Remove vote-site WORD JOINER guards only at final display sinks

AdvancedCore/src/main/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/bookgui/BookWrapper.java

@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ public BookWrapper addToCurrentPage(BaseComponent... baseComponents) {
 	 * @return the colorized string
 	 */
 	public String colorize(String s) {
-		return MessageAPI.colorize(s);
+		return com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(
+				MessageAPI.colorize(s));
 	}
 
 	/**

AdvancedCore/src/main/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/bookgui/Layout.java

@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ public Layout addPlaceholder(String toReplace, String replaceWith) {
 	}
 
 	private String colorize(String s) {
-		return ChatColor.translateAlternateColorCodes('&', s);
+		return com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(
+				ChatColor.translateAlternateColorCodes('&', s));
 	}
 
 	/**

AdvancedCore/src/main/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/inventory/BInventory.java

@@ -497,8 +497,9 @@ private void cancelLegacyTimers() {
 	}
 
 	private String getDisplayName(Player player) {
-		return PlaceholderUtils.replaceJavascript(player,
-				PlaceholderUtils.replacePlaceHolder(inventoryName, placeholders));
+		return com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(
+				PlaceholderUtils.replaceJavascript(player,
+						PlaceholderUtils.replacePlaceHolder(inventoryName, placeholders)));
 	}
 
 	private int getProperSize(int size) {

AdvancedCore/src/main/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/item/ItemBuilder.java

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 
 import com.bencodez.advancedcore.AdvancedCorePlugin;
 import com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.javascript.JavascriptEngine;
+import com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries;
 import com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.PlaceholderUtils;
 import com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.rewards.RewardDisplayPlaceholders;
 import com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.misc.MiscUtils;
@@ -1736,7 +1737,7 @@ public ItemStack parsePlaceholders(OfflinePlayer player) {
 			setSkullOwner(PlaceholderUtils.replaceJavascript(player,
 					PlaceholderUtils.replacePlaceHolder(skull, placeholders)));
 		}
-		return is;
+		return finishedDisplayItem();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -2141,6 +2142,38 @@ public ItemBuilder setUnbreakable(boolean unbreakable) {
 		return this;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Creates a final client-facing copy only when protected identifiers are
+	 * present. The builder retains its guarded template for later GUI refreshes,
+	 * which must never re-parse a previously unguarded display name.
+	 */
+	private ItemStack finishedDisplayItem() {
+		ItemMeta sourceMeta = is.getItemMeta();
+		if (sourceMeta == null) return is;
+		String name = sourceMeta.hasDisplayName() ? sourceMeta.getDisplayName() : null;
+		List<String> lore = sourceMeta.hasLore() ? sourceMeta.getLore() : null;
+		boolean guarded = name != null && name.indexOf('\u2060') >= 0;
+		if (lore != null) {
+			for (String line : lore) {
+				if (line != null && line.indexOf('\u2060') >= 0) {
+					guarded = true;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if (!guarded) return is;
+		ItemStack displayed = is.clone();
+		ItemMeta displayMeta = displayed.getItemMeta();
+		if (name != null) displayMeta.setDisplayName(DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(name));
+		if (lore != null) {
+			ArrayList<String> visibleLore = new ArrayList<>(lore.size());
+			for (String line : lore) visibleLore.add(DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(line));
+			displayMeta.setLore(visibleLore);
+		}
+		displayed.setItemMeta(displayMeta);
+		return displayed;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Retrieves the itemstack from the ItemBuilder.
 	 *
@@ -2167,7 +2200,7 @@ public ItemStack toItemStack() {
 		if (checkLoreLength) {
 			checkLoreLength();
 		}
-		return is;
+		return finishedDisplayItem();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -2191,7 +2224,7 @@ public ItemStack toItemStack(OfflinePlayer player) {
 		if (checkLoreLength) {
 			checkLoreLength();
 		}
-		return is;
+		return finishedDisplayItem();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -2215,7 +2248,7 @@ public ItemStack toItemStack(Player player) {
 		if (checkLoreLength) {
 			checkLoreLength();
 		}
-		return is;
+		return finishedDisplayItem();
 	}
 
 	@Override

AdvancedCore/src/main/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/messages/DisplayTextBoundaries.java

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import net.md_5.bungee.api.chat.BaseComponent;
+import net.md_5.bungee.api.chat.TextComponent;
+
+/**
+ * Drops temporary WORD JOINER formatting guards only at a final player-facing
+ * sink. The guards must survive placeholder, JavaScript, color, and interactive
+ * message parsing; removing them earlier would make external identifiers active
+ * formatting syntax again.
+ */
+public final class DisplayTextBoundaries {
+
+    private DisplayTextBoundaries() {
+    }
+
+    public static String afterFormatting(String prepared) {
+        if (prepared == null || prepared.indexOf('\u2060') < 0) return prepared;
+        StringBuilder visible = new StringBuilder(prepared.length());
+        for (int i = 0; i < prepared.length(); i++) {
+            char next = prepared.charAt(i);
+            if (next != '\u2060') {
+                visible.append(next);
+                continue;
+            }
+            // Some legacy String sinks (inventory titles, item metadata, boss
+            // bars) still parse § codes on the client. Prevent an incomplete
+            // § in a trusted template from joining the next site-name letter
+            // into an active legacy color code when dropping this guard.
+            if (i > 0 && prepared.charAt(i - 1) == '\u00A7'
+                    && i + 1 < prepared.length() && isLegacyColorCode(prepared.charAt(i + 1))) {
+                visible.append(' ');
+            }
+        }
+        return visible.toString();
+    }
+
+    private static boolean isLegacyColorCode(char code) {
+        return "0123456789abcdefklmnorx".indexOf(Character.toLowerCase(code)) >= 0;
+    }
+
+    public static void afterFormatting(BaseComponent component) {
+        if (component == null) return;
+        if (component instanceof TextComponent text) {
+            // A component already passed legacy parsing, so it can retain the
+            // exact literal text without inserting a String-sink separator.
+            text.setText(text.getText() == null ? null : text.getText().replace("\u2060", ""));
+        }
+        List<BaseComponent> children = component.getExtra();
+        if (children != null) {
+            for (BaseComponent child : children) afterFormatting(child);
+        }
+    }
+}

