Look, I remember the first time I wanted to get to the Nether. I had my iron gear, felt kinda tough, and started whacking away at obsidian with a stone pickaxe... yeah, bad move. It broke instantly, and I wasted like fifteen minutes gathering lava buckets before realizing my mistake. Figuring out how do you make the nether portal in Minecraft properly isn't just about placing blocks; it's about avoiding the rookie traps that eat up your time and resources.
Gathering the Stuff You Actually Need
You can't just wish a portal into existence. You need two things, and one is way trickier than the other:
The Easy Part: Flint and Steel
One flint, one iron ingot. Stick them in a crafting grid. Done. Seriously, if this is your hurdle, you're golden. Just punch some gravel for flint and smelt some iron ore. Keep this lighter safe – losing it in the Nether is a special kind of pain.
The Main Event: Obsidian
This is where the grind happens. You need 10 blocks minimum for the smallest portal frame. Obsidian is tough – only a diamond or netherite pickaxe will mine it and actually drop the block. Trying with iron? Forget it, you'll just break the block and get nothing. It's the worst.
How do you get obsidian? Two main ways:
| Method | How It Works | Pros | Cons & Annoyances | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finding Natural Pools | Look for lava pools (common underground, rare on surface). Dump water directly on the lava source block. | Feels quicker initially if you find lava nearby. | Can be messy, hard to get precise shapes. Often spawns deep where mobs lurk. Might still need a diamond pick later to mine it. | Early game if lucky with lava spawn. |
| Casting Your Own | Place lava source blocks in a mold (like a hole you dig). Pour water over it to turn lava into obsidian. | Get exactly where you want it. Perfect for building the portal frame shape right away. | Requires buckets (iron!) to move lava and water. Setting up the mold takes planning. Risk of burning yourself or messing up the flow. | Most reliable method. Gives you control. |
Honestly, I hate relying on finding natural obsidian. It's rarely where you need it. Casting your own portal frame is the way to go if you have the iron for buckets. Just be careful with that lava!
Pro Tip I Learned the Hard Way: Always carry an extra water bucket when working near lava. Saves you from falling in and losing your stuff instantly.
Building the Frame: Sizes That Actually Work
Okay, obsidian in hand? Time to build the door. Forget fancy shapes; the portal frame is a vertical rectangle. The minimum size (and most common) is 4 blocks wide by 5 blocks tall. Don't overcomplicate it.
Here's the step-by-step for making the nether portal frame:
- Place the Corners: Build two vertical columns of obsidian, 4 blocks apart. Each column should be 4 blocks tall (so 4 obsidian stacked on top of each other per side).
- Connect the Top: Place a horizontal row of 4 obsidian blocks connecting the tops of your two columns.
- Connect the Bottom: Place a horizontal row of 4 obsidian blocks connecting the bottom of your two columns.
Count your blocks: Each vertical side = 4 blocks. Top horizontal = 4 blocks. Bottom horizontal = 4 blocks. Total = 4+4+4+4 = 16 blocks? Wait, no! The corners overlap. You're actually using 4 blocks per vertical side (8 total) + 2 blocks for the top (since the corner blocks are already placed) + 2 blocks for the bottom (same reason) = 12 obsidian blocks for the minimum portal.
Confused? Just look at the empty space inside the frame: It should be 2 blocks wide and 3 blocks tall.
| Portal Dimension | Frame Width | Frame Height | Internal Opening | Obsidian Needed | Why Use It? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum (Standard) | 4 blocks | 5 blocks | 2x3 blocks | 12 blocks | Most efficient, easiest to build. Works perfectly. |
| Bigger (Max Size) | Up to 23 blocks | Up to 23 blocks | Up to 21x21 blocks | A lot! | Looks impressive (kinda). No functional benefit for travel. Ghasts can fly through easier! |
Honestly, unless you're building a mega base entrance, stick with the 4x5 frame. Bigger portals are just target practice for Ghasts. Learned that one the explosive way.
Lighting It Up: Flint & Steel Time
Frame built? Now for the magic trick. Take your flint and steel. Stand inside the frame or right in front of it. Look at one of the bottom obsidian blocks making up the inner edge (any inner block on the bottom row will do).
Right-click (or tap/use button) on that obsidian block with the flint and steel selected. A whoosh sound, purple particles, and swirls of purple and black will fill the empty space. That's it! Your portal is active.
