This Minecraft tutorial explains how to use the /summon command with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
You can summon an entity (or mob) whenever you want using the /summon command in Minecraft. Let's explore how to use this cheat (game command).
TIP: If you need help generating your /summon command, try our Summon Mob Generator.
Supported Platforms
The /summon command is available in the following versions of Minecraft:
| Platform | Supported (Version*) |
|---|---|
 Java Edition (PC/Mac) | Yes (1.7.2) |
 Pocket Edition (PE) | Yes (0.16.0) |
 Xbox 360 | No |
 Xbox One | Yes (1.2) |
 PS3 | No |
 PS4 | Yes (1.14.0) |
 Wii U | No |
 Nintendo Switch | Yes (1.5.0) |
 Windows 10 Edition | Yes (0.16.0) |
 Education Edition | Yes |
* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.
Requirements
To run game commands in Minecraft, you have to turn cheats on in your world.
Summon Command
- Java
- PE
- Xbox
- PS
- Nintendo
- Win10
- Edu
Summon Command in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
In Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac), the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entity> [pos] [nbt]
Definitions
- entity is the Minecraft entity value of the entity to summon. (See Minecraft Entities).
- x y z is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the entity should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the entity will spawn in the current location.
- nbt is optional. It is a compound NBT tag (formerly called data tag) that sets a property for the entity such as {SkeletonType:1}, {IsBaby:1} or {Owner:DigMinecraft}. (See Minecraft Data Tags).
Summon Command in Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)
In Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE) 1.20, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE) 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE) 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- entityType is the name of the entity to summon. (See Minecraft Entities).
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the entity should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the entity will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the entity. (See Spawn Events).
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the entity. It will appear as a nametag above the entity.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the entity will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the entity will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft Xbox One Edition
In Minecraft Xbox One Edition 1.20, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft Xbox One Edition 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Xbox One Edition 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- entityType is the name of the entity to summon. (See Minecraft Entities).
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the entity should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the entity will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the entity. (See Spawn Events).
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the entity. It will appear as a nametag above the entity.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the entity will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the entity will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft PS4 Edition
In Minecraft PS4 Edition 1.20, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft PS4 Edition 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft PS4 Edition 1.14, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- entityType is the name of the entity to summon. (See Minecraft Entities).
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the entity should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the entity will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the entity. (See Spawn Events).
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the entity. It will appear as a nametag above the entity.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the entity will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the entity will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition
In Minecraft NIntendo Switch Edition 1.20, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- entityType is the name of the entity to summon. (See Minecraft Entities).
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the entity should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the entity will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the entity. (See Spawn Events).
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the entity. It will appear as a nametag above the entity.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the entity will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the entity will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft Windows 10 Edition
In Minecraft Windows 10 Edition 1.20, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [yRot] [xRot] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtEntity> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] facing <lookAtPosition> [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
In Minecraft Windows 10 Edition 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Windows 10 Edition 1.12, 1.13 and 1.14, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
Definitions
- entityType is the name of the entity to summon. (See Minecraft Entities).
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the entity should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the entity will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the entity. (See Spawn Events).
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the entity. It will appear as a nametag above the entity.
- xRot is the x-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. Positive values look downward and negative values look upward. 0=facing forward, 90=facing straight down, -90=facing straight up.
- yRot is the y-rotation that the mob is facing in degrees. 0=South, 90=West, 180=North, 270=East.
- lookAtEntity is the name of a player (or a target selector) that the entity will face when spawned.
- lookAtPositon is a set of x y z coordinates that the entity will face when spawned.
Summon Command in Minecraft Education Edition
In Minecraft Education Edition 1.14.31, 1.17.30 and 1.18.32, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent] [nameTag]
/summon <entityType> <nameTag> [spawnPos]
In Minecraft Education Edition 1.12, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos] [spawnEvent]
In Minecraft Education Edition 1.9 and older, the syntax to summon an entity (or mob) is:
/summon <entityType> [spawnPos]
Definitions
- entityType is the name of the entity to summon. (See Minecraft Entities).
