Stool Scout
Brown · Normal
The house colour.
Light tan to dark chocolate, it's all normal. The exact shade shifts with what you eat and how much water you drink. Nothing to do here except keep it up.
What to do: Nothing. Brown is the goal.
Poop colour chart
What your poop's colour is telling you.
Brown is the goal. Most other shades are just last night's dinner talking. A few are worth a doctor's visit, and this chart shows which.
Short answer
Any shade of brown is normal. Green, yellow and orange are usually food. Black and tarry, red you can't explain, or pale and clay-coloured stool can be a sign of bleeding or a liver or bile problem, so those are worth seeing a doctor about.
NormalUsually something you ateFine once, worth watching if it sticksWorth a doctor's opinion
Colour by colour
Poop starts out green-yellow (that's bile) and turns brown as gut bacteria break the bile down. So colour mostly tells you two things: what you ate, and how fast it moved through. Want a quick verdict on one shade? Try the poop colour checker.
Green · Usually food
Probably the spinach.
Leafy greens, green smoothies, matcha, green food colouring and iron supplements can all turn stool green. So can food moving through quickly, because bile hasn't had time to turn brown, which is why green often shows up with loose stool.
What to do: Think back a day or two. If it comes with diarrhea lasting more than a couple of days, call a doctor.
Yellow · Watch it
Fine once, worth watching.
A yellow day can follow a fatty meal or a fast trip through the gut. Yellow that is greasy, floats, smells unusually bad and keeps happening can mean fat isn't being absorbed properly, which has several possible causes, from a gut infection to coeliac disease or a pancreas problem.
What to do: One-off, relax. Greasy yellow stool that keeps coming back, or comes with weight loss, is worth a doctor's visit.
Orange · Usually food
Carrot season.
Beta-carotene in carrots, sweet potato, squash and pumpkin, plus orange food colouring, are the usual reasons. Some medicines can do it too.
What to do: Usually nothing. If it lasts and you can't link it to food or a new medicine, ask a pharmacist or doctor.
Red or maroon · Check it
Beets, or blood?
Beets, red drinks, tomato soup and red food colouring can all tint stool red. But red streaks or maroon stool can also be blood. Bright red blood on the paper is often from haemorrhoids or a small tear, but it can't be told apart from more serious causes just by looking.
What to do: If you haven't eaten anything red, see a doctor. Get urgent care if there's a lot of blood or you feel dizzy or faint.
Black · Check it
Iron tablet, or something more?
Iron supplements, bismuth stomach remedies (like Pepto-Bismol), black licorice and lots of blueberries can turn stool very dark or black. That's harmless. Black stool that is sticky and tar-like, with a strong smell, can be a sign of bleeding in the stomach or upper gut.
What to do: If you can't explain it with iron, bismuth or food, see a doctor promptly. Black tarry stool with dizziness, weakness or vomiting needs urgent care.
Pale or clay · See a doctor
Missing its brown.
Pale, grey, white or clay-coloured stool can mean bile isn't reaching the gut, which can point to a problem with the liver, gallbladder or bile ducts. It's normal for a day or two after a barium X-ray, and some antacids can lighten stool.
What to do: Unless you've just had a barium test, see a doctor, and go sooner if your skin or eyes look yellow or your pee is dark.
Blue or purple · Food dye
Birthday cake aftermath.
Blue icing, blue drinks, blue corn chips and lots of blueberries or grape juice can give stool a blue, purple or teal tint. It looks dramatic and is almost always harmless.
What to do: Nothing. It passes in a day or two.
See a doctor if…
Food can paint poop almost any colour. These are different, and they're worth a real appointment:
- Blood in your stool, or red you can't explain
- Black or tarry stool
- Pale, white or clay-coloured stool
- A change that lasts more than 2 weeks
- Weight loss you can't explain
- Severe or ongoing belly pain
Questions people actually ask
What colour should poop be?
Any shade of brown, from light tan to dark chocolate, is normal. The brown comes from bile breaking down as it travels through your gut.
Is green poop normal?
Usually, yes. Leafy greens, green food colouring and iron supplements can all turn stool green, and so can food moving through quickly, because bile hasn't had time to turn brown. Green with ongoing diarrhea for more than a couple of days is worth a call to a doctor.
Why is my poop black?
Iron tablets, bismuth stomach remedies (like Pepto-Bismol), black licorice and blueberries can all turn stool dark or black. Black, sticky, tar-like stool that you can't explain can be a sign of bleeding higher up in the gut and needs a doctor promptly.
Is red poop always blood?
No. Beets, red drinks, tomato and red food colouring are common causes. But red or maroon stool you can't link to food could be blood, so it's worth seeing a doctor, even if you think it's just haemorrhoids.
What does pale or clay-coloured poop mean?
Pale, grey, white or clay-coloured stool can mean bile isn't reaching the gut, which can point to a liver, gallbladder or bile duct problem. It's normal for a day or two after a barium X-ray. Otherwise, see a doctor.
How long does food colour stool for?
Usually a day or two, roughly as long as it takes food to pass through. If an odd colour lasts longer than that and you can't link it to anything you ate or took, mention it to a doctor.
More poop guides
Can't name the shade?
Let Scout look. Snap one photo from above and get the colour, the Bristol type and a grade in seconds. The photo is thrown away straight after grading.
This page is general wellness information, not a diagnosis or medical advice. Stool colour can be affected by food, supplements and medicines, and can't rule a condition in or out on its own. If something feels wrong, trust that and talk to a doctor.