Minecraft:Structure

File:21w07a Mineshaft.png

A mineshaft generating across a large cave.

Structures (also known as a "generated structure" or "structure feature") are naturally-generated formations that can be located using Template:Cmd and will not spawn in the world when the "Generate Structures" option is disabled during Minecraft:world creation.Template:Only Players can generate structures using Template:Cmd. Certain Minecraft:features, such as Minecraft:monster rooms or Minecraft:desert wells, still generate when this option is disabled and are listed under Template:Slink due to their resemblance to other defined structures.

Overworld

The Minecraft:Overworld contains numerous structures, at a wide variety of scales.

Underground structures

These structures can generate only underground in any default Overworld.

Structure	Biome(s)	Description	Screenshot
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink	Long corridors made of Minecraft:deepslate and Minecraft:wool, connecting to a central building with a frame like structure made of Minecraft:reinforced deepslate. The central structure resembles a Minecraft:warden. Small ruins can be found scattered around the ancient city containing loot Minecraft:chests inside. Since this structure generates in the deep dark biome, it contains many sculk sensors, shriekers, and catalysts.	File:Ancient city VV.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	A hidden Minecraft:chest containing valuable loot that spawn in coastal biomes. They are found using Minecraft:treasure maps located in Minecraft:shipwrecks and occasionally Minecraft:ocean ruins. The most notable item in buried chests are the heart of the sea, which is guaranteed to be found. Other common loot that can be found are diamonds, iron and gold ingots, emeralds, TNT, and potions.	File:Buried Treasure Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Any Minecraft:Overworld biome except Template:BiomeLink	A maze of corridors supported by Minecraft:oak fences, with incomplete rail systems on which Minecraft:minecarts with chests can generate. Minecraft:Cave spider spawners may generate here heavily surrounded by Minecraft:cobwebs. In Minecraft:badlands biomes, they use Minecraft:dark oak planks instead of Minecraft:oak planks, and may generate close to the surface.	File:Mineshaft Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Any Minecraft:Overworld biome	Strongholds in Minecraft are generated with maze-like underground structures composed of various specialized rooms, including the essential End portal room, libraries, prison cells, and storage areas. The Minecraft:End portal in the stronghold is the only way to access Minecraft:the End dimension, and it requires Minecraft:eyes of ender to activate. Eyes of ender are also used to locate the stronghold.	File:Stronghold Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink	A group of ruined buildings meant to resemble small, ancient settlements. The entire structure is buried underground except for the tip of the tower, which is exposed to the surface. The structure can contain Minecraft:suspicious gravel with various Minecraft:archaeology items.	File:Trail Ruins Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Any Minecraft:Overworld biome except Template:BiomeLink	A large underground structure made of Minecraft:copper and Minecraft:tuff-related blocks, featuring Minecraft:trial spawners and Minecraft:vaults in challenging combat rooms. It is the only place where the Minecraft:breeze is found, as well as the heavy core in vault loot.	File:Trial chambers VV.png

Above ground structures

These structures generate only aboveground.

