/data

Gets, merges, modifies, or removes NBT data from entities, block entities, or storage. A powerful command for advanced data manipulation.

Overview

Gets, merges, modifies, or removes NBT data from entities, block entities, or storage. A powerful command for advanced data manipulation. In vanilla Minecraft Java Edition it is one of the data commands and has been available since version 1.13.

It is invoked as /data [] and accepts 2 required arguments ( and ) and 2 optional arguments ([path] and [value]).

The 'storage' target type provides persistent key-value storage in the world data. Player entities have restrictions on which NBT fields can be written. Block entity data can be read and modified for things like signs, chests, and command blocks.

Targets are entity , block or storage . The 'storage' target is persistent world-level key/value data, while many player NBT fields are read-only through /data.

Syntax & Arguments

/data <get|merge|modify|remove> <target> <path> [<value>]

The full syntax is /data []. 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 [path] and [value] may be omitted, in which case the documented default applies.

action: Required, of type a literal. get, merge, modify, or remove.
target: Required, of type a data_target. The target: entity <selector>, block <pos>, or storage <id>.
path: Optional, of type a nbt_path. The NBT path to operate on.
value: Optional, of type a nbt. The NBT value to set or merge.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
action	literal	Required	get, merge, modify, or remove.
target	data_target	Required	The target: entity <selector>, block <pos>, or storage <id>.
path	nbt_path	Optional	The NBT path to operate on.
value	nbt	Optional	The NBT value to set or merge.

Examples

The 3 examples below are ready to copy and adapt. For instance, /data get entity @s Inventory displays your full inventory as NBT data. Each example varies the arguments to show a different real use of /data; read the note under every snippet to see exactly what changes.

/data get entity @s Inventory

Displays your full inventory as NBT data.

/data merge entity @e[type=villager,limit=1,sort=nearest] {Invulnerable:1b}

Makes the nearest villager invulnerable.

/data modify storage my_namespace:my_data scores append value 100

Appends the value 100 to the 'scores' list in a custom data storage.

Permission Level & Requirements

/data 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

Trying to modify player data directly, many player NBT fields are read-only via /data.
Incorrect NBT path syntax, paths use dot notation for objects and square brackets for lists.

Notes

Related Commands

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

/scoreboard

/summon

/setblock

Frequently Asked Questions about /data

What does the /data command do in Minecraft?

Gets, merges, modifies, or removes NBT data from entities, block entities, or storage. A powerful command for advanced data manipulation. It belongs to the data command group and was added in Java Edition 1.13.

What is the correct syntax for /data?

/data []. The required arguments are action and target, and the optional ones are path and value.

What permission level does /data 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 /data?

Trying to modify player data directly, many player NBT fields are read-only via /data.

Can you give an example of /data in use?

Yes. /data merge entity @e[type=villager,limit=1,sort=nearest] {Invulnerable:1b} — makes the nearest villager invulnerable.

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