How to Find and Use Minecraft Seeds on Java and Bedrock

To use a seed, type it into the Seed field when you create a new world: on Java it’s on the More tab of the Create New World screen, on Bedrock it’s under Advanced in Create New World. To find the seed of a world you already have, type /seed on Java or check the world’s settings on Bedrock. Before you start a long survival world on someone else’s seed, check it on a seed map for your exact version first.

If you want the theory first, what is a Minecraft seed? explains why edition and version matter so much.

Entering a seed

Java Edition

1. Singleplayer → Create New World.
2. Open the More tab.
3. Type or paste the number into Seed for the World Generator. Words work too.
4. Set your game mode and difficulty on the Game tab, then Create New World.

Make sure you’re launching the version the seed was made for. If it’s for an older release, create a matching installation in the launcher first; how to play old versions shows how.

Bedrock Edition

1. Play → Create New → Create New World.
2. Scroll to the Advanced section.
3. Enter the number in Seed.
4. Create the world.

Finding the seed of an existing world

Java: type /seed in chat. In single-player it works even if cheats are off. Click the number in chat to copy it. On a server, you need operator permission.

Bedrock: from the world list, click the pencil (edit) icon next to the world. The seed is shown in the world’s settings and can be copied from there.

Write it down somewhere with the edition and version. Future you, or a friend, will want all three.

Checking a seed before you commit

A shared seed is only as good as the details that come with it. Here’s how to check one in a couple of minutes:

1. Get the edition, version and coordinates of whatever made the seed worth sharing (“woodland mansion at 300, -1200 on Java 1.21.4”).
2. Open a seed map. Community tools such as Chunkbase draw a seed’s biomes and structure locations in your browser. Choose the right edition and version from the dropdowns. A map set to the wrong version is wrong, quietly.
3. Look at the coordinates you were given and see if the structure or biome really is there.
4. Or test it in-game. Make a throwaway creative world with the seed, and use /locate to jump to the nearest village, temple or biome and fly over.

Seed maps are reliable for biome layout and for where structures can spawn. They’re less reliable for small details like individual trees, chest contents or exactly which buildings a village has, since those depend on more than the seed.

Planning around a seed

Once you trust a seed, use the map to plan: a base near a river and a village, the nearest stronghold for the End, an ocean monument for a guardian farm later. If you’re joining a friend’s world, there’s no need to scout ahead. Half the fun is finding things yourself, and nobody likes a spoiler. The seeds hub has the rest of the section.