Structure	Biome(s)	Description	Screenshot
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	Large Minecraft:sandstone buildings containing four Minecraft:chests with loot in an underground room hidden beneath Minecraft:terracotta. The chests are trapped with Minecraft:TNT that detonates when a stone Minecraft:pressure plate in the center is stepped on, destroying the chests and their contents. There is also a buried side room with suspicious sand.	File:Desert Pyramid Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink	Minecraft:Snow buildings that may have a basement hidden under a white carpet. The igloo itself contains little of value, but the basement has a Minecraft:villager and a Minecraft:zombie villager held captive behind Minecraft:iron bars. Acting as a tutorial, the basement contains all ingredients to Minecraft:cure the zombie villager, including a splash potion of Minecraft:Weakness on a brewing stand and golden apple in a chest.	File:Igloo Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	Overgrown Minecraft:cobblestone structures containing two loot chests, with one trapped with two Minecraft:dispensers firing Minecraft:arrows by Minecraft:redstone and the other hidden behind a Minecraft:lever puzzle. Setting the correct combination for the Minecraft:lever puzzle moves a block on the main floor, revealing a hidden cavity and the Minecraft:chest.	File:Jungle Pyramid Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink peak biomes Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	An assortment of structures spawning Minecraft:pillagers. The main feature of interest is the watchtower: a tall structure built with wood and cobblestone that generates a loot Minecraft:chest in the top floor. Located around the watchtower are up to four small structures, including tents, target scarecrows, and wooden cages sometimes containing an Minecraft:iron golem or a group of up to 3 Minecraft:allays.	File:Pillager Outpost Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	Swamp huts are small wooden buildings on top of log stilts containing a Minecraft:cauldron with a random Minecraft:potionTemplate:Only and Minecraft:crafting table. Upon their generation, one black Minecraft:cat and one Minecraft:witch occupy the structure's area and the mobs do not despawn naturally. The huts can be used to create a witch farm, as replacement witches spawn automatically.	File:Swamp hut VV.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	A town full of houses and job sites inhabited by Minecraft:villagers with random professions and up to two Minecraft:iron golems defending the village. They are constructed with a wide variety of materials and different architecture, depending on the biome that they generate in. Villages also contain farms with Minecraft:animals and Minecraft:crops, and Minecraft:cats spawn commonly around the houses. Villages can rarely generate as Minecraft:abandoned villages where Minecraft:zombie villagers spawn instead of villagers. Houses no longer have torches, some blocks are broken and replaced with Minecraft:cobwebs or mossy cobblestone, and no iron golems spawn.	File:Village Vibrant Visuals.png File:Abandoned Village Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Upcoming	Massive, systematically-generated buildings constructed with Minecraft:dark oak and a cobblestone foundation. They contain many rooms (some hidden) and loot Minecraft:chests scattered across their three floors, and are inhabited by Minecraft:vindicators and Minecraft:evokers that do not naturally despawn or respawn when defeated. Minecraft:Allays can sometimes be found in prison cells.	File:Woodland Mansion Ingame.png
Template:EnvLinkTemplate:Upcoming	Any Minecraft:Overworld surface biome	A small tent full of items, from Minecraft:oxidized copper golem statues to utility blocks, such as the Minecraft:crafting table, Minecraft:cauldron, and Minecraft:barrels. Abandoned camps are built out of Minecraft:wool stairs and oak Minecraft:fences.	File:Abandoned Camp in May 2026 Live 2.png

Aboveground and underground structures

These structures generate both aboveground and underground.

Structure	Biome(s)	Description	Screenshot
Template:EnvLink	Any Minecraft:Overworld biome except Template:BiomeLink	An incomplete Minecraft:Nether portal constructed with various types of Minecraft:stone materials. They can generate in varying sizes and positions, on the surface, underwater, and in caves. A Minecraft:netherrack platform generates underneath, as well as a loot chest and a few gold blocks.	File:Ruined Portal Vibrant Visuals.png

Underwater structures

These structures generate below the Minecraft:sea level i.e. y=64 and in the Minecraft:Ocean biomes.

Note that Minecraft:ocean ruins and Minecraft:shipwrecks sometimes generate above water on shores, and icebergs are partially above and below water.

Structure	Biome(s)	Description	Screenshot
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	Massive Minecraft:prismarine temples inhabited by Minecraft:guardians, as well as three Minecraft:elder guardians in fixed positions. Minecraft:Wet sponges, along with eight Minecraft:blocks of gold as treasure, also generate naturally here. The interior structure is randomly generated, resembling a maze of sorts.	File:Ocean Monument Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	A collection of small structures made of Minecraft:stone bricks or Minecraft:sandstone depending on the ocean temperature. Minecraft:Drowned may spawn naturally here. Along with loot chests, they contain Minecraft:suspicious sand or Minecraft:suspicious gravel. Suspicious sand in warm ocean ruins is the only way to get the Minecraft:sniffer egg.	File:Ocean Ruins Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	Wooden structures resembling sunken ships in varying states of deterioration, containing up to three loot Minecraft:chests. Sometimes they can generate on land.	File:Shipwreck Vibrant Visuals.png

The Nether

Minecraft:The Nether, though equally vast, contains far fewer structures than the Overworld.