- spawnPos is optional. It is the x y z coordinate where the entity should spawn. If no coordinate is specified, the entity will spawn in the current location.
- spawnEvent is optional. It is the name of a game event for the entity. (See Spawn Events).
- nameTag is the custom name to assign to the entity. It will appear as a nametag above the entity.
Examples
- Java
- PE
- Xbox
- PS
- Nintendo
- Win10
- Edu
Example in Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19 and 1.20
To summon a skeleton in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19 and 1.20:
/summon skeleton
To summon a wither skeleton:
/summon wither_skeleton
Example in Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.8, 1.9 and 1.10
To summon a skeleton in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.8, 1.9 and 1.10:
/summon Skeleton
To summon a wither skeleton:
/summon Skeleton ~ ~ ~ {SkeletonType:1}Example in Pocket Edition (PE)
To summon a llama in Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE):
/summon llama
To summon a lightning bolt:
/summon lightning_bolt
Example in Xbox One Edition
To summon a dolphin in Minecraft Xbox One Edition:
/summon dolphin
To summon a drowned:
/summon drowned
Example in PS4 Edition
To summon a horse in Minecraft PS4 Edition:
/summon horse
To summon a zombie:
/summon zombie
Example in Nintendo Switch Edition
To summon an elder guardian in Minecraft Nintendo Switch Edition:
/summon elder_guardian
To summon a phantom:
/summon phantom
Example in Windows 10 Edition
To summon a blaze in Minecraft Windows 10 Edition:
/summon blaze
To summon a magma cube:
/summon magma_cube
Example in Education Edition
To summon a chicken in Minecraft Education Edition:
/summon chicken
To summon a pig:
/summon pig
How to Enter the Command
1. Open the Chat Window
The easiest way to run a command in Minecraft is within the chat window. The game control to open the chat window depends on the version of Minecraft:
- For Java Edition (PC/Mac), press the T key to open the chat window.
- For Pocket Edition (PE), tap on the chat button
at the top of the screen. - For Xbox One, press the D-Pad (right) on the controller.
- For PS4, press the D-Pad (right) on the controller.
- For Nintendo Switch, press the right arrow button on the controller.
- For Windows 10 Edition, press the T key to open the chat window.
- For Education Edition, press the T key to open the chat window.
at the top of the screen.
on the controller.
on the controller.2. Type the Command
We will cover examples of how to use the /summon command to summon a skeleton and another more complicated example that shows how to summon a tame horse wearing a saddle.
Summon a Skeleton
In this example, we will summon a skeleton in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.20 with the following command:
/summon skeleton
Type the command in the chat window. As you are typing, you will see the command appear in the lower left corner of the game window. Press the Enter key to run the command.
Once the cheat has been entered, the skeleton will spawn and appear in your world:
You will see the message "Summoned new Skeleton" appear in the lower left corner of the game window to indicate that the skeleton has been summoned. Because we did not provide XYZ coordinates, the skeleton will spawn directly on your position so you may need to look behind you to see it.
Summon a Tame Horse Wearing a Saddle
In this example, we are going to summon a tamed horse that is wearing a saddle and ready to ride in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.20 with the following command:
/summon horse ~ ~ ~ {Tame:1, SaddleItem:{id:saddle,Count:1}}Type the command in the chat window and press the Enter key to run the command.
Once the cheat has been entered, the horse with a saddle will spawn and appear in your world:
You will see the message "Summoned new Horse" appear in the lower left corner of the game window to indicate that the tame horse has been summoned. You may need to look behind you to see it.
TIP: Quite often you will see coordinates of ~ ~1 ~ in a /summon command, for example:
/summon zombie ~ ~1 ~
Wondering why? The coordinates ~ ~1 ~ are commonly used when running the /summon command from a command block so that the entity/mob spawns 1 block above the command block. Learn about the coordinate system.
Congratulations, you have learned how to use the /summon command in Minecraft.
Summon Examples
Here are some examples that use the summon command in Minecraft:
Command Generators
If you need help with /summon commands, you can use these tools to automatically generate commands for you:
