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In Minecraft Java Edition, set up a world border by choosing its horizontal center with /worldborder center <x> <z>, then setting its square diameter with /worldborder set <diameter>. For example, /worldborder center 0 0 followed by /worldborder set 1000 creates a 1,000-block-wide square centered on the world origin. You can animate the change, adjust the border in either direction, and configure warnings and outside-border damage. These commands require command access and are not available as the same customizable system in Bedrock Edition.
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What a Minecraft world border does
A world border is an invisible, square boundary that limits where players can travel. The value you provide to /worldborder set is the border’s diameter: a setting of 1,000 means 1,000 blocks from the west edge to the east edge and 1,000 blocks from the north edge to the south edge. It is not a radius and it is not circular.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe border is positioned on the horizontal X/Z plane. Y coordinates do not affect its center, so a single border applies at every height in that dimension. Players can see a visual warning near the edge, and the border can inflict damage when a player remains outside it if those controls are configured.
The customizable /worldborder command is a Java Edition feature. A Java world can use a fixed boundary for a build challenge, or a moving boundary that shrinks or expands over a defined number of seconds. In current Java releases, border state is dimension-specific, so the Overworld, Nether and End must be configured separately when your design requires the same boundary in each one.
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Requirements and command access
Java single-player worlds
Commands must be enabled. When creating a world, turn on Allow Commands. In an existing world, pause the game, choose Open to LAN, set Allow Cheats to on, and start the LAN session, or enable commands through the available World Options for that world. The exact option wording can vary by release, but the requirement is the same: the player running the command must have permission to use commands.
Multiplayer servers
You need operator-level or equivalent permission from the server owner. Enter commands in chat with a leading slash. A command entered without that permission will be rejected even when the syntax is correct. Server consoles can also run commands, usually without the leading slash, but the exact console behavior depends on the server software.
Bedrock Edition
Bedrock Edition does not provide the same customizable Java /worldborder command. Do not paste the Java syntax into a Bedrock chat window expecting it to work. Bedrock players need another boundary method, such as a carefully planned wall, command-block system, add-on or server-specific tool; the available options differ between a local world and a hosted server.
Quick setup: make a fixed border
For a straightforward 1,000-by-1,000-block playable area centered at the origin, run these commands in order:
- Open chat and enter
/worldborder center 0 0. This sets the horizontal center to X 0, Z 0. - Enter
/worldborder set 1000. The border immediately becomes a square with a 1,000-block diameter. - Enter
/worldborder getto check the current diameter. The game reports the value in blocks.
The center command accepts horizontal coordinates only. If your settlement or arena is elsewhere, replace 0 0 with its X and Z coordinates, for example /worldborder center 240 -80. Relative coordinates can be used where supported, allowing the center to be placed relative to the command execution position.
Command reference
| Command | Purpose | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
/worldborder center <x> <z> |
Moves the border’s center | Uses horizontal X and Z coordinates; it does not set the size. |
/worldborder set <diameter> [time-in-seconds] |
Sets an absolute target diameter | With no time, the change is immediate. Adding a time animates the change. |
/worldborder add <distance> [time-in-seconds] |
Changes the current diameter by a relative amount | Use a positive number to grow and a negative number to shrink. |
/worldborder get |
Reports the current diameter | Use it before planning a relative add operation. |
/worldborder warning distance <blocks> |
Sets how close to the edge the warning appears | Higher values warn players farther from the border. |
/worldborder warning time <seconds> |
Sets the warning lead time during a moving border | It controls how soon the warning appears before the border reaches a player. |
/worldborder damage buffer <blocks> |
Creates a buffer outside the edge before damage begins | Players can cross a small distance beyond the border without immediately taking border damage when a buffer is configured. |
/worldborder damage amount <damage-per-block> |
Sets damage dealt outside the configured buffer | Choose a rate appropriate to your server’s challenge or protection policy. |
Center the border around a base, arena or map
Use the exact X and Z coordinates
Stand at, or otherwise determine, the point that should be the center. The border does not follow a player automatically; it remains where the command puts it. If the desired center is X 1,200 and Z -450, run /worldborder center 1200 -450.
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Understand edge positions
For a 1,000-block diameter centered at X 0, Z 0, the square extends roughly 500 blocks to either side of each axis. Its visible edges therefore lie near X -500, X 500, Z -500 and Z 500. Treat the diameter as the total width and length when planning farms, roads or an arena. Keep important structures comfortably inside the edge rather than placing them on the exact boundary.
Centering after setting a size
Center and size are separate properties. You can set the center first and then the diameter, as in the quick setup, or adjust the center later without changing the configured diameter. Moving the center can put players or terrain outside the newly positioned square, so announce the change on a multiplayer server and check the result before beginning a timed event.
Set an immediate or timed border change
Immediate fixed size
Use /worldborder set 2000 to change the border immediately to a 2,000-block diameter. This is useful when preparing a new map boundary before players enter it.
Animate to a target diameter
Add a time in seconds after the target diameter. The command /worldborder set 1000 120 changes the border to a 1,000-block diameter over 120 seconds. The border moves continuously during that interval rather than teleporting to the final size.
Shrink or expand relative to the current size
Use add when you care about the amount of change rather than the final number. /worldborder add 200 60 expands the current diameter by 200 blocks over 60 seconds. /worldborder add -200 60 shrinks it by 200 blocks over the same period. A negative distance is the normal way to request a reduction.
Before issuing a relative change, check the current value with /worldborder get. This avoids accidentally shrinking a border that is already smaller than expected or expanding one that another command has changed.
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Plan transitions around player movement
A moving border can cut off routes, farms or nether portals while players are away from the center. Set warning distance and warning time before starting a public event, and tell players the target diameter and duration. If a transition needs to be stopped or replaced, issue a new set or add command with the desired target; test the result with /worldborder get.
