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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIn Minecraft Java Edition, set up a square world border with three commands: grant yourself command access, choose its center with /worldborder center <x> <z>, then set its diameter with /worldborder set <diameter>. For example, /worldborder center 0 0 followed by /worldborder set 1000 creates a 1,000-by-1,000-block playable square centered on the origin.
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You can animate a resize, change the border by a relative amount, display warnings, and configure damage near the edge. The customizable command is Java Edition-only; Bedrock Edition does not accept the same /worldborder syntax.
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What the Minecraft world border does
The world border is a square boundary that defines the usable area of a dimension. Its size is a diameter: a value of 1,000 means 1,000 blocks from west to east and 1,000 blocks from north to south. It is not a circular radius, and the command does not create a wall made from blocks. Instead, Minecraft renders a border effect and applies the configured warning and damage behavior as players approach or pass the edge.
The border has two independent pieces of geometry:
- Center: the horizontal X and Z coordinates around which the square is placed.
- Diameter: the total width and length of the square.
A 1,000-block diameter centered at 0, 0 therefore reaches approximately X = -500 to X = 500 and Z = -500 to Z = 500. If you move the center, the same diameter moves with it; changing the diameter does not move the center.
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In current Java releases, each dimension has its own border state. Mojang’s Java Edition 1.21.9 release notes state: “The World Border is now dimension-specific.” Configure the Overworld, Nether and End separately when your server uses different boundaries in each dimension.
Before you start: command access and edition
Java single-player worlds
Commands must be enabled. When creating a world, turn on Allow Commands. In an existing world, open the pause menu, choose Open to LAN, enable Allow Cheats, and start the LAN session; command access lasts for that session. Depending on the Java release and world menu, the permanent setting is also exposed through the world’s World Options.
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You need operator-level permission or another permission system that grants the world-border command. Enter commands in chat with a leading slash. A server console can also run commands, but console syntax generally omits the initial slash. If a command is rejected, ask an administrator to grant the required permission rather than repeatedly changing the command.
Bedrock Edition
Bedrock Edition does not provide the same customizable Java /worldborder command. Pasting Java syntax such as /worldborder set 1000 into Bedrock will not create this border. Bedrock players need a different boundary method, such as a command-block system built from Bedrock-supported commands, a map-specific barrier arrangement, or an add-on. Those approaches have different setup steps and are not controlled by the Java world-border commands in this guide.
Set a fixed border in Java Edition
The reliable order is center first, size second. This prevents you from accidentally creating the correct-sized square around the wrong location.
- Open chat with the chat key and confirm that commands are enabled for your world or that you have server permission.
- Choose the center. Run
/worldborder center 0 0for a border centered on the world origin. Replace the two numbers with the X and Z coordinates of your intended play area. The center command uses horizontal coordinates, not a Y height. Relative coordinates can be used where supported. - Set the diameter. Run
/worldborder set 1000. The result is a square 1,000 blocks wide and 1,000 blocks long around the center you selected. - Verify the value. Run
/worldborder get. Minecraft returns the current diameter for the dimension in which you issued the command.
For a village at X = 2,400 and Z = -800, for example, use /worldborder center 2400 -800, then choose a diameter that gives the intended amount of terrain on each side. A 2,000-block diameter extends about 1,000 blocks in every horizontal direction from that center.
Command reference
| Command | Purpose | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
/worldborder center <x> <z> |
Moves the square’s center. | Uses horizontal X and Z coordinates; it does not change diameter. |
/worldborder set <diameter> [time-in-seconds] |
Sets a target diameter, optionally over time. | Without a time, the change is immediate. With a time, the border animates to the target. |
/worldborder add <distance> [time-in-seconds] |
Adds to or subtracts from the current diameter. | Positive values expand; negative values shrink. The optional time animates the change. |
/worldborder get |
Reports the current diameter. | Run it in each dimension you want to inspect. |
/worldborder warning distance <blocks> |
Sets how far from the edge the warning begins. | Use a larger distance when players need more time to turn back. |
/worldborder warning time <seconds> |
Sets the warning lead time for a moving border. | This is useful when a border is shrinking or expanding over a scheduled interval. |
/worldborder damage buffer <blocks> |
Sets a buffer at the edge before border damage applies. | The value is measured in blocks. |
/worldborder damage amount <damage-per-block> |
Sets the damage rate associated with being beyond the configured buffer. | Choose a rate that matches your server’s challenge or protection policy. |
Make the border move over time
Move to an exact diameter
Add a time in seconds after the target diameter. This command changes the border to 1,000 blocks over two minutes:
/worldborder set 1000 120
The target is the final diameter; 120 is the transition duration. Players see the border move continuously rather than jump to its final position. Use /worldborder get to inspect the current diameter while the transition is in progress.
