diff --git a/bec_lib/bec_lib/messaging_services.py b/bec_lib/bec_lib/messaging_services.py
index 2711701c5..50138a76c 100644
--- a/bec_lib/bec_lib/messaging_services.py
+++ b/bec_lib/bec_lib/messaging_services.py
@@ -36,12 +36,13 @@ def __init__(self, service: MessagingService, scope: str | list[str] | None = No
         self._scope = scope
         self._content = []
 
-    def add_text(self, text: str) -> Self:
+    def add_text(self, text: str, **kwargs) -> Self:
         """
         Add text to the message object.
 
         Args:
             text (str): The text to add.
+            **kwargs: Additional keyword arguments for specific messaging services.
 
         Returns:
             MessageObject: The updated message object.
@@ -268,6 +269,43 @@ class SciLogMessageServiceObject(MessageServiceObject):
     A class representing a message object for the SciLog messaging service.
     """
 
+    def add_text(
+        self,
+        text: str,
+        bold: bool = False,
+        italic: bool = False,
+        color: str | None = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ) -> Self:
+        """
+        Add text to the SciLog message with optional inline HTML formatting.
+
+        When any formatting option is supplied the text is wrapped in a ``<p>``
+        paragraph so SciLog renders it correctly.
+
+        Args:
+            text: The text content.
+            bold: Wrap the text in ``<strong>``.
+            italic: Wrap the text in ``<em>``.
+            color: Highlight colour using SciLog's pen marks (e.g. ``"red"``,
+                ``"yellow"``, ``"green"``, ``"blue"``, ``"pink"``).
+
+        Returns:
+            SciLogMessageServiceObject: The updated message object.
+
+        Examples:
+            >>> msg.add_text("Checks failed", bold=True, color="red")
+        """
+        if bold or italic or color:
+            if bold:
+                text = f"<strong>{text}</strong>"
+            if italic:
+                text = f"<em>{text}</em>"
+            if color:
+                text = f'<mark class="pen-{color}">{text}</mark>'
+            text = f"<p>{text}</p>"
+        return super().add_text(text)
+
     def add_tags(self, tags: str | list[str]) -> Self:
         """
         Add tags to the SciLog message object.
diff --git a/bec_lib/tests/test_messaging_service.py b/bec_lib/tests/test_messaging_service.py
index f880a1a2d..f59643de5 100644
--- a/bec_lib/tests/test_messaging_service.py
+++ b/bec_lib/tests/test_messaging_service.py
@@ -469,3 +469,37 @@ def test_scilog_message_add_duplicate_tags(scilog_message, connected_connector):
     assert isinstance(tags_part, messages.MessagingServiceTagsContent)
     # The final tags should include all unique tags without duplicates
     assert sorted(tags_part.tags) == sorted(["bec", "default_tag", "additional_tag"])
+
+
+def test_scilog_add_text_no_formatting(scilog_message):
+    scilog_message.add_text("plain")
+    assert scilog_message._content[0].content == "plain"
+
+
+def test_scilog_add_text_bold(scilog_message):
+    scilog_message.add_text("hello", bold=True)
+    assert scilog_message._content[0].content == "<p><strong>hello</strong></p>"
+
+
+def test_scilog_add_text_italic(scilog_message):
+    scilog_message.add_text("hello", italic=True)
+    assert scilog_message._content[0].content == "<p><em>hello</em></p>"
+
+
+def test_scilog_add_text_color(scilog_message):
+    scilog_message.add_text("warn", color="yellow")
+    assert scilog_message._content[0].content == '<p><mark class="pen-yellow">warn</mark></p>'
+
+
+def test_scilog_add_text_bold_and_color(scilog_message, connected_connector):
+    """bold + color produces the expected nested HTML and round-trips through redis."""
+    scilog_message.add_text("Beamline checks failed", bold=True, color="red")
+    scilog_message.send()
+
+    out = connected_connector.xread(MessageEndpoints.message_service_queue(), from_start=True)
+    text_part = out[0]["data"].message[0]
+    assert isinstance(text_part, messages.MessagingServiceTextContent)
+    assert (
+        text_part.content
+        == '<p><mark class="pen-red"><strong>Beamline checks failed</strong></mark></p>'
+    )