You have the diamond pickaxe, the enchanted books and a plan for your next upgrade. There is just one problem. The anvil wants more levels than you have.
Finding the best ways to get XP in Minecraft survival makes enchanting, combining books and maintaining Mending equipment much easier. You do not need a huge farm immediately, either. Everyday mining, trading and smelting can already give you a useful supply.
This guide covers standard Java survival XP mechanics, with practical recommendations for new players and more established worlds. Farm results depend on the design, game version and server conditions, so we focus on useful options rather than promised hourly rates.
Choose XP that fits your routine
Start with mining and smelting while gathering supplies. Add villager trading when you have spare materials, then consider a suitable mob farm if you regularly need repairs or levels. For Mending, hold or wear the damaged item while collecting XP.
In This Guide
- Best XP Sources at a Glance
- XP Points and Levels Explained
- Simple Ways to Get XP
- Mob Farms and Spawners
- Using XP to Repair Mending Equipment
- Other Useful XP Sources
- Making Your XP Routine More Useful
- Common XP and Mending Problems
- Frequently Asked Questions
Best XP Sources at a Glance
| What You Need | A Useful Starting Choice |
|---|---|
| XP while gathering materials | Mine suitable ores and collect their XP |
| XP near your base | Smelt useful materials and collect the output manually |
| Emeralds and XP together | Trade with villagers |
| A relaxed activity | Go fishing |
| Repeatable equipment repairs | Use a suitable XP farm or established trading routine |
| A simple first mob farm | Consider a zombie or skeleton spawner setup |
| Higher output once established | Compare suitable enderman, guardian or other specialist XP farm designs |
There is no single best method for every player. A farm you can reach and use reliably can be more helpful than a distant design with impressive results in a different world.
XP Points and Levels Explained
XP points are the experience you collect. Levels are the number shown above your hotbar after those points fill the experience bar.
Levels do not all cost the same number of points. Higher levels generally need more XP, so gaining ten levels from a high starting point requires more experience than gaining your first ten.
In standard Java survival, reaching level 30 from level 0 takes 1,395 XP points. That is why comparing farm output only by levels can be misleading unless the starting level is also given.
Level 30 is a requirement, not the usual enchanting cost
The highest enchanting table option can require level 30, but selecting it normally spends three levels and three lapis lazuli. You do not normally return to level 0 after one enchantment.
Mending works differently again: it uses newly collected experience orbs to repair eligible equipment. It does not automatically spend levels already stored in your experience bar.
Simple Ways to Get XP
Mining Suitable Ores
Coal, redstone, lapis lazuli, diamond, emerald and Nether quartz ores can provide XP when mined for their normal resource drops. This makes exploration useful for both materials and equipment progression.
Raw iron, copper and gold are different: collecting their raw drops does not give the same mining XP payout. Processing them in a furnace provides an XP source instead.
Silk Touch changes what you collect. If you pick up an ore block intact, you normally do not receive its mining XP at that moment. You can later mine suitable ore blocks without Silk Touch to collect their normal drops and experience.
Fortune can improve eligible resource drops, but does not multiply the ore’s XP payout.
Smelting and Cooking
Furnaces, blast furnaces and smokers can provide XP from eligible recipes. Smelting materials you actually need gives you progress on a project as well as some experience.
For a straightforward collection method, take the finished output directly from the machine’s interface. In standard Java mechanics, a furnace can retain earned XP even when hoppers remove the items; manually collecting output can release stored experience.
If the output is removed automatically, you will not see XP orbs following the hopper into a chest. Plan how you will access the output for collection.
Cooking food on a campfire does not provide the same XP reward. It is useful for cooking, but not a replacement for furnace based XP collection.
Villager Trading
Trading provides XP while exchanging supplies for emeralds or buying useful items. It can fit naturally into a routine built around crops, materials or equipment.
Villagers have limited stock and work schedules, so an exhausted trade needs restocking. Keep the correct workstation accessible.
Our villager jobs and trading guide explains professions, workstations and restocking in more detail.
Fishing
Successful fishing catches provide a small amount of XP alongside the catch. It is a useful option when you want a quieter activity rather than a dedicated grinding session.
Fishing is not our first pick for rapid levels, but it can contribute to ordinary progression and Mending while you collect food and other fishing rewards.
Mob Farms and Spawners
A mob farm can give you a repeatable supply of targets and XP. The important distinction is whether it produces experience for the player, rather than only item drops.
| Farm Type | Why Consider It? | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Zombie or skeleton spawner | A manageable starting point if you find a suitable spawner | Player position, safe access and the killing method |
| General hostile mob farm | Combines drops with potential XP collection | Spawn conditions and whether the design supports player kills |
| Enderman farm | A popular option for repeated repairs in the End | Safe travel, void exposure and current design compatibility |
| Guardian farm | Can combine useful materials with XP | A more involved build, plus an appropriate XP collection method |
For most mobs, XP depends on a qualifying player related kill. A design that kills everything automatically may collect items without providing the XP you expected.
Look for a design specifically intended to produce XP, with a collection point you can use safely. Do not assume a video showing piles of drops also demonstrates a reliable repair station.
