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While it might seem like a brand new Minecraft map is random, there’s a lot of math happening under the hood to ensure that mountains look like mountains, rivers look like rivers, and jungles don’t bump up against icy tundra. Because Minecraft seeds are predictable, you can do a lot of stuff with them, like restarting the same base Minecraft world on a new server or sharing them with your friends. One of the most useful things you can do, though, is use the seed information to generate a seed map. In this guide, we’ll learn what a seed is, how to find it, and just what you can do with a seed map.
What is a Seed?
As we hinted above, Minecraft maps are not truly random or infinite. There are about 18.4 quintillion possible seeds that you could plug into Minecraft for different worlds. Some will be very similar, others will be wildly different. This is not coincidentally the same number of planets in No Man’s Sky. These numbers are generated using a 64-bit number space, which starts at 0 and goes all the way up to, you guessed it, 18.4 quintillion, or 264.
Minecraft uses a complex algorithm to make sure you’re getting as few random floating blocks or out-of-place objects as possible, and the seed, in essence, tells Minecraft what math problem to do to generate your world.
What you do with the world after that seed is generated is not relevant here–it’s not a save state of your Minecraft world. This isn’t a “million monkeys, million typewriters” situation, either; there isn’t a seed out there that has the exact wooden hut you built the first time you played Minecraft, and these are quite different from Minecraft world saves, which can get into multiple gigabytes of space if you commit yourself to exploring a single world.
That seed number will always generate that world, though, with the caveat that there have been some shifts in how Minecraft uses seed numbers and how Bedrock and Java versions of Minecraft use the same seed number–though the two versions are mostly the same these days. seed maps will vary from one version of Minecraft to another as Mojang changes how the worlds are generated. For example, a seed in Minecraft 1.14, released in 2019, won’t account for the Cherry Grove biome introduced in 1.20.
How do I find my Minecraft Seed?
There are two primary ways to view the seed for your Minecraft world. First, you’ll need to know what platform and version you’re on. Those are right on the main screen; it’ll say Java or Bedrock right under the Minecraft logo, and the version number is located in the bottom left corner. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing on Xbox, PC, iOS, or other platforms; these should not affect your world seed.
You can find your seed on Minecraft Java by hitting Enter and typing /seed. To find the seed on a local world stored on your machine, go to Settings, Game Settings, and find Seed. If you’re playing Minecraft on an official realm or a dedicated server, you may have to download a copy of your world and load it locally to do so.
What is a seed map?
Okay, so we know what a Minecraft Seed is and a general idea of how they work (that doesn’t require understanding and discussing complex math). So what is a seed map? It’s right there in the name–a map of your Minecraft world, generated using your Minecraft world’s seed number.
In the same way that a Minecraft Seed doesn’t account for the changes you make after generation, a seed map is no replacement for a proper in-game map, which will reflect the changes you’ve made and can even track where you are. It’s more like an Atlas than a GPS.
Where can I view seed maps?
There are a bunch of different ways to view Minecraft seed maps. As you think about clicking these, please note that none of these sites are officially affiliated with Minecraft, Mojang, Microsoft, or GameSpot.
A good seed map viewer will let you choose which platform (Bedrock or Java) and version (1.20, 1.22, and so on) of Minecraft you’re playing on to account for the variations in how seeds work from version to version. Further, though, these maps will indicate the locations of things like Woodland Mansions, Underwater Temples, and Ancient Cities, as well as villages, and basic biome locations.
One of our favorite options for viewing Minecraft seed maps is the seed map Viewer at Chunkbase. Another solid option is MCseedmap.net. Both sites offer filtering for version, dimension (Overworld, Nether, The End), and for all biomes and landmarks.
If you’re playing on iOS or keep an iOS device near you, you can install Cartographer for Minecraft. If you’re tech-savvy and want to view your map in an offline application, independent developers have created things like Cubiomes Viewer. The technical barrier to entry on that last one is much, much higher than any of the other options presented above, so keep that in mind as you go in.
How do I use a seed map?
When using a Minecraft seed map, the only limit is yourself. If you’ve imagined yourself setting up home base in a spruce forest, you can use a seed map to find the spruce forest nearest your spawn point. If you’re trying to find an End Portal to take down the Ender Dragon, a seed map will help you find that. If you need to find your way back to an exact set of coordinates and want a visual guide, you can input your current coordinates to see where you are.
Before you open this Pandora’s Box of Minecraft information, remember that Minecraft is about exploration as much as it is about building. If you want to preserve the sense of mystery in your Minecraft world, think twice before using a seed map. On the other hand, if you’re trying to accomplish something specific and you don’t want to spend dozens of hours searching for the landmark that gets you the item you need, a seed map is a perfect way to get there with minimal fuss.
