How do you see coordinates in Minecraft?
In Minecraft Java Edition press F3 (on Mac and many laptops Fn+F3); in Bedrock Edition turn on "Show Coordinates" in the world settings. Your position then appears in the top-left corner of the screen.
| Edition | How to show coordinates |
|---|---|
| Java (PC, Mac, Linux) | Press F3 (or Fn+F3). Look for the XYZ line on the left |
| Java, permanently | Press F3+F6, find player_position and set it to Always (Minecraft 1.21.9 and newer) |
| Bedrock (phone, console, Windows) | World settings → Show Coordinates on, or type /gamerule showcoordinates true |
Java: the F3 debug screen
The F3 screen shows several lines with positions. The ones you need:
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
XYZ: 120.512 / 64.000 / -340.228 |
Your exact position (your feet) |
Block: 120 64 -341 |
The block you're standing in – use this for building and commands |
Chunk: ... |
Which chunk you're in |
Facing: north (Towards negative Z) |
The direction you're looking |
Coordinates always on screen (1.21.9+). Since Minecraft 1.21.9 the F3 screen is customisable: press F3+F6 to open the debug options, find player_position and choose Always. Your coordinates then stay on screen even with F3 closed – handy for long trips, without the wall of debug text.
Bedrock: Show Coordinates
Open the world's settings (or create a world), and under game settings switch on Show Coordinates. In a world with cheats you can also type /gamerule showcoordinates true. The coordinates appear in a small box in the top-left corner. On a server the setting comes from the server – see the section for admins below.
What do X, Y and Z mean in Minecraft?
X is east–west, Z is north–south and Y is height. Positive X is east, positive Z is south – that second one surprises a lot of players, because on real maps "up" is north.
| Axis | Increases when you go… | Decreases when you go… |
|---|---|---|
| X | East | West |
| Z | South | North |
| Y | Up | Down |
| Direction | Coordinate change |
|---|---|
| North | Z goes down (more negative) |
| South | Z goes up |
| East | X goes up |
| West | X goes down (more negative) |
Y levels to remember in the Overworld (Minecraft 1.18 and newer):
| Y | What's there |
|---|---|
| 320 | Build limit (top) |
| 63 | Sea level |
| 0 | Roughly where stone turns into deepslate |
| -64 | Bottom of the world (bedrock) |
The point X 0, Z 0 is the centre of the world. A position like 120 64 -341 is written in the order X, Y, Z.
How do Nether coordinates work?
One block in the Nether equals eight blocks in the Overworld, so divide Overworld X and Z by 8 to get the Nether position (and multiply by 8 to go back). Y doesn't change. This is how players build Nether "highways" to travel far in a short time.
| Overworld (X, Z) | Nether (X, Z) |
|---|---|
| 800, -1600 | 100, -200 |
| 2000, 400 | 250, 50 |
| -5000, 3200 | -625, 400 |
Linking two portals on purpose:
- Note the Overworld coordinates of your portal, e.g. X 800, Z -1600.
- Divide X and Z by 8: X 100, Z -200.
- In the Nether, build the matching portal at that spot (Y can be anything safe).
- Go through – you'll come out at the right portal.
If portals send you to the wrong place, there is usually another portal closer to the calculated point. In Java Edition the game looks for an existing portal within about 128 blocks in the Overworld and 16 blocks in the Nether before it builds a new one, so place linked portals far enough apart from other portals.
What is the best Y level for diamonds?
Mine at Y -58 or -59 – that's where deepslate diamond ore is most common. Diamonds generate from Y 16 down to the bottom of the world and get more common the deeper you go.
- Diamonds are less likely to generate next to air, so branch mining through solid deepslate finds more than walking caves.
- Lava pools are common near the bottom of the world. Carry a water bucket and don't dig straight down.
- These levels apply to Minecraft 1.18 and newer. Older versions had different ore heights.
Watch the Y value in the F3 screen (or the Bedrock coordinates box) while you dig down.
How to teleport to coordinates in Minecraft
Type /tp @s X Y Z, e.g. /tp @s 120 64 -341. You need cheats on in singleplayer, or operator rights on a server.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/tp @s 120 64 -341 |
Teleports you to those coordinates |
/tp Steve 120 64 -341 |
Teleports the player Steve there |
/tp @s ~ ~10 ~ |
10 blocks up from where you are (~ = current position) |
/tp @s ~100 ~ ~ |
100 blocks east |
/tp @s ^ ^ ^5 |
5 blocks forward in the direction you're looking (^ = relative to your view) |
/tp Steve Alex |
Teleports Steve to Alex |
~ (tilde) means "relative to the current position", ^ (caret) means "relative to where you're looking". You can't mix them in one command.
