Table of Contents
Who this is for: Minecraft players wanting to automate tasks and create custom mechanics using command blocks.
Ready to jump in? Play minecraft games and start experimenting with these command block techniques in your own worlds.
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Getting Your First Command Block
Command blocks aren’t available in your creative inventory by default. You’ll need to give yourself one using a chat command. Open the chat window (press T on Java Edition or the chat button on other platforms) and type:
/give @s command_block
This works in creative mode or if you have operator permissions on a server. The command block will appear in your inventory as a gray block with circuit-like patterns.
Placing and Accessing Command Blocks
Place your command block like any other block by right-clicking (or tapping on mobile). To open its interface, right-click on the placed command block. You’ll see a text field where you can enter commands, along with several important settings.
The interface shows three key options:
- Impulse – Runs once when activated
- Chain – Runs after another command block in sequence
- Repeat – Runs continuously when powered
Writing Your First Commands
In the command input field, write commands exactly as you would in chat, but without the forward slash. For example, instead of typing /say Hello World in chat, you’d enter just say Hello World in the command block.
Here are some beginner-friendly commands to try:
give @p diamond 5– Gives the nearest player 5 diamondstp @p ~ ~10 ~– Teleports the nearest player 10 blocks upweather clear– Changes weather to clear skiestime set day– Sets the time to day
Powering Command Blocks
Command blocks need redstone power to activate. You can power them with:
- Redstone dust connected to a lever or button
- Pressure plates placed nearby
- Redstone torches adjacent to the block
- Tripwire hooks for automatic triggering
When the command block receives power, it executes whatever command you’ve programmed into it.
Understanding Conditional vs Unconditional
The “Conditional” checkbox determines whether your command block checks if the previous command block succeeded before running. Leave it unchecked (Unconditional) for standalone command blocks, or check it when chaining multiple blocks together where order matters.
Target Selectors and Coordinates
Command blocks use special selectors to target players and entities:
@p– Nearest player@a– All players@e– All entities@r– Random player
For coordinates, use tildes (~) for relative positioning. ~ ~ ~ means the exact location of the command block, while ~5 ~ ~-3 means 5 blocks east and 3 blocks north of the command block.
Once you’ve mastered these basics, you’ll be ready to create complex contraptions, automated farms, and custom game mechanics that make your Minecraft world truly unique.
TL;DR
Command blocks execute chat commands automatically when powered by redstone. Get one with /give @s command_block, place it, enter commands without the slash, then power with redstone.
