Updated:
Basic form (Java 1.20.5+)
/summon item ~ ~1 ~ {Item:{id:"minecraft:diamond",count:3}}Three diamonds drop one block above you. Java 1.20.4 and earlier used Count:3b with a capital C and a b.
give or summon?
| Goal | Command |
|---|---|
| Hand it to a player | /give |
| Drop it for someone to pick up | /summon item |
| Make a mob hold it | /summon with equipment, or /item replace |
Useful fields
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
PickupDelay:40 | Ticks before it can be picked up; 32767 means never |
Age:-32768 | Never despawns (normally after 5 minutes) |
NoGravity:1b | Floats in place |
Invulnerable:1b | Survives lava and explosions |
A floating display item
/summon item ~ ~1 ~ {Item:{id:"minecraft:nether_star",count:1},PickupDelay:32767,Age:-32768,NoGravity:1b,Invulnerable:1b}A nether star that cannot be picked up, never disappears and stays in the air. Good for lobbies and finish lines.
Drop an enchanted or named item
/summon item ~ ~1 ~ {Item:{id:"minecraft:diamond_sword",count:1,components:{"minecraft:enchantments":{sharpness:5}}}}Inside a dropped item, item data goes in components (1.21.5+ shown). The names differ slightly from /give, so the summon generator is the safer route.
Launch it
/summon item ~ ~1 ~ {Item:{id:"minecraft:emerald",count:1},Motion:[0.0,0.5,0.0]}Motion is speed as [east-west, up-down, south-north]. A small upward value looks like a natural drop.
Bedrock Edition
Bedrock /summon cannot set what a dropped item is. To drop items in a set place, load a dispenser or dropper and power it.
Common questions
- The item vanishes. Dropped items despawn after 5 minutes; add
Age:-32768. Lava and cactus still destroy them unless they are invulnerable. - Lag after dropping many items? Clear them with
/kill @e[type=item]; see the kill guide. - Only one player may pick it up? Java has an
OwnerUUID field, but it is fiddly. Tracking who picked it up with a score is simpler.
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