How do I enable cheats on an existing Java world if I didn't turn them on when creating it?

Open your world to LAN: press Escape, then Open to LAN, set Allow Cheats to On and start it. Commands are then available for the current session. On a server, an operator (OP) can run commands even if cheats are disabled in the world options.

Can you use /seed on a Minecraft Java server?

Yes. In single-player, /seed is available to all players. On a multiplayer server, the command requires operator (OP) rights. It displays the world seed, which is useful for finding structures or recreating a map.

How do I enable keepInventory so I stop losing my items when I die?

Type /gamerule keepInventory true in the chat (cheats enabled or OP status required). The rule takes effect immediately and persists between sessions. To disable it: /gamerule keepInventory false.

What are operator levels used for on Java?

The OP level on Java ranges from 1 to 4. Level 1 grants basic commands, level 4 grants all commands, including /stop and /op. On a server, the level is set in server.properties (op-permission-level) or directly from the admin panel.

Which command should I use to quickly bring back daytime?

The simplest command is /time set day. You can also type /time set 0 (sunrise) or /time set 6000 (noon). To freeze the day/night cycle, use /gamerule doDaylightCycle false.

Why does my command no longer work since an update?

Several commands were removed from Java starting with version 1.13: /testfor, /testforblock, /blockdata, /replaceitem, /achievement or /stats. They were replaced by /execute, /data, /item and /advancement. Check that your command isn't outdated in your version of the game.

Minecraft Java Commands: Full List 2026

TL;DR

On Minecraft Java, press T (or directly /) to open the chat and type a command. Cheats must be enabled when the world is created, or an operator (OP) on a server can run everything. The 3 most useful commands: /gamemode creative to switch to creative, /gamerule keepInventory true to keep your inventory when you die, and /tp <player> <x> <y> <z> to teleport.

Minecraft Java Edition

Opening the command console on Minecraft Java

Before typing a single command, you need to know how to access it.

In single-player:

Press T to open the chat, or directly / to pre-fill the slash.
Type your command and confirm with Enter.
Commands require that cheats are enabled when the world is created ("More Options" then "Allow Cheats").
If you forgot to enable them: open your world to LAN (Escape then "Open to LAN" then "Allow Cheats: On") to unlock them for the duration of the session.

On a server (operator rights):

On a multiplayer server, commands are reserved for operators (OP). An OP can run all commands, even if cheats are disabled in the world options. To grant OP status from the server console: op <PlayerName>. From the in-game chat if you are already an OP: /op <PlayerName>.

The essential commands on Java

Here are the must-know commands, along with their Java syntax.

Command	Syntax	Description
`/gamemode`	`/gamemode <mode> [player]`	Changes the game mode (survival, creative, adventure, spectator)
`/tp`	`/tp <target> <x> <y> <z>`	Teleports a player or an entity
`/give`	`/give <player> <item> [quantity]`	Gives an item to a player
`/kill`	`/kill [target]`	Kills an entity (without a target: kills the executor)
`/time`	`/time set <value>`	Changes the world time
`/weather`	`/weather <clear\|rain\|thunder> [duration]`	Changes the weather
`/gamerule`	`/gamerule <rule> <value>`	Changes a game rule
`/effect`	`/effect give <target> <effect> <duration> <level>`	Applies a potion effect
`/enchant`	`/enchant <target> <enchantment> [level]`	Enchants the item held in hand
`/xp`	`/xp <number>[L] <player>`	Gives or removes experience (alias `/experience`)
`/summon`	`/summon <entity> [x y z]`	Summons an entity
`/fill`	`/fill <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <block>`	Fills an area with blocks
`/setblock`	`/setblock <x> <y> <z> <block>`	Places a specific block
`/locate`	`/locate structure <structure>`	Locates the nearest structure
`/seed`	`/seed`	Displays the world seed
`/op`	`/op <player>`	Grants operator status
`/kick`	`/kick <player> [reason]`	Kicks a player from the server
`/ban`	`/ban <player> [reason]`	Bans a player
`/whitelist`	`/whitelist add <player>`	Manages the whitelist
`/say`	`/say <message>`	Broadcasts a server message

World management commands

Changing the time and weather (/time, /weather)

Bringing back daytime is one of the most requested commands. Key values for /time set:

0 or day = sunrise
6000 = noon
12000 or night = start of night
18000 = midnight

/time set day
/time set 6000
/time add 1000

For the weather (see also our dedicated tutorial on removing rain):

/weather clear
/weather rain 300
/weather thunder 60

The essential gamerules

Gamerules change the fundamental rules of the world. Universal syntax: /gamerule <rule> <true|false>.

