How to Find the Seed of a Minecraft Server: Step-By-Step Instructions

Knowing how to find the seed of a Minecraft server will allow you to access more servers.

Minecraft seeds allow you to copy maps onto your games, whether as a single-player video game or a multiplayer one. However, there are different methods to extract a seed from servers.

Read through this guide to find the seed of a Minecraft server.

Understanding Minecraft Server Seeds

We recommend understanding Minecraft seeds before anything else.

Seeds can help improve your next gaming session, whether you’re prepping to play this multiplayer video game solo or want to use mods with a Fabric loader.

What is a Minecraft Server Seed?

Minecraft seeds are a line of code that determines how your world will look, from the biomes available to the landscape layout. The seeds also dictate what you can build in-game.

When implemented into a world generator, the replicated world will be an exact copy of the original source they extracted them from. The world’s seed will also help you know more about Minecraft servers from a coding standpoint.

In order to transfer properly, the source needs to match the player’s edition; a seed from Java edition won’t match with Bedrock edition or older versions.

Why is the Minecraft Server Seed Important?

The Minecraft seed is important because it’s a blueprint that affects how your game will turn out. Most maps are randomly generated; a custom or copied seed will provide more structure.

Also, sharing your seed across Minecraft servers gives other players more world options.

Seeds are also unaffected by video game modding unless they affect world generation specifically. Meaning you have more worlds to test your favourite models on.

How to Find the Seed of a Minecraft Server

Knowing how to find the seed of a Minecraft server means knowing the different methods for extracting Minecraft seeds, whether you’re in single- or multiplayer mode.

These methods for getting the Minecraft seed can depend on the game mode, edition, or permission.

Getting the Seed from the Server’s Console

You can find the seed of Minecraft servers by downloading the Minecraft world file and pasting it into a private folder or the world folder as an admin or a server operator(SO).

However, if you don’t have admin or operator status, you can install a world downloader mod instead.

Finding the Seed Using In-Game Minecraft Commands

For single-player seeds, type “/seed” into the command box to get a single-player world’s seed. However, you may need to enable cheats to access single-player commands.

This seed command will cause your particular world’s numeric or seed code to appear in your chat window. The code can now be copied and sent to your friends.

This process doesn’t apply to multiplayer worlds because you either need to be the server owner or receive the world seed from the owner.

Asking the Server Admin for the Seed

Admins or server owners can type “/seed” in the chat bar and give the Minecraft seed to any non-members for multiplayer servers.

This ensures that only players that the server owners or operators trust can access the Minecraft world.

Note that Minecraft server administrators and operators sometimes share duties regarding controlling, managing, and maintaining the server.

You can download the map without admin or staff permission if you run a world downloader mod as a member. However, if the map is protected, you can be caught and banned from the servers.

Always ask permission before using a world downloader mod. The best time to ask your server owner for the server’s seed is when the server shifts the current world.

Locating the Seed in the Server’s Minecraft Files

Apart from typing “forward slash” and “seed,” there is another way to find the seed for your world when not in single-player mode.

First, locate your server properties and files.
Copy and paste the “World” folder onto your save files within %appdata% folder.
Start the game and enter single-player mode to see the world available.

Special Cases in Finding Minecraft Server Seed

You may have to deal with unique cases when looking for a Minecraft server’s seed, like as follows:

How to Find the Server Seed in Multiplayer Games

Single-player commands like “/seed” will not work within a Minecraft multiplayer server by default unless a server OP permits you.

So, a world downloader is your best chance to get the world seed of a multiplayer Minecraft server. Copy the world folder from the multiplayer world server and paste it into your single-player save file.

After downloading files, you can open them like any other Minecraft world. Using the seed command, you can now generate a downloaded world for any info.

This process won’t get you the exact seed, but it will copy all the areas traveled and give you the full overworld map above and below in-game.

NOTE: A high-processor clock speed can hasten the process.

Finding the Seed without ‘op’ Operator Permissions

You need to use the world downloader mod to retrieve the world seed from a server and copy it onto your folder.

Upon entering a new world, you enter a seed value for the generator to create your Minecraft world. These seeds can be downloaded from different Minecraft worlds that you can access with an OP’s permission.

With an OP’s permission or operator status, you would typically be able to once you are given permission. Unknown players cannot access private servers for the member’s protection.

NOTE: Ensure your mod and Minecraft versions match to use this method.