What if you don't have flint and steel? Maybe you lost it? Don't panic, there are backups (though they're trickier):
- Fire Charge: Crafted with Blaze Powder, Coal/Charcoal, Gunpowder (Blaze Powder means you kinda need access to the Nether already... not helpful for your first portal!). Shoot it at the portal base with a Dispenser.
- Ghast Fireball: Super risky. Lure a Ghast close to your unlit portal frame and dodge its fireball so it hits the portal base. Requires precise luck.
- Lightning: Nearly impossible to control. Needs a lightning strike hitting very close to the portal during a thunderstorm.
Just... make sure you have flint and steel. Seriously. Trying the Ghast method for your first portal is asking to respawn at your bed.
Stepping Through & What Happens Next
Stand in the purple swirly stuff. After about 4 seconds, the screen warps, you hear a loud noise, and boom – you're in the Nether. Hot, scary, and full of noises.
Here's the crucial bit about portals that trips people up: How Nether Portal Linking Works
Minecraft calculates coordinates between dimensions:
Nether Coordinate = Overworld Coordinate divided by 8
(The Y-coordinate usually stays similar unless blocked).
| Your Overworld Portal Location | Where the Nether Portal Will Try to Generate | What Can Go Wrong? | How to Fix It / Avoid It |
|---|---|---|---|
| X: 800, Y: 64, Z: 800 | Nether X: 100 (800/8), Y: ~64, Z: 100 (800/8) | Solid netherrack wall, lava lake, mid-air over lava. | Build your Overworld portal on a flat, stable area. Bring building blocks to the Nether to secure a messy exit point. |
| X: 805, Y: 64, Z: 805 | Nether X: 100.625, Y: ~64, Z: 100.625 (Game rounds it) | Portal might generate slightly off, potentially linking to a different Overworld portal nearby. | Build Overworld portals at least 128 blocks apart in the Overworld (16 blocks in Nether) to prevent overlap. |
| Inside a mountain (Y: 120) | Nether X: [OverworldX/8], Y: ~120, Z: [OverworldZ/8] | Portal generates buried deep in netherrack ceiling, likely suffocating you or trapping you. | Avoid building Overworld portals deep underground if possible. If you must, be ready to dig fast. |
My worst portal fail? Building my first Overworld portal on a hilltop. Spawned in the Nether floating over a lava ocean. Fell in immediately. Lost everything. Pack blocks to bridge with!
Common Nether Portal Problems (And How to Fix Them Before You Scream)
Portals aren't perfect. Here's the stuff nobody tells you upfront:
"My Portal Won't Light!"
Check these:
- Wrong Block: Are you clicking flint & steel on OBSIDIAN? Dirt or stone blocks won't work.
- Frame Broken: Is the frame complete? Missing a corner piece? Air gaps? Needs solid obsidian rectangle.
- Blocked Opening: Anything solid (dirt, stone, even snow layers) inside the frame blocks the portal. Clear it out.
- Fire Spread Off: Maybe fire spread is disabled on the server? Not much you can do except ask the admin.
"I Went Through, But Came Right Back!" (Portal Looping)
This is usually a linking issue. Both portals are calculating the same link point incorrectly.
- Overworld Portals Too Close: Are two Overworld portals closer than 128 blocks apart? They might both link to the same Nether location. Break one and rebuild further away.
- Nether Portal Moved: Did you build the Nether portal manually? Maybe it's slightly off the calculated coordinates. Destroy both portals. Go back to the Nether exit point you want. Build a portal there. Go through it to force a new Overworld link.
"Ghasts Keep Breaking My Portal!"
Ghast fireballs destroy portal blocks. Annoying but fixable.
- Build Walls: Simple cobblestone walls around your portal entrance in the Nether (not too close to block it!).
- Build a Roof: A roof helps too.
- Bring Obsidian: Keep 10 obsidian and flint & steel in an Ender Chest (if you have one) or a hidden overworld stash near your portal for quick repairs.
Advanced Portal Stuff (For When You're Feeling Brave)
Once you've mastered the basics, here's some extra control:
Portal Networks & Linking Multiple Locations
Want portals to specific places? Manipulate the coordinates:
- Calculate the Nether coordinates for your desired Overworld location (Overworld coords / 8).
- Go to the Nether.
