How To Get A Mob Spawner In Survival

A spawner, otherwise known as a monster spawner in Bedrock Edition, is a cage-like block that can spawn mobs. When configured, it contains a miniature, spinning version of the type of mob it spawns.

1 Obtaining
- 1.1 Breaking
- 1.2 Natural generation
2 Usage
- 2.1 Mechanics
  - 2.1.1 Spawning requirements
- 2.2 Disabling
- 2.3 Custom spawners
- 2.4 Note blocks
- 2.5 Piston interactivity
3 Sounds
4 Data values
- 4.1 ID
- 4.2 Block data
5 Video
6 History
7 Issues
8 Trivia
9 Notes
10 Gallery
11 See also
12 References

Obtaining [ ]

Spawners cannot be obtained in Survival, even with Silk Touch.

In Bedrock Edition, a monster spawner can be obtained from creative inventory or by using pick block. It is initially empty and inert, but can be configured to spawn a desired mob by using a spawn egg on the placed block.

In Java Edition, spawners are not found in the creative inventory^[1] and are the only block with an item form that cannot be picked with pick block. One can be obtained only by using the /give command, which gives a pig spawner by default; afterward the mob can be changed by using a spawn egg on the placed block.

A /setblock, /clone or /fill command can also be used to obtain a spawner.

Breaking [ ]

If broken with a pickaxe, a spawner drops 15-43 experience. When mined with anything else, it drops nothing.

Block	Spawner
Hardness	5
Tool
Breaking time^[A]
Default	25
Wooden	3.75
Stone	1.9
Iron	1.25
Diamond	0.95
Netherite	0.85
Golden	0.65

↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

Natural generation [ ]

Spawners can generate naturally in the following places:

Dungeons: One in the center of the dungeon spawning one of the following mobs with the indicated frequency: zombie (50%), skeleton (25%), or spider (25%).
Mineshafts: Any number of cave spider spawners, densely surrounded by cobwebs, scattered throughout.
Woodland mansions: Optionally one spider spawner, densely surrounded by cobwebs, in a rarely generated secret room on the 2nd or 3rd floor. It is sometimes visible through the windows from outside.
Strongholds: One silverfish spawner in the end portal room.
Nether fortresses: One or two blaze spawners on fenced platforms with full-block "stairs" leading up to them. Normally two are generated per fortress, but there can be fewer.
Bastion remnants: Any number of magma cube spawners hanging from chains underneath a bridge in treasure rooms.

Usage [ ]

The spawner spawns mobs in a 9×3×9 volume (see § Mechanics) around it when the player is within 16 blocks. Suitable spawning locations for the block's mob type are provided in or around the spawning volume. The spawner attempts to spawn four mobs around it, then waits from 10 to 39.95 seconds before spawning more.

In Peaceful difficulty, spawners still activate but do not spawn monsters in Bedrock Edition. In Java Edition, zombified piglins, magma cubes, and ghasts do not spawn at all and other hostile mobs disappear immediately after spawning.

Spawners are transparent, but they behave like leaves in that they diffuse sky light coming from directly above.

In Bedrock Edition, they have a hitbox slightly smaller than a full block and one can, therefore, walk on the edge of a supporting full block directly below the spawner.

Mechanics [ ]

A spawner activates when a player comes within a spherical radius of 16 blocks from the center point of the block; i.e. 15.5 blocks from the block itself. While the block is active, it spawns mobs up to 4 blocks away from the spawner horizontally, and up to 1 block away vertically, effectively meaning mobs can spawn in a 9×3×9 volume around the spawner. In Bedrock Edition, the spawning volume is cuboid, extending 4 blocks in each cardinal direction from the sides of the spawner; its cross-section is therefore diamond-shaped. Mobs can spawn anywhere in this range that is suitable, with mobs more likely to spawn closer to the spawner than farther away.

While mobs are spawned at fractional x and z-coordinates (i.e. not aligned to blocks), they are spawned at an integer y-coordinate. Horizontally, a mob can spawn with its center point anywhere within the 8×8 range, but vertically, mobs spawn with their legs at either the same layer as the spawner block, one block above it, or one block below it.

