, targeting yourself.

Open UI targeting specific entities:

/an:set_animation @e[type=cow]

Opens the UI and applies whatever you choose to all matched cows.

Set a full animation directly (no UI):

/an:set_animation @e[type=cow] "Bessie" RainbowRoll 5

Argument	Example	Notes
`entity`	`@e[type=cow]`	Any valid entity selector
`nametag`	`"Bessie"`	The display name — use quotes if it has spaces
`animation`	`RainbowRoll`	Must match an animation name exactly (case-sensitive)
`speed`	`5`	Ticks per frame — lower = faster. Recommended range: 1–20

More examples:

/an:set_animation @a "Steve" FireTypewriter 3

Sets the FireTypewriter animation at speed 3 on all players.

/an:set_animation @e[name=Boss] "BOSS" GalaxyShift 8

Sets GalaxyShift on the entity named "Boss".

/an:set_animation @s "" PrestigeGlow 4

Sets PrestigeGlow on yourself with no custom name (uses your current name).

`/an:remove_animation` — Remove an animation

Full syntax:

/an:remove_animation [entity]

Remove from yourself:

/an:remove_animation

Remove from specific entities:

/an:remove_animation @e[type=cow]
/an:remove_animation @a
/an:remove_animation @e[name=Boss]

The entity's animation stops and their original name is restored.

Method 3 — Command Blocks

Command blocks let you automate animations without a player running commands manually. Useful for adventure maps, spawn areas, event triggers, and more.

Important rules for command blocks

When a command runs from a command block (not a player), all arguments must be provided explicitly — the UI cannot open from a command block. The format is:

an:set_animation <entity> <nametag> <animation> <speed>

Do not include the / prefix inside a command block — just start with an:set_animation.

Examples

Animate a specific nearby mob:

an:set_animation @e[type=zombie,r=5] "ZOMBIE" GlitchText 4

Animate all players entering a zone:

an:set_animation @a[r=10] "" RainbowRoll 5

(Empty string for nametag uses each player's existing name.)

Remove animation when a player leaves a zone:

an:remove_animation @a[r=10]

Set a boss animation on world load (use a one-time pulse command block):

an:set_animation @e[type=wither,r=50] "THE WITHER" GrimReaper 6

Recommended command block setup for a spawn area

Use a Repeat + Always Active command block for continuous effect, or an Impulse block triggered by a pressure plate or button for on-demand use.

Type:    Repeat
Mode:    Always Active
Command: an:set_animation @e[type=armor_stand,name=Spawn_Display] "Welcome!" PrestigeGlow 5

This keeps the animation running even if the chunk reloads, since the addon also auto-restores saved animations on entity load.

Speed Reference

Speed value	Ticks per frame	Approximate real time
`1`	1 tick	0.05 seconds (very fast)
`3`	3 ticks	0.15 seconds (fast)
`5`	5 ticks	0.25 seconds (default, smooth)
`10`	10 ticks	0.5 seconds (slow)
`20`	20 ticks	1 second (very slow)

Most animations look best between 3 and 8. Very fast speeds (1–2) work well for glitch and flicker effects. Very slow speeds (15+) work well for subtle color pulses.

Tips

Animations persist — they survive chunk unloads, world restarts, and player relogs. You only need to set them once.
You can target multiple entities at once using selectors like @e[type=cow] or @a.
The nametag item method is the most convenient for one-off customization in survival or creative mode.
Command blocks are the best choice for permanent map features that need to work without a player being present.
If an entity has no custom name set, the animation will use the entity's current nametag or fall back to a space — always provide a name for best results.

Animated NameTags