How to trap villagers in Minecraft (2022)

Minecraft's villagers are a helpful bunch, but keeping them in one place can be tricky. Since they're scripted with AI that's similar to many other mobs, villagers will roam their villages and perform tasks. This can get annoying since players need them to stay put for trading or other purposes.

Fortunately for Minecraft players, there are multiple ways to blockade a villager into a given location and keep it there. Depending on the player's available resources, some methods may be more viable than others. While there are simply too many ways to trap villagers to condense into one list, there are certainly a few easy methods that players can consider.

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Different methods to contain villagers in Minecraft

Blocking them in their homes

A standard villager house in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

By default, villagers in Minecraft need a place to rest after a day's work. Typically this comes in the form of a village house, which players can use to their advantage.

If the village has a central bell, activating it will force the villagers back to their homes. Players can then block off the entrance to the house through various means.

Examples include placing a block in front of the door so the villager can't climb out, as well as breaking the door and replacing it with a fence gate or trap door, neither of which are items that villagers can use.

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Move their beds

Villagers are tied to their beds in a sense (Image via Waifu Simulator 27/Youtube)

Villagers are connected to their beds in a certain way. Without beds, the villager population cannot increase since every villager needs a bed to go home to. Players can use this to set up a specific enclosure for villagers by breaking and moving their beds.

Players must simply pick up the beds, build the enclosure (preferably without doors), then place the beds inside and wait for the villagers to return to them. This can be expedited by ringing the village bell as well.

Once the villagers have entered the enclosure, players can seal off the area while keeping the villagers inside. Players should also be certain to keep the villagers' job blocks inside the enclosure so that they don't lose their professions due to not being able to reach the blocks.

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Boats and minecarts

Using boat and minecart entities can hold villagers in place (Image via Mojang)

One of the best ways to transport villagers in Minecraft is also a great way to contain them. When bumped into a nearby boat or minecart, villagers will jump into the vehicle. Villagers can then be moved around via boat or minecart on a set of rails or kept where they are.

Unless players break the minecart or boat, the villager won't be able to disembark from the vehicle, meaning they can be moved or placed at the player's discretion. Moving a villager via a minecart can be somewhat more difficult as it requires rails, but minecarts and boats are nonetheless a great way to hold a villager in a set position.