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The quickest way to broadcast a plain announcement is /say. For example, run /say Server restart in 10 minutes to put the message in every player’s chat. Use /tellraw when you need a selector, colors, bold text, or other structured formatting, and use /title (or Bedrock’s /titleraw) for a large center-screen warning.
First identify your edition and Java version. Bedrock’s /tellraw syntax uses a rawtext JSON object, while Java command text changed to inline SNBT-style components in newer snapshots. A command that works on one edition or release can fail on another, so test the exact command in your own build with /help available.
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Choose the command that matches the announcement
These commands all send text, but they differ in destination, appearance, and formatting. Start with the least complicated command that meets your need.
| Command | Best use | Destination | Formatting |
|---|---|---|---|
/say |
A simple server-wide chat notice | All players by default | Plain chat text |
/tellraw |
A clean broadcast or styled message | A selector such as @a, or a narrower selector |
JSON/rawtext components; syntax depends on edition and Java release |
/title |
An important center-screen title or subtitle | A selector | Title components; syntax depends on edition and Java release |
/titleraw (Bedrock) |
A Bedrock title that needs raw JSON text or translation components | A selector | Bedrock rawtext JSON |
Before you run a command: edition, location, and permissions
Identify Java or Bedrock
Java Edition and Bedrock Edition do not share every command grammar. Bedrock uses forms such as /tellraw <target> <raw json message>. Java releases have historically used JSON text components, but Mojang’s Java snapshot 25w02a documentation describes a change for commands including /tellraw and /title: text components move from JSON-wrapped strings to inline SNBT-style data. If you are on a Java version around or after that change, use the syntax shown by your version’s in-game help rather than blindly pasting an older example.
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Where commands can run
Minecraft commands can be entered in the chat window, placed in command blocks, called by Java data-pack functions, called by Bedrock behavior-pack functions, or issued through a server console. The command itself is usually the same, but a console may not use a leading slash and some consoles handle selectors or quoting differently.
Permission level
In multiplayer, the sender needs a high enough permission level to use commands. A server owner or Realm owner generally has the required permissions; ordinary players may need operator status or an equivalent permission granted by the host. A command block also runs only when it can be used in that world and has been configured correctly.
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/say is the right first choice when you only need a readable line in chat. Microsoft Learn describes the Bedrock command as sending a message in chat to other players, with the form /say <message: message>.
Bedrock example
Open chat and enter:
/say Server restart in 10 minutesEveryone who can receive server chat sees the text. Replace the words after /say with your announcement; do not add quotation marks unless the message itself requires them.
Java example
The same plain command is:
/say Server restart in 10 minutesBecause this command is plain text, it is less affected by the text-component changes that matter to styled /tellraw and /title commands. It is useful for maintenance notices, event start times, rule reminders, and short status updates.
What /say cannot do
- It does not give you per-player targeting in the command itself; use
/tellrawwith a selector when only a group should receive the message. - It is not a center-screen title.
- It is not the best option for colors, bold text, click events, translations, or other structured components.
Use /tellraw for targeted or styled broadcasts
/tellraw sends a JSON message to players. The target selector comes first, so you can address everyone or a defined subset without relying on the default behavior of /say.
Bedrock syntax and examples
Bedrock expects a JSON object containing a rawtext array:
/tellraw @a {"rawtext":[{"text":"Server restart in 10 minutes"}]}This sends a clean broadcast to all players selected by @a. A styled Bedrock message can include text components such as color and formatting fields:
/tellraw @a {"rawtext":[{"text":"[NOTICE] "},{"text":"Server restart in 10 minutes","color":"gold","bold":true}]}Keep the JSON punctuation exactly as shown: braces enclose the object, rawtext is an array, and each component is an object. A missing quote, brace, or comma causes a syntax error.
Java syntax before the inline-component change
On Java releases that use the older JSON text-component form, a comparable command is:
/tellraw @a {"text":"Server restart in 10 minutes","color":"gold","bold":true}The target is still @a, but Java does not use Bedrock’s rawtext wrapper in this form.
Java releases with inline SNBT-style components
Mojang’s Java snapshot 25w02a documentation records a change from JSON-wrapped strings to inline SNBT-style text components for commands such as /tellraw and /title. In a build that implements that syntax, the equivalent may look like:
/tellraw @a {text:'Server restart in 10 minutes',color:'gold',bold:true}Exact accepted quoting and fields can vary by release. If the command is rejected, type /help tellraw in the game and follow the argument form your client displays; do not replace a working release’s syntax merely because an example on another site looks newer.
Understand selectors before targeting an announcement
A selector decides who receives the command’s output. @a means all players and is the normal server-wide target for /tellraw and /title. Other common selectors include:
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| Selector | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
@a |
Every player who matches any added conditions | Global maintenance or event notice |
@p |
The nearest player to the command’s execution point | A local instruction near a command block |
@r |
A random matching player | Testing or a deliberately random reward message |
@s |
The executing entity, when one exists | Functions or command chains that preserve the executor |
Selectors can take filters, but the available filters differ between Java and Bedrock. For example, a Java server might target players in a particular game mode with a selector such as @a[gamemode=survival]. Confirm the filter in your edition’s /help output before using it in a production announcement. If the parser reports an unknown option, remove that filter or use the edition-specific equivalent.