Structure	Biome(s)	Description	Screenshot
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink	Enormous, castle-like Minecraft:blackstone structures housing Minecraft:piglins and Minecraft:piglin brutes. They can generate in various forms (bridges, housing units, Minecraft:hoglin stables, and treasure rooms) and chest loot varies from one form to the next. Large quantities of Minecraft:gold blocks generate within the structure and this is the only place where netherite upgrades can be found.	File:Bastion Remnant Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	All Nether biomes	Towering castles made of Minecraft:Nether bricks that contain Minecraft:blaze Minecraft:monster spawners and Minecraft:Nether wart farms. They are divided into open-air ramparts and winding interior corridors, some of which contain loot Minecraft:chests. Minecraft:Wither skeletons and Minecraft:blazes exclusively spawn here.	File:Nether Fortress Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink	Minecraft:Fossil variants that are more incomplete and purely composed of Minecraft:bone blocks. Minecraft:Dried ghasts may sometimes generate near Nether fossils. Template:IN, this is technically a feature rather than a structure-like feature.	File:Nether Fossil Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	All Nether biomes	Similar to the Overworld ruined portal, this is an incomplete Minecraft:Nether portal constructed with Minecraft:blackstone materials instead of stone. They can generate in varying sizes and positions, with a loot chest and a few gold blocks.	File:Nether Ruined Portal Vibrant Visuals.png

The End

Minecraft:The End is the final and most barren dimension. After defeating the Minecraft:ender dragon, gateways to the outer islands are created.

Structure	Biome(s)	Description	Screenshot
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeSprite The EndTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	Sprawling, well-connected towers built from Minecraft:purpur blocks, Minecraft:End stone bricks, and Minecraft:magenta stained glass. They are inhabited by Minecraft:shulkers that guard valuable loot Minecraft:chests, and may generate an End ship holding a Minecraft:elytra.	File:End City Vibrant Visuals.png

Structure-like features

Template:Main These world generation features share similarities with structures but are generated in the same manner as trees and ores. They will generate even when the "Generate Structures" optionTemplate:Only is disabled. These cannot be located using the Template:Cmd command.

Features	Biome(s)	Description	Screenshot
Template:EnvLink	All Minecraft:Overworld biomes	Large, hollow spherical rocks composed of outer layers of Minecraft:smooth basalt and Minecraft:calcite with an inner layer of Minecraft:amethyst blocks. This is the only place where Minecraft:budding amethyst, amethyst buds, amethyst clusters and Minecraft:amethyst blocks can be found. They come in many sizes, including open geodes and entirely encased geodes.	File:Geode VV.png
Template:EnvLink	Any near the world spawn	A chest with beginner loot, that spawns near the Minecraft:world spawn if the feature was toggled on when creating the world.	File:Bonus Chest Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	Small Minecraft:sandstone feature holding Minecraft:water in their center cavity with suspicious sand below.	File:Desert Well Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeSprite The End	A 1-block portal that activates after the Minecraft:ender dragon is defeated. Using an Minecraft:ender pearl, the player can teleport to the outer regions of the End. They generate infinetely throughout the world as gateways back to the main island.	File:End Gateway Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeSprite The End	An Minecraft:obsidian platform that repairs itself when any Minecraft:entity enters the End.	File:Obsidian Platform Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeSprite The End	Tall obsidian pillars that hold the Minecraft:End crystals. Some of them also have iron bars.	File:End Spike Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeSprite The End	A feature that looks like a fountain. It becomes the only portal to the Overworld and a Minecraft:dragon egg spawns on it after the Minecraft:player defeats the Minecraft:ender dragon.	File:Exit Portal Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLink Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	Usually buried feature made of Minecraft:bone blocks and coal or diamond ore depending on the altitude.	File:Fossil Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	All Minecraft:Overworld biomes	A small Minecraft:cobblestone room containing a Minecraft:monster spawner, which spawns Minecraft:zombies, Minecraft:skeletons, or Minecraft:spiders, as well as up to two loot Minecraft:chests. They are typically connected to underground caves but may generate above ground or intersected with true structures such as Minecraft:mineshafts or Minecraft:strongholds.	File:Monster Room Vibrant Visuals.png
Template:EnvLink	Template:BiomeSprite Minecraft:The VoidTemplate:Only Template:BiomeLinkTemplate:Only	A platform made of Minecraft:stone with a Minecraft:cobblestone block in the center. They can spawn only in Minecraft:superflat worlds with "The Void" preset selected.	File:Void platform Vibrant Visuals.jpeg

Removed structures

These are structures that have been removed or exist only in older versions of Minecraft:Minecraft.

