Minecraft Mob Spawner Generator

A spawner that makes whatever you want, as fast as you want. Several mobs from one cage, named, frozen, or spawning in broad daylight.

What it spawns
The command
/setblock ~ ~ ~ minecraft:spawner{SpawnData:{entity:{id:"minecraft:zombie"}},SpawnPotentials:[{weight:1,data:{entity:{id:"minecraft:zombie"}}}],Delay:20s,MinSpawnDelay:200s,MaxSpawnDelay:800s,SpawnCount:4s,MaxNearbyEntities:6s,RequiredPlayerRange:16s,SpawnRange:4s}

Paste it into chat or a command block. It replaces the block you are standing in unless you change the position.

Settings

It fires every 10 to 39.95 seconds, 4 at a time.

How it works

  • Pick the mob. Add more if you want the spawner to choose between them, and give each one a share.
  • Set the timing. The three presets cover a dungeon, a farm and an arena, and every number is yours to change afterwards.
  • Name it if you like. Colors in the name use the same codes as the color code list.
  • Copy the command and paste it into chat. It replaces the block you are standing in, so stand where you want the spawner.

Java Edition. Every setting is written into the command, including the ones you left alone, because the game ignores some of these fields when their partners are missing.

Questions

Which versions does this work on?
Java Edition. A block's data is written the same way it has been for years, so this does not have the 1.20.5 problem the item tools do. If you find an older guide writing the mob as SpawnData:{id:zombie}, that one was written for a much older version than the shape here.
Does it work on Bedrock?
No. Bedrock has spawners, but it stores their settings differently, and it has no command that writes them. The command here is for Java.
Why is my spawner not spawning anything?
Almost always one of three things. A player has to be within 16 blocks of it. There has to be somewhere valid for the mob to appear in the 9x3x9 box around it, which for most monsters means a dark enough spot. And it gives up while six or more of its own mob are already nearby, so clear the area before you decide it is broken. The 'any light level' switch handles the middle one.
How often does it fire?
It picks a random wait between your two delay numbers each time. Left alone it behaves like one found in a dungeon: four mobs, then a wait of 10 to about 40 seconds. The line under the settings tells you what your own numbers come to.
Can one spawner make several different mobs?
Yes, and that is the main thing you cannot do with a spawner you find. Add as many as you like and give each one a share. The spawner picks one each time it fires, so a share of 3 against a share of 1 comes up three times as often. Whatever is first in your list is the one spinning in the cage when you place it.
What does 'frozen' do?
It turns the mob's brain off. It drops where it spawns and stays there, which is what you want for a display, a shooting target or a decorative cage. It can still be hit and it still dies.
Can I make mobs that do not burn in the morning?
Not from the spawner itself. Burning at sunrise is decided by the mob, not by a setting, and the usual fix is to give it a helmet, which needs item data a spawner does not carry. Build the spawner underground or under a roof instead.
Why does nothing happen on Peaceful?
A spawner set to a monster still ticks over on Peaceful, it just never produces anything. Switch to Easy or above, or point the spawner at something that is not a monster.
How do I get a spawner block by hand?
It has been in the creative inventory since 1.19.3, so you can take one from there. A placed one has no mob in it until a command like this gives it one.