New

EmeraldHost 2.0 is here: faster, more intuitive, and made for everyone - the new panel!

Learn more
Guides
How to Change the World Border on a Minecraft Java Edition Server
Minecraft Java EditionMinecraft Java EditionChange World Border

How to Change the World Border on a Minecraft Java Edition Server

Change the world border (worldborder) on a Minecraft Java Edition server

2 min read
May 15, 2026

The world border is an invisible, square boundary around the center of your world. Players cannot move past it, and chunks outside the border are no longer generated. By default the border is 60,000,000 blocks wide.

Prerequisite

You need OP rights (at least level 2) to run the /worldborder command. See Grant OP Rights.

Set the world border

You can run the command either in the in-game chat or via the server console in the dashboard.

Set the size

/worldborder set <diameter>

The value is the diameter in blocks, measured from the center. Example – set the border to 1000 blocks (500 blocks in each direction):

/worldborder set 1000

Change the size over time

You can also resize the border over a given time in seconds:

/worldborder set 1000 60

In this example the border shrinks or grows to 1000 blocks over 60 seconds.

Change the center

/worldborder center <X> <Z>

Example – set the center to coordinates 100, -200:

/worldborder center 100 -200

Additional options

Command Description
/worldborder get Show the current size
/worldborder add <blocks> [time] Grow or shrink the border relative to the current size
/worldborder warning distance <blocks> Distance from the border at which the warning appears (default: 5)
/worldborder warning time <seconds> Pre-warning time when the border shrinks (default: 15)
/worldborder damage amount <value> Damage per block outside the border (default: 0.2)
/worldborder damage buffer <blocks> Buffer outside the border in which no damage is dealt (default: 5)

Value range

  • Minimum: 1 block
  • Maximum: 59,999,968 blocks
Written byEmeraldHost Team
Last updated on Aug 20, 2026 Edit on GitHub

Did this article help you?

Your feedback helps us improve our guides.

Help shape the guides

€10.00 in credit for every new guide, €5.00 for every improvement.

Contact Support

Create a support ticket and our team will get back to you as soon as possible – personal and professional.

Go to Support
1257 members online

Discord Community

Connect with other players, get quick help from the community, and stay up to date with the latest news.

Join Discord
Minecraft Java Edition

Ready to get started?

Rent your Minecraft Java Edition Server now

Join our Discord community 1257 members online right now