You’ve mined a stack of diamonds, built a base, and finally set up an enchanting table. Then you look at the green bar above your hotbar and realize you’re nowhere near the level you need.
That’s the XP problem. Experience points are what power enchanting, anvils, and repairs in Minecraft, and if you don’t know where they come from, you’ll spend hours earning them the slow way.
This guide explains how XP works in plain language, the best ways to gain it at every stage of the game, and how to plan ahead so you never waste a level.
Quick note: the numbers in this guide are for Java Edition. Bedrock Edition is very close, but a few values can differ slightly.
What Is XP in Minecraft?
XP, short for experience, is a resource you collect as glowing green orbs. You pick them up by walking close to them. Each orb holds a few XP points, and those points slowly fill the bar above your hotbar. When the bar is full, you gain a level.
XP doesn’t make your character stronger or faster. It’s more like currency. You spend it on:
- Enchanting table. Each enchantment option costs experience levels (and lapis lazuli).
- Anvil. Combining items, adding enchanted books, and repairing gear all cost levels.
- Mending. This enchantment uses the orbs you collect to repair the item automatically.
- Grindstone. It removes enchantments and gives some XP back.
So, the real question isn’t “how do I get XP?” It’s “how do I get enough XP, fast enough, for what I want to do next?”
How Levels Work
Here is something that surprises new players: levels don’t all cost the same. The higher you go, the more points each level takes.
Reaching level 1 only takes 7 points. Going from level 30 to level 31 takes 112. Here is how the total adds up at some common levels:
| Level | Total XP Points Needed |
| 5 | 55 |
| 10 | 160 |
| 16 | 352 |
| 20 | 550 |
| 30 | 1,395 |
| 40 | 2,920 |
Notice the jump between level 30 and level 40. Ten extra levels take more XP than the first 25 combined. That’s why most players aim for level 30. It’s the highest level the enchanting table uses, so grinding far past it for table enchanting doesn’t give you extra benefit.
Things Worth Knowing About XP Orbs
- Hoppers can’t pick up XP orbs. You need to be standing there to collect them, even in an automatic farm.
- Orbs disappear after a few minutes if you don’t grab them, so don’t wander away from a fresh pile.
- Dying costs you. You lose your levels, and only part of your XP drops where you died. Spend your levels on enchantments before risky trips rather than carrying a big number around.
The Best Ways to Gain XP
Different methods work best at different stages. Here is a simple way to think about it.
1. Mining
Mining is the easiest way to earn XP early in the game, because you’re already doing it for resources.
Not every block gives XP, though. Here is a rough guide:
| Ore | XP Per Block |
| Coal | 0 to 2 |
| Redstone | 1 to 5 |
| Lapis lazuli | 2 to 5 |
| Nether quartz | 2 to 5 |
| Diamond | 3 to 7 |
| Emerald | 3 to 7 |
A long mining session can quietly give you a few levels on top of the loot. One important detail: if you use Silk Touch, you’ll collect the ore block itself and get no XP. Use a normal pickaxe when you want the orbs.
Nether quartz is a good mid-game target. It’s plentiful in the Nether and drops decent XP, though you’ll need to watch out for ghasts and piglins.
2. Breeding Animals
Breeding two animals gives you 1 to 7 XP per baby. It’s slow, but it’s safe, cheap, and works on day one. Cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs are all good choices, and you get food, wool, and leather at the same time.
3. Fishing
Every successful catch gives 1 to 6 XP, no matter what you reel in. Fish, junk, and treasure all pay out the same way. It’s a relaxing method, and you might catch an enchanted book while you wait. Fishing in the rain can help too.
4. Smelting
Furnaces give you a small amount of XP whenever you cook or smelt something. Items like iron and food give only a fraction of a point each, while ores like gold, diamond, and emerald give about 1 point each. It adds up if you smelt in bulk, and it needs almost no effort. Just remember to take the XP out when you collect your items.
5. Trading With Villagers
Every trade you complete gives you a few XP points. Villagers also sell useful items, so repeated trading pays off twice. It’s a steady, safe way to pick up levels in the mid game.
6. Killing Mobs
Most hostile mobs, like zombies, skeletons, creepers, and spiders, drop around 5 XP each. Blazes drop 10. It’s not huge on its own, but it’s fast when mobs come in large numbers, which leads us to farms.
Mob Farming: The Fastest Way to Level Up
If you want a lot of XP without a lot of hassle, build a mob farm.
