All Minecraft commands and how to use them

minecraft commands
Written By Onur Demirkol

(Content Writer)

Reviewed by: Naim Rosinski

(Content Manager & Editor)

Last UpdatedMarch 15, 2026 at 07:29PM
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Minecraft commands can make the game much easier, faster, and more fun. They let you teleport, change the weather, spawn mobs, give yourself items, and control many parts of the world in seconds. That is why so many players search for them, especially when they want to build faster, test ideas, or manage a server.

This guide explains what Minecraft commands are, how to use them, where or how they work, and which ones you should be using more in Java and Bedrock Edition!

What are Minecraft commands for?

Minecraft commands are text instructions that you type into the game. Every command starts with a forward slash. When you enter it, Minecraft performs an action right away.

Some commands are simple. For example, “/time set day” changes the time, and “/weather clear” removes rain. These could be very useful, especially for beginners. Others are more advanced and can control mobs, players, world settings, and server rules. In short, commands give you direct control over the game.

Players use commands for different reasons:

  • To travel faster
  • To test builds and ideas
  • To spawn items and mobs
  • To manage private servers
  • To create mini-games, pranks, or custom events

Check out our guide on how to teleport in Minecraft as well!

How to use Minecraft commands

Using commands is easier than it first seems. You do not need to memorize everything at once. Start with a few basic commands, learn how the format works, and then build from there.

Here is how to use commands in Minecraft:

  1. Make sure commands are enabled: In Bedrock Edition, you need to turn on Allow Cheats in the world settings. In Java Edition, you usually enable cheats when you create the world. If you forgot, you can temporarily turn them on through Open to LAN.
First things first, activate cheats in Settings (Image Credit: YourSixGaming on YouTube)
First things first, activate cheats in Settings (Image Credit: YourSixGaming on YouTube)
  1. Open the chat window: On most platforms, this is where you type commands. Commands go into the same place as chat messages.
  2. Start with a forward slash: Every command begins with /. Without it, Minecraft reads the text like a normal message.
  3. Type the command name: For example, /gamemode, /give, /teleport, or /weather.
  4. Add extra details if needed: Some commands need more information. For example, /weather clear tells Minecraft what kind of weather you want. /give Steve diamond 5 tells the game who gets the item, which item, and how many.
  5. Press Enter to run it: If the command is written correctly, it works right away. If not, Minecraft usually shows an error.
Once you type “/”, you will see a list of commands that you can use in the server, but make sure you enable them in the settings (Image Credit: THESPIKEGG)
Once you type “/”, you will see a list of commands that you can use in the server, but make sure you enable them in the settings (Image Credit: THESPIKEGG)

All useful Minecraft commands

Minecraft has a long list of commands, but not all of them matter to every player. Some are mostly for admins, some are for map makers, and some are only useful in one edition. Here is a practical Minecraft commands list in alphabetical order:

Command

What it does

Java

Bedrock

/advancement

Gives, removes, or checks advancements

Y

N

/allowlist

Manages the server allowlist

N

Y

/attribute

Changes or queries entity attributes

Y

N

/ban

Bans a player

Y

N

/ban-ip

Bans an IP address

Y

N

/banlist

Shows banned players and IPs

Y

N

/bossbar

Creates and edits boss bars

Y

N

/camera

Changes a player’s camera perspective

N

Y

/camerashake

Applies camera shake

N

Y

/clear

Clears items from inventory

Y

Y

/clearspawnpoint

Removes a player spawn point

N

Y

/clone

Copies blocks from one area to another

Y

Y

/damage

Deals damage to entities

Y

Y

/data

Reads or edits NBT data

Y

N

/datapack

Manages loaded data packs

Y

N

/defaultgamemode

Sets the default game mode

Y

N

/deop

Removes operator status

Y

Y

/difficulty

Sets world difficulty

Y

Y

/effect

Adds or removes status effects

Y

Y

/enchant

Enchants an item

Y

Y

/execute

Runs commands with conditions and context

Y

Y

/fill

Fills an area with blocks

Y

Y

/fillbiome

Changes biome data in an area

Y

N

/forceload

Keeps chunks loaded

Y

N

/function

Runs a function file

Y

Y

/gamemode

Changes game mode

Y

Y

/gamerule

Changes world rules

Y

Y

/give

Gives items to a player

Y

Y

/help

Lists commands and syntax help

Y

Y

/item

Modifies items in inventories

Y

N

/kick

Kicks a player from the server

Y

Y

/kill

Kills entities or players

Y

Y

/list

Lists players on the server

Y

Y

/locate

Finds structures, biomes, or points of interest

Y

Y

/loot

Generates loot from loot tables or targets

Y

Y

/op

Grants operator status

Y

Y

/particle

Spawns particles

Y

Y

/place

Places structures or features

Y

Y

/playsound

Plays a sound effect

Y

Y

/recipe

Gives or removes recipes

Y

Y

/ride

Makes entities ride or stop riding

Y

Y

/say

Broadcasts a message

Y

Y

/schedule

Delays a function or action

Y

Y

/scoreboard

Tracks objectives and scores

Y

Y

/seed

Shows the world seed

Y

N

/setblock

Changes one block

Y

Y

/setidletimeout

Sets idle kick time

Y

N

/setworldspawn

Sets the world spawn

Y

Y

/spawnpoint

Sets a player spawn point

Y

Y

/spectate

Makes a spectator watch an entity

Y

N

/spreadplayers

Spreads entities to random positions

Y

Y

/stopsound

Stops a playing sound

Y

Y

/structure

Saves or loads structures

N

Y

/summon

Spawns an entity

Y

Y

/tag

Adds or removes entity tags

Y

Y

/team

Manages teams

Y

N

/teammsg

Sends a message to a team

Y

N

/teleport

Teleports entities or players

Y

Y

/tell

Sends a private message

Y

Y

/tellraw

Sends formatted JSON chat text

Y

Y

/tickingarea

Keeps an area active in Bedrock

N

Y

/time

Sets or queries time

Y

Y

/title

Shows title text on screen

Y

Y

/titleraw

Shows JSON-based title text

N

Y

/trigger

Lets players activate certain scoreboard values

Y

N

/weather

Changes weather

Y

Y

/whitelist

Manages the whitelist

Y

N

/worldborder

Manages the world border

Y

N

/xp

Adds or removes experience

Y

Y

If you only want the most useful commands to start with, focus on these first:

  • /teleport
  • /give
  • /gamemode
  • /time
  • /weather
  • /summon
  • /locate
  • /effect
  • /fill
  • /setblock

Where can I use commands in Minecraft?

You can use commands in several places, but not every Minecraft world gives you full access.

The most common places are:

  • Single-player worlds with cheats enabled
  • Java worlds opened to LAN with cheats on
  • Private servers where you are the owner or operator
  • Realms where you have permission
  • Command blocks, if the world allows them
  • Server consoles and custom maps

Public servers usually work very differently. Most of them do not let normal players use strong vanilla commands like /give, /gamemode, /ban, or /teleport. Instead, they often use custom server commands or plugins with their own rules.

So, if you want to test commands properly, the best place is your own world, a private Realm, or a server where you have admin access.

If you want to learn more about Minecraft, start here:

Featured Image Credit: Mojang

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Onur Demirkol

Onur Demirkol here, content writer for THESPIKEGG. I have been around for a very long time now, you may have seen me in the comments.

I started writing here in 2021, but my first gig was back in 2018. That was when I realized people actually get paid to write about games. I’ve written thousands of articles for different media outlets, led teams, and conducted interviews with players.

When I’m not behind the keyboard, I’m watching Galatasaray, following the NBA, or pretending I’m still good at basketball. I also work full-time at AnyDesk, writing serious things in not-so-serious ways.

If you want to reach out, feel free to contact me on X, LinkedIn, take a look at my work at MuckRack or send me an email at [email protected].

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