Expand or shrink by a relative amount
Use add when you care about the change from the current size instead of a specific final value:
/worldborder add 200 60expands the current diameter by 200 blocks over 60 seconds./worldborder add -200 60shrinks the current diameter by 200 blocks over 60 seconds./worldborder add 500expands immediately by 500 blocks./worldborder add -100shrinks immediately by 100 blocks.
A negative distance belongs with add when you want a relative reduction. If you instead know the exact final diameter, use set so there is no ambiguity about the destination.
Plan a shrinking-world event
Write down the starting diameter, target diameter and duration before issuing a command. For example, to reduce a 4,000-block border to 1,000 blocks over 20 minutes, run /worldborder set 1000 1200. Set the warning time and distance first if players need advance notice, then announce the start time and the dimension affected. A moving border is dimension-specific, so repeat the plan and command in each dimension where the event should occur.
Centering the border accurately
Use a known coordinate
Coordinates shown in the debug screen or displayed by the coordinate HUD give you the X and Z values needed by center. The order is X first, Z second:
/worldborder center 1500 -250
Do not include a Y coordinate. The border spans the dimension vertically; its center command is strictly horizontal.
Center on the current position
Relative coordinates can be used where supported. A relative X and Z pair centers the border from the command executor’s location, rather than requiring you to copy absolute numbers. Check the command suggestions in your Java version before using relative syntax, particularly when the command is sent from a server console or command block.
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Account for the square shape
The nearest edge is not the same distance in every direction from a diagonal position. Players standing on a corner can be farther from the center than players standing halfway along a side, even though both are inside the same square. Design farms, portals and spawn routes with the four straight edges and four corners in mind.
Warnings and border damage
Warnings are optional. They help players recognize that they are approaching the boundary, especially during a timed shrink.
Warning distance
Set the distance in blocks with:
/worldborder warning distance 20
This makes the warning begin 20 blocks from the edge. Increase the number when players need a generous turn-around area; reduce it when a compact arena should provide little advance notice.
Warning time
For a moving border, set a lead time in seconds:
/worldborder warning time 30
The time setting communicates how soon the moving border is expected to reach a player near the edge. It complements, rather than replaces, warning distance: distance is spatial, while time is based on the border’s movement.
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Set a no-damage buffer in blocks with:
/worldborder damage buffer 5
The buffer gives players a small margin at the boundary before border damage applies. This is useful when lag, knockback or a fast-moving event could otherwise push someone over the edge unexpectedly.
Damage amount
Set the damage rate with:
/worldborder damage amount 1
The command’s value is damage per block. A higher value makes crossing or remaining beyond the protected area more consequential; a lower value gives players more opportunity to return. Select the value according to whether the border is intended as a hard survival limit, a soft warning, or an arena rule. The command reference documents defaults, but a server’s design should determine the values you choose rather than relying on defaults.
Configure each dimension separately
Because current Java releases keep border state per dimension, a border set in the Overworld should not be assumed to govern the Nether or the End. Travel to the target dimension, or otherwise execute the command in that dimension’s command context, and configure it there.
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- In the Overworld, set the desired center, diameter, warnings and damage.
- Enter the Nether and repeat the commands with coordinates and a size appropriate to that dimension.
- Enter the End and repeat them if the End needs a defined play area.
- Run
/worldborder getin each dimension to confirm the resulting diameter.
Do not automatically copy Overworld coordinates or dimensions into another world. Nether terrain, portal routes and the intended travel area may require a different center and size.
