Allay in Minecraft: Finding, Using and Duplicating Allays
Allays only spawn as prisoners in pillager outposts and woodland mansions. Free one, give it an item to fetch from 32 blocks, and copy it with amethyst.
The allay is a small blue flying helper that collects items for you. Hand it one item and it searches for dropped copies of that item within 32 blocks of you, picks them up and brings them back. You can’t find allays roaming the world: they only generate as prisoners in pillager outposts and woodland mansions.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 20 (10 hearts), regenerates 2 HP per second |
| Behavior | Passive |
| Spawns | Cages at pillager outposts and jail cells in woodland mansions (world generation only) |
| Drops | Whatever item it’s holding; no XP |
Rescuing one
Each pillager outpost has a 50% chance of a dark oak cage with one to three allays inside, and the jail cells on a woodland mansion’s upper floors have the same odds. Break the cage bars, but deal with the pillagers first or you’ll be dodging crossbow bolts while the allay drifts off.
An empty-handed allay just floats around. The moment you give it an item, it’s yours: it follows you from up to 64 blocks away and starts fetching. Allays can’t be hurt by the player they’re bonded to, which saves a lot of grief when you’re swinging a sword near them.
What they’re actually good for
The allay matches items by type and ignores enchantments, names and other data, though it carries differently-tagged stacks in separate trips. That makes it handy for jobs a hopper can’t do from a distance:
- Clearing up after a creeper blast or a mob fight. Give it cobblestone or rotten flesh and let it gather the scattered drops.
- Harvesting crops spread over a big field. One allay per crop type works well.
- Simple sorting systems. Allays have a second trick: if one hears a note block play within 16 blocks, it delivers to that note block instead of you for the next 30 seconds. Put a note block on top of a hopper chain, pulse it with redstone, and the allay drops its haul right into your storage.
Allays don’t enter water (they’ll hover over underwater items without reaching them), and they won’t pick anything up if the mob griefing game rule is off (mob_griefing on Java 1.21.11 and later, mobGriefing on older Java and Bedrock).
Duplicating allays
One allay quickly becomes ten. Play any music disc in a jukebox and nearby allays dance. Give a dancing allay an amethyst shard and it splits into two. Each allay then waits five minutes before it can duplicate again. Amethyst shards come from amethyst clusters in geodes, so mining one geode gives you enough for a whole flock. The new allay doesn’t inherit names or held items.
Edition differences
- In Java, using a named name tag on an allay renames it, so you can’t give it a name tag as its item unless it’s tied to a fence with a lead. In Bedrock, a name tag or lead is handed to the allay, and you sneak to use the item normally.
- In Bedrock, your allay follows you through a Nether portal even if it doesn’t touch the portal.
A dead allay drops what it was carrying and nothing else, so there’s no reason to ever kill one.
Common questions
How do you duplicate an allay?
Play a music disc in a jukebox so the allay dances, then give it an amethyst shard. It splits into two, and both have a five-minute cooldown before they can duplicate again.
How do you get your item back from an allay?
Use the allay with an empty hand. It hands back its item and goes back to wandering.
Can allays pick up items underwater?
No. Allays can't enter water, so they hover above underwater items without collecting them.
Sources & verification
Facts on this page are checked against these references and in-game behavior for the stated edition(s). how we verify.
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