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World desk9 min

Minecraft Commands List: Every Command Explained for Java, Bedrock and Education

A complete, edition-aware Minecraft commands guide covering permissions, live /help syntax, selectors, coordinates, shared and Java-only commands, practical examples and command-block limits.

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Minecraft commands are typed instructions that alter the world, player state and server. They can teleport players, give items, locate structures and biomes, summon entities, change weather or time, manipulate blocks and automate systems. Type a command in chat with a leading /, or run it from a command block, function, behavior pack, data pack or server console.

There is no dependable single number for “all Minecraft commands.” The available set changes by Java Edition, Bedrock Edition or Education, game release, permissions and enabled features. In the world you are actually playing, run /help; Microsoft’s current guidance says that command lists every command you can run, while /help <command> displays that command’s syntax.

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Enable commands before you try them

Commands do nothing until the world grants the required authority. The setting and consequences depend on the edition.

Edition or context What to enable Important consequence
Bedrock single-player Open Game settings and turn on Allow Cheats. Bedrock permanently disables achievements for that world when cheats are enabled, even if you later switch them off.
Java single-player Choose Allow Commands while creating the world, or use World Options to enable them later. The setting controls command access in that world.
Multiplayer Ask the owner or administrator for a sufficient permission level, normally operator access for administrative commands. Some commands remain restricted to authorized users and some cannot run from command blocks at all.

If a command produces an unknown-command or permission error, check the edition, spelling, syntax shown by /help and your permission level before changing anything else.

Use the live command list instead of an old count

Run /help in chat to see every command available in the current world. Run /help teleport, for example, to see the accepted forms for teleportation in that exact release and edition. Autocomplete also exposes valid arguments as you type and can fill coordinate values.

This matters because Java, Bedrock and Education do not expose identical command names or argument forms. A command shown in an old “complete list” may have been added, renamed, removed or limited to another edition. The Minecraft Wiki command index separates commands into all-edition, Java-only, Bedrock-only, Education-only, removed and developer categories; treat that index as a map, then confirm the syntax in your own /help output.

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How command syntax works

A command is a name followed by typed arguments. Arguments can identify targets, coordinates, items, entities, amounts, game modes, conditions or JSON/components. Required arguments must be supplied; square-bracket arguments in a usage line are optional. A command can target a player by name or with a selector.

Target selectors

  • @s selects the entity executing the command, such as you in chat or the command block’s executor.
  • @p selects the nearest player.
  • @a selects all players.
  • A player name selects that named player.

Selectors are especially useful in command blocks and functions, where the executor may change. Always check the command’s autocomplete because selector filters and accepted target types vary by edition.

Coordinates

Commands that act at a location accept coordinates. Absolute coordinates identify a fixed position; the tilde form represents a position relative to the executor, as in /setblock ~ ~ ~ minecraft:command_block. Use autocomplete and the command’s help entry to confirm the order and number of coordinates.

Shared commands and what each one does

The following commands are listed by the Minecraft Wiki index as shared across editions, although individual arguments and availability can still vary by release. The “context” column describes their normal use; verify unusual forms with /help.

