/xp

Adds, sets, or queries experience points or levels for one or more players. This is an alias for /experience.

Overview

Adds, sets, or queries experience points or levels for one or more players. This is an alias for /experience. In vanilla Minecraft Java Edition it is one of the player commands and has been available since version 1.0.

It is invoked as /xp [levels|points] and accepts 3 required arguments (, , and ) and one optional argument ([unit]).

/xp is an alias — /experience behaves identically, so you can use whichever you prefer.

The /xp command is functionally identical to /experience. Both are valid aliases in Java Edition.

Adding points can push a player up one or more levels; adding levels jumps the level number directly and tops up the bar to empty.

Syntax & Arguments

/xp <add|set|query> <targets> <amount> [levels|points]

The full syntax is /xp [levels|points]. 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 [unit] may be omitted, in which case the documented default applies.

action: Required, of type a literal. The action to perform: add, set, or query.
targets: Required, of type an entity. The player(s) to modify.
amount: Required, of type an integer. The amount of experience. For add, can be negative. For query, this parameter is omitted.
unit: Optional, of type a literal. Whether the amount refers to levels or points. Defaults to points.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
action	literal	Required	The action to perform: add, set, or query.
targets	entity	Required	The player(s) to modify.
amount	integer	Required	The amount of experience. For add, can be negative. For query, this parameter is omitted.
unit	literal	Optional	Whether the amount refers to levels or points. Defaults to points.

Examples

The 3 examples below are ready to copy and adapt. For instance, /xp add @s 30 levels adds 30 experience levels to yourself. Each example varies the arguments to show a different real use of /xp; read the note under every snippet to see exactly what changes.

/xp add @s 30 levels

Adds 30 experience levels to yourself.

/xp set @a 0 points

Resets the experience points (within current level) for all players to 0.

/xp query @p levels

Queries and displays the nearest player's current level.

Permission Level & Requirements

/xp 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

Confusing points and levels, points fill the bar within a level, levels are the number shown on the bar.
Using /xp set with points above the threshold for the current level, each level requires a different number of points.

Notes

The /xp command is functionally identical to /experience. Both are valid aliases in Java Edition.

Related Commands

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

/experience

/enchant

Frequently Asked Questions about /xp

What does the /xp command do in Minecraft?

Adds, sets, or queries experience points or levels for one or more players. This is an alias for /experience. It belongs to the player command group and was added in Java Edition 1.0.

What is the correct syntax for /xp?

/xp [levels|points]. The required arguments are action, targets, and amount, and the optional one is unit.

What permission level does /xp 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 /xp?

Confusing points and levels, points fill the bar within a level, levels are the number shown on the bar.

Can you give an example of /xp in use?

Yes. /xp set @a 0 points — resets the experience points (within current level) for all players to 0.

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