AdvancedCore/src/main/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/messages/PlaceholderUtils.java

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ public static TextComponent parseJson(String msg) {
 
 				if (type.equalsIgnoreCase("hover")) {
 					BaseComponent[] hoverContent = TextComponent.fromLegacyText(typeData);
+					for (BaseComponent hover : hoverContent) DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(hover);
 					t.setHoverEvent(MessageAPI.getHoverEventSupport().createHoverEvent(hoverContent));
 				} else if (type.equalsIgnoreCase("command")) {
 					t.setClickEvent(new ClickEvent(ClickEvent.Action.RUN_COMMAND, typeData));
@@ -87,6 +88,9 @@ public static TextComponent parseJson(String msg) {
 
 			comp.addExtra(new TextComponent(TextComponent.fromLegacyText(msg)));
 		}
+		// Syntax and legacy-color parsing are finished; restore the literal site
+		// name for the client without allowing another formatting pass.
+		DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(comp);
 		return comp;
 	}
 

AdvancedCore/src/main/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/misc/effects/BossBar.java

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public class BossBar {
 	private org.bukkit.boss.BossBar bossBar;
 
 	public BossBar(String msg, String barColor, String barStyle, double progress) {
-		bossBar = Bukkit.createBossBar(MessageAPI.colorize(msg), EffectCompatibility.parseBarColor(barColor),
+		bossBar = Bukkit.createBossBar(com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(MessageAPI.colorize(msg)), EffectCompatibility.parseBarColor(barColor),
 				EffectCompatibility.parseBarStyle(barStyle));
 		bossBar.setProgress(EffectCompatibility.clampProgress(progress));
 	}
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public void setStyle(String barStyle) {
 
 	public void setTitle(String title) {
 		if (title != null) {
-			bossBar.setTitle(MessageAPI.colorize(title));
+			bossBar.setTitle(com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(MessageAPI.colorize(title)));
 		}
 	}
 

AdvancedCore/src/main/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/misc/effects/Title.java

@@ -168,7 +168,9 @@ public void send(Player player) {
 	}
 
 	public void send(Player player, String title, String subtitle, int fadeInTime, int stayTime, int fadeOutTime) {
-		player.sendTitle(MessageAPI.colorize(title), MessageAPI.colorize(subtitle), fadeInTime, stayTime, fadeOutTime);
+		player.sendTitle(com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(MessageAPI.colorize(title)),
+				com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(MessageAPI.colorize(subtitle)),
+				fadeInTime, stayTime, fadeOutTime);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -226,7 +228,7 @@ public void updateSubtitle(Player player) {
 	}
 
 	public void updateSubtitle(Player player, String subtitle) {
-		player.sendTitle("", MessageAPI.colorize(subtitle), -1, -1, -1);
+		player.sendTitle("", com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(MessageAPI.colorize(subtitle)), -1, -1, -1);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -252,6 +254,6 @@ public void updateTitle(Player player) {
 	}
 
 	public void updateTitle(Player player, String title) {
-		player.sendTitle(MessageAPI.colorize(title), "", -1, -1, -1);
+		player.sendTitle(com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages.DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting(MessageAPI.colorize(title)), "", -1, -1, -1);
 	}
 }

AdvancedCore/src/test/java/com/bencodez/advancedcore/api/messages/DisplayTextBoundariesTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package com.bencodez.advancedcore.api.messages;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotNull;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import net.md_5.bungee.api.chat.ClickEvent;
+import net.md_5.bungee.api.chat.TextComponent;
+
+class DisplayTextBoundariesTest {
+
+    @Test
+    void chatRemovesTemporaryMarkersOnlyAfterLegacyParsing() {
+        TextComponent text = PlaceholderUtils.parseJson("\u00A7eSite: \u2060Minecraft Menu\u2060");
+
+        assertEquals("Site: Minecraft Menu", text.toPlainText());
+        assertFalse(text.toPlainText().contains("\u2060"));
+        org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue(text.toLegacyText().contains("\u00A7eSite: Minecraft Menu"));
+        assertFalse(text.toLegacyText().contains("\u2060"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void guardedColorSequenceRemainsLiteralAfterLastParsingPass() {
+        TextComponent text = PlaceholderUtils.parseJson("&\u2060a");
+
+        assertEquals("&a", text.toPlainText());
+        assertFalse(text.toPlainText().contains("\u2060"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void unfinishedSectionColorCodesCannotBecomeActiveAtLegacyStringSinks() {
+        assertEquals("\u00A7 a", DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting("\u00A7\u2060a\u2060"));
+        assertEquals("Minecraft Menu", DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting("\u2060Minecraft Menu\u2060"));
+        assertEquals("&aGreen", DisplayTextBoundaries.afterFormatting("\u2060&\u2060aGreen\u2060"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void interactiveActionsStayExactWhileVisibleTextIsClean() {
+        TextComponent text = PlaceholderUtils.parseJson(
+                "[Text=\"\u2060Site name\u2060\",Url=\"https://example.com/vote\"]");
+
+        assertEquals("Site name", text.toPlainText());
+        TextComponent link = (TextComponent) text.getExtra().get(1);
+        ClickEvent click = link.getClickEvent();
+        assertNotNull(click);
+        assertEquals("https://example.com/vote", click.getValue());
+    }
+}