Potential Challenges in Finding Minecraft Server Seed

How to find the seed of a Minecraft server is usually easy, but you may encounter challenges that require the command-line interface or files directory to solve.

Dealing with Hidden Seeds

Unlike regular members, server admins, OP and staff can use controls by default.

You can even replicate the seed in a private server without affecting the original in the multiplayer server. These hidden seeds can either be given by the admin or downloaded from a mod as an outsider.

The following steps are a quicker way to find the seed without restricting command usage as staff:

Load the server
Press “/”or forward slash to open the console when you spawn into the world.
Type the word “seed” without quotes and all in lowercase
Press Enter to execute the command
Copy the seed displayed in the chat window

Addressing Permission-Based Restrictions

Server owners, admins, or OPs all have the duty of protecting their particular world.

The staff would also protect the server’s seed to prevent the unfair advantage of any potential player knowing what the map looks like or the locations of top-tier materials in the game.

Another method to find the seed of a server is by copying and pasting the server world onto single-player save files of Minecraft.

Find the Minecraft server on your PC.
Copy the “World” folder.
Press the “Win + R” shortcut.
Type “%AppData%” in the text box and run the command.
Go to “Roaming,” then “.minecraft file,” and save.
Paste the “World” folder there.
Log into Minecraft main menu again.
Access the world and type “/seed” in the chat.
The seed is now yours to use.
Create a shortcut to the AppData folder, normally inaccessible to server players.

NOTE: This method won’t work for the Bedrock edition of Minecraft, regardless of mode.

Navigating Varying Minecraft Game Editions

For the Minecraft Java edition, you would typically follow the steps for getting the seed from singleplayer worlds. However, you can’t use the “/seed” command line with Minecraft Bedrock edition.

For the Bedrock edition, you’ll need to edit your game settings through the main menu. There you’ll find the seed for your single-player world. You can also find the seed number of your world in the server settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now you know how to find the seed of a Minecraft server, but you may still have some inquiries. Learn more about finding server seeds here.

Can You See the Seed of a Minecraft Server?

You can see the seed depending on your privileges or the edition of your game.

You only need to type “/slash” on the command window for the Java edition or single-player games. But for multiplayer sessions, you’ll need to ask permission from an admin to see the seed.

The Bedrock edition of the base game is a bit tricky, requiring you to enter the settings to see the world’s seed.

How to Find Minecraft Server Seed Without the ‘Op’ Operator Permissions?

You can’t get the seed of a Minecraft server without permission from the server admin, OP, or any similar position with the following steps;

Ask the admin to give you access to the console.
Type ‘op’ and your in-game name.
When successful, you’ll receive a message saying you were made a server operator.
Now, you can use the seed command and find the seed of your server.

NOTE: To remove your status on OP, repeat the process but type in ‘deop.’

Is It Possible to Locate the Server Seed for Multiplayer Games?

You can locate the world’s seed of Minecraft multiplayer games with these two options:

You can ask for the world seed from admins, OP, or similar staff.
You are granted permission or temporarily become part of the server’s staff.

Another method to download a Minecraft Multiplayer server without admin privileges is through MultiMC, a popular Minecraft launcher.

Navigate the MultiMC download page on their website and click “download.”
Unzip the downloaded .zip file and open the folder.
Double-click “MultiMc.exe.”
Select your language and click “Next.”
Select your Java and Memory allocation; select at least 4 GB of RAM.
Follow the installation prompts to finish the process.
With the launcher, you can run World Downloader Mod.
Now you have complete control of the seed option to save into your computer.

Can You Find the Seed of a Minecraft Server via the Server’s Console

Using an Aternos seed as an example, here is how to find the seed via the server’s console. Aternos is a free on-demand server service from RAM to plugins.

The process goes as the following steps;

Go to Google and type in “Aternos’ and enter the site.
Click on the little blue PLAY button will lead you to a new page with a link to the server in the middle to click.
Once the server is fully loaded online, click the CONSOLE.
A command box with code already appears; you must type “/seed” at the end and press enter.
Here you will get the seed number for Aternos, one of the top Minecraft servers.

How Can I Navigate Through the Server’s Minecraft Files to Locate the Seed?

To find the seed of a Minecraft world, you need to find the “Worlds” folder by opening the host. Type %AppData% to find the saves and .minecraft files on the commands.

Here is where you can locate the seed.