/clone

Copies blocks from one region to another. Supports cross-dimension cloning in 1.19.4+ and various filtering modes.

Overview

Copies blocks from one region to another. Supports cross-dimension cloning in 1.19.4+ and various filtering modes. In vanilla Minecraft Java Edition it is one of the world commands and has been available since version 1.8.

It is invoked as /clone [from ] [to ] [replace|masked|filtered] [force|move|normal] [] and accepts 3 required arguments (, , and ) and 2 optional arguments ([maskMode] and [cloneMode]).

Since 1.19.4, the 'from' and 'to' keywords allow cross-dimension cloning. The destination coordinate is the lower-northwest corner of the destination region.

Since 1.19.4 the optional 'from ' and 'to ' keywords allow cloning between dimensions; the destination coordinate is the lower-north-west corner of the copy.

Syntax & Arguments

/clone [from <sourceDimension>] <begin> <end> [to <targetDimension>] <destination> [replace|masked|filtered] [force|move|normal] [<filter>]

The full syntax is /clone [from ] [to ] [replace|masked|filtered] [force|move|normal] []. Angle brackets < > mark required arguments and square brackets [ ] mark optional ones; a vertical bar | between words means you pick exactly one of those literals. You must always supply , , and . The arguments [maskMode] and [cloneMode] may be omitted, in which case the documented default applies.

begin: Required, of type a block_pos. The first corner of the source region.
end: Required, of type a block_pos. The second corner of the source region.
destination: Required, of type a block_pos. The lower-northwest corner of the destination region.
maskMode: Optional, of type a literal. replace = copy all; masked = skip air blocks; filtered = only copy specified block type.
cloneMode: Optional, of type a literal. force = allow overlapping; move = fill source with air after; normal = fail on overlap.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
begin	block_pos	Required	The first corner of the source region.
end	block_pos	Required	The second corner of the source region.
destination	block_pos	Required	The lower-northwest corner of the destination region.
maskMode	literal	Optional	replace = copy all; masked = skip air blocks; filtered = only copy specified block type.
cloneMode	literal	Optional	force = allow overlapping; move = fill source with air after; normal = fail on overlap.

Examples

The 3 examples below are ready to copy and adapt. For instance, /clone 0 64 0 10 74 10 100 64 100 clones the region from 0,64,0 to 10,74,10 starting at 100,64,100. Each example varies the arguments to show a different real use of /clone; read the note under every snippet to see exactly what changes.

/clone 0 64 0 10 74 10 100 64 100

Clones the region from 0,64,0 to 10,74,10 starting at 100,64,100.

/clone ~-5 ~ ~-5 ~5 ~10 ~5 ~20 ~ ~ masked

Clones a nearby structure 20 blocks to the east, skipping air blocks.

/clone 0 0 0 15 15 15 0 0 0 replace move

Moves a structure by cloning it and filling the source with air.

Permission Level & Requirements

/clone sits at permission Level 2 - Game Master / Cheats, which means it needs permission level 2, the level cheats grant to single-player worlds and that operators hold by default.

In a single-player world you must have "Allow Cheats" turned on (or open the world to LAN with cheats) before it will run; on a multiplayer server the player needs to be an operator at the matching level.

This reference describes the Java Edition 1.21 form of the command; Bedrock Edition may use slightly different argument formats.

Common Mistakes

Source and destination regions overlapping without using 'force' mode, the command fails unless you specify force.
Exceeding the 32768-block limit per clone operation.

Notes

Since 1.19.4, the 'from' and 'to' keywords allow cross-dimension cloning. The destination coordinate is the lower-northwest corner of the destination region.

Related Commands

If /clone is part of your toolkit, the commands below are the ones you will most often reach for alongside it: /fill, /setblock, and /forceload. They cover closely related tasks, so the links above jump straight to each one.

/fill

/setblock

/forceload

Frequently Asked Questions about /clone

What does the /clone command do in Minecraft?

Copies blocks from one region to another. Supports cross-dimension cloning in 1.19.4+ and various filtering modes. It belongs to the world command group and was added in Java Edition 1.8.

What is the correct syntax for /clone?

/clone [from ] [to ] [replace|masked|filtered] [force|move|normal] []. The required arguments are begin, end, and destination, and the optional ones are maskMode and cloneMode.

What permission level does /clone need?

It requires permission Level 2 - Game Master / Cheats. On a server the player must be an operator at that level, or have cheats enabled in single-player.

What is a common mistake when using /clone?

Source and destination regions overlapping without using 'force' mode, the command fails unless you specify force.

Can you give an example of /clone in use?

Yes. /clone ~-5 ~ ~-5 ~5 ~10 ~5 ~20 ~ ~ masked — clones a nearby structure 20 blocks to the east, skipping air blocks.

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