Copy your position in Java: press F3+C and the game copies your current location as a ready /tp command to the clipboard – paste it in a note or in chat for friends. Just don't hold F3+C for 10 seconds: that's the debug crash shortcut.
More commands for server admins are in Minecraft server commands.
How to find structures and biomes with /locate
/locate structure <name> shows the coordinates of the nearest structure of that type; /locate biome <name> does the same for biomes. In Java you can click the coordinates in chat to fill in a /tp command.
| Command (Java) | Finds |
|---|---|
/locate structure #village |
The nearest village of any type |
/locate structure minecraft:ancient_city |
The nearest ancient city |
/locate structure minecraft:stronghold |
The nearest stronghold (End portal) |
/locate biome minecraft:cherry_grove |
The nearest cherry grove |
/locate poi minecraft:nether_portal |
A nearby Nether portal (within 256 blocks) |
In Bedrock the syntax is shorter, e.g. /locate structure village. Like /tp, /locate needs cheats or operator rights. Want a world where good structures are close to spawn from the start? See Best Minecraft seeds.
Other ways to keep track of places
- Compass: points to the world spawn. A compass used on a lodestone points to that lodestone instead – great for marking your base.
- Recovery compass: points to where you last died.
- Locator bar (Java 1.21.6+): shows other players in multiplayer as coloured markers in place of the XP bar. It shows direction and rough distance, not coordinates. Players can hide from it by sneaking, wearing a mob head or carved pumpkin, or being invisible.
- Minimap mods: Xaero's Minimap and JourneyMap show coordinates and let you save waypoints.
- Web map on a server: BlueMap shows a 3D map of the server world in the browser with coordinates – see How to install BlueMap.
How to show or hide coordinates on a Minecraft server
On a Java server, gamerule reduced_debug_info true hides coordinates from the F3 screen for every player; on a Bedrock server, gamerule showcoordinates turns the coordinates box on or off. This is what hardcore, survival-challenge and some PvP servers use, so players have to navigate by landmarks.
| Goal | Java server (1.21.11+) | Java server (older versions) | Bedrock server |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hide coordinates | gamerule reduced_debug_info true |
gamerule reducedDebugInfo true |
gamerule showcoordinates false |
| Show coordinates again | gamerule reduced_debug_info false |
gamerule reducedDebugInfo false |
gamerule showcoordinates true |
| Turn off the locator bar | gamerule locator_bar false |
gamerule locatorBar false |
"Player waypoints" setting |
With reduced_debug_info on, the XYZ, Block and Facing lines disappear even if a player set them to "Always" in F3+F6. It doesn't stop mods like minimaps from showing positions on the client, so on a "no coordinates" server you may also want rules about client mods. Which name a gamerule uses depends on your Minecraft version – the full list with old and new names is in Minecraft gamerules.
On a Spot.gg server you type these in the "Console" tab of the panel – without the leading slash, e.g. gamerule reduced_debug_info true. Gamerules are saved in the world, so they survive restarts. The same console works for tp and locate if you want to move players or check where a structure is without joining.
Want players to see coordinates in chat even when F3 is reduced? On Paper, the EssentialsX command /getpos (alias /coords) shows a player their position – setup is in How to install EssentialsX. And if you want a web map with coordinates for your community, the Java servers on Spot.gg come with a separate map port for BlueMap, Dynmap or squaremap in "Network".
Paid Minecraft servers on Spot.gg start from $3.90 per month, and a new account can try a server free for 24 hours first.
FAQ
How do I show coordinates in Minecraft?
On Java press F3 (Fn+F3 on Mac and many laptops) and read the XYZ line. On Bedrock turn on "Show Coordinates" in the world settings.
How do I keep coordinates on screen in Minecraft Java?
From 1.21.9 press F3+F6, find "player_position" and set it to "Always". The coordinates then stay on screen without opening F3.
What does Y mean in Minecraft coordinates?
Y is your height. Sea level is Y 63, the bottom of the Overworld is Y -64 and the build limit is Y 320.
How do I convert Overworld coordinates to the Nether?
Divide X and Z by 8. Y stays the same. To go from the Nether back to the Overworld, multiply X and Z by 8.
What are the best coordinates for diamonds?
There are no fixed X/Z coordinates for diamonds – it's about height. Dig at Y -58 or -59 in 1.18 and newer.
Why can't I see coordinates on F3?
The server or world has reduced_debug_info (older name reducedDebugInfo) turned on, which hides coordinates. Only an operator can turn it off.
How do I teleport to coordinates?
Type /tp @s X Y Z with cheats on or as an operator, for example /tp @s 0 100 0.