Minecraft commands are text instructions that let you bend the game to your will – change the time, spawn mobs, give yourself items, teleport, build instantly, and run whole servers. This is a comprehensive, categorized Minecraft commands list with the exact syntax and a copy-paste example for each, current as of June 2026.
It’s written for Java Edition (now on the year-based 26.x versioning Mojang introduced in 2026), with Bedrock differences flagged where they matter. Use your browser’s Find (Ctrl/Cmd + F) to jump to any command fast.
How to Use Minecraft Commands
Turn on cheats first. Commands only work if cheats are enabled. When creating a world, turn on Allow Commands (labeled “Allow Cheats” in older versions). In an existing single-player world, enable it for the session via Esc > Open to LAN > Allow Commands: ON > Start LAN World.
Type in chat. Press T (or /) to open chat, then type the command starting with a forward slash, e.g. /time set day, and press Enter.
Command blocks run commands automatically via redstone. Get one with /give @p command_block (it can’t be crafted).
Target selectors save you typing player names:
@p– nearest player@a– all players@r– a random player@e– all entities@s– yourself (whoever runs the command)
You can filter them, e.g. @e[type=zombie,distance=..10] targets zombies within 10 blocks.
Coordinates: use exact numbers (100 64 -200), ~ for relative to you (~ ~5 ~ = 5 blocks up), or ^ for coordinates relative to where you’re facing.
Essential Commands (The Ones You’ll Use Most)
| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
/help [command] | Lists commands or shows help for one | /help give |
/gamemode <mode> [target] | Changes game mode (survival, creative, adventure, spectator) | /gamemode creative @s |
/give <target> <item> [count] | Gives items to a player | /give @p diamond 64 |
/tp <target> <destination> | Teleports a player or entity (alias of /teleport) | /tp @s 100 70 -200 |
/time set <value> | Sets the time (day, night, noon, midnight, or a number) | /time set day |
/weather <type> [duration] | Sets weather (clear, rain, thunder) | /weather clear |
/difficulty <level> | Sets difficulty (peaceful, easy, normal, hard) | /difficulty hard |
/kill [target] | Kills a player or entity | /kill @e[type=item] |
/clear [target] [item] | Clears items from inventory | /clear @p |
/seed | Shows your world’s seed | /seed |
Player & Inventory Commands
| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
/give <target> <item> [count] | Gives an item | /give @p netherite_sword 1 |
/clear [target] [item] [maxCount] | Removes items (all, or a specific item) | /clear @a dirt |
/xp add <target> <amount> [points|levels] | Adds experience (alias /experience) | /xp add @s 30 levels |
/effect give <target> <effect> [secs] [amplifier] | Applies a status effect | /effect give @s speed 60 2 |
/effect clear [target] [effect] | Removes status effects | /effect clear @s |
/enchant <target> <enchant> [level] | Enchants the held item | /enchant @p sharpness 5 |
/attribute <target> <attribute> ... | Reads/modifies entity attributes | /attribute @s minecraft:max_health get |
/item replace ... | Replaces an item in a slot | /item replace entity @s weapon.mainhand with diamond |
/recipe <give|take> <target> <recipe> | Unlocks or removes recipes | /recipe give @a * |
/spawnpoint [target] [pos] | Sets a player’s respawn point | /spawnpoint @s ~ ~ ~ |
World & Environment Commands
| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
/time set|add|query <value> | Sets, adds, or checks time | /time add 1000 |
/weather <type> [duration] | Controls weather | /weather thunder 600 |
/gamerule <rule> [value] | Changes a game rule (see list below) | /gamerule keep_inventory true |
/setblock <pos> <block> [mode] | Places a single block | /setblock ~ ~ ~ stone |
/fill <from> <to> <block> [mode] | Fills a region with a block | /fill ~ ~ ~ ~10 ~5 ~10 glass |
/clone <from> <to> <dest> [mode] | Copies a region of blocks | /clone 0 64 0 10 70 10 50 64 50 |
/setworldspawn [pos] | Sets the world spawn point | /setworldspawn 0 64 0 |
/worldborder set <size> [time] | Sets the world border size | /worldborder set 1000 |
/forceload add <from> [to] | Keeps chunks loaded | /forceload add ~ ~ |
/locate structure <id> | Finds the nearest structure | /locate structure village |
/locate biome <id> | Finds the nearest biome | /locate biome desert |
/fillbiome <from> <to> <biome> | Changes the biome in a region | /fillbiome ~ ~ ~ ~16 ~ ~16 plains |
/place structure|feature|jigsaw <id> | Places a generated structure/feature | /place feature minecraft:fossil |
Entity & Mob Commands
| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
/summon <entity> [pos] [nbt] | Spawns an entity | /summon lightning_bolt ~ ~ ~ |
/kill [target] | Kills entities | /kill @e[type=creeper] |
/tp <target> <destination> | Teleports entities | /tp @e[type=pig] @s |
/ride <target> mount|dismount <vehicle> | Mounts/dismounts entities | /ride @s mount @e[type=horse,limit=1] |
/damage <target> <amount> [type] | Deals damage to an entity | /damage @e[type=zombie] 5 |
/data get|merge|modify ... | Reads or edits entity/block NBT data | /data get entity @s |
/tag <target> add|remove|list [name] | Adds custom tags to entities | /tag @s add boss |
/spreadplayers <x> <z> <spread> <max> ... | Scatters players/entities randomly | /spreadplayers 0 0 50 200 false @a |
Multiplayer & Server Commands
| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
/op <player> | Grants operator (admin) status | /op Notch |
/deop <player> | Removes operator status | /deop Notch |
/kick <player> [reason] | Removes a player from the server | /kick Steve AFK |
