How to use the Nether Portal Calculator
- Pick a direction. Choose Overworld to Nether, or the other way round.
- Enter coordinates. Type X, Y and Z, or paste a line from the F3 screen or from F3 and C. The tool reads both.
- Read the result. You get the converted X and Z, the zone a portal links from, and a teleport command to go and look.
- Check your portals. On the second tab, list your portals one per line to see which one each portal sends you to, and whether the trip back lands where you started.
The 8 to 1 rule
One block in the Nether covers eight blocks in the Overworld, on the X and Z axes. Divide Overworld X and Z by eight to find the matching Nether spot, or multiply Nether X and Z by eight to go back. Height is not scaled.
How a portal picks its partner
When you step into a portal, the game works out the scaled coordinates and looks for the closest existing portal in a square around that spot. In Java Edition the search covers 16 blocks when you arrive in the Nether and 128 blocks when you arrive in the Overworld. If it finds nothing, it builds a new portal near the target.
That asymmetry is why two Overworld portals close together can send you to the same Nether portal, and why one Nether portal can send you back to a different Overworld portal than the one you used.
Frequently asked questions
Does Y change between dimensions?
No. Only X and Z are scaled. The Nether is 128 blocks tall, so build your portal at a sensible height there.
Why did my portal send me somewhere unexpected?
Another portal was closer to the target spot, or yours was outside the search square. Use the Check portal links tab to see which portal each one connects to.
Do Bedrock portals work the same way?
The 8 to 1 ratio is the same. Bedrock links portals with different distances, so the linking check on this page follows Java Edition rules.
How do I read my coordinates?
Press F3 on Java Edition and read the XYZ line. Pressing F3 and C copies a teleport command with your position, which you can paste into the box.
How do I make a portal that links to a chosen spot?
Convert the coordinates of the spot you want, then build the portal on the other side inside the linking zone the tool shows. Keep other portals out of that zone.