A modern Minecraft smithing table has three inputs: a smithing template, a compatible base item, and an allowed addition material. For a Netherite upgrade, place a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template, diamond equipment, and a Netherite ingot into those slots. For an armor trim, use a trim template, a helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots, and a trim material. The template controls the operation or pattern; the addition controls the upgrade material or trim color.
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What the smithing table does
Mojang describes the redesigned smithing table as “a workstation for physical equipment upgrades and modifications.” The current system is template-driven rather than a simple two-item upgrade recipe. A valid operation needs all three inputs:
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- Template: tells the table which transformation or trim pattern is allowed.
- Base item: the equipment being upgraded or decorated.
- Addition: the material that completes the upgrade or supplies a trim’s color.
If any input is missing, incompatible, or in the wrong slot, the result slot stays empty. The output preview is the quickest way to confirm that the recipe is valid before you take the finished item.
How to use a smithing table
Open the table and identify the three slots
Place or interact with the smithing table, then use the interface’s template, base, and addition slots. The exact visual arrangement can differ slightly between Java and Bedrock interfaces, but the recipe model is the same. Do not put the template in the base slot or the material in the template slot; the table checks each role separately.
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Perform an operation
- Put the required smithing template in the template slot.
- Put the compatible equipment in the base slot.
- Put the specified ingot, gem, or other allowed material in the addition slot.
- Check the output preview for the expected upgraded or trimmed item.
- Take the result from the output slot. The operation consumes the template.
A diamond axe, Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template, and Netherite ingot, for example, produce a Netherite axe. The same three-part logic applies to armor trims, although the result keeps the base armor and adds a visual pattern.
Upgrading diamond equipment to Netherite
What you need
- One Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template.
- One compatible diamond item, such as a diamond sword, pickaxe, axe, shovel, hoe, helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots.
- One Netherite ingot.
- A smithing table.
The template must specifically be the Netherite Upgrade template. A decorative armor-trim template cannot upgrade equipment, and a Netherite ingot by itself cannot bypass the template requirement.
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- Open the smithing table.
- Place the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template in the template slot.
- Place the diamond tool, weapon, or armor piece in the base slot.
- Place one Netherite ingot in the addition slot.
- Verify that the output shows the corresponding Netherite item, then collect it.
The operation preserves the base item’s identity while changing its tier. A diamond pickaxe becomes a Netherite pickaxe, and diamond armor becomes the matching Netherite armor piece. The recipe does not turn unrelated items into Netherite; the base must be a compatible diamond item.
Where to find the Netherite Upgrade template
Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates generate in Bastion Remnant chests. Mojang’s feature documentation states that every Treasure Room Bastion Remnant guarantees two of these templates. Other Bastion Remnant chests can contain them randomly, so exploring more than one room may still be worthwhile when you need additional copies.
Bastions are dangerous Nether structures. Prepare fire resistance, strong armor, blocks for emergency cover, food, and a way to mark your route. A template in a chest is not useful if you lose it, so secure the area before opening containers and consider carrying an ender chest or returning to a safe portal between expeditions.
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What the upgrade changes—and what it does not
The smithing operation changes the equipment tier; it is not a cosmetic overlay. The resulting Netherite item is the appropriate Netherite version of the diamond base item. The template identifies this transformation, while the Netherite ingot supplies the required addition material.
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Armor trims: patterns without gameplay bonuses
How trimming works
Armor trims are cosmetic modifications. Mojang states that they are “purely visual with no gameplay benefits.” A trim does not increase armor protection, durability, attack damage, or any other gameplay statistic. It changes the appearance of eligible armor while leaving the underlying armor type intact.
Use these three inputs:
- Armor-trim template: determines the decorative pattern.
- Compatible armor: a helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots.
- Trim material: determines the color or metallic accent shown in the pattern.
Elytra, shields, tools, and weapons are not armor-trim bases. A template also cannot be used as a generic dye; it must be paired with one of the four armor slots listed above.
Trim an armor piece
- Open the smithing table.
- Insert the desired armor-trim template into the template slot.
- Insert a helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots into the base slot.
- Insert an allowed trim material into the addition slot.
- Inspect the preview to confirm the pattern and color, then take the trimmed armor.
The same armor piece can be Netherite or diamond; trimming is separate from the Netherite upgrade transformation. If you want both a Netherite tier and a decorative pattern, perform the Netherite upgrade and the trim as separate smithing operations using the appropriate templates.
Where armor-trim templates are found
Mojang’s feature documentation associates the following patterns with structures. Templates are generally found in chests in the named structure. The Ocean Monument is the exception: it has no chests, and Elder Guardians can sometimes drop the Tide template.
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| Structure | Template pattern | How to obtain it |
|---|---|---|
| Pillager Outpost | Sentry | Search structure chests. |
| Desert Pyramid | Dune | Search structure chests. |
| Shipwreck | Coast | Search structure chests. |
| Jungle Temple | Wild | Search structure chests. |
| Ocean Monument | Tide | Elder Guardians sometimes drop the template; the monument has no chests. |
| Ancient City | Ward | Search structure chests. |
| Woodland Mansion | Vex | Search structure chests. |
| Nether Fortress | Rib | Search structure chests. |
| Bastion Remnant | Snout | Search structure chests. |
| Stronghold | Eye | Search structure chests. |
| End City | Spire | Search structure chests. |
Finding a pattern is only the first step: the template is consumed when used, so one copy decorates one armor piece unless you duplicate it first. Structure generation and loot details can vary by game version; the list above follows Mojang’s cited feature documentation rather than claiming that no later release adds another source.
