Build Tools

How to Use WorldEdit

WorldEdit turns hours of block-by-block work into one line. Select a region with the wand, then //set, //copy, and //paste reshape it instantly.

server console, WorldEdit 7.3
region 15×9×15//wand → Left-click pos1, right-click pos2
[WorldEdit] First position set to (64, 71, 120).
[WorldEdit] Second position set to (78, 79, 134).
//set stone → 2025 blocks changed.
//copy → Block(s) copied.
//paste -a → Pasted relative to you.
//replace stone oak_planks → 2025 changed.
Steve: //undo restored previous edit.
we> //schem save base

The core loop

Set two corners with the wand, run a command on the region, then //undo if you miss. Master //wand → //set → //copy → //paste and you can build anything at scale.

1. Install

Download WorldEdit for Bukkit/Spigot/Paper from EngineHub. Drop into plugins/, restart. No config needed for the basics.

2. The wand

Run //wand. You receive a wooden axe. Left-click a block = position 1; right-click = position 2. Your selection is the cuboid between them.

3. The 10 commands you'll use 90% of the time

//set stone           # fill selection with stone
//replace dirt grass  # replace one block with another in selection
//copy                # copy selection (relative to your position)
//paste               # paste relative to your position
//rotate 90           # rotate the clipboard
//flip                # flip clipboard along your facing
//cyl stone 5 1       # cylinder, radius 5, height 1
//sphere glass 8      # hollow sphere optional with -h
//walls cobblestone   # wall around the selection
//up 5                # put a glass block under you and teleport up

4. Brushes

Brushes turn any tool into a build tool. Examples:

/brush sphere stone 5
/brush smooth 5 4
/brush cyl glass 4 8

Right-click to apply. Use /mask to limit which blocks the brush affects, e.g. /mask grass,dirt.

5. Schematics

Save and load builds:

//copy
//schem save myhouse
//schem load myhouse
//paste -a   # ignore air, useful for placing buildings on existing terrain

Schematics live in plugins/WorldEdit/schematics/. They are the standard format for sharing builds, almost every Minecraft build marketplace exports them.

6. Permissions

Give staff WorldEdit safely with LuckPerms:

/lp group builder permission set worldedit.* true
/lp group builder permission set worldedit.region.* true

Never give worldedit.* to default. A misclick on //set air at high //size can wipe a region.

7. Performance

Big //set operations stall the main thread. Use //perf-friendly limits in config.yml:

limits:
  max-blocks-changed:
    default: 50000
    maximum: -1

Useful companions

Pair WorldEdit with WorldGuard for region protection (created from your selection with /region define) and CoreProtect to roll back any mistake. For massive terrain, FastAsyncWorldEdit (FAWE) is a drop-in faster fork.

Quick answers

What is the WorldEdit wand?

It is a wooden axe bound by //wand. Left-click sets position 1, right-click sets position 2. Those two corners define a cuboid region every // command acts on.

How do I clear an area fast?

Select the region with the wand and run //set air. That deletes every block in the cuboid in one tick. Use //undo if you over-selected.

Does //copy keep my relative position?

Yes. //copy records the clipboard relative to where you stand, so //paste drops it at the same offset. Add -a to skip air and avoid overwriting nearby blocks.

Why does //set say I have no selection?

You only set one corner. Both pos1 (left-click) and pos2 (right-click) must be set with the wand before //set, //replace, or //copy will work.

How big can a selection be?

By default WorldEdit limits non-op players via the worldedit.limit permission. Ops are unlimited, but huge //set jobs lag the server, so work in chunks.

Can I undo a paste?

Yes. Every edit is on the history stack, so //undo removes the paste, //set, or //replace you just ran. //redo reapplies it.

How do I replace only one block type?

Use //replace, not //set. //replace dirt grass swaps every dirt block in the selection for grass and leaves everything else untouched. //set would overwrite the whole cuboid.

What is the difference between //walls and //faces?

//walls fills the four vertical sides of the selection, leaving the floor, ceiling, and interior open, so it is good for a quick shell. //faces adds the top and bottom too, sealing the cuboid into a closed box.

Can I get WorldEdit in single player?

Yes, but the Bukkit/Spigot/Paper plugin only runs on a server. For single player, install the WorldEdit Fabric or Forge mod instead. The commands are the same, you just need op or the mod's permission setup.

How do I make a sphere or cylinder?

Stand at the center and run //sphere stone 10 for a radius-10 ball, or //cyl stone 8 5 for a cylinder of radius 8 and height 5. Add the h flag, like //hsphere glass 10, for a hollow shell.

Why did my //set lag the server?

Large edits process every block at once. A 100x100x100 region is a million blocks. Break big jobs into smaller selections, or raise the limit carefully on a server you control. Run //undo if it stalls.

Commands worth memorizing

Selection commands save time before you run an edit. //expand 10 up grows the region 10 blocks upward, //contract 5 down shrinks it, and //shift 3 north slides the whole cuboid without re-clicking corners. //pos1 and //pos2 set the corners at your feet if you cannot reach a block to left-click.

For terrain, //smooth rounds off jagged edges and //naturalize caps a stone region with the right grass and dirt layers. //drain 6 removes water or lava within 6 blocks, and //fixwater levels a messy pool. These act on the selection, so check //size first.

Common mistakes: forgetting -a on //paste drops air blocks over nearby builds, and a wand left-click in survival can break the block instead of setting pos1, so use creative or run //pos1 manually. If //set is rejected, you are missing the worldedit.region.set permission, not a corner.