Unlike normal chunks that load and unload as players move around, spawn chunks stay loaded at all times — regardless of where anyone on the server happens to be. That means entities, farms, command blocks, and redstone contraptions placed there keep running even when no one is nearby.
By default, spawn chunks are centered on the world spawn point. If that’s far from your base or a key farm location, you’re wasting one of Minecraft’s most powerful mechanics on a patch of land you never visit. Moving your spawn chunks is a matter of running the right commands.
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Version Availability
Spawn chunks behave differently depending on your edition and version:
- Java Edition Alpha 1.0.15 through 1.21.8 — Spawn chunks are always loaded automatically.
- Java Edition 1.21.9+ (snapshot 25w31a and later) — Spawn chunks were removed by Mojang. This guide does not apply to these versions.
- Bedrock Edition — Spawn chunks do not stay loaded automatically, but you can emulate the behavior using ticking areas (covered below).
Java Edition: Setting Spawn Chunks
Move the World Spawn Point
The spawn chunk location follows the world spawn point. To move it, use the /setworldspawn command.
Move spawn to your current position:
/setworldspawnMove spawn to specific coordinates:
/setworldspawn <x> <y> <z>For example:
/setworldspawn 128 64 -256The spawn chunks will now be centered on this location.
Adjust the Spawn Chunk Radius
By default the spawn chunk radius is set to 2, which loads the defined chunk and all immediately neighboring chunks. You can increase or decrease this using a gamerule:
/gamerule spawnChunkRadius <value>For example, to expand the radius to 4 chunks:
/gamerule spawnChunkRadius 4Keep in mind that larger radii mean more chunks loaded at all times, which increases server memory and CPU usage. Only expand this if you have a specific need for it.
Bedrock Edition: Emulating Spawn Chunks with Ticking Areas
Bedrock Edition does not automatically keep spawn chunks loaded. Instead, you can designate ticking areas — regions that stay loaded regardless of player proximity, similar to Java’s spawn chunks.
Move the World Spawn Point
Use the same command as Java Edition to set where you want your ticking area to be anchored:
/setworldspawn <x> <y> <z>Add a Ticking Area
Use /tickingarea add with one of the following formats:
Circular area (up to 4 chunks radius):
/tickingarea add circle <x> <y> <z> <radius> <name>Example:
/tickingarea add circle 23 68 42 2 myfarmRectangular area (defined by two corner coordinates):
/tickingarea add <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <name>Example:
/tickingarea add 280 24 105 328 24 130 mybaseManage Ticking Areas
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/tickingarea list | Lists all ticking areas in the current dimension |
/tickingarea list AllDimensions | Lists ticking areas across all dimensions |
/tickingarea remove <name> | Removes a ticking area by name |
/tickingarea remove <x> <y> <z> | Removes all ticking areas overlapping a coordinate |
/tickingarea remove_all | Removes all ticking areas |
/tickingarea preload <name> <true|false> | Sets whether the area preloads before other chunks on world load |
/tickingarea preload <x> <y> <z> <true|false> | Same as above, targeted by coordinate |
Tips for Using Spawn Chunks Effectively
- Mob farms benefit most from spawn chunks — mobs keep spawning and items keep accumulating even while you’re elsewhere on the map.
- Command block chains placed in spawn chunks run continuously, making them ideal for server-wide automation.
- Keep the radius small unless you have a specific reason to expand it — every extra chunk loaded constantly adds overhead to your server.
- On Physgun-hosted servers, you may also use the in-game console via the Gamepanel to run these commands without needing to be logged in.