WITS (What Is This Structure?) Mod Guide: Identify Any Structure Instantly
WITS adds a simple but incredibly useful command to Minecraft: type /wits and instantly see the registry name of every structure around you. Whether you're exploring a mysterious ruin or trying to confirm a modded structure's identity, WITS gives you the answer in one command.
Overview
WITS (What Is This Structure?) is a lightweight utility mod that adds two commands to Minecraft: /wits for all players, and /witsop for server operators. The mod contains no items, blocks, or crafting recipes. It does one thing and does it well: it tells you the registry name of every structure at your current position.
This is particularly valuable in modded Minecraft, where dozens of mods may add structures to world generation. When you stumble across an unfamiliar building, ruin, or dungeon, running /wits instantly tells you which mod added it and what it's called. The mod works on both singleplayer worlds and multiplayer servers, and vanilla clients can use the base /wits command on servers that have the mod installed.
Getting Started
- 1
Install and Load
Once WITS is in your mods folder, there's nothing else to set up. The mod registers its commands automatically when the world loads. No configuration files, no keybinds, no items to craft.
- 2
Find a Structure
Travel to any structure in your world. This can be a vanilla Village, a Stronghold, a Woodland Mansion, or any structure added by other mods. Walk inside the structure's boundaries so you're standing within it.
- 3
Run /wits
Open the chat window and type /wits. The mod will check every registered structure type against your current position and print out a list of all structures whose bounding boxes contain you. Structure names appear in gold text with their full registry names (e.g., minecraft:village or byg:ancient_sequoia_tree).
- 4
Read the Output
If you're inside a structure, the chat will show "Structure(s) at your location:" followed by a bulleted list of registry names. If no structures are detected, you'll see "There's no structures at your location." The registry name format is modid:structure_name, which tells you both which mod added the structure and its internal name.
Commands
/wits (All Players)
The base command requires permission level 0, meaning any player on the server can use it without being an operator. When you run /wits, the mod grabs your current block position and checks it against the bounding box of every registered structure in the game. It iterates through the entire Structure registry, queries each structure's start data for the chunk you're in, and filters the results to only include structures whose bounding boxes actually contain your coordinates.
The command takes no arguments. It always checks your exact standing position. If you're overlapping with multiple structures (which can happen at structure boundaries or with large modded structures), all of them will be listed.
/witsop (Operators Only)
The operator command requires permission level 2 and accepts two parameters: a dimension and a coordinate. The syntax is /witsop <dimension> <x> <y> <z>. This lets server operators or singleplayer world owners check for structures at any location in any dimension without needing to physically travel there.
For example, /witsop minecraft:the_nether 100 40 200 will check for structures at those Nether coordinates. This is useful for server admins investigating terrain issues, checking if a modded structure spawned correctly, or verifying world generation without teleporting.
Not everything that looks like a structure is technically a "structure" in Minecraft's code. Vanilla Dungeons (monster spawner rooms) and Desert Wells are classified as features, not structures. Features save no data about themselves to chunks after world generation, so WITS cannot detect them. As a rule of thumb, if it shows up with the /locate command, WITS can detect it. If /locate can't find it, neither can WITS.
Practical Uses
Identifying Modded Structures
In heavily modded worlds, you'll encounter buildings, towers, ruins, and dungeons that could come from any of dozens of mods. WITS takes the guesswork out of it. The registry name format modid:structure_name immediately tells you which mod is responsible. This is invaluable when you find a cool structure and want to know which mod to thank, or when a structure is causing problems and you need to know which mod's config to adjust.
Server Administration
Server operators benefit from /witsop's ability to remotely check any coordinates in any dimension. If a player reports a broken or glitched structure, an admin can verify what structure type occupies that space without leaving their current position. This also helps when auditing world generation settings or debugging structure overlap issues between mods.
Structure-Specific Loot and Mechanics
Many mods tie special mechanics to structure bounding boxes. Mob spawning rules, loot table overrides, or special effects might only activate inside certain structures. Knowing the exact structure name helps you look up what special behavior applies to the area you're in, and confirms whether you're actually inside the structure's boundaries or just near it.
WITS only needs to be installed on the server. Vanilla clients connecting to a WITS-enabled server can use the /wits command without having the mod installed on their end. This makes it an easy addition to any server without requiring players to download anything.
Command Reference
| Command | /wits |
| Permission Level | 0 (all players) |
| Arguments | None |
| Op Command | /witsop <dimension> <x> <y> <z> |
| Op Permission Level | 2 (operator) |
| Server-side Only | Yes (vanilla clients work) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does /wits say there's no structure when I'm clearly inside one?
The build you're in might be a "feature" rather than a "structure" in Minecraft's code. Features (like vanilla Dungeons and Desert Wells) don't save positional data to chunks after generation, so no mod can detect them after the fact. If /locate can't find it, WITS can't detect it either. You might also be standing just outside the structure's bounding box. Try moving to the center of the build.
Does WITS work with modded structures from other mods?
Yes. WITS iterates through Minecraft's entire Structure registry, which includes all structures registered by any mod. If a modded structure is properly registered (as nearly all are), WITS will detect it and display its full registry name including the mod ID prefix.
Do players on a server need to install WITS on their client?
No. WITS is a server-side mod. When installed on the server, the /wits command becomes available to all connected clients, including vanilla (unmodded) clients. Only the /witsop command is restricted to operators.
Can non-operator players use /witsop?
No. The /witsop command requires operator permission level 2. Regular players can only use the base /wits command, which checks their own position. This keeps things balanced on servers by preventing players from remotely scanning the world.
Can WITS detect multiple overlapping structures?
Yes. The mod checks every registered structure type and reports all matches. If your position falls within the bounding boxes of multiple structures (which can happen at boundaries or in dense modded worlds), all of them will be listed in the output.