You need 12 End Portal Frames arranged in a 3×3 square with the center empty, then place an Eye of Ender in each frame

The Ender Portal is the gateway to the End dimension in Minecraft. To build one, you arrange 12 End Portal Frame blocks in a square pattern — three blocks on each side, leaving the center open. Each frame must face inward toward the center. Once the frames are in place, you insert an Eye of Ender into each one by right-clicking (or using the secondary action button on your device). When the final eye is placed, the portal activates and opens a purple gateway you can jump through.

You cannot craft End Portal Frames yourself — they only appear naturally in the End dimension or in the End Portal rooms inside Strongholds. In Survival mode, you must find a Stronghold, locate the portal room, and complete the frame by adding the missing eyes. In Creative mode, you can place frames directly from your inventory.

Key Takeaways

  • End Portal Frames are found only in Stronghold structures; you cannot make them in a crafting table.
  • The portal requires exactly 12 frames arranged in a 3×3 square with the center empty, and each frame must face inward.
  • You need 12 Eyes of Ender, which you craft from Blaze Powder and Ender Pearls, to activate the portal.
  • In Survival mode, Strongholds are located by throwing Eyes of Ender, which fly toward the nearest Stronghold before disappearing.
  • Once all 12 eyes are placed, the portal opens immediately and remains open until you leave the End dimension.

Finding a Stronghold and the Portal Room

In Survival mode, the only way to reach a Stronghold is to craft and throw Eyes of Ender. To make an Eye of Ender, combine one Blaze Powder (dropped by Blazes in the Nether) with one Ender Pearl (dropped by Endermen) in a crafting grid. When you throw an Eye of Ender, it flies through the air in the direction of the nearest Stronghold, then disappears after a short distance. Throw another eye and follow it again — each throw brings you closer.

Strongholds are large underground structures found at varying depths. They contain multiple rooms connected by corridors, including libraries, storage rooms, and the portal room. The portal room is recognizable by the 3×3 frame of End Portal Frames already partially built into the floor or wall. Most Strongholds have one portal room, though the frame is usually incomplete — some eyes are already in place, but several are missing.

Strongholds can be difficult to navigate. Bring torches, food, and weapons, because you will encounter Silverfish in the corridors and rooms. Mark your path with torches or blocks so you can find your way back out if you need to retreat.

Crafting Eyes of Ender

Before you can activate the portal, you need 12 Eyes of Ender. Each eye requires one Blaze Powder and one Ender Pearl. Blaze Powder comes from Blazes, which spawn in Nether Fortresses — you must kill them and collect the Blaze Rods they drop, then smelt or craft the rods into powder. Ender Pearls drop from Endermen, which spawn in the Overworld at night or in dark areas like caves and the Nether.

Gather at least 12 of each material, then open your crafting grid. Place one Blaze Powder and one Ender Pearl anywhere in the grid together, and you will receive one Eye of Ender. Repeat this 12 times. If you run out of materials before reaching 12 eyes, you will need to return to the Nether or hunt more Endermen.

Arranging the Portal Frames Correctly

The End Portal Frame blocks must be placed in a specific pattern. Stand in the center of where you want the portal and place frames in a 3×3 square around you, leaving the center block empty. The frames must face inward — when you place a frame, it automatically orients to face the direction you are looking. If a frame is facing the wrong way, break it and replace it while facing the opposite direction.

The correct arrangement looks like this from above: a hollow square with frames on all 12 outer edges and nothing in the middle. If even one frame faces outward instead of inward, the portal will not activate when you place the eyes. Double-check each frame's orientation before adding the eyes.

In most Strongholds, the frame is already partially built into the structure, so you only need to verify that the existing frames face inward and that the center is empty. If frames are missing or facing the wrong way, break and replace them.

Placing the Eyes of Ender to Open the Portal

Once all 12 frames are in place and facing inward, right-click on each frame with an Eye of Ender in your hand. On mobile devices, tap and hold on the frame. Each eye will sink into the frame and stay there. When you place the 12th eye, the portal activates instantly — a purple gateway appears in the center, and you can jump through.

The portal remains open permanently once activated. You can jump through it as many times as you want without needing to replace the eyes. If you break an eye out of a frame, the portal closes and you must place a new eye to reactivate it.

What Happens After You Jump Through

Jumping into an active Ender Portal takes you to the End dimension. You will spawn on a small island surrounded by the void. The Ender Dragon flies around this space, and your goal is to defeat it. Destroying the dragon causes it to drop experience and an egg, then opens an exit portal that returns you to your spawn point in the Overworld.

If you die in the End, you respawn in the Overworld at your spawn point (or your bed if you have set one). Your items will be lost unless you return to the End and retrieve them before they despawn. The Ender Portal you built remains open, so you can return to the End whenever you want by jumping through it again.

Building a Portal in Creative Mode

In Creative mode, you can place End Portal Frames directly from your inventory without finding a Stronghold. Open your creative inventory, search for "End Portal Frame", and grab as many as you need. Place them in a 3×3 square with the center empty, making sure each frame faces inward. Then place Eyes of Ender in each frame the same way you would in Survival mode.

Creative mode is useful for testing portal designs or practicing the placement pattern before attempting it in Survival. You can also experiment with building portals in different orientations — vertical, tilted, or in unusual shapes — though only the standard 3×3 pattern will actually function as a working gateway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build an Ender Portal without finding a Stronghold?

No, not in Survival mode. End Portal Frames only exist in Strongholds and cannot be crafted. You must locate a Stronghold by following Eyes of Ender, find the portal room, and complete the frame that is already there. In Creative mode, you can place frames from your inventory.

What if I place the frames wrong and the portal does not open?

Check that all 12 frames face inward toward the center. If even one faces outward, break it and replace it while standing in the opposite direction. Also verify that the center block is completely empty — no blocks should be in the middle of the 3×3 square.

Do I lose the Eyes of Ender when I place them in the frames?

Yes. Once an eye is placed in a frame, it becomes part of the frame and cannot be retrieved. You must craft new eyes if you want to close and reopen the portal.

Can I move an Ender Portal once it is built?

No. Portal frames are permanent blocks that cannot be moved. If you want a portal in a different location, you must build a new one. In Survival mode, this means finding another Stronghold.

What if the Stronghold portal room is already complete?

If all 12 frames are in place and facing inward, you only need to add the Eyes of Ender. If some eyes are already there, you only need to add the missing ones. Count the empty frames and craft that many eyes.