Structure	Biome(s)	Description
Template:EnvLink	Anywhere, since biomes did not exist at the time.	A giant pyramid that had no interior and was made solely out of bricks. It was made to test structure generation. The official name for this structure is unknown. Was removed in Minecraft:Java Edition Infdev 20100327.
Template:BlockLink	Any Minecraft:Overworld biome.	A tall, 1×1 glass pillar that stretched from the End portal room in the stronghold all the way to the build limit. According to Jeb, it was a debug feature that he forgot to remove. It was removed in the version Minecraft:Java Edition Beta 1.9 Prerelease 4.
Template:EnvLink	Anywhere on the Minecraft:Java Edition Indev world.	Used to serve as the spawn location for the player during the Indev phase. The first edition of this house was made of mossy cobblestone, but later it was changed to wooden planks. It also originally included chests with various items, which were later removed.
Template:EnvLink	Anywhere during Infdev.	Chunk-sized patches of terrain that would generate up to the height limit. They were never intended to be in the game as they were just a "glitch". Monoliths were patched in the version Alpha v1.2.0 Preview.
Template:EnvLinkTemplate:Only	Anywhere, as it's built by the player.	A player-built structure that would turn into the "Nether Spire", and would give the player access to unobtainable items. The reason for its addition is because Minecraft:the Nether did not exist Template:In back then. It was then removed after the addition of the Nether in Pocket Edition.
Template:EnvLinkTemplate:Only	Anywhere where the Minecraft:Nether reactor was built.	A tall and round structure that spawned over the Nether reactor. It was made out of Minecraft:obsidian, which was later changed to Minecraft:netherrack. It would spawn various Minecraft:zombie pigmen and items from Minecraft:the Nether. Its purpose was to enable the players on Pocket Edition to obtain certain items, since the Nether was not implemented yet.
Template:EnvLink	Anywhere, since it stretched toward every direction.	A 2 block tall obsidian wall that was present during some versions of the Infdev phase. It started in the middle of the world, and stretched toward north, south, west and east. This structure doesn't have an official name.

Generation

Structures are generated for a given chunk after the terrain has been formed. The Minecraft:chunk format includes a tag called Template:Cd that indicates whether structures whose "point of origin" is in that chunk have been generated. If it is false or missing, it generates again. Structure generation is based on what is already in the chunk, so (for example) flagging a chunk that has already been populated for repopulation approximately doubles the amount of ore in it. When structures are generated, they can spill over into neighboring chunks that have been previously generated.

Data values

ID

The following table lists configured structure features' IDs Template:In and structure features' IDs Template:In. These IDs can be used in Template:Cmd command.

Structure name	Java Edition	Bedrock Edition	Dimension
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Minecraft:The Nether
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Minecraft:The End
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:The Nether
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Not a Structure	Minecraft:The Nether
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd Template:Cd Template:Cd Template:Cd Template:Cd Template:Cd Template:Cd	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld, Minecraft:The Nether
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld
Template:EnvLink	Template:Cd Template:Cd Template:Cd Template:Cd Template:Cd	Template:Cd	Minecraft:Overworld

Tags

Template:Exclusive Template:IN, there are some structure tags in vanilla game.

Tag	Structure(s)
#cats_spawn_as_black #cats_spawn_in	Template:EnvLink
#dolphin_located	Template:EnvLink Template:EnvLink
#eye_of_ender_located	Template:EnvLink
#mineshaft	Template:EnvLink
#ocean_ruin	Template:EnvLink
#on_ocean_explorer_maps	Template:EnvLink
#on_treasure_maps	Template:EnvLink
#on_trial_explorer_maps	Template:EnvLink
#on_woodland_explorer_maps	Template:EnvLink
#ruined_portal	Template:EnvLink
#shipwreck	Template:EnvLink
#village	Template:EnvLink

History

See also

• Minecraft:Biome
• Minecraft:Feature
• Minecraft:Generated structures data file format
• Minecraft:Jigsaw Block
• Minecraft:Structure Block
• Minecraft:Air

External links

• Rare Structures in Minecraft – Minecraft:Minecraft Help Center