Put urgent notices in the center of the screen
Chat is easy to miss during combat or exploration. A title overlays the player’s view and is better for an imminent restart, a tournament start, or an evacuation warning.
Bedrock: /title and /titleraw
The official Bedrock command overview distinguishes /title from /titleraw. Use the simple title form for ordinary text:
/title @a title Server Restart SoonUse /titleraw when the title needs Bedrock rawtext or translated/JSON-defined content:
/titleraw @a title {"rawtext":[{"text":"SERVER RESTART SOON"}]}The word title in these examples selects the large title slot. Bedrock also supports title-related slots such as a subtitle through the command’s documented syntax; check /help title or /help titleraw for the exact argument order in your build.
Java: title component syntax follows the release
On Java releases using the older JSON component form, a title can be sent with:
/title @a title {"text":"SERVER RESTART SOON","color":"red","bold":true}On releases implementing the inline SNBT-style component change, the text portion may instead be written as:
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Automate recurring announcements
Typing a command in chat works for a one-time notice. Repeating schedules require an execution source that runs without a player retyping the command.
Repeating command block
- Place a command block where it will remain loaded.
- Open its configuration and choose the repeating mode rather than a one-shot impulse mode.
- Set the activation option your world requires, such as always active or redstone-triggered.
- Enter the announcement without the chat slash if the command-block interface expects only the command text; use the interface’s preview or output to catch syntax errors.
- Activate it and watch chat for one cycle before leaving it enabled.
A repeating block executes very frequently, so an unmodified /say can flood chat. Use a redstone clock, a chain of blocks, or another timing design that spaces notices appropriately. Turn the block off while editing to avoid sending partial test messages to players.
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Functions and data or behavior packs
For a maintainable schedule, put the announcement in a Java data-pack function or a Bedrock behavior-pack function and invoke it from the pack’s supported schedule or tick mechanism. This keeps message text in a file, lets you version several notices, and avoids a wall of command blocks. The function still needs the correct edition syntax: a Bedrock function containing Java JSON will fail, and a Java function containing Bedrock’s rawtext wrapper will fail.
Server console or an external scheduler
A host’s server console can issue the same broadcast command, and an external scheduler can send it at maintenance times. Console permissions, command prefixes, and quoting rules vary by host. Verify that the console is connected to the correct world and edition, then run a one-time test before scheduling a recurring job. A console typically accepts say Server restart in 10 minutes without the leading slash, but follow the console’s own command prompt rules.
A practical announcement workflow
- Identify the edition and version. Record Java or Bedrock, and the Java release if applicable.
- Choose the visual level. Use
/sayfor a plain chat line,/tellrawfor clean or formatted chat, and/title//titlerawfor an urgent overlay. - Select recipients. Start with
@a; replace it with a narrower, edition-valid selector when the message is for a group. - Test as an operator. Run the command manually while another account, or a second player, confirms what appears.
- Move it to automation only after it works. Copy the tested command into a command block, function, behavior pack, or console scheduler.
- Monitor the first automated run. Check that the execution source stays loaded and that the message is not repeating every tick.
Troubleshoot failed or missing announcements
“Unknown command” or no autocomplete
Check the leading slash when using chat, confirm that commands are enabled, and verify your permission level. In a console, remove the slash only if that console expects bare command text. If the command is absent from /help, you may be using the wrong edition or a restricted server configuration.
Syntax error near JSON, braces, or quotes
For Bedrock, verify the {"rawtext":[...]} wrapper and every matching quote, brace, and bracket. For Java, determine whether your release expects the older JSON component or inline SNBT-style component. Do not paste Bedrock rawtext into Java or an old Java JSON example into a release that expects inline data.
The sender sees a message but other players do not
Check the selector. A bare or mistyped target can address only the executor or no one. Use @a for a global test, then add filters one at a time. If a command block is involved, confirm that every intended player is in the loaded area and that the block is powered or set to the required activation mode.
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Use a chat broadcast as a companion for critical information, and disable a repeating block after the intended run. A title is tied to the selected title slot and can be overwritten by another title command, so avoid running several title messages at the same time.
Chat is flooded
A repeating command block runs far more often than a human announcement schedule needs. Stop it, switch to a timed redstone design or a scheduled function, and test the interval with a temporary message before restoring the final wording.
Quick Recap
Command selection checklist
- Plain message to everyone:
/say Server restart in 10 minutes. - Bedrock formatted broadcast:
/tellraw @a {"rawtext":[{"text":"Server restart in 10 minutes"}]}. - Java formatted broadcast: use the JSON or inline SNBT-style form required by your release.
- Center-screen warning: use
/title; on Bedrock, choose/titlerawfor rawtext or translated content. - Only a subgroup: replace
@awith an edition-valid filtered selector. - Recurring notice: use a carefully timed command block, a data/behavior-pack function, or a server-console scheduler rather than manually repeating chat commands.
- Any parsing failure: run
/helpfor that command in the exact build and test the corrected syntax in-game.
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