WorldEdit Commands: The Complete Cheat Sheet
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WorldEdit lets you build and reshape Minecraft worlds in bulk: fill a region with any block in one command, copy a whole build and paste it elsewhere, smooth a mountain or carve out a lake. It saves hours on spawn areas, arenas and lobbies.
This cheat sheet covers the commands you will use most, with examples, plus brushes, masks, schematics, permissions and when to choose FastAsyncWorldEdit instead.
Install WorldEdit
WorldEdit runs as a plugin on Paper and Spigot, and as a mod on Fabric and NeoForge. The current release, WorldEdit 7.4.5, covers Minecraft 1.21.10 to 26.2 as a plugin; beta builds already add 26.3. It works on Java Edition only.
- Download it from Modrinth or CurseForge, choosing the file for your platform and Minecraft version.
- Put it in the
pluginsfolder (ormodson Fabric and NeoForge) and restart. See how to install Minecraft plugins. - Give yourself access. By default nobody can use WorldEdit except operators, so either
/opyourself or grant the permissionworldedit.*.
Most commands start with two slashes, like //set. That keeps them apart from other plugins' commands.
Selecting an area
Almost every WorldEdit command works on a selection, a region between two corners.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
//wand | Gives you the wand, a wooden axe. Left-click a block for the first corner, right-click for the second |
//pos1 / //pos2 | Sets a corner where you stand |
//hpos1 / //hpos2 | Sets a corner at the block you are looking at |
//sel cuboid | Changes the selection shape; also poly, sphere, cyl, ellipsoid, convex |
//expand 10 up | Grows the selection 10 blocks in a direction |
//expand vert | Stretches the selection from the bottom to the top of the world |
//contract 5 down | Shrinks the selection |
//size | Shows the selection's size and block count |
//desel | Clears the selection |
The client mod WorldEditCUI draws your selection on screen, which makes large selections much easier to check.
Changing blocks
| Command | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
//set | //set stone | Fills the selection with a block |
//replace | //replace dirt grass_block | Replaces one block with another; without the first block, replaces everything that is not air |
//walls | //walls stone_bricks | Builds the four sides of the selection |
//faces | //faces glass | Builds all six faces, a hollow box |
//stack | //stack 5 up | Repeats the selection, here five times upward |
//move | //move 5 up | Moves the blocks in the selection |
//smooth | //smooth 3 | Smooths terrain; the number is how many passes |
//drain | //drain 20 | Removes water and lava within a radius |
//regen | //regen | Regenerates the selection from the world seed; back up first |
Patterns mix blocks: //set 50%stone,50%cobblestone fills with an even mix, and the numbers are weights, so //set 3%stone,1%andesite gives three stone to every andesite.
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See Minecraft plansCopy, paste, rotate and undo
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
//copy | Copies the selection. Where you stand matters: the paste is placed relative to that spot |
//cut | Copies and removes the selection |
//paste | Pastes at your position, relative to where you stood when copying |
//paste -a | Pastes without the air, so it does not erase what is around |
//paste -o | Pastes at the original position |
//rotate 90 | Rotates the clipboard, in steps of 90 degrees |
//flip | Mirrors the clipboard in the direction you face |
//undo / //redo | Reverts or repeats your last changes; //undo 3 undoes three |
WorldEdit remembers your last 15 actions by default. Changes caused indirectly, such as water that flows after an edit, are not part of the history.
Brushes and masks
A brush binds an action to the item in your hand, so you can paint terrain from a distance by right-clicking.
/br s stone 4 /br s -h glass 6 /brush smooth 5 /brush none
The first gives a stone sphere brush of radius 4, the second a hollow glass sphere, the third smooths terrain, the last unbinds the brush.
Masks limit which blocks an action touches. /mask grass_block makes the current brush affect only grass. //gmask sets a global mask for all your commands; if commands suddenly report "0 blocks changed", run //gmask with nothing after it to clear it.
Schematics: save and load builds
A schematic is a build saved to a file, so you can reuse it or move it between servers.
//copy //schem save lobby //schem list //schem load lobby //paste
Files are saved in plugins/WorldEdit/schematics on Paper and Spigot, or config/worldedit/schematics on modded servers, in the .schem format. To use a schematic you downloaded, upload it to that folder with the file manager or SFTP, then //schem load it and paste.
Permissions and large edits
WorldEdit can wipe out a build in one command, so give it only to builders you trust. With LuckPerms you can grant worldedit.* to a builder group, or only selected commands, and keep CoreProtect installed to see and roll back what anyone changed.
Large edits need memory. WorldEdit's documentation suggests about 1 GB plus 2 GB for every 10 million blocks changed. Break huge jobs into smaller selections, and set a limit for your builders with //limit.
WorldEdit or FastAsyncWorldEdit?
FastAsyncWorldEdit (FAWE) is a separate plugin with the same commands that places blocks in the background, chunk by chunk, and keeps history on disk. It handles very large edits with less lag. The current release, FAWE 2.16.1, supports Paper and Spigot up to Minecraft 26.3.
- Choose WorldEdit for most servers, for Fabric and NeoForge, and when you want the official plugin that other plugins build on.
- Choose FAWE on Paper or Spigot when your builders move millions of blocks at a time.
FAWE replaces WorldEdit, so install one or the other, never both.
Frequently asked questions
You probably have no permission: by default only operators can use WorldEdit. Op yourself or grant worldedit.*. If commands run but change 0 blocks, clear the global mask with //gmask.
Type //undo, or //undo 5 for the last five actions. WorldEdit keeps the last 15 actions by default, and clears your history 10 minutes after you log out.
No. WorldEdit works on Java Edition servers and in Java singleplayer only.
In plugins/WorldEdit/schematics on Paper and Spigot, or config/worldedit/schematics on Fabric and NeoForge. The folder appears after your first save.
For very large edits on Paper or Spigot, usually yes: it works in the background with less lag. For everyday building, and on Fabric or NeoForge, regular WorldEdit is the simpler choice.
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