The block attempts to spawn 4 mobs at randomly chosen points within the spawning volume, then wait anywhere from 200 to 799 ticks (10 to 39.95 seconds) before spawning again. As it waits, the mob inside the block spins faster and faster. Except for spawning on a solid block, all of the usual requirements for spawning must be met (not in a solid block, correct light level, etc.), so the spawner often produces fewer than 4 mobs. When it does spawn, it emits a "poof", and more flame particles temporarily appear around it. If the block fails to spawn any mobs because it did not pick any suitable locations, it repeats this process every tick until it succeeds. It starts waiting for the next cycle after it spawns at least one mob. If, at the time of spawning, 6 or more mobs of the spawner's type are present within a 9×9×9 volume centered on the spawner block (in Java Edition) or a 16×10×16 volume centered on the lower northwest corner of the spawner block (in Bedrock Edition), the spawner "poofs" without creating any mobs and then waits for the next cycle.

Spawning requirements [ ]

The spawner performs a relaxed version of the ordinary spawning check: the general solid block requirement is removed, but the volume (hitbox of the mob), the light level, and other checks are kept. As a result, for some types of mobs to spawn in the outer planes of the spawning volume, some planes outside the volume may also need to be free of opaque blocks to conform with the mobs' height, width, or other rules governing their individual spawn volumes. For example, for mobs that are two or more blocks tall such as zombies, skeletons, or blazes to spawn in the top y-layer, the layer above that must contain only air.

Summary of maximum spawn volumes for common spawners

Mob type

Required Volume

Failure rate from 8×4×8 volume^{[note 1]}

Vertical
alignment

Pig ^{[note 2]}

8.9 × 2.9 × 8.9

2.531252%

Cave Spider

8.7 × 2.5 × 8.7

1.531252%

Silverfish

8.3 × 2.7 × 8.3

0.28125%

Zombie
Skeleton
Blaze

8.6 × 3.8 × 8.6

1.125%

Spider

9.4 × 2.9 × 9.4

6.125%

Magma Cube

10.05× 4.09 × 10.05

↑ 8×3×8 is the actual volume across which spawners spawn entities, but this volume contains only the entity's center. The failure rate assumes 8×4×8 because it is a popular misconception that 8×4×8 is the maximum efficiency volume of empty space for mob spawners - it actually depends on the size of the entities themselves. Note that 10×4×10 is guaranteed to accommodate all of the above mobs. Also note that this failure rate accounts only for failures due to attempting to spawn a mob at the edges of the spawn range, not other causes of failure such as mobs attempting to spawn intersecting the spawner block itself.
↑ Pig spawners do not generate naturally in vanilla Minecraft.

For all of the volumes listed in the table, the horizontal plane is centered on the center of the spawner block. While the spawning volume for pigs is 8.9×2.9×8.9, the requirement of grass blocks that are necessary for pigs to spawn reduces the actual volume in which they successfully spawn to 8.9×1.0×8.9. Other mobs can spawn in mid-air, ignoring general rules about spawning on solid ground.

The spawn conditions do not include biomes for most mobs. As such, spawners can place mobs where they normally wouldn't generate. For example, a mooshroom spawner can operate in a plains biome as long as there are mycelium blocks within the spawn area because the mooshroom's spawning code checks only for mycelium. The reason mooshrooms are not actually spawned elsewhere is that the game does not normally try to spawn them in other biomes: only the mushroom field biome has mooshroom on the list of things to spawn.

Disabling [ ]

Blaze spawner disabled by four Jack o'Lanterns. This works only in Bedrock Edition in small rooms.

With the clever placement of nine solid blocks, a magma cube spawner can be completely disabled. Only the cobblestone is needed, glass is just for distance marking.

The way a spawner can be disabled depends on the entity it tries to spawn.

For a spawner that generates mobs that spawn only in dark conditions (light level ≤ 7), a torch placed on any side or top of the spawner is sufficient to disable it for the whole 9×9×3 volume.

For a blaze or silverfish spawner, a light level of 12 is required to prevent spawning. This can be achieved by:

Laying 9 blocks in the pattern shown on the right using blocks having a luminance value of 15
Laying a dense 7×7 grid of torches on the spawner's Y level
In Bedrock Edition, placing a light source of level 15 on four surfaces

A spawner is also disabled by filling the spawning volume with solid blocks. This is often used to disable magma cube spawners, as magma cubes can spawn in any light level. However, since all magma cubes require the space of a large magma cube in order to spawn, a clever placement of as little as 9 solid blocks a layer above the spawner (see right image) can completely disable it.

