/forceload

Forces specific chunks to remain loaded even when no players are nearby. Useful for always-on redstone or command block contraptions.

Overview

Forces specific chunks to remain loaded even when no players are nearby. Useful for always-on redstone or command block contraptions. In vanilla Minecraft Java Edition it is one of the world commands and has been available since version 1.13.1.

It is invoked as /forceload [] and accepts 2 required arguments ( and ) and one optional argument ([to]).

Force-loaded chunks persist across server restarts. Use /forceload remove all to clear all force-loaded chunks. Coordinates are block coordinates; the command auto-converts to chunk coordinates.

Coordinates are given in block space but resolve to whole chunk columns. Force-loaded chunks survive restarts; /forceload remove all clears them.

Syntax & Arguments

/forceload <add|remove|query> <from> [<to>]

The full syntax is /forceload []. 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 argument [to] may be omitted, in which case the documented default applies.

action: Required, of type a literal. add = force-load chunks; remove = stop force-loading; query = list force-loaded chunks.
from: Required, of type a column_pos. Starting chunk column position (x z).
to: Optional, of type a column_pos. Ending chunk column position to define a range. If omitted, only the single chunk containing 'from' is affected.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
action	literal	Required	add = force-load chunks; remove = stop force-loading; query = list force-loaded chunks.
from	column_pos	Required	Starting chunk column position (x z).
to	column_pos	Optional	Ending chunk column position to define a range. If omitted, only the single chunk containing 'from' is affected.

Examples

The 3 examples below are ready to copy and adapt. For instance, /forceload add 0 0 force-loads the chunk containing coordinates 0,0 so it stays active. Each example varies the arguments to show a different real use of /forceload; read the note under every snippet to see exactly what changes.

/forceload add 0 0

Force-loads the chunk containing coordinates 0,0 so it stays active.

/forceload add 0 0 160 160

Force-loads all chunks in the region from 0,0 to 160,160.

/forceload query

Lists all currently force-loaded chunks.

Permission Level & Requirements

/forceload 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

Force-loading too many chunks, this increases server memory usage and can cause lag.
Using block coordinates when the command operates on chunk columns, any coordinate within a chunk selects that chunk.

Notes

Force-loaded chunks persist across server restarts. Use /forceload remove all to clear all force-loaded chunks. Coordinates are block coordinates; the command auto-converts to chunk coordinates.

Related Commands

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

/fill

/clone

/summon

Frequently Asked Questions about /forceload

What does the /forceload command do in Minecraft?

Forces specific chunks to remain loaded even when no players are nearby. Useful for always-on redstone or command block contraptions. It belongs to the world command group and was added in Java Edition 1.13.1.

What is the correct syntax for /forceload?

/forceload []. The required arguments are action and from, and the optional one is to.

What permission level does /forceload 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 /forceload?

Force-loading too many chunks, this increases server memory usage and can cause lag.

Can you give an example of /forceload in use?

Yes. /forceload add 0 0 160 160 — force-loads all chunks in the region from 0,0 to 160,160.

Need a Minecraft server?

Try these commands on Astroworld or host your own server.

Try Astroworld Hosting