An enchanting table lets you enchant tools, weapons, books and armour. For the strongest enchantments you need 15 correctly placed bookshelves and at least 30 experience levels. Here you'll learn how to craft the table, build the level-30 setup and get good enchantments.
Last checked in August 2026 against Java Edition 26.2. This guide covers the Java Edition.
Crafting the enchanting table: recipe and materials
You need 1 book, 2 diamonds and 4 obsidian.
- Obsidian forms when water hits a lava source block. You can mine it with a diamond or Netherite pickaxe.
- Book: 3 paper (from sugar cane) + 1 leather.
How many bookshelves does an enchanting table need?
For level 30 enchantments you need exactly 15 active bookshelves. There must be one block of space between the table and the shelves. More than 15 bookshelves won't raise the maximum enchantment level any further.
Level-30 enchanting table setup: spacing and placement
- The bookshelves stand 2 blocks from the table – so with exactly one free block in between.
- They sit at the same height as the table or one level above.
- The gap must be completely clear. Even a torch, a carpet or snow in the gap disables the shelf behind it.
- Only normal bookshelves count – chiseled bookshelves don't power the table.
- Bookshelf recipe: 6 planks + 3 books.
Working 15-bookshelf layouts for level 30
Every valid position sits on the outline of a 5×5 square with the table in the centre. That gives 16 spots per level, and diagonal corner positions count too. Since valid shelves may also sit one block higher, you have 32 spots in total – far more than the 15 you need. That freedom is what makes different layouts possible.
In the diagrams below, one character is one block seen from above:
B= bookshelfE= enchanting table.= must stay empty
Layout 1: closed ring with an entrance
The classic. All 15 shelves sit on one level, and the gap in the front row is your way in.
B B B B B
B . . . B
B . E . B
B . . . B
B B . B BFifteen shelves, no second level, nothing to remember. If you want a door instead of an open gap, put it in the empty spot – the door itself sits outside the ring and doesn't block anything.
Layout 2: open front, two levels
When you want to walk up to the table without ducking through a gap, leave the whole front row free and make up the difference above.
Floor level (11 shelves) One level higher (4 shelves)
B B B B B . . . . .
B . . . B . . . . .
B . E . B B . . . B
B . . . B . . . . .
. . . . . B . . . BEleven shelves on the floor plus any four on the upper ring gets you to 15. The whole front stays open.
Layout 3: L-shape for a corner
For cramped bases: put the table in a corner and run shelves along the two walls only, on both levels.
Floor level (9 shelves) One level higher (6 shelves)
B B B B B B B B B .
B . . . . . . . . .
B . E . . B . . . .
B . . . . . . . . .
B . . . . B . . . .Nine plus six is 15 again. Only the two wall sides carry shelves, so the room stays walkable.
Materials for the table and 15 bookshelves
The table needs one book; the 15 bookshelves need another 45. That's 46 books in total, which gives this overall requirement:
| Material | Amount |
|---|---|
| Books | 46 |
| Paper (or sugar cane) | 138 |
| Leather | 46 |
| Planks | 90 |
| Diamonds | 2 |
| Obsidian | 4 |
To mine the obsidian you also need a diamond or Netherite pickaxe.
How enchanting works
- Open the table, insert your item and add lapis lazuli.
- Three offers appear – the bottom row shows the highest tier (up to level 30).
- Click an offer. For the top option you must have at least level 30, but only 3 levels and 3 lapis are consumed.
| Slot | Lapis cost | Level cost | Required level (max.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | up to 8 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | up to 19 |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | up to 30 |
The mysterious script next to the offers is the Standard Galactic Alphabet. The words shown don't reliably tell you which enchantment you'll get, though – they're purely decorative.
Rerolling enchantment offers
If you don't like the three offers, briefly taking the item out won't help. Instead, enchant a cheap item or a book with the first option. After that, the offers are rerolled. This usually costs one lapis lazuli and one experience level.
What enchantments can you get from the table?