- Travel to those EXACT Nether coordinates (Nether coords calculated in step 1).
- Build your portal at that exact spot in the Nether.
- When you light it, it will link directly to your desired Overworld spot.
This is gold for connecting your main base, your village trading hall, your mine, etc., via the faster Nether travel.
Ruined Portals: The Easy Button?
You might find broken obsidian frames with crying obsidian in the world. These are Ruined Portals. Can you use them?
- Yes... but. You need to repair the frame by replacing any missing obsidian (crying obsidian doesn't count!). Remove any crying obsidian blocks and replace them with normal obsidian to complete the frame shape.
- Then light it like a normal portal. Saves you some obsidian mining, but finding one takes luck.
Making the Nether Portal in Minecraft: Beyond the Basics Checklist
Before you head off to build:
- Got at least 10 Obsidian? (12 is safer for the min portal)
- Got a Diamond or Netherite Pickaxe? (Essential for mining obsidian)
- Crafted Flint and Steel? (Test it lights regular blocks!)
- Picked a good Overworld location? (Flat, open, not cramped underground)
- Packed cobblestone/stone blocks? (For quick Nether exit protection)
- Packed a decent weapon, armor, food? (The Nether isn't safe!)
- Left important stuff in a chest? (In case things go very wrong)
How Do You Make the Nether Portal in Minecraft? Answered & Demystified
So, there you have it. Making the Nether portal isn't rocket science once you know the traps: diamond pick for obsidian, the 4x5 frame shape, flint and steel on the bottom edge. But the real magic is understanding how the linking works and being prepared for the chaos waiting on the other side. Forget those vague tutorials – this is exactly **how do you make the nether portal in Minecraft** and actually survive using it. Go build it, light it, and watch out for those Ghasts!
Nether Portal FAQs: Stuff Players Ask Me All The Time
Can I make a Nether portal without diamonds?
Technically... maybe? But it's messy and unreliable. If you find natural obsidian above ground (rare) or get lucky mining obsidian with a block-breaking explosion (end crystals, beds in Nether, creepers), it *might* drop without a diamond pick. Casting obsidian using buckets (which require iron, not diamonds) also works. So yes, you can obtain the obsidian indirectly without diamonds, but you absolutely need a diamond/netherite pick to mine and move obsidian blocks reliably. Trying to make a portal without diamond tools is an exercise in frustration. I don't recommend it for your first portal.
Why is my Nether portal sending me to the wrong place?
Almost always a linking problem. Portals link based on coordinate conversion (Overworld divided by 8 = Nether target). If there's already a portal too close to the target coordinates in the other dimension, you'll link to that one instead. Solution: Destroy any *incorrect* portals in the Nether or Overworld that are messing things up, or rebuild your portals further apart (minimum 128 blocks in Overworld, 16 in Nether between portals you don't want linked). Manually building a portal at the *exact* calculated coordinates in the Nether for your desired Overworld exit is the most reliable fix.
How do I stop Ghasts from blowing up my portal?
Ghasts are the worst. Build walls! Surround your Nether-side portal entrance with cobblestone or stone bricks (blast resistant) at least 2-3 blocks high and a block or two out from the frame. Adding a roof helps too. Make sure you leave enough space so YOU can easily get in and out without getting stuck. Think mini-fortress for your portal entrance.
Can I make a horizontal or sideways Nether portal?
Nope. The purple portal blocks require obsidian in a specific vertical rectangle frame to activate. You can't lay obsidian flat on the ground and light it like a pool. It has to stand upright.
How much obsidian do I absolutely need?
The absolute minimum frame uses 10 obsidian blocks. But the standard, easiest-to-build frame is 4 blocks wide and 5 blocks tall, which requires 12 obsidian blocks (due to overlapping corners). Always grab 14-16 just in case you misplace one or need to build quickly under pressure in the Nether.
My portal deactivated randomly! Why?
Nether portals need to be "loaded" (meaning a player is nearby) to stay active indefinitely. If you go really far away and the chunks unload, the portal might deactivate. Just relight it with flint and steel when you come back - it costs nothing. Also, if fire spread is on and something flammable (like wood) was placed too close, fire might spread and destroy the portal blocks. Keep the area clear!
Figuring out how do you make the nether portal in Minecraft is step one. Keeping it working reliably and navigating the Nether safely? That's the real adventure. Good luck!