Gamerule	Value	Effect
`keepInventory`	`true`	Keeps your inventory after death
`mobGriefing`	`false`	Prevents mobs from destroying blocks (Creepers, Endermen...)
`doDaylightCycle`	`false`	Freezes the day/night cycle
`doMobSpawning`	`false`	Disables mob spawning
`naturalRegeneration`	`false`	Disables natural health regeneration

/gamerule keepInventory true

Teleportation and spawn (/tp, /spawnpoint, /setworldspawn, /locate)

Teleportation uses three types of coordinates:

Absolute: 100 64 -300 (a fixed position in the world)
Relative: ~ ~10 ~ (an offset from the current position, ~ alone = 0)
Local: ^ ^ ^5 (5 blocks in front of you, based on your orientation)

/spawnpoint <player> [x y z]
/setworldspawn [x y z]
/locate structure minecraft:stronghold
/locate biome minecraft:jungle

Player and XP commands

Game modes (/gamemode, /difficulty)

The four available modes:

survival (or 0) = Survival
creative (or 1) = Creative
adventure (or 2) = Adventure
spectator (or 3) = Spectator

/gamemode creative @a
/gamemode survival Steve
/difficulty peaceful
/difficulty hard

Target selectors are specific to Java and Bedrock: @a targets all connected players, @p the nearest player, @s the executor, @e all entities.

Giving items and XP (/give, /xp)

/give @p minecraft:diamond_sword 1
/give @a minecraft:torch 32
/xp 5L Steve
/xp 1000 @p
/xp -3L @s

The L suffix indicates whole levels. Without L, these are raw XP points. On Java, the /experience alias works the same way.

Potion effects and enchantments (/effect, /enchant)

/effect give @p minecraft:strength 60 1
/effect give @p minecraft:speed 120 2
/effect clear @p
/enchant @s minecraft:sharpness 5

The syntax for effects is: /effect give <target> <effect> <duration in seconds> <level (0 = level I)>. To exceed the legal enchantment levels, you need to use /give with NBT data (Java exclusive).

Server admin commands

Managing players (/op, /kick, /ban, /whitelist)

These commands are part of every Java server administrator's daily routine.

Command	Syntax	Admin use
`/op`	`/op <player>`	Grants operator rights
`/deop`	`/deop <player>`	Removes operator rights
`/kick`	`/kick <player> [reason]`	Temporarily kicks
`/ban`	`/ban <player> [reason]`	Permanent ban
`/ban-ip`	`/ban-ip <IP> [reason]`	Bans an IP address
`/pardon`	`/pardon <player>`	Lifts a ban
`/whitelist`	`/whitelist add/remove/list`	Manages the whitelist
`/list`	`/list`	Lists connected players

To go further, check out our tutorial on how to enable the whitelist on your server.

Saving and stopping the server (/save-all, /stop)

These commands are run from the server console (without the /) or from the in-game chat if you are an OP:

save-all
save-off
save-on
stop

/save-all forces an immediate save. /save-off disables automatic saves during heavy modifications, then /save-on re-enables them.

Configuring admin rights on your server

At Lordhosting, operator management is done directly from the control panel, without typing any commands in the console. Go to the section dedicated to your Minecraft server to add or remove OPs in a few clicks, configure the whitelist and manage permissions by level (from 1 to 4).

The operator level ranges from 1 (basic commands) to 4 (all commands, including /stop and /op). It is set via op-permission-level in server.properties, or directly from the panel.

Java-exclusive commands

Java has a more complete command system, with several commands that don't exist on Bedrock.

Command	Description
`/execute`	Runs a command under conditions (replaces `/testfor`)
`/data`	Reads and modifies the NBT data of entities and blocks
`/advancement`	Manages players' advancements (achievements)
`/team`	Manages scoreboard teams
`/worldborder`	Sets and manages the world border
`/forceload`	Forces chunks to stay permanently loaded
`/fillbiome`	Changes the biome of an area (1.19.3+)
`/tick`	Freezes or speeds up game time (1.21+)
`/bossbar`	Creates custom boss bars
`/item`	Manipulates the items in an inventory (replaces `/replaceitem`)

Common mistakes with Java commands

1. Forgetting the slash /. In the chat, every command must start with /. Without it, the text is sent as a message. In the server console and command blocks, the slash is optional.

2. Wrong item or entity identifier. On Java, identifiers use the full namespace: minecraft:diamond_sword, not diamond_sword.

3. Insufficient rights. If the command doesn't run, check that you are indeed an OP on the server, or that cheats are enabled in the world.

4. Commands removed since 1.13. Several commands were removed from Java: /testfor (replaced by /execute if entity), /testforblock (by /execute if block), /blockdata and /entitydata (merged into /data), /replaceitem (by /item), /achievement (by /advancement), /stats (by /execute store). If your command doesn't work, check that it isn't outdated.