How a Mob Farm Works
The idea is simple. You build a dark room or platform so hostile mobs spawn in large numbers. They get funneled to one spot where you can kill them quickly. Since each one is worth around 5 XP, a busy farm fills your bar fast.
The Rule That Trips Up Beginners
Mobs only drop XP when you killed them, or when you damaged them very shortly before they died. A farm that kills mobs entirely on its own, such as with a long fall or lava, collects loot but gives no XP. The usual fix is to let them fall until they have almost no health left, then finish them off with your sword.
Easy Starting Points
- Dungeon spawner farm. If you find a monster spawner, you can build a room around it so mobs spawn in a small, controlled space. It’s a good early farm because it needs few materials.
- Dark room farm. Build a large dark platform where mobs spawn, with a drop to a killing chamber.
- Enderman farm (late game). Endermen are worth 5 XP each and spawn in huge numbers in The End, which makes this one of the best XP farms in the game. You’ll want strong gear before trying it.
A tip: carry a Looting sword if you want better drops, and pick up the orbs right away before they disappear.
Don’t Forget Bottles o’ Enchanting
A Bottle o’ Enchanting is a small item that releases 3 to 11 XP when you throw it. You can find them in loot or get them through trading. They are useful when you’re just a few levels short at the anvil, because you can top up on the spot.
How Many XP Points Do You Actually Need?
Before you head out to grind, it helps to know your target. Maybe you want to enchant a pickaxe at level 30, or you need 25 levels to finish a book combination at the anvil.
Here is a simple example. If you’re at level 10 and want to reach level 30:
1,395 (total for level 30) − 160 (total for level 10) = 1,235 XP points
At around 5 XP per mob, that’s roughly 247 mobs. If you’re at level 20 and heading to level 30, the gap is 845 points, which is about 169 mobs.
Doing this by hand gets old quickly, especially when you’re planning several enchantments in a row. A Minecraft XP calculator can help you work out how many points you need to reach a target level, so you can plan your next enchantment or repair before you start grinding.
Knowing your number ahead of time helps you in a few ways:
- You can choose the right method for the gap you need to fill.
- You can decide if a farm is worth building, or if a short mining trip will do.
- You won’t overshoot and waste time grinding for levels you don’t need.
Spend Your XP Wisely
Earning XP is only half the job. Here are a few habits that stop you from wasting it.
- Put Mending on your main gear. Your sword, pickaxe, and armor repair themselves with the XP you collect, so you rarely need to pay for anvil repairs.
- Plan before you enchant. Decide exactly which enchantments you want on each item, so you don’t burn levels on random picks.
- Combine books smartly at the anvil. Every time you work on an item, the next job on it costs more levels. Fewer steps mean less XP spent.
- Use the table at level 30. Higher-level table options give you a better chance at strong enchantments, so build up before you spend.
- Spend before you take risks. Since dying wipes out your levels, use them on enchantments before heading into a dangerous place.
A Simple XP Plan for Each Stage
Early game (first few days)
- Mine coal and iron, and smelt in bulk.
- Breed a small herd of animals.
- Fish while you wait for crops.
Mid game
- Set up a dungeon spawner or dark room farm.
- Mine quartz in the Nether.
- Start trading with villagers.
Late game
- Build an enderman farm in The End.
- Keep Mending on every important item so XP keeps working for you.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using Silk Touch while mining ore for XP. You’ll get the ore block but no orbs.
- Forgetting to collect furnace XP. The points wait in the furnace until you take them out.
- Building a farm that kills mobs without you. No player hit means no XP.
- Grinding far past level 30 for enchanting. The table doesn’t need it.
- Carrying a huge level into danger. Spend it first, or you could lose most of it.
- Wandering off from fresh orbs. They vanish after a few minutes.
A Quick Tip for Console Players
If you play Minecraft on a console, remember that your worlds and saves grow as you explore and build, and game updates need room to install too. Keeping some free space on your device helps everything run smoothly. If you play on a Nintendo Switch 2, this Nintendo Switch 2 storage guide explains how much space you may need and how to plan for it.
Final Thoughts
XP in Minecraft is simple once you know how it works. Levels get more expensive as you go up, most players only need to reach level 30, and the fastest way to get there is a mix of easy early methods and a good farm later on.
Start small with mining, breeding, and fishing. When you’re ready, build a mob farm and let it do the heavy lifting. Work out how many points you need before you start, spend your levels carefully, and put Mending on the gear you care about.
Do that, and the XP bar will stop feeling like a chore and start feeling like a tool.
Happy mining, and good luck out there.
