Minecraft data command guide

Updated: 30 October 2026

Read data (data get)

Leave out the last name to print everything. The output is long, so asking for one field is easier to read.

Change data (data merge)

/data merge entity @e[type=minecraft:villager,limit=1,sort=nearest] {NoAI:1b,Invulnerable:1b}

This makes the nearest villager stand still and take no damage. Only the fields inside { } change; everything else stays.

To undo, merge the same field with 0b.

Copy values (data modify)

/data modify entity @e[type=minecraft:armor_stand,limit=1,sort=nearest] HandItems[0] set from entity @s SelectedItem

This copies the item in your hand to the nearest armor stand's hand (1.21.4 and earlier). From 1.21.5, mob gear lives in equipment, so the path is equipment.mainhand. Use set value … to write a value directly.

Put a value into a scoreboard

/scoreboard objectives add hp dummy
/execute store result score @s hp run data get entity @s Health 1

execute store saves the number that data get returns into a score, which you can then show in the sidebar or compare with execute if score. The last number is a scale: Health is a decimal such as 17.5, so use 10 instead of 1 to keep one decimal place (175).

Remove a tag (data remove)

/data remove entity @e[type=minecraft:villager,limit=1,sort=nearest] CustomName

This deletes the name from the nearest villager. data remove works on any field you could set with merge or modify.

Keep values in storage

/data modify storage mypack:temp round set value 1
/data get storage mypack:temp round

Storage is a place to keep data that does not belong to any entity or block. It is saved with the world, which makes it useful for datapack settings and counters. The name before the colon is your own namespace.

Players cannot be edited

/data get works on players, but merge and modify do not. To change players use dedicated commands such as /attribute, /item and /effect.

Common problems

• Too many targets: add limit=1. /data handles one target at a time.
• The change reverts: it does not work on players, and some mob fields are rewritten every tick.
• Unknown field name: print all data with /data get first and copy the name. Names can change between versions.
• Bedrock Edition: there is no /data.

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