/locate

The /locate command finds the nearest structure, biome or point of interest and tells you its coordinates. It is how players find villages, strongholds, woodland mansions, ancient cities, trial chambers, cherry groves and mushroom fields without wandering for hours. This command reference covers the full syntax in Java and Bedrock, structure and biome IDs, structure tags, how to travel to the result, and common errors. For a short beginner walkthrough, see how to find structures with /locate.

Syntax

Use	Java	Bedrock
Structure	/locate structure <structure>	/locate structure <structure> [useNewChunksOnly]
Biome	/locate biome <biome>	/locate biome <biome>
Point of interest	/locate poi <poi>	Not available

Older versions used /locate <structure> and a separate /locatebiome command. Current versions combine them under /locate with a type keyword. The result shows the X, Y and Z coordinates (Y is often a placeholder like ~ for structures) and the distance in blocks. In Java, the coordinates in chat are clickable and fill in a teleport command.

Common structure IDs

Structure	Java ID	Bedrock ID
Village (any type)	#minecraft:village	village
Stronghold	minecraft:stronghold	stronghold
Woodland mansion	minecraft:mansion	mansion
Ocean monument	minecraft:monument	monument
Ancient city	minecraft:ancient_city	ancient_city
Trial chambers	minecraft:trial_chambers	trial_chambers
Desert pyramid	minecraft:desert_pyramid	desert_pyramid (temple)
Jungle pyramid	minecraft:jungle_pyramid	jungle_pyramid (temple)
Pillager outpost	minecraft:pillager_outpost	pillager_outpost
Shipwreck	#minecraft:shipwreck	shipwreck
Buried treasure	minecraft:buried_treasure	buried_treasure
Mineshaft	#minecraft:mineshaft	mineshaft
Ruined portal	#minecraft:ruined_portal	ruined_portal
Trail ruins	minecraft:trail_ruins	trail_ruins
Nether fortress	minecraft:fortress	fortress
Bastion remnant	minecraft:bastion_remnant	bastion_remnant
End city	minecraft:end_city	end_city

IDs that start with a hash, such as #minecraft:village, are structure tags that cover several variants at once, for example every village type. You can also locate a specific variant, such as minecraft:village_plains or minecraft:village_desert.

Locating biomes

/locate biome finds the nearest biome of a type. Popular examples:

• /locate biome minecraft:cherry_grove for pink cherry trees.
• /locate biome minecraft:mushroom_fields for a mob-free island.
• /locate biome minecraft:badlands for terracotta and extra gold.
• /locate biome minecraft:deep_dark to find ancient cities’ home.
• /locate biome minecraft:pale_garden for the creaking and pale oak in newer versions.
• /locate biome minecraft:warped_forest in the Nether for safe enderman hunting.

Bedrock uses the same names without the minecraft: prefix in most cases, and the suggestion list shows the exact names your version accepts.

Points of interest (Java)

/locate poi finds the nearest point-of-interest block, such as a villager job site block or a bed, within a limited range. It is mostly used by technical players and map makers, for example to check where villagers have claimed workstations.

Traveling to the result

1. Read the coordinates from chat. For structures, the Y value may be shown as ~ because the structure’s height varies.
2. Walk, ride or fly there using your own coordinate display. See how to see coordinates.
3. Or teleport: click the coordinates in Java chat, or type /tp @s X ~ Z and adjust the height. Teleporting with ~ for Y keeps your current height, so you may need to go up or down after arriving. See the /tp reference.

For strongholds in Survival without cheats, use eyes of ender instead; see the Ender Dragon page.

Dimensions matter

/locate searches only the dimension you are standing in. To find a Nether fortress or bastion, run it in the Nether; for End cities, run it in the End. To search another dimension without traveling, use /execute in minecraft:the_nether run locate structure minecraft:fortress in Java. Remember the coordinates you get are for that dimension.

Bedrock useNewChunksOnly

In Bedrock, adding true at the end of a structure search only finds structures in chunks that have not been generated yet. This is useful on old worlds where you have already looted the nearby villages and temples, because it skips structures you have visited.

Permissions

/locate requires cheats or operator permission. In Bedrock, using commands disables achievements in that world. Survival players without cheats can use explorer maps from cartographer villagers, eyes of ender and buried treasure maps instead.

Common errors

• Could not find a structure nearby: the structure does not generate in this dimension or within the search radius.
• Unknown structure: wrong ID or edition format; use the suggestions list.
• Old syntax fails: /locate village is the old form. Use /locate structure.
• Arrived but nothing is there: you teleported to the wrong height; dig or fly to find it, especially for underground structures like strongholds and ancient cities.

Related commands

• /tp: travel to the coordinates.
• /seed: get the world seed for seed map tools.
• /setworldspawn: move spawn near a structure.

/locate FAQ

How do you find a village with commands?

Java: /locate structure #minecraft:village. Bedrock: /locate structure village.

How do you find a biome?

/locate biome followed by the biome ID, such as cherry_grove.

Why does /locate not find a fortress?

Fortresses are in the Nether. Run the command there.

Does /locate work without cheats?

No.

Best structures to locate and why

• Village: the best early-game find, with food, beds, villagers to trade with and sometimes iron in chests. Locate one at the start of a world to speed up everything else.
• Stronghold: holds the End portal. Locating it saves you a stack of eyes of ender, but some players consider it a shortcut that skips part of the game.
• Ancient city: loot such as Swift Sneak books, echo shards and enchanted golden apples, guarded by the Warden.
• Trial chambers: trial spawners, the mace’s heavy core, breeze rods and ominous vaults.
• Woodland mansion: totems of undying from evokers and plenty of loot, but full of dangerous illagers.
• Ocean monument: sponges, prismarine and gold blocks, and an excellent guardian farm site.
• Nether fortress: blaze rods for brewing and eyes of ender, plus wither skeleton skulls and nether wart.
• Bastion remnant: netherite upgrade templates, ancient debris and gold.
• Buried treasure: a heart of the sea for a conduit, plus iron, gold and often diamonds.

Search distance and performance

/locate searches outward from where the command runs, which can take a moment for rare structures like woodland mansions that may be thousands of blocks away. The search does not generate the terrain itself, so it is fast even in a new world, but traveling there will generate chunks along the way. On servers, avoid running many /locate commands in quick succession for very rare structures, because each search uses server time.

Locate without commands

Survival players can still find most structures without cheats: cartographer villagers sell ocean, woodland and trial explorer maps; shipwreck chests contain buried treasure maps; eyes of ender lead to strongholds; and some maps from chests show nearby structures. Seed map websites can also show structure locations if you know your world seed, which you can check with /seed in single player.

Locating in Bedrock vs Java

The two editions generate structures differently, so the same seed does not produce the same structure positions in Java and Bedrock, apart from some shared features in recent versions. Always run /locate in the edition you are playing rather than using results from a seed map for the other edition. Bedrock IDs are usually shorter and do not need the minecraft: prefix, while Java uses namespaced IDs and tags.

Tip: in Java, clicking the green coordinates in chat fills in a /tp command for you, which saves typing.