On multiplayer servers, spawning conditions and other players can affect results. Check the current server rules before building a large farm, and follow posted instructions at shared farms.
Keep useful spawners intact
Breaking a spawner gives a one off XP reward, but destroys the potential for a repeatable farm. If you want an ongoing supply, consider the longer term value before mining it.
Using XP to Repair Mending Equipment
Mending repairs damaged eligible equipment when you collect experience orbs while holding or wearing it.
- Make sure the item actually has Mending.
- Put it in your main hand, offhand or an equipped armour slot, as appropriate.
- Collect XP from a suitable source.
- Watch the item’s durability rather than only your level bar.
- If you want to focus repairs, temporarily put away other damaged Mending items when it is safe to do so.
An item sitting in an ordinary inventory slot is not repaired by standard Mending. If several equipped Mending items need repairs, the collected orbs can be directed to different eligible items.
That is why your pickaxe may repair more slowly when your helmet, boots and other equipment also need attention. You do not have to remove protective armour in a dangerous area just to speed things up.
For recommended equipment combinations, see our Minecraft enchantments guide.
Other Useful XP Sources
| Source | Useful For | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Breeding animals | A small XP contribution while raising animals | Keep the breeding supplies and animal population manageable |
| Disenchanting with a grindstone | Recovering some XP from unwanted enchanted items | It removes ordinary enchantments; check the item first |
| Bottles o’ Enchanting | Portable XP for a small top up or repair | They are consumed and may be less convenient than an established XP source |
| Mining suitable sculk blocks | XP during exploration | Silk Touch collects eligible blocks instead; consider Deep Dark hazards |
These methods can be useful additions, but you do not need to turn every activity into an XP project. Sometimes the best option is the one you were already doing.
Making Your XP Routine More Useful
Build a routine around what you need, rather than collecting a large level number without a purpose.
| Your Goal | What We Would Do |
|---|---|
| Enchant new equipment | Reach the required level, enchant, then replenish what you spent |
| Repair one favourite tool | Hold the damaged Mending tool while collecting XP |
| Prepare several upgrades | Plan your books and anvil combinations before gathering levels |
| Make progress while building | Collect XP from useful smelting and routine trading |
| Use a shared XP farm | Read its instructions, respect access rules and leave it ready for others |
Keep food, equipment and your return route in mind when choosing a source. Risking valuable gear for a few extra orbs can turn a short repair trip into a much longer evening.
Pack with help from our food guide and potions guide before travelling to a more dangerous location.
Common XP and Mending Problems
| Problem | Likely Explanation |
|---|---|
| The level bar barely moves | Damaged Mending equipment may be using collected XP |
| My tool is not repairing | Check Mending, its equipped position and whether you are collecting orbs |
| One item repairs slowly | Other damaged equipped Mending items may also receive XP |
| My mob farm gives drops but no XP | The killing method may not qualify for an XP drop |
| My automated furnace gives no visible XP | You may need to collect output manually to release stored experience |
| The same method gives fewer levels later | Higher levels require more XP, or conditions have changed |
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Best Way to Get XP in Minecraft?
For a new player, combine useful mining, smelting and trading. Once established, a suitable dedicated XP farm can make repeated repairs and enchanting more convenient. The best choice depends on access, setup and server conditions.
Why Am I Getting XP but Not Gaining Levels?
Damaged equipped items with Mending may be using the experience to repair themselves. Check their durability before assuming the XP source has stopped working.
Can Mending Repair an Item in My Inventory?
Under standard Mending mechanics, the item must be in your main hand, offhand or an appropriate equipped armour slot. An ordinary inventory slot does not qualify.
Does Mending Use Levels I Already Have?
No. Standard Mending uses newly collected experience orbs. Having a large stored level number does not automatically repair equipment.
Does Fortune Give More XP from Ores?
No. Fortune increases eligible item drops, rather than multiplying the ore’s XP payout. Silk Touch can also mean you collect the ore block instead of receiving mining XP immediately.
Do Higher Levels Need More XP?
Yes. Levels do not all require the same number of XP points. Comparing results by levels alone is misleading unless you know the starting level.
Will Every Automatic Mob Farm Give XP?
No. An item farm and an XP farm can use different killing methods. For most mobs, a qualifying player related kill is needed for experience, so check that the design supports XP collection.
Can a Furnace Store XP When Hoppers Remove Items?
Yes, in standard Java mechanics. Earned experience can remain in the furnace while hoppers take items away. Manually taking finished output through the interface can release stored XP.
Put Your Levels to Work on TogetherCraft
Whether you are enchanting your first diamond pickaxe or keeping an established toolkit repaired, a dependable XP routine makes survival more comfortable.
Before building a farm or using shared facilities, check the TogetherCraft rules and any instructions at the location. A public farm does not automatically make every nearby chest or stored item public.
You can also browse the Shop Directory for player listings when you need books, tools or supplies, and check individual shops for current stock.
TogetherCraft is an adult Minecraft server for players who enjoy building, exploring and sharing survival adventures. If you are looking for a Hermitcraft like server, our server guide and joining information will help you get started.