Fixed border versus moving border
| Approach | Best for | Commands | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed border | Protected survival maps, build servers and permanent arenas | /worldborder set 2000 |
Simple and predictable, but it does not create an event or push players toward a location. |
| Moving border | Timed challenges, battle-royale-style events and staged map reductions | /worldborder set 500 600 or /worldborder add -500 600 |
Creates pressure and requires announcements, warnings and monitoring. |
| Relative expansion | Opening new territory in phases | /worldborder add 1000 300 |
Depends on the current diameter, so record the starting value before scheduling changes. |
A fixed border is usually the safer choice for a long-running server: players can build near the edge without wondering when the boundary will move. A moving border needs a published schedule and a recovery plan if players are caught outside the intended area.
Limits, defaults and sizing decisions
The Minecraft Wiki command reference, accessed in 2026, documents an initial or reset diameter of 59,999,968 blocks. It also documents the command’s distance argument as bounded between -59,999,968 and 59,999,968. These figures describe the command’s documented range and initial state; they are not sensible survival-server recommendations.
Choose a diameter from the terrain and activity you actually want to support:
- Measure the distance between the intended center and the farthest planned build, farm or travel route.
- Double that distance to estimate a diameter, then add room for corners and future expansion.
- Leave enough space for portals and transport routes so a normal trip does not end at the warning zone.
- Use a smaller border for a focused event and a larger one for exploration-heavy survival.
Remember that a border limits horizontal area, not the number of blocks in the vertical build range. Underground bases and tall structures still need to fit inside the same X and Z square.
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“Unknown or incomplete command”
Confirm that you are running Java Edition and that you typed the command with a leading slash in chat. Bedrock does not implement this Java command. On a server, check that your account has operator or equivalent permission.
The border is in the wrong place
Run /worldborder get to verify the size, then issue /worldborder center <x> <z> with the intended horizontal coordinates. Centering does not reset the diameter, so you normally do not need to repeat the size command unless the size itself is wrong.
The border is the wrong size
Use /worldborder get first. If the value is still transitioning, wait for the scheduled time or replace it with a new set command that includes the desired target and duration. Use set for an exact final diameter and add only when the change should be relative to the current value.
Players receive no warning
Check both warning settings. A distance of zero or a very small value may make the warning effectively unnoticeable, while a warning time matters only when the border is moving. Run the relevant commands again and test near an edge in the same dimension where the border was configured.
Players take damage sooner or later than expected
Inspect the damage buffer and amount. The buffer controls how many blocks of margin exist before damage, and the amount controls damage per block. These settings are dimension-specific along with the border itself, so verify them in the dimension where the symptom occurs.
A Nether or End border does not match the Overworld
This is expected in current Java versions unless you configure all dimensions deliberately. Enter the affected dimension and set its center, diameter and optional controls there.
A practical setup checklist
- Confirm Java Edition and command access.
- Choose a center using X and Z coordinates.
- Decide whether the diameter is fixed or should move over time.
- Run
/worldborder center <x> <z>. - Run
/worldborder set <diameter>, adding seconds for a transition if needed. - Use
/worldborder getto verify the current diameter. - Set warning distance and warning time if players need advance notice.
- Set damage buffer and damage amount if crossing the edge should have consequences.
- Repeat the configuration in every dimension that needs its own boundary.
- Test an edge and a corner before inviting other players or starting a timed event.
Example configurations
1,000-block survival area at spawn
/worldborder center 0 0/worldborder set 1000/worldborder warning distance 20/worldborder damage buffer 5
This produces a permanent square around the origin with a modest warning and buffer. Damage amount is left at the server’s chosen policy rather than assuming a universal value.
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/worldborder center 0 0/worldborder set 4000/worldborder warning distance 100/worldborder warning time 60/worldborder set 1000 1200
The final command reduces the diameter from its current value to 1,000 over 1,200 seconds. If the starting value is not 4,000, use /worldborder get first and announce the actual starting diameter.
Expand an established map
/worldborder get/worldborder add 2000 300/worldborder warning distance 50
The border grows by 2,000 blocks over five minutes, regardless of its starting diameter. This is useful when a server opens a new exploration phase without moving the center.
Key points to remember
The Java /worldborder command creates a square, not a circle. center chooses the horizontal location, set chooses an exact diameter, and add changes the current diameter by a positive or negative amount. Optional warning and damage commands control player feedback and consequences. In Java 1.21.9 and later behavior documented by Mojang, border state is dimension-specific, so a complete server setup treats each dimension as a separate boundary.
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