/ban <player> [reason] | Bans a player | /ban Griefer |
/pardon <player> | Unbans a player | /pardon Griefer |
/whitelist <add|remove|on|off|list> | Manages the server whitelist | /whitelist add Alex |
/list | Lists online players | /list |
/msg <targets> <message> | Private message (aliases /tell, /w) | /msg Alex on my way |
/team <add|join|modify> ... | Manages teams | /team add red |
/transfer <host> [port] [players] | Sends players to another server | /transfer play.example.com |
/save-all / /stop | Saves the world / stops the server | /save-all |
/defaultgamemode <mode> | Sets the mode new players join in | /defaultgamemode survival |
Display & Technical Commands
| Command | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
/execute ... | Runs commands conditionally / as other entities | /execute as @a at @s run tp ~ ~10 ~ |
/scoreboard objectives|players ... | Creates and manages scoreboards | /scoreboard objectives add kills playerKill |
/title <target> <title|subtitle|actionbar> <json> | Shows on-screen text | /title @a title {"text":"Game Over"} |
/tellraw <target> <json> | Sends formatted chat text | /tellraw @a {"text":"Hello!","color":"gold"} |
/bossbar add|set ... | Creates a custom boss bar | /bossbar add fight {"text":"Boss"} |
/particle <name> [pos] ... | Spawns particles | /particle heart ~ ~1 ~ |
/playsound <sound> <source> <target> | Plays a sound | /playsound minecraft:entity.wither.spawn master @a |
/function <id> | Runs a datapack function | /function mypack:start |
/datapack <list|enable|disable> | Manages datapacks | /datapack list |
/tick <query|rate|freeze|step|sprint> | Controls the game’s tick rate | /tick rate 10 |
/random <value|roll> ... | Generates random numbers | /random value 1..6 |
/spectate <target> | Spectate an entity (spectator mode) | /spectate @e[type=ender_dragon,limit=1] |
New Commands in Minecraft 26.x
The 2026 updates added a few commands worth knowing (and renamed all game rules to snake_case — see the next section):
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/waypoint | Manages waypoints shown on the new Locator Bar |
/swing [hand] | Makes a player/entity swing its arm |
/fetchprofile entity <selector> | Prints profile info for an entity |
/publish [online] [mode] [port] | Opens your world to LAN/online (now takes an online toggle) |
/unpublish | Closes a world you opened with /publish |
Most Useful Game Rules
Type the full command in chat (cheats must be on). These are the current Java 26.x names (lowercase snake_case):
/gamerule keep_inventory true– keep your items when you die/gamerule advance_time false– freeze the time of day/gamerule advance_weather false– freeze the weather/gamerule mob_griefing false– stop creepers/endermen from changing blocks/gamerule spawn_monsters false– stop hostile mobs from spawning/gamerule spawn_phantoms false– stop phantoms from spawning/gamerule fire_spread_radius_around_player 0– stop fire spreading near you/gamerule random_tick_speed 3– control how fast crops grow / fire spreads (default 3)/gamerule show_death_messages false– hide death messages/gamerule command_block_output false– stop command-block spam in chat/gamerule players_sleeping_percentage 50– % of players needed to sleep through night
Java vs Bedrock: Key Differences
Most commands work the same across both editions, but watch for these:
- Game mode by number (Bedrock): Bedrock accepts
/gamemode 0(survival),1(creative),2(adventure),3/spectator. Java uses the names. - No
/enchantlevels by name nuance: both have/enchant, but item IDs and some argument formats differ slightly. - Java-only:
/datapack,/function,/attribute,/tick,/transfer, advanced/executesubcommands, and/tellrawJSON formatting are Java-focused (Bedrock has equivalents but different syntax). - Bedrock extras: Bedrock has unique commands like
/camera,/inputpermission,/dialogue, and education-style commands not present in Java. - Coordinates and selectors (
@p,@e,~,^) work in both editions.
When in doubt, the in-game auto-complete (it suggests valid arguments as you type) is the fastest way to confirm syntax for your exact version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Turn on “Allow Commands” when creating a world, or open an existing single-player world to LAN with cheats enabled (Esc > Open to LAN > Allow Cheats: On). On a server, you need operator status via /op. Then type commands in chat starting with /.
/give. Use /give <player> <item> [count] – for example, /give @p diamond 64. In creative mode you can also pull items straight from the inventory menu.
Run /gamerule keep_inventory true. Set the value back to false to return to normal.
/time set day. You can also use /time set night, /time set noon, or a number like /time set 6000.
Most do, with small syntax differences – for example, Bedrock uses /gamemode 0 for survival, and some advanced Java commands (/datapack, /function) aren’t available. The essentials like /give, /tp, /time, /weather, and /effect work on both.
Yes – on Java and Bedrock, enabling cheats/commands in a world turns off advancement/achievement progress for that world. Use a separate world if you want to earn them legitimately.
Yes – this list is current as of June 2026 (Java Edition 26.x). Core commands rarely change between updates; the in-game auto-complete always reflects your exact version.
Commands turn Minecraft from a survival game into a sandbox you fully control – whether you’re setting up a server, building with /fill and /clone, or just flipping on keep_inventory for a relaxed run. Bookmark this page, use Ctrl + F to find what you need, and start with the essentials table above.
For more, explore our best Minecraft mods and the full Minecraft guides hub.
