How to use the structure void in Minecraft

Used in cohesion with the structure block, the structure void is an invisible Minecraft block that prevents blocks from being overridden when a structure block manually generates a structure.

In layman's terms, structure voids allow Minecraft players to keep blocks from being replaced when a structure block is used. Since structure blocks are used to manually create structures, structure voids are used to omit certain blocks from any activities the structure block undertakes.

This includes not only generating structures but saving or loading them as well. Obtaining a structure void requires console commands in vanilla Minecraft, and it cannot yet be obtained in Minecraft: Education Edition.

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Minecraft: Obtaining and using structure voids

A structure void can be seen in-hand as well as in a player's hotbar (Image via Mojang)

In order to obtain a structure void in Minecraft, players will need to use commands. Because of this, they'll need to enable cheats for their Minecraft world or server before entering commands in their chat console, otherwise the commands won't be executed.

Below, players can find the command syntax for both Java and Bedrock Editions of Minecraft:

Java Edition:

/give @s minecraft:structure_void

Bedrock Edition:

/give @s Structure_Void

Using either of these commands will give players a structure void. As with many commands, using different targeters such as @a (all players) or @r (a random player) can give the block to other players that may be present.

Once a structure void is available to players, it operates much like any other block with regards to placement. Right-clicking or pressing the use button will place a structure void. However, without enabling the ability to see invisible blocks, the only confirmation players will have about it being placed is a block place sound similar to placing stone or most other solid blocks.

Although structure voids are invisible and don't possess a collision box, they can be replaced by other blocks in a manner similar to snow and grass. In order to see a structure void's effect, players will need to follow up their structure void placement with that of a structure block.

By using the structure block to generate or import a structure, Minecraft players should notice that the blocks with a structure void placed on them should remain the same as the rest of the structure generates or imports.