A world 1000 blocks wide
/worldborder set 1000The border becomes a 1000 by 1000 square, 500 blocks on each side of the center.
/worldborder command in Minecraft
The /worldborder command controls the world border: its width, its center, how fast it grows or shrinks, the damage it deals and the warning players get. Use it to limit a survival world, build a shrinking arena or keep a map inside a fixed area.
Syntax
/worldborder add <distance> [<time>]/worldborder center <pos>/worldborder damage (amount|buffer)/worldborder get/worldborder set <distance> [<time>]/worldborder warning (distance|time)All 10 forms
- /worldborder add <distance>
- /worldborder add <distance> <time>
- /worldborder center <pos>
- /worldborder damage amount <damagePerBlock>
- /worldborder damage buffer <distance>
- /worldborder get
- /worldborder set <distance>
- /worldborder set <distance> <time>
- /worldborder warning distance <distance>
- /worldborder warning time <time>
/worldborder add/worldborder add <distance> [<time>]| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| distance | Number | Blocks added to the current width; a negative value shrinks the border. |
| timeoptional | Duration (ticks, or 10s, 2d)at least 0 | Duration of the change. A plain number counts ticks: write 60s for one minute. Without it, the change is instant. |
All 2 forms
- /worldborder add <distance>
- /worldborder add <distance> <time>
/worldborder center/worldborder center <pos>| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| pos | Position (x z) | Center of the border as X Z, e.g. 0 0, or ~ ~ for your own position. |
/worldborder damage/worldborder damage (amount|buffer)| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| damagePerBlock | Numberat least 0 | Damage per second for each block a player is beyond the buffer zone, e.g. 0.2 or 1. |
| distance | Numberat least 0 | Buffer zone in blocks beyond the border where players take no damage yet. Default 5. |
All 2 forms
- /worldborder damage amount <damagePerBlock>
- /worldborder damage buffer <distance>
/worldborder get/worldborder get/worldborder set/worldborder set <distance> [<time>]| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| distance | Number | New total width in blocks, edge to edge, from 1 to 59,999,968. 1000 makes a 1000 by 1000 square. |
| timeoptional | Duration (ticks, or 10s, 2d)at least 0 | Duration of the change. A plain number counts ticks: write 60s for one minute. Without it, the change is instant. |
All 2 forms
- /worldborder set <distance>
- /worldborder set <distance> <time>
/worldborder warning/worldborder warning (distance|time)| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| distance | Whole numberat least 0 | Distance in blocks from the border at which the screen of a player turns red. |
| time | Duration (ticks, or 10s, 2d)at least 0 | How long before a moving border reaches a player the warning starts, e.g. 15s. |
All 2 forms
- /worldborder warning distance <distance>
- /worldborder warning time <time>
Examples
Center the border on yourself
/worldborder center ~ ~Moves the center to your X and Z. The width stays the same.
Shrink to 100 blocks in 5 minutes
/worldborder set 100 300sThe classic shrinking arena: the border moves slowly toward the center.
Grow the border over a minute
/worldborder add 200 60sAdds 200 blocks to the current width, 100 on each side, in one minute.
Make the border hurt more
/worldborder damage amount 1Players beyond the buffer lose 1 health per second for each block outside.
Warn players earlier
/worldborder warning distance 20The screen turns red 20 blocks before the border.
Check the current size
/worldborder getAnswers "The world border is currently ... block(s) wide".
Build your commandFill in the fields, then copy the command.
Command generatorSize, center and movement
The border is a square. set takes the full width, so /worldborder set 1000 means 500 blocks on each side of the center. The largest width is 59,999,968 blocks, the default size of a new world, and the smallest is 1. A border that moves over time is the classic shrinking arena. Add s to the duration, because a plain number is read as ticks.
Changing the size does not move the center. Set the center first with center, then the width.
Damage and warnings
Outside the border, players start taking damage after a buffer zone of 5 blocks, 0.2 per block and per second by default. damage buffer and damage amount change these two values. warning distance and warning time control when the screen turns red.
Common errors
- "Nothing changed. The world border is already that size": the width is already the one you typed.
- "World border cannot be bigger than ... blocks wide": the value is above the maximum.
- A border set to 100 with the time 60 shrinks in three seconds: 60 is read as ticks.
For a battle royale, combine it with /spreadplayers to scatter players inside the border and /title to announce each shrink.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 2 November 2026
/worldborder: FAQ
Is the world border width a radius?
No. The value is the full width from one edge to the other. A border of 1000 reaches 500 blocks from the center in each direction.
How do I remove the world border?
Set it back to the maximum with /worldborder set 59999968. That is the default size of a new world.
How do I use /worldborder?
Type it in the chat with cheats on: /worldborder add <distance> [<time>].
Who can use /worldborder?
Cheats on, or operator level 2.