The table offers a random selection that depends on the item and the tier you pick. Which enchantment belongs on which item, how high each one goes and which combinations rule each other out is a topic of its own – the full reference lives in all Minecraft enchantments.
Two things are worth knowing before you start enchanting here:
- Not everything comes from the table. A handful of strong enchantments can never be rolled at it (see the next section).
- The table is only the first step. Top-tier gear is usually finished at the anvil, by combining enchanted books with an already enchanted item.
Treasure enchantments: not available from the table
Some strong enchantments can never be obtained directly from the enchanting table, and where they come from varies from one to the next:
| Treasure enchantment | Effect | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Mending | Repairs gear with collected experience | among others via librarians, fishing and certain loot chests |
| Frost Walker | Creates ice under your feet as you walk | among others via librarians, fishing and loot chests |
| Soul Speed | Increases speed on soul sand and soul soil | mainly through piglin bartering and in bastion remnants |
| Swift Sneak | Increases movement speed while sneaking; applied to leggings | exclusively as loot in ancient city chests |
Why isn't my enchanting table working at level 30?
If the third slot doesn't show level 30, at least one bookshelf isn't being counted. Work through this list – the cause is almost always in it:
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No level 30 option at all | fewer than 15 shelves are being counted | check the count against one of the layouts above |
| Some shelves clearly don't count | something sits in the gap: torch, carpet, slab, snow layer, flower | clear the ring completely, leave one empty block |
| Shelves right at the table do nothing | they are adjacent instead of two blocks away | move them out to the 5×5 outline |
| Shelves further out do nothing | they sit outside the 5×5 outline | only the outline counts, nothing beyond it |
| Shelves on an upper floor do nothing | they are more than one level above the table | valid heights are the table's level and one block higher |
| Everything looks right, still no 30 | chiseled bookshelves were used | only normal bookshelves power the table |
| Level 30 offer greyed out | you are below 30 experience levels | reach level 30 – the enchantment itself then costs only 3 |
Frequently asked questions about the enchanting table
How many bookshelves does an enchanting table need? For the maximum offer tier of 30, you need 15 active bookshelves.
How much space to the table is required? Exactly one block must stay free between the table and the bookshelf.
Is more than 15 bookshelves worth it? No. More than 15 active bookshelves won't raise the maximum enchantment level.
Why do I need level 30 when only three are deducted? For the top option you must have at least level 30. Enchanting itself only consumes three levels and three lapis lazuli.
Can you get Mending from the enchanting table? No. Mending is a treasure enchantment and isn't offered directly at the table.
Can enchantments be removed? Most enchantments can be removed with a grindstone. Curses stay on the item.
Do chiseled bookshelves work with the enchanting table? No. Powering the table requires normal bookshelves.
What does the script on the table mean? The characters are the Standard Galactic Alphabet. The words don't reliably tell you which enchantment you'll receive.
Do corner bookshelves count? Yes. Every position on the outline of the 5×5 square counts, diagonals included – as long as the block between the shelf and the table stays empty.
Can bookshelves sit above the enchanting table? Shelves count on the table's own level and one block higher. Anything further up is ignored, which is exactly what makes the two-level layouts above work.
How do I reroll bad enchantment offers? Taking the item out and putting it back changes nothing. Enchant something cheap – a book in the first slot works well – and the three offers are rerolled afterwards. That costs one level and one lapis lazuli.
How much XP does a level 30 enchantment really cost? You have to reach level 30 to unlock the top offer, but taking it only consumes 3 levels and 3 lapis lazuli. That is why the level requirement and the actual price are so far apart.
Next steps
- Which enchantment belongs on which item and what rules each other out: All Minecraft enchantments.
- Enchantments are fully kept during the Netherite upgrade – so go ahead and enchant your diamond gear first.
- Mending books come from librarians: Minecraft villager jobs.
- Want to enchant, build and explore a world with friends? Learn how to create a Minecraft server, or rent a ready-made Minecraft server at DeinServerHost – managed through the web panel, prepaid, with no fixed contract term.