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Minecraft commands are slash-prefixed instructions that can teleport players, change the game rules, give items, summon entities, locate places, control weather and time, and automate actions. The exact commands and argument formats depend on whether you are playing Java Edition, Bedrock Edition, or Education, your game version, and your permissions.

The dependable way to see what works in your current world is to run /help. It lists commands available to you; /help <command> displays that command’s usage and accepted syntax.

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What Minecraft commands do

A command is a command name followed by arguments. You can enter it in chat, place it in a command block, run it from a function or data/behavior pack, or execute it through a supported server console. Commands can identify players and entities, coordinates, items, dimensions, game modes, effects, scores and other game data.

Most chat commands begin with /. Autocomplete can suggest command names and valid arguments as you type, which is especially useful when a command has edition-specific syntax.

Target selectors

Selectors let one command address a player or entity without typing a name each time:

  • @s targets the executing entity (often yourself when used in chat).
  • @p targets the nearest player.
  • @a targets all players.
  • A player name can be used instead of a selector when the command accepts a player target.

Coordinates, item and entity identifiers, quantities, modes and optional JSON or component data fill the remaining arguments. A missing required argument produces a syntax error; an invalid identifier or unavailable feature produces a different error or an “unknown command” result.

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Enable commands before you type them

Bedrock Edition single-player

  1. Open the world’s settings.
  2. In Game settings, turn on Allow Cheats.
  3. Return to the world and open chat to enter a command.

Bedrock warns that enabling cheats permanently disables achievements in that world, even if you later turn cheats off. Make a copy of an achievement world before enabling the setting.

Java Edition single-player

  1. Enable Allow Commands when creating the world, or open the world’s World Options and enable it later.
  2. Open chat and run the command.

Java’s temporary “Open to LAN” option can also grant command access for that session, but the exact controls depend on the current release.

Multiplayer

A server or realm must grant you a sufficient permission level. Operator commands such as /op, /kick and /ban are not available to ordinary players. Server software can impose additional restrictions.

Use /help as the live command list

Run /help by itself to list every command you can run in the current world. Run /help give, for example, to see the current /give forms and required arguments. This runtime list is safer than relying on a fixed command count because commands vary by edition, release, permissions and enabled features.

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Education worlds and some Bedrock configurations expose commands that do not exist in Java. Java releases can add, rename or remove commands as features change. If an example below is rejected, use your world’s /help output rather than forcing the syntax.

Shared commands, organized by purpose

The following commands are represented across editions, although an argument, alias or execution context can differ. Check the local help entry before using a command in a command block or pack.

Command What it does
/clear Removes items from an inventory.
/clone Copies blocks from one region to another.
/damage Applies damage to selected entities.
/deop Removes operator status where supported.
/difficulty Sets or queries the world difficulty.
/effect Adds or clears status effects.
/enchant Enchants an item held by a target.
/execute Runs another command with a changed executor, position, rotation, dimension or condition.
/fill Fills a region with a selected block.
/function Runs a saved function; packaging differs between Java data packs and Bedrock behavior packs.
/gamemode Changes a player’s game mode.
/gamerule Sets or queries a game rule.
/give Gives items to players.
/help Displays available commands and command-specific usage.
/kick Removes a player from a multiplayer world or server where supported.
/kill Kills selected entities.
/list Lists online players where supported.
/locate Finds a biome, structure or point of interest where supported.
/loot Generates or distributes loot.
/me Sends an action-style chat message.
/msg, /tell, /w Sends a private message; aliases and availability vary.
/op Grants operator status where supported.
/particle Creates particle effects.
/place Places configured features or structures where supported.
/playsound and /stopsound Starts and stops sounds.
/recipe Grants or revokes recipes where supported.
/reload Reloads data or configuration where supported.
/ride Makes entities mount or dismount where supported.
/say Broadcasts a message.
/schedule Schedules a function or supported action.
/scoreboard Creates objectives and manipulates scores.
/setblock Changes one block.
/setworldspawn Sets the world spawn.
/spawnpoint Sets a player’s respawn point.
/spreadplayers Spreads players or entities across an area.
/summon Creates an entity.
/tag Adds or removes tags on entities.
/teleport and /tp Moves entities to coordinates or another entity.
/time Sets, adds or queries world time.
/title Displays title, subtitle or action-bar text where supported.
/transfer Transfers a player to another server where supported.
/weather Sets the weather.
/xp and /experience Adds, sets or queries experience; syntax differs by edition.

Java-only command examples

Java exposes additional commands that are not part of the shared list. Examples include:

  • /advancement manages advancements.
  • /attribute reads or changes entity attributes.
  • /ban, /ban-ip and /banlist administer bans.
  • /bossbar manages custom boss bars.
  • /data reads or modifies entity, block-entity or storage data.
  • /datapack enables, disables or lists data packs.
  • /debug controls Java debugging capture.
  • /defaultgamemode sets the default mode for new players.
  • /fillbiome changes biome data in a region.
  • /forceload controls chunks that stay loaded.
  • /item modifies item stacks in supported slots.
  • /jfr controls Java Flight Recorder profiling.
  • /pardon and /pardon-ip remove bans.
  • /publish publishes a single-player world to LAN.
  • /random produces random values where supported.
  • /return returns from a function with a result.
  • /save-all, /save-off and /save-on control world saving.
  • /seed displays the world seed.
  • /setidletimeout sets an idle-player timeout.
  • /spectate changes a spectator’s viewed entity.
  • /team and /teammsg manage teams and team messages.
  • /tick controls game ticks where supported.
  • /trigger activates a trigger objective.
  • /worldborder manages the world border.
  • /whitelist manages the server allow-list.