Trim materials and color choices
The template selects the pattern, while the addition material selects the trim color. Mojang lists these viable materials:
| Trim material | Role in the result |
|---|---|
| Iron | Provides the iron-colored accent. |
| Copper | Provides the copper-colored accent. |
| Gold | Provides the gold-colored accent. |
| Lapis lazuli | Provides the blue accent. |
| Emerald | Provides the green accent. |
| Diamond | Provides the diamond-colored accent. |
| Netherite | Provides the Netherite-colored accent. |
| Redstone dust | Provides the red accent. |
| Amethyst shard | Provides the amethyst-colored accent. |
| Quartz | Provides the quartz-colored accent. |
Changing the material does not change the pattern. To obtain a different design, replace the template; to obtain a different color with the same design, keep the template and change only the addition material. Preview the result before collecting it if you are working with rare armor or materials.
How to duplicate smithing templates
The duplication recipe
Templates are single-use components. Mojang’s documented duplication recipe is:
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| The smithing template you want to copy | 1 |
| Diamonds | 7 |
| One block of the material associated with that template | 1 |
| Result | 2 copies of the template |
The recipe doubles the template count: one original plus one new copy. It does not produce an unlimited supply, and each subsequent smithing use still consumes a template.
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When duplication is worth the cost
- Duplicate a Netherite Upgrade template before converting a full set of diamond equipment.
- Duplicate a rare trim pattern when you want the same design on several armor pieces.
- Spend diamonds only after deciding how many copies you need; seven diamonds and the associated material block are required for each duplication operation.
- Store originals separately from working copies so one mistake does not eliminate your only pattern.
For a single decorative experiment, using the original may be cheaper than duplicating it. For a complete armor set, duplication prevents repeated trips to a structure and protects a hard-to-replace template.
Netherite upgrades versus armor trims
| Decision point | Netherite upgrade | Armor trim |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Changes compatible diamond equipment to its Netherite version. | Adds a visual pattern to eligible armor. |
| Template | Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. | One of the structure-specific trim templates. |
| Base item | Compatible diamond tool, weapon, or armor. | Helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots. |
| Addition | Netherite ingot. | Iron, copper, gold, lapis, emerald, diamond, Netherite, redstone, amethyst, or quartz. |
| Gameplay effect | Raises the equipment tier. | No gameplay benefit; cosmetic only. |
| Exploration source | Bastion Remnant chests; two guaranteed in every Treasure Room Bastion Remnant. | Distributed across outposts, temples, monuments, cities, fortresses, mansions, strongholds, End Cities, and Bastions. |
| Template consumption | Consumed after each use. | Consumed after each use. |
Choose Netherite upgrades when your priority is equipment progression. Choose trims when you want a particular visual identity; the pattern and color are design decisions, not performance upgrades.
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Common mistakes and fixes
The output slot is empty
- Check that a template is present. Modern smithing recipes do not accept only a base item and material.
- Confirm the template type. A trim template will not perform a Netherite upgrade.
- Move each item into its correct template, base, or addition slot.
- Verify the base item is eligible: diamond equipment for Netherite upgrades, or one of the four armor pieces for trims.
- Use an allowed addition. A Netherite upgrade needs a Netherite ingot; a trim needs one of the listed trim materials.
The result is not the item you expected
Read the output name before collecting it. The template controls the operation, so the same ingot can produce a tier upgrade in one recipe and a color accent in another. For trims, the design comes from the template and the color comes from the material; switching only one input changes only that part of the appearance.
You used your only template
Once a template has been used, it is consumed. Recover by finding another copy in its associated structure or by using the seven-diamond duplication recipe with the correct material block. Keep valuable originals in a secure storage area and use duplicates for routine crafting.
The Tide template is not in a chest
That is expected for an Ocean Monument. The monument has no chests; Elder Guardians sometimes drop the Tide template instead. Prepare for underwater combat and mining fatigue rather than searching the structure for conventional loot containers.
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Java and Bedrock implementation notes
Microsoft’s Bedrock documentation models smithing recipes with explicit template, base, and addition fields. A minecraft:recipe_smithing_trim recipe applies a trim template and material to base armor. A minecraft:recipe_smithing_transform recipe defines the template, base, addition, and result for a transformation; Microsoft’s example turns a diamond axe plus a Netherite ingot and Netherite Upgrade template into a Netherite axe.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThese recipe identifiers are useful when reading Bedrock behavior-pack files or diagnosing a custom recipe. They also explain why a missing or misplaced input prevents a result: the recipe schema requires all three roles. Java and Bedrock can differ in interface presentation and in details introduced by later releases, so check the documentation for the exact version and edition you are running before promising compatibility for a server, map, or add-on.
The structure associations and guaranteed Treasure Room count cited here come from Mojang’s 2023 feature documentation, while the Bedrock recipe pages were updated in 2026. They describe the modern template system but do not independently establish every change in every release available on October 15, 2026.
A practical smithing-table plan
- Decide the goal: equipment progression means Netherite upgrading; appearance means trimming.
- Secure templates first: raid or explore the relevant structure, then place originals in protected storage.
- Gather additions: Netherite ingots for upgrades, or the chosen trim material for armor.
- Duplicate before mass crafting: use seven diamonds and the template’s associated material block when several items need the same pattern or upgrade.
- Upgrade diamond gear: apply the Netherite Upgrade template and one Netherite ingot to each compatible diamond item.
- Trim armor separately: select a pattern template, armor piece, and color material, then confirm the preview.
- Store spare copies: templates are consumed, so keep at least one protected copy of patterns you may want later.
With that workflow, the smithing table becomes predictable: the template determines what can happen, the base item determines what is being changed, and the addition supplies either the new equipment tier or the trim’s color.
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