Custom spawners [ ]

A spawner in a dungeon that produces spiders.

Using commands, spawners can be customized:

They can be made to spawn any kind of entity.
A single spawner can spawn multiple different entities, chosen at random from a list.
Properties can be set on the spawned entities.
Various range and timing properties of the spawner can be changed.

Detailed technical information about custom spawners can be found below.

Note blocks [ ]

Spawner can be placed under note blocks to produce "bass drum" sounds.

Piston interactivity [ ]

Spawners cannot be pushed by pistons. They also cannot be pushed nor pulled by sticky pistons.

Sounds [ ]

Java Edition:

Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.metal.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	1.2	16
None ^{[sound 1]}	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	`block.metal.fall`	None ^{[sound 1]}	0.5	1.25	16
Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.metal.hit`	`subtitles.block.generic.hit`	0.25	0.75	16
Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.metal.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	1.2	16
Footsteps	Blocks	Walking on the block	`block.metal.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.5	16

↑ ^a ^b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition: ^{[ needs in-game testing ]}

Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
?	?	Once the block has broken	`dig.metal`	?	1.2
?	?	Falling on the block with fall damage	`fall.metal`	?	?
?	?	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.metal`	?	0.75
?	?	Jumping from the block	`jump.metal`	?	?
?	?	Falling on the block without fall damage	`land.metal`	?	?
?	?	Walking on the block	`step.metal`	?	?
?	?	When the block is placed	`use.metal`	?	1.2

Data values [ ]

ID [ ]

Java Edition:

Name	Resource location	Form	Translation key
Spawner	`spawner`	Block & Item	`block.minecraft.spawner`

Name	Resource location
Block entity	`mob_spawner`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Resource location	Numeric ID	Form	Translation key
Monster Spawner	`mob_spawner`	`52`	Block & Item	`tile.mob_spawner.name`

Name	Savegame ID
Block entity	`MobSpawner`

Block data [ ]

A spawner has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the block.

Java Edition:

Block entity data

Bedrock Edition:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Block entity format.

Video [ ]

History [ ]

Java Edition Infdev

20100625-2 Added mob spawners.

Mob spawners can be picked up and when placed, spawn pigs.

20100627 Mob spawners have been given a unique ID, reducing crashes.

Java Edition Alpha

v1.0.1 Mob spawners can't be picked up anymore.

v1.1.0 Removed rotating model inside of the mob spawner due to some multiplayer issues with it.

Java Edition Beta

1.2 "Mob Spawner" has been renamed to "Monster Spawner".

Monster spawners again show a rotating model inside of what they spawn in singleplayer after being missing for several versions.

Java Edition

1.0.0 Beta 1.9 Prerelease The texture of monster spawners has been now changed to a darker color.

Beta 1.9 Prerelease 3 Monster spawners now drop when mined using a tool enchanted with the new Silk Touch enchantment, despite this enchantment not existing until the next snapshot.

Added natural silverfish spawners.

Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5 Squid spawners now work only in a narrow elevation range, from 46 to 62.

Monster spawners no longer drop when broken using a tool enchanted with Silk Touch.

Beta 1.9 Prerelease 6 Monster spawners now take much shorter to destroy, and the breaking time is tier dependent.

1.2.1 12w06a Monster spawners now show the mob they are spawning in multiplayer; previously they would always show a pig.

1.3.1 12w21a Pick block no longer works on monster spawners.

12w22a Monster spawners now drop experience when destroyed.

12w26a Monster spawners now support extra data pertaining to what they spawn.

1.8 14w18a Spawners with numerical metadata variants 1 through 15, which are inaccessible through normal gameplay, now have no model rather than appearing identical to spawners.

14w26a

Block metadata has been completely removed from this snapshot onwards with the introduction of block states. As this block never used block metadata at all prior to this version, fifteen unused, inaccessible metadata variants of it have been completely removed from the game:

	DV	Description
	0	Spawner
	1-15	Inaccessible "boring" variants of spawners

14w26c The horizontal spawning range of monster spawners is now calculated from the center of the block rather than the northwest corner.

The exclusion zone of monster spawners has been reduced: for a default spawner, the 6 mobs must be in a 9×9×9 region rather than 17×9×17 to prevent spawning.

