Return a value
/return 1Ends the function at once and returns 1. Write it in a .mcfunction file without the slash.
/return command in Minecraft
/return stops the current function and hands a value back to the command that called it. /return fail makes the call fail instead, and /return run returns the result of another command. It turns functions into reusable checks for /execute if function and /execute store.
Syntax
/return fail/return run …/return <value>| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| value | Whole number | Whole number handed back to the caller; execute if function treats 0 as a failed test. |
Examples
Make the function fail
/return failEnds the function as failed: execute if function does not pass and store success stores 0.
Stop early with a check
/execute unless entity @s[tag=ready] run return 0Placed at the top of a function, ends it for any executor without the ready tag.
Use a function as a test
/execute if function mypack:has_key run say Door unlockedRuns mypack:has_key and posts the message only if it returns a value other than 0.
Store a returned value
/execute store result score total calc run function mypack:count_mobsWrites the number returned by mypack:count_mobs into the invented holder total of the calc objective.
Build your commandFill in the fields, then copy the command.
Command generatorReturn values in practice
Inside a function, return 1 ends the file at once: the lines below it never run. The value goes to whatever called the function. Typed in chat, /function answers "Function ... returned 1". execute if function passes when the value is not 0, and execute store result writes it into a /scoreboard score.
return fail ends the function as a failure, so execute if function fails and store success stores 0. return run runs one command and returns its result, for example return run scoreboard players get @s coins to hand back a score.
Patterns
- Early exit:
execute unless entity @s[tag=ready] run return 0at the top of a function skips the rest for entities without the tag. - Reusable checks: a function that returns 1 or 0 can be tested with /execute from any other function or command block.
- Guard clauses keep tick functions cheap: stop as soon as there is nothing to do.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 2 November 2026
/return: FAQ
Can /return give back a decimal number?
No, the value is a whole number. Multiply the value first, for example by 100, if you need decimals.
What happens to the commands after /return?
They are skipped. The function stops on the /return line, so place it where the work is done or where a check fails.
How do I use /return?
Type it in the chat with cheats on: /return fail.
Who can use /return?
Cheats on, or operator level 2.
Since when does /return exist?
It is in the official command tree since Java Edition 1.20.