Minecraft Commands for Players and Server Owners

Nov 13, 2026

Minecraft commands are typed into the chat and start with a slash, for example /tp or /gamemode creative. In singleplayer you need cheats turned on, and on a server you need operator rights for most of them. Below are the commands people use most, grouped by who needs them, with examples you can copy.

How to type a command

Press T to open the chat, or / to open it with the slash already written.
Press Tab to complete command names, player names and options. This is the fastest way to avoid typos.
In the server console you type the same commands without the slash, for example op Steve.
In singleplayer on Java, cheats are set when you create the world. For an existing world, open it to LAN and switch Allow Cheats on. On Bedrock, turn on Cheats in the world settings. Achievements are then disabled for that world.

Commands every player can use

These work on most servers without any special rights:

/msg Steve hello sends a private message. /tell and /w do the same.
/list shows who is online.
/me waves writes an action in the chat.
/help lists the commands available to you.

Most public servers add their own commands through plugins, often EssentialsX. Typical ones are /spawn, /sethome and /home, /tpa Steve to ask a player for a teleport, /warp, /balance and /pay. They differ from server to server, so type /help or read the rules at spawn.

Teleport commands

The teleport command needs operator rights on Java and Bedrock.

/tp Steve Alex teleports Steve to Alex.
/tp @s 100 70 -250 teleports you to the coordinates x 100, y 70, z -250.
/tp @s ~ ~10 ~ moves you 10 blocks up. The tilde means relative to your current position.
/tp @a @s brings all players to you.

On servers with plugins, regular players usually use /tpa instead, which asks the other player to accept.

Game mode, time and weather

/gamemode creative or /gamemode survival changes your own mode. Add a name to change someone else, for example /gamemode spectator Alex. The other modes are adventure and spectator.
/time set day, /time set night or /time set noon.
/weather clear, /weather rain or /weather thunder.
/difficulty peaceful, easy, normal or hard.

Game rules worth knowing

Game rules change how the world behaves. The most popular ones are:

/gamerule keepInventory true so players keep their items after death.
/gamerule doDaylightCycle false to stop the clock.
/gamerule mobGriefing false so creepers do not destroy blocks.
/gamerule playersSleepingPercentage 50 so half of the online players can skip the night on Java.
/gamerule showCoordinates true shows coordinates on Bedrock. On Java you see them on the F3 screen.

Type /gamerule and press Tab to see the exact names in your version. They can be written differently in the newest releases, and Tab always shows the correct form.

Commands for server owners

These are the commands you use to run a server. They need operator rights or the console.

/op Steve gives Steve operator rights. /deop Steve removes them.
/whitelist on lets only listed players join. Add players with /whitelist add Steve, remove them with /whitelist remove Steve, and check the list with /whitelist list.
/kick Steve reason disconnects a player.
/ban Steve reason bans a player permanently. /ban-ip bans an IP address, /pardon Steve lifts a ban and /banlist shows all bans.
/say text sends a message to everyone with the server name.
/save-all saves the world to disk, useful before a backup.
/stop saves the world and shuts the server down safely.

Bedrock Dedicated Server uses allowlist instead of whitelist, for example allowlist add Steve, and is managed mostly from its console.

Permission levels and moderators

Operators on Java have a level from 1 to 4, set by op-permission-level in server.properties. Level 4, the default, allows everything including /stop. Level 2 allows cheats such as /gamemode and /tp, and level 3 adds /kick, /ban and /op.

Do not make every moderator an operator. A permissions plugin such as LuckPerms lets you give each rank exactly the commands it needs. Our guide how to start your own Minecraft server lists the plugins a public server should have.

Items and building

/give @s minecraft:diamond 64 gives you 64 diamonds.
/fill 0 64 0 10 70 10 minecraft:stone fills a box between two corners with stone.
/clone copies an area to another place.
/locate structure minecraft:village_plains finds the nearest plains village on Java.
/setworldspawn sets the world spawn where you stand, and /spawnpoint Steve sets a personal respawn point.

Target selectors

Instead of a player name you can use a selector:

@p is the nearest player.
@a means all players.
@r is a random player.
@s means yourself.
@e means all entities, including mobs and items.

For example, /give @a minecraft:bread 5 gives everyone five pieces of bread. Be careful with @e in commands like /kill, because it also removes items and pets.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the game say I do not have permission?

You are not an operator on that server, or the server's permissions plugin does not allow the command for your rank. On public servers only staff can use commands like /tp or /gamemode.

What is the teleport command in Minecraft?

/tp followed by a player name or coordinates, for example /tp @s 100 70 -250. It needs operator rights. On many servers players use /tpa instead.

Do commands work the same on Bedrock?

Most of them do, including /tp, /give, /gamemode and /gamerule. The differences are in a few names, such as allowlist on Bedrock Dedicated Server, and in some options. Tab completion shows what your edition accepts.

Find a server to try them on

You will not be able to use operator commands on public servers, but you can on your own. When you are looking for a place to play, browse the survival or SMP categories, and support your favourite server with a vote. See how to vote for details.