Don't trust extension cord colors for gauge.

No, they’re not standardized enough to rely on.

There’s a loose convention: orange jackets often mean 12-gauge (heavy duty), yellow is 14-gauge (medium), and blue is 16-gauge (light). Some manufacturers follow that, but plenty don’t. You’ll also see orange used for outdoor-rated cords regardless of gauge, and blue for indoor-only. The color tells you more about the intended environment than the wire size.

The only way to know the gauge and duty rating is to read the tiny print on the jacket. Look for “12/3 SJTW” or similar. That number before the slash is the gauge. Don’t guess.

Read the label, not the jacket.