Warnings and outside-border damage
Visual warning distance
/worldborder warning distance <blocks> defines how many blocks inside the edge the warning begins. For example, /worldborder warning distance 20 gives players a warning zone 20 blocks from the boundary. A small value suits a compact arena; a larger value gives explorers more time to turn around.
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Warning time for a moving edge
/worldborder warning time <seconds> is especially useful during a shrink. It controls the lead time for the warning as the border approaches. Choose a value that lets players react at the movement speed you have scheduled; a warning that arrives only moments before contact is not useful for a long expedition.
Damage buffer
/worldborder damage buffer <blocks> defines a no-damage buffer immediately outside the border. This can prevent a player who briefly clips through the edge from taking damage at once. It is a gameplay choice, not a change to the border’s location: the square boundary remains where it was.
Damage amount
/worldborder damage amount <damage-per-block> sets the damage rate for players beyond the buffer. A higher rate makes leaving the area dangerous; a lower rate gives players more time to return. Select the value as part of the server’s challenge or protection policy, taking armor, healing and the intended escape time into account. Warning and damage settings are optional, and their best values depend on how punitive or forgiving the map should be.
Dimension-specific borders in current Java
In the Java Edition 1.21.9 release notes, Mojang states: “The World Border is now dimension-specific.” Configure the border in every dimension where you want one. A border set while you are in the Overworld should not be assumed to be the border you will see in the Nether or End.
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Enter the commands while in the relevant dimension, or use a command execution context that targets that dimension on your server. Decide whether dimensions should share the same nominal diameter or have different sizes: Nether travel, portal links and the much smaller End island can require different boundaries. Record the center and diameter for each dimension so an administrator can reproduce the setup after a reset.
Choose a border size that fits your map
Small challenge arenas
A diameter of a few hundred blocks keeps players near one another and makes a shrinking-border event easy to supervise. Place the center on the arena rather than on world spawn if the playable area is asymmetric.
Survival communities
A larger square gives room for bases, resource gathering and travel corridors. Leave a margin between the border and essential infrastructure so a timed shrink does not strand farms or cut through storage rooms.
Pre-generated or themed maps
Match the diameter to the map’s usable footprint, not merely to the distance players can technically travel. If a map is 3,000 blocks across, a 3,000 diameter may still be too tight once roads, coastlines and protected areas are considered. Place the center using measured map coordinates and verify all landmarks from the four edge directions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Limits, defaults and what they mean
The command reference documents an initial or reset diameter of 59,999,968 blocks. That is a command-system default and upper-scale limit, not a sensible survival setting. The documented distance argument is bounded from -59,999,968 to 59,999,968. Values outside that range are invalid; ordinary servers should use much smaller values that match their map and performance goals.
The diameter limit applies to the distance supplied to the size-changing commands. It does not make the border circular or remove the need to choose a center. The command’s documented warning and damage defaults exist, but a server should set explicit values when player feedback or punishment matters, because the appropriate policy varies by game mode.
Troubleshooting common problems
“Unknown or incomplete command”
Confirm that you are running Java Edition and that you typed the command with the leading slash in chat. Bedrock does not implement this Java command set. On Java, check that commands are enabled in single-player or that you have operator permission on the server.
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The border is in the wrong place
Run /worldborder get to verify the size, then issue /worldborder center <x> <z> with the intended horizontal coordinates. Remember that a center command changes position, not diameter. Check signs, map coordinates and negative-number signs carefully.
The border is the wrong size
Use /worldborder get and compare the reported diameter with your plan. If you need an absolute value, use /worldborder set <diameter>. If you need to change it by a known amount, use /worldborder add <distance>; a negative distance shrinks it.
The border moved too quickly or not at all
Check whether the command included the optional time in seconds. A command without a time is immediate. A command such as /worldborder set 1000 120 takes two minutes. A zero or omitted transition time should not be treated as a gradual animation.
Players receive no useful warning
Set both controls deliberately: /worldborder warning distance <blocks> determines the spatial warning zone, while /worldborder warning time <seconds> determines lead time for a moving edge. A warning distance alone cannot compensate for a border moving faster than players can escape.
Players take damage immediately outside the edge
Configure a buffer with /worldborder damage buffer <blocks>. Then choose the damage rate with /worldborder damage amount <damage-per-block>. The buffer delays damage; it does not make the border passable indefinitely or move the square boundary.
The setup works in one dimension but not another
Since Java Edition 1.21.9, border state is dimension-specific. Travel to the other dimension and configure its center, diameter, warning and damage settings independently.
Practical setup checklists
Fixed multiplayer boundary
- Confirm operator permission and command access.
- Choose and record the center X and Z.
- Run
/worldborder center <x> <z>. - Set the absolute diameter with
/worldborder set <diameter>. - Configure warning distance, damage buffer and damage amount if the edge is part of the rules.
- Repeat the configuration in each dimension that needs its own boundary.
- Run
/worldborder getand communicate the result to players.
Shrinking-event boundary
- Set the initial center and diameter before players start.
- Choose a warning distance and warning time that match the event’s movement speed.
- Choose a damage buffer and damage amount, or leave damage at the server’s existing policy if that is intentional.
- Use
/worldborder add -<distance> <seconds>for a relative shrink, or/worldborder set <target-diameter> <seconds>for a known final size. - Monitor the reported diameter and announce any replacement command if the schedule changes.
Summary of the Java workflow
Enable commands, center the square, set its diameter, and verify it. Use set for an absolute size, add a duration for a smooth transition, and use add with a positive or negative distance for relative expansion or shrinkage. Warning and damage controls shape how players experience the edge. Treat each Java dimension as a separate configuration, and use a different boundary method entirely on Bedrock.
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