You’re standing in the middle of a plains biome, sun’s going down, and you’ve finally realized that the Overworld just isn’t enough anymore. You need quartz. You need blaze rods. Or maybe you're just bored of the green grass and want to see the literal pits of hell. Most players eventually ask themselves, how do you build portals in minecraft, and then they immediately realize there isn't just one answer.
It depends on where you’re trying to go.
Minecraft is basically a multiverse. You’ve got the Nether, which is a terrifying wasteland of lava and screaming ghosts, and the End, which is a floating void guarded by a giant dragon. Building the gateways to these places isn't exactly a "one size fits all" process. One involves obsidian and fire; the other requires you to play detective and find a buried fortress.
Honestly, the Nether portal is the one you’ll build most often. It’s the gateway to fast travel and high-tier gear. But if you do it wrong, you end up wasting a diamond pickaxe or, worse, getting stranded in a dimension where everything wants to kill you.
The Nether Portal: Making a Doorway Out of Compressed Volcanic Rock
To get to the Nether, you need Obsidian. This is non-negotiable. You can’t use cobblestone. You can’t use dirt. You need that deep purple-black block that only forms when flowing water hits a lava source block.
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Gathering the Materials (The Hard Way vs. The Fast Way)
If you’re playing the game the way Mojang probably intended, you’ll grab a Diamond or Netherite pickaxe. You’ll find a lava pool deep underground, pour water over it, and spend what feels like ten years mining at least 10 blocks of Obsidian.
But speedrunners? They don’t have time for that.
They use the "mold" method. You basically build a dirt frame and use buckets of lava and water to "cast" the obsidian directly into the shape of a portal. It’s faster, it’s cooler, and it saves your diamond durability for things that actually matter, like swords. You'll need at least a 2x3 opening. The total frame is 4x5, but you can actually skip the corners. Why waste four blocks of obsidian on corners when you can just put some fancy-looking stone bricks there? It saves time.
Lighting the Spark
Once you have your 4x5 frame (minus the corners if you're efficient), you need to wake it up. This is the part people usually get right away. You need a Flint and Steel. Craft it with one iron ingot and one piece of flint. Right-click the bottom of the frame, and the center should fill with a wavy, purple film.
If it doesn't light? Check your dimensions. A common mistake is making the internal hole 2x2. It has to be 3 blocks high.
Why Portal Linking Breaks Your Brain
Here is what most guides won't tell you: the math. Minecraft’s dimensions don't scale 1:1. One block in the Nether is equal to eight blocks in the Overworld. If you build two portals too close together in the Overworld, they might both spit you out at the same spot in the Nether. This is a nightmare for base organization.
If you want to be precise, take your Overworld X and Z coordinates and divide them by 8. Go to those exact coordinates in the Nether and build your return portal there. If you don't, you might find yourself walking 500 blocks back to your house every time you come home from a ghast hunt.
The End Portal: You Can't Just Build This One (Mostly)
The End is different. In Survival mode, you literally cannot "build" an End Portal from scratch. You have to find one. This is where the game turns into a scavenger hunt.
You need Eyes of Ender. These are crafted by killing Endermen for pearls and Blazes for powder. You throw the eye into the sky, follow the direction it floats, and eventually, it’ll dive into the ground. That’s your cue to start digging. You’re looking for a Stronghold—a massive underground labyrinth of stone bricks and moss.
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Fixing the Broken Frame
Inside the Stronghold, you’ll find a room with a 3x3 square of portal frames hovering over a lava pit. Most of them will be empty. To "build" or activate this portal, you have to place an Eye of Ender into every empty slot.
- Warning: The eyes have to be facing the right way. If you’re standing outside the ring and placing them, sometimes the "pupil" of the eye points the wrong direction and the portal won't trigger. Always stand in the middle of the pool (careful with the lava) and face outward as you place them.
- The Silverfish Problem: There is almost always a monster spawner right next to the frame. Break it. Immediately. Nothing ruins a dramatic leap into the End like getting shoved into lava by a giant bug.
Creative Mode Shenanigans
Now, if you’re in Creative mode, you can build an End Portal anywhere. But I see people fail at this constantly. They lay down the 3x3 grid of End Portal Frame blocks, put the eyes in, and... nothing.
The secret is the "player orientation" data. The blocks have a front and a back. If you aren't standing in the center of the 3x3 square while you place the frame blocks, the game won't recognize it as a valid shape. You have to be the center of the universe. Build the ring around yourself, stay inside, and then place the eyes.
Surprising Portal Variations and Glitches
Most players think it's just Purple or Yellow (well, End-colored), but Minecraft has a few more tricks.
The Ruined Portals
Scattered across your world, you'll find "Ruined Portals." These are half-broken Nether frames surrounded by Crying Obsidian and Gold blocks. These aren't just for decoration. They are a massive shortcut. Usually, they have a chest nearby with enough flint, steel, and obsidian to finish the job. If you find one of these early on, you can get to the Nether before you've even found your first diamond.
The Gateway Portals
Once you kill the Ender Dragon, a tiny portal encased in Bedrock appears out in the void. This isn't a portal you "build," but it's one you have to use. You can't walk into it; it’s too small. You have to throw an Ender Pearl through it. It teleports you to the outer End islands where the End Cities and those sweet, sweet Elytra wings are hidden.
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What about the Aether?
Look, let’s address the elephant in the room. If you saw a video of someone building a portal out of Glowstone and pouring a water bucket on it to go to a heaven dimension, that’s a mod. It’s called The Aether. It’s legendary. It’s beautiful. But it is not in the base game. If you try it in vanilla Minecraft, you’re just going to end up with a wet floor and a very expensive glowing frame.
Practical Checklist for Successful Inter-Dimensional Travel
If you’re about to hop dimensions, don't just wing it. Getting lost is the easiest way to lose a hardcore world or a week's worth of loot.
- Bring a Spare: Always bring an extra Flint and Steel into the Nether. If a Ghast shoots your portal, it will go out. If you don't have a way to relight it, you are stuck there unless you can trick a Blaze into shooting the frame or find iron and gravel in a fortress chest.
- Armor Matters: Don't go into the Nether without at least one piece of Gold armor. Piglins are neutral as long as you look "shiny." Without it, they’ll swarm you the second you step off the obsidian.
- Bed Warning: Never, under any circumstances, try to sleep in a bed in the Nether or the End. They don't work. They explode with more force than TNT. It’s a classic prank to play on new players, but it’s a quick way to see the "You Died" screen.
Next Steps for Aspiring Portal Builders
Now that you know the mechanics of how do you build portals in minecraft, the real challenge is what you do on the other side. If you've just finished your first Nether frame, your next move should be finding a Fortress. Look for dark red brick structures crossing over lava oceans.
If you're aiming for the End, start hunting Endermen during a full moon or in a desert biome where they’re easier to spot. You'll need about 12 to 14 Eyes of Ender to be safe—some usually break when you throw them, and you need to fill the frame once you find it.
Get your gear ready. The Nether is unforgiving, and the End is a one-way trip until the dragon is dead. Pack some golden apples, enchant your bow, and make sure your spawn point is set before you step through that purple haze.