Each bid preference has a color associated with it.
Depending on the type of bid, the color will vary. If you see:
Light Blue - These are conditional bids that affect the whole bidding. They are usually placed at the top.
Yellow / Golden - These are Prefer Off preferences and are negative bids. They exclude pairings from consideration during awards and request periods of times that you want to be free of duty.
Orange - These are also negative preferences. They identify specifically what the crewmember does not want to perform. These are unwanted pairings or pairing criteria for the current bid period.
Green - These are positive bids. They are what the crewmember has specified that they want to perform. For example, with a pairing number or daily credits.
Dark Blue - These bid preferences are special instructions submitted by the crewmember. They tell the Scheduler how to manage specific bid preference, or what to do if it can construct a legal block using your initial bid.