Spawn Chunks Reader
Spawn chunks are the chunks around the world spawn that stay loaded even when no player is near them. Farms, redstone clocks and item sorters built there keep running while you explore. This Minecraft spawn chunks finder reads your world's level.dat file in your browser, finds the world spawn and shows exactly which chunks are loaded and how much of them runs.
How to use the spawn chunks reader
- Open your world folder. In the launcher, choose Installations, then the folder icon, then
savesand your world. - Drop
level.daton the box above, or pick it with the button. - The reader shows the spawn chunk, the three loading zones and their block coordinates. Nothing is uploaded.
No file at hand? Type the spawn X and Z yourself. Press F3 at your world spawn, or use /spawnpoint on a server.
The three zones of the spawn chunks
The game loads the spawn area in rings around the chunk that holds the world spawn. Each ring does a little less:
| Zone | What runs | 1.20.5 to 1.21.8 (radius 2) | 1.20.4 and older |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity ticking | Everything: mobs, items, crops, redstone | 3 × 3 chunks | 19 × 19 chunks |
| Block ticking (lazy) | Redstone and crops, but entities stand still | 5 × 5 chunks | 21 × 21 chunks |
| Border | Loaded only, nothing updates | 7 × 7 chunks | 23 × 23 chunks |
Build mob farms in the entity ticking zone. A redstone clock or a crop farm also works in the lazy ring around it.
Spawn chunks in 1.20.5 and newer
Java 1.20.5 shrank the spawn chunks and added the spawnChunkRadius game rule. The default radius is 2, which gives a 3 × 3 entity ticking area. You can raise it with /gamerule spawnChunkRadius 10 to get the old 19 × 19 area back, or set it to 0 to turn spawn chunks off. The reader takes the radius from your level.dat when it is set.
Spawn chunks were removed in 1.21.9
Java 1.21.9 removed spawn chunks and the spawnChunkRadius game rule. In 1.21.9, 26.1 and newer, nothing stays loaded at spawn on its own. Use /forceload add to keep chunks loaded, or a chunk loader built with an ender pearl or a nether portal. The reader tells you when your world is on one of these versions.
Bedrock Edition
Bedrock never had spawn chunks in this sense. It uses ticking areas instead: up to ten areas of up to 100 chunks each, made with the /tickingarea command. They need cheats turned on.
FAQ
How big are the spawn chunks?
In Java 1.20.5 to 1.21.8, 3 × 3 chunks run fully with the default radius of 2. In 1.20.4 and older, 19 × 19 chunks run fully. Java 1.21.9 removed spawn chunks.
Are spawn chunks centred on the world spawn?
Yes. They are centred on the chunk that holds the world spawn point, not on where you respawn after sleeping in a bed.
Does the reader upload my world?
No. The file is read in your browser and never leaves your computer.
Does it work for Bedrock?
Bedrock has no spawn chunks. Use the /tickingarea command to keep chunks loaded there.