This is a representative Java-only group rather than a permanent cross-version inventory. A particular Java release can change availability, so /help remains authoritative.

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Bedrock- and Education-specific differences

Bedrock and Education each contain commands absent from Java, and Education can expose classroom-oriented features. Names, aliases and argument order can also differ even when a command has the same purpose. The edition index separates all-edition, Java-only, Bedrock-only, Education-only, removed and developer commands; use that classification together with the in-game help screen for the release you are actually running.

Do not paste a Java command that edits NBT or data into Bedrock and assume an equivalent exists. Conversely, a Bedrock command accepted in one world can fail in Java because the command tree and component syntax are different.

Starter commands with practical syntax

Give yourself an item

Current Bedrock syntax is:

/give <player: target> <itemName: Item> [amount: int] [data: int] [components: json]

The player and item are required; amount, data and components are optional. For example, /give @s diamond 64 gives the executing player 64 diamonds in Bedrock. Java uses a different item syntax in some releases, so confirm it with /help give.

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Teleport

/teleport <target player> <destination> moves a player to coordinates or another player. /tp is an alias in contexts where it is enabled. Autocomplete helps insert the destination’s coordinate arguments.

Change weather

/weather <clear|rain|thunder> selects clear weather, rain or a thunderstorm. The accepted duration and extra arguments are edition-dependent.

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Set time

/time set <time> sets the world clock. Values such as day, night, noon and midnight are supported where the edition’s help entry lists them.

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Summon an entity

/summon <entity> [x] [y] [z] creates an entity, optionally at supplied coordinates. Use the exact entity identifier shown by autocomplete.

Kill a target

/kill [player] kills the selected player or entity. With no argument, the command’s default target is edition-dependent; specify a selector or name when precision matters.

Find a location

/locate <category> <thing> searches for a structure, biome or point of interest where that category exists. The category and identifier are not interchangeable between editions.

Set the world spawn

/setworldspawn [x] [y] [z] sets the world spawn at the supplied coordinates or at the command’s default position when coordinates are omitted.

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Multiplayer administration

/op <playername> grants operator status, /kick <playername> removes a player, and /ban <playername> bans a player where supported. These require appropriate authority and should not be given to untrusted players.

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How command blocks work

A command block is a block that executes a command automatically or as part of a redstone chain. You can obtain one with /give @s minecraft:command_block or place one directly with /setblock ~ ~ ~ minecraft:command_block where that identifier is accepted.

  1. Enable cheats or commands and obtain a command block.
  2. Place the block, open its interface and enter the command without relying on chat-only assumptions.
  3. Choose the block’s execution mode and activation settings available in your edition.
  4. Supply a redstone signal or connect the block to a chain, then test with a harmless command such as a message.
  5. Read the output and error text before adding selectors, coordinates or conditional logic.

Command blocks do not bypass every permission rule. Management commands such as ban, kick, op, deop, stop and whitelist operations are restricted from command blocks. A command that works in chat can therefore be rejected when placed in a block.

Diagnose a command that fails

“Unknown command”

  • Check the edition and release; the command may be Java-only, Bedrock-only or removed.
  • Run /help to verify that your permissions and enabled features expose it.
  • Check spelling and use autocomplete rather than an identifier copied from another edition.

Syntax or argument error

  • Run /help <command> and compare required versus optional arguments.
  • Confirm target selectors, coordinates, item names and entity identifiers.
  • Remove optional arguments, test the smallest valid form, then add values one at a time.

No permission

Enable the correct single-player setting or ask a server administrator for the required permission level. Cheats and operator status are separate from knowing the command’s syntax.

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Nothing happens in a command block

  • Verify that the block receives the required redstone signal or configured automatic trigger.
  • Check whether the command is one of the administration operations blocked in command blocks.
  • Test the exact text in chat first, then replace a player name with @s or another suitable selector for the block’s executor context.

Achievements disappeared

In Bedrock, this is expected after enabling cheats: turning the setting off later does not restore achievements for that world. Use a pre-cheat copy if achievement progress matters.

A safe workflow for learning commands

  1. Identify your edition, release and world type.
  2. Enable commands only in a test world unless you accept the consequences for that save.
  3. Run /help, then open the command-specific help entry.
  4. Test with @s and a small, reversible change.
  5. Use autocomplete for identifiers and coordinates.
  6. Move a working command into a command block or function only after it succeeds in chat.
  7. For multiplayer, grant the minimum permission needed and avoid destructive commands until the target is explicit.

There is no single reliable number of Minecraft commands across all editions and releases. The complete list for your world is the list returned by /help; the tables above explain the major shared commands and the most important edition distinctions so you can interpret that live list correctly.

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