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Command Purpose Typical use or caveat
/clear Remove items from an inventory. Can target a player and, where supported, limit the item or amount.
/clone Copy blocks from one region to another. Requires source and destination coordinates.
/damage Apply damage to entities. Accepted damage types and optional causes are edition-dependent.
/deop Remove operator status. Administrative permission is required.
/difficulty Set or query difficulty. Use the current help entry for valid difficulty names.
/effect Add or clear status effects. Specify a target, effect identifier and optional duration or strength.
/enchant Enchant an item held by a target. The held item and permitted enchantments determine success.
/execute Run another command under changed conditions. Can alter executor, position, rotation, dimension or conditional flow; syntax differs substantially between editions.
/fill Fill a region with a block. Uses two corner coordinates and a block identifier.
/function Run a saved function. Packaging differs between Java data packs and Bedrock behavior packs.
/gamemode Change a player’s game mode. Supply a mode and, when needed, a target.
/gamerule Set or query a game rule. Rule names and value types depend on edition.
/give Give items to players. Item identifiers and component syntax vary.
/help Show available commands and usage. Use it as the authoritative, in-game reference.
/kick Remove a player from a multiplayer world or server where supported. Requires the appropriate authority.
/kill Kill selected entities. Be precise with selectors; a broad selector can affect many entities.
/list List online players where supported. Useful for confirming names before targeting them.
/locate Find a biome, structure or point of interest where supported. Category names and result syntax differ by edition.
/loot Generate or distribute loot. Often used with entities, tables or containers.
/me Send an action-style chat message. It changes chat output, not the world.
/msg, /tell, /w Send a private message. These are aliases in some editions; availability varies.
/op Grant operator status where supported. Use only when you intend to grant administrative power.
/particle Create particles. Particle identifiers and coordinate arguments are edition-specific.
/place Place configured features or structures where supported. Requires a valid configured feature or structure identifier.
/playsound and /stopsound Start or stop sounds. Sound names and target arguments must match the edition.
/recipe Grant or revoke recipes where supported. Target and recipe identifiers are required in supported editions.
/reload Reload data or configuration. Most useful for packs or server data; behavior differs by edition.
/ride Mount or dismount entities where supported. Check which entity combinations the current release accepts.
/say Broadcast a message. Command output is visible to players who can see chat.
/schedule Schedule a function or supported action. Timing and action syntax are edition-specific.
/scoreboard Create and manipulate objectives and scores. Supports counters, displays and player values.
/setblock Change one block. Use a coordinate and block identifier; relative coordinates are convenient for command blocks.
/setworldspawn Set the world spawn. Can use explicit coordinates or the executor’s position where supported.
/spawnpoint Set a player’s respawn point. Do not confuse a player respawn point with the world spawn.
/spreadplayers Spread entities or players across an area. Use carefully in survival worlds because it relocates targets.
/summon Create an entity. Supply an entity identifier and optional coordinates or data.
/tag Add or remove entity tags. Tags provide lightweight groups for later selectors and functions.
/teleport and /tp Move entities to coordinates or another entity. These names are aliases in supported editions.
/time Set, add or query world time. Named values such as day, night, noon and midnight are supported in relevant editions.
/title Display title, subtitle or action-bar text where supported. Text formatting and JSON requirements vary.
/transfer Transfer a player to another server where supported. Requires a destination and server configuration that supports transfers.
/weather Set weather. Common weather values are clear, rain and thunder.
/xp and /experience Add, set or query experience. Syntax and whether levels or points are specified differ by edition.

Java-only commands

The index identifies these examples as Java Edition commands. They are not a portable list for Bedrock or Education:

  • /advancement manages advancement progress.
  • /attribute reads or changes entity attributes.
  • /ban, /ban-ip and /banlist administer player and IP bans.
  • /bossbar creates and controls boss bars.
  • /data reads or modifies entity, block-entity or storage data.
  • /datapack manages enabled data packs.
  • /debug controls Java debugging traces.
  • /defaultgamemode sets the default mode for new players.
  • /fillbiome changes biome data in a region.
  • /forceload keeps chunks loaded.
  • /item modifies or replaces item stacks.
  • /jfr controls Java Flight Recorder profiling.
  • /pardon and /pardon-ip remove bans.
  • /publish opens a single-player world to a LAN session.
  • /random produces random values where supported by the release.
  • /return returns a value from command execution.
  • /save-all, /save-off and /save-on control world saving.
  • /seed displays the world seed.
  • /setidletimeout configures an idle-player timeout.
  • /spectate changes a player’s spectated target.
  • /team and /teammsg manage teams and team chat.
  • /tick controls or inspects game ticks where supported.
  • /trigger changes a trigger objective for an eligible player.
  • /worldborder manages the Java world border.
  • /whitelist manages permitted server players.