14w28b The type of mob spawned from a monster spawner can now be changed by using a spawn egg on it.

1.9 16w02a A monster spawner containing a large mob now scales down the mob to fit inside the spawner block.

1.11 16w32a The block entity ID has been changed from MobSpawner to mob_spawner.

16w39a Spider monster spawners now generate in woodland mansions.

1.13 17w47a "Monster Spawner" has been renamed to simply "Spawner".

Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 52.

pre5 The ID of spawners has been changed to spawner.

1.14 18w43a The texture of spawners has been changed.

1.16 20w16a Magma cube spawners now generate in bastion remnants.

Upcoming Java Edition

1.18 experimental snapshot 2 Zombie, skeleton, spider, and cave spider spawners now require a light level of 12 to prevent spawning.

21w37a The light level changes in experimental snapshot 2 have been reverted.

Pocket Edition Alpha

v0.9.0 build 1 Added monster spawners.

build 2 Added monster spawners to the creative inventory.

The type of mob spawned can now be changed using a spawn egg.

build 9 Monster spawners now emit light.

v0.12.1 build 1 Blaze spawners now generate in nether fortresses.

Monster spawners now drop experience when mined using a pickaxe.

Pocket Edition

1.1.0 alpha 1.1.0.0 Spider monster spawners now generate in woodland mansions.

Bedrock Edition

1.10.0 beta 1.10.0.3 The texture of monster spawners has been changed.

1.16.0 beta 1.16.0.59 Magma cube spawners now generate in bastion remnants.

1.17.30 beta 1.17.30.21 Spawners no longer emit light.

Legacy Console Edition

TU1 CU1 1.0 Patch 1 1.0.1 Added monster spawners.

TU5 The texture of monster spawners has been changed.

TU31 CU19 1.22 Patch 3 The type of mob spawned from a monster spawner can now be changed by using a spawn egg.

TU69 1.76 Patch 38 Monster spawners are now available in the creative inventory, and can be obtained with pick block.

1.90 The texture of monster spawners has been changed.

Issues [ ]

Issues relating to "Spawner" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia [ ]

Any spawner placed in Java Edition defaults as a pig spawner.
A player-created spawner containing zombies can never spawn a Zombie Villager.^{[ more information needed ]}
In Java Edition, spawners containing zombies have a small chance to spawn a chicken jockey.
There are no such thing as iron golem spawners or snow golem spawners.
Spawners containing zombies or skeletons have a chance for the mob spinning inside to have armor.
Spawners containing spiders have a small chance to spawn a spider jockey.
Spawners containing Pillagers have a small chance for the mob spinning inside to be a Raid captain in Java Edition.
Spawners in mushroom fields, mushroom field shore, or the Void biome can function normally, despite those biomes having no hostile mobs spawn naturally.
Spawners are the only block that can be legitimately obtained as an item, but not obtainable from either Creative mode or pick block.‌^{[ Java Edition only ]}
It is possible for a pig spawner to generate naturally. If a newer world is loaded in an older version of minecraft, the spawner can lose its metadata, causing it to enter its default state, which is pig. Alternatively, if a buried treasure chest generates next to a spawner, it duplicates the spawner without duplicating the NBT tag, resulting in a natural pig spawner. The chest also gets invalid block(spawner)data, making it unopenable.
If a dungeon spawner overwrites a dungeon chest during world generation, the spawner does not spawn any mobs. It appears as a pig spawner, but placing a hopper underneath it reveals the contents of the chest that should have been there.

Notes [ ]

↑ Like leaves, this block diffuses sky light only from directly above.

Gallery [ ]

A dungeon, connected to another dungeon, with two spawners.
A spawner edited to spawn zombies wearing enchanted diamond armor.
Light required to disable a blaze spawner.
A spider spawner that generated on the surface. The spawner is located roughly in the middle of the picture, underneath a cobweb.
Chickens spawning from multiple spawners.
A spawner in an older version of Minecraft.
Cave spider spawner seen from a chamber.
Pig spawners generating when a buried treasure chest spawns inside a spawner (Fixed in 1.17 pre1).
Amethyst geode with mineshaft and 2 cave spider spawners. Check the image for more details, including seed and coordinates.
2 cave spider spawners next to each other.
Spider spawner generated right next to the village.
Mineshaft and skeleton spawner generated at the very bottom of the world.