Minecraft Server Commands
As a Minecraft server hosting administrator, it is inevitable that you will eventually rely on commands. The vanilla game offers a vast array of commands, each with the power to manipulate the environment in ways that range from altering the time of day to eradicating every mob within your world and even crafting scoreboards for your players. Although utilizing these commands might sometimes seem like you're bending the rules, they often play a vital role in maintaining your server's performance and ensuring player satisfaction.
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You have the option of executing commands either in-game or via the server’s console. To use a command in-game, start by typing “/” followed by the command, and press enter. Alternatively, you can enter the command directly into the server’s console without the “/”. Below is a comprehensive list of commands available in Vanilla Minecraft.
Minecraft Vanilla Server: Minecraft commands list
Use Ctrl + F to find a command that you need!
- /help - Shows a full list of commands available on the server, or gives you information about a specific command.
Example: /help weather
- /give [amount] - Gives a player any item in the game, leave the [amount] field blank to give a full stack of the item.
Example: /give Player iron_pickaxe 1
- /weather - Changes the weather in the world. There are four types of weather available in the game: rain, thunder, snow, and clear.
Example: /weather clear
- /gamemode [player] - This changes your gamemode, or you can add a player’s name to change their gamemode instead. There are four gamemodes available in the game: Survival, Creative, Spectator, and Adventure.
Example: /gamemode creative
- /summon - Immediately summons an object to your location.
Example: /summon villager
- /tp [username] - Teleports you or another player to the coordinates. You can also use it to teleport players to each other.
Example: /tp Player1 Player2
- /time set - Allows you to set the time of day on the server. You can use values like Day or Night, or you can set a specific time in ticks.
Example: /time set day
- /xp [player] - Gives XP to yourself, or to a certain player.
Example: /xp 1000 Player
- /locatebiome - This command will tell you where the nearest biome of your choice is.
Example: /locatebiome plains
- /msg - Sends a private message to another player.
Example: /msg Player hello!
- /ops - Displays a full list of opped players.
Example: /ops
- /perf - This command runs a short debug function for 10 seconds. It will create files for you in your server's debug folder that will give a detailed overview of what is happening on your server. This is particularly useful for diagnosing lag.
Example: /perf
- /save-all - Causes the server to create an automated backup. You are limited to two automated backups at a time, so previous ones will be overwritten. You can view your backup from the backups tab of your server control panel.
Example: /save-all
- /stop - This will cause your server to start shutting down.
Example: /stop
- /restart - This will shut down your server and cause it to restart after a few minutes.
Example: /restart
- /worldborder - A series of commands that allows you to create and set a border in your world.
Example: /worldborder add 100
- /whitelist - Allows you to enable/disable the whitelist and control the players on it.
Example: /whitelist add Player
- /gamerule value - This is a very powerful command that will allow you to change the base rules of your world. Please be careful when using this command.
Example: /gamerule doDaylightCycle false
- /ban - Adds the username to your server’s ban list. This will prevent that user from joining again.
Example: /ban notch
- /ban-ip - Adds the IP address of the player to your server ban list. This is useful if you suspect a person you are banning has multiple Minecraft accounts.
Example: /ban-ip notch
- /pardon - This command will remove someone from the ban list.
Example: /pardon Player
- /banlist - Shows a full list of players you have banned.
Example: /banlist
- /clear [username] - This command will remove all of the items from your inventory. If you add a player’s username it will remove their inventory instead.
Example: /clear Player
- /datapack [pack] - This command will allow you to control the datapacks you have on your server. It has three arguments you can use: enable, disable, and list.
Example: /datapack enable seasons
- /op - Grants a user operator permissions. After using this command the user will have access to all other commands on the server. You cannot op yourself in the game with this command, you must use it in the console.
Example: /op Player
- /deop - The opposite of the /op command. This command removes operator permissions from a user.
Example: /deop Player
- /difficulty [difficulty] - This command allows you to change the difficulty of your server. There are four difficulty levels you can set: Peaceful, Easy, Normal, Hard. Please note that changing the difficulty to Hard will not enable Hardcore mode. That must be done through your server settings.
Example: /difficulty peaceful
- /seed - Allows you to view your world’s current seed. If you are an operator, you can also use this command to view the seed in multiplayer.
Example: /seed
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Minecraft commands issues
"You do not have permission to use this command":
This message arises when attempting to execute a command without proper authorization, usually because you haven't been "opped" on the server or haven't received permission from the server administrator. Check out our guide on how to op yourself or reach out to the server owner for permission.
A syntax error such as “invalid argument”:
Encountering errors like “invalid argument” typically points to a typo or incorrect usage of the command. Make sure to review this guide to confirm the accuracy of the command and its arguments. With newer game updates or plugins like EssentialsX, the game will automatically assist you by filling in parts of the command when you press the tab key, offering you various options to choose from.