Bedrock-only and Education-only categories contain additional commands, while some names change with releases. Rather than copying a static list that may be wrong for your build, use /help and the command-specific entry in that edition.

Starter commands with practical examples

Give yourself an item

In current Bedrock syntax, the usage is /give <player: target> <itemName: Item> [amount: int] [data: int] [components: json]. The player and item are required; amount, data and components are optional. To give yourself 64 diamonds, run:

/give @s diamond 64

Java uses a different item and component grammar in some releases, so confirm the generated form with autocomplete.

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Teleport

/teleport <target player> <destination>

The destination can be coordinates or another entity, depending on the edition’s syntax. Use @s for yourself and check /help teleport before targeting another player.

Change weather and time

/weather clear
/time set day

Weather accepts values such as clear, rain and thunder. Time can use named values such as day, night, noon or midnight where supported.

Summon, locate and set spawn

/summon <entity> [x] [y] [z]
/locate <category> <thing>
/setworldspawn [x] [y] [z]

Replace the placeholders with identifiers accepted by your edition. A locate result points you toward a matching biome, structure or point of interest; it does not automatically teleport you.

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Administrative actions

/op <playername>
/kick <playername>
/ban <playername>

These multiplayer commands require appropriate authority. Granting operator status gives another player substantial control, so use the least privilege necessary.

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Command blocks: automate a command

A command block is a block or item that executes commands automatically or as part of a redstone chain. You can obtain one with:

/give @s minecraft:command_block

Or place one directly at your current position with:

/setblock ~ ~ ~ minecraft:command_block

Open the block interface, enter the command, choose its execution settings and activate it through the block’s normal trigger mechanism. Relative coordinates such as ~ ~ ~ are evaluated from the command block’s execution position, which makes reusable builds easier to move.

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Command blocks do not bypass every restriction. Documentation specifically excludes multiplayer-management operations such as ban, kick, op, deop, stop and whitelist actions from command-block execution. Run those from an authorized chat or server-console context instead. Test automated commands in a copy of the world: a selector such as @a, a repeating block or a large /fill region can affect many players or blocks immediately.

Choosing the right execution context

  • Chat: best for one-off commands and discovering syntax with autocomplete.
  • Command block: best for redstone-triggered, repeating or chained automation, subject to command restrictions.
  • Function: best for a reusable sequence stored in a data pack or behavior pack; packaging and syntax differ between Java and Bedrock.
  • Server console: best for authorized administration and tasks that command blocks cannot run.

The same text may behave differently because the executor, position, dimension and permission context change. A command using @s in chat normally targets the player; in a command block it targets the command’s executor as defined by that block and setup.

Troubleshooting failed commands

“Unknown command”

  • Run /help to check that the command exists in this edition and release.
  • Check spelling, aliases and whether you accidentally copied Java syntax into Bedrock or vice versa.
  • Confirm that a required feature, pack or permission is enabled.

Syntax or argument error

  • Run /help <command> and compare every required argument in order.
  • Use autocomplete for item, entity, biome and structure identifiers.
  • Check whether your edition expects a name, selector, coordinate, number or JSON/component value.

No permission or no effect

  • Enable Allow Cheats in Bedrock or Allow Commands in Java single-player as appropriate.
  • Ask a multiplayer administrator for the required permission level.
  • Check the target selector and coordinates; a valid command can still select nobody or act somewhere outside your view.
  • For command blocks, verify that the block is powered or otherwise triggered and that its execution settings allow it to run.

A safe workflow for any command

  1. Identify your edition, release and execution context.
  2. Enable the appropriate command permission, remembering Bedrock’s achievement consequence.
  3. Run /help, then /help <command> for the exact live syntax.
  4. Start with a narrow target such as @s and a known coordinate.
  5. Test destructive commands such as /kill, /clear, /fill and broad selectors in a copy of the world.
  6. Move the tested command into a function or command block only after its chat form works.
  7. For multiplayer, keep operator and server-console access limited to trusted administrators.

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