Is a golden shovel actually good for anything?

Not really. It's weak and breaks fast. The only real use is that it digs sand and dirt slightly faster than other tools, so some players use it for terraforming. With Efficiency III you can make it work okay, but just grab a diamond or iron shovel instead.

Can you make a golden shovel in Survival mode?

Yes. Get 1 gold ingot and 2 sticks, put them in a crafting table in a vertical line with the gold on top, and you're done.

What's the difference between golden_shovel and other item IDs?

In newer versions (1.13+) all shovels just use their name like golden_shovel. In older versions (1.8-1.12) you had to add a data value, which was 0 for the golden shovel. That's it.

Can you use a golden shovel for PvP?

Not really. It does +1 damage just like a wooden shovel, so it's useless in fights. Just use a sword instead.

Which Minecraft versions have golden shovels?

All of them. Java Edition 1.8 and up has golden shovels. The only difference is where they appear in the creative inventory and how you reference them in commands.

How to Craft a Golden Shovel in Minecraft

What is a Golden Shovel?

A golden shovel is one of the basic tools in Minecraft. It’s pretty bad for survival mode though. The attack damage is only +1 and durability is only 32 uses before it breaks. But it’s still useful for digging and moving dirt, sand, and gravel faster than with your hands.

Crafting Recipe for Golden Shovel

You need 2 materials to make a golden shovel:

1 Gold Ingot
2 Sticks

Place them in your crafting table in this pattern:

Top row: gold ingot in the middle
Middle row: stick in the middle
Bottom row: stick in the middle

The three items need to line up vertically in the middle column. Once you place them, the golden shovel appears on the right. Grab it and you’re done.

Finding It in Creative Mode

Java Edition (PC/Mac)

If you’re playing in creative mode, here’s where the golden shovel appears in your inventory:

Versions 1.8 through 1.19: Tools tab
Versions 1.19.3 through 1.20: Tools & Utilities tab

Item ID and Commands

Item Name and ID

In Java Edition, the golden shovel is called golden_shovel in game commands.

For versions 1.13 and newer, there’s no data value. In older versions (1.8-1.12), the data value is 0.

Give Command

To give yourself a golden shovel with commands:

Java 1.13+: /give @p golden_shovel 1

Java 1.8-1.12: /give @p golden_shovel 1 0

Stats: Damage and Durability

Here’s how the golden shovel stacks up against other shovels:

Shovel Type	Attack Damage	Durability
Netherite Shovel	6.5	2031
Diamond Shovel	4	1561
Iron Shovel	3	250
Stone Shovel	2	131
Wooden Shovel	1	59
Golden Shovel	1	32

As you can see, the golden shovel is basically a toy. It’s about as weak as a wooden shovel but breaks way faster. The only upside is that gold mines faster than wood, so it’s slightly useful for digging sand or dirt quickly if you need to.

What Enchantments Work?

You can enchant a golden shovel with:

Efficiency – mines blocks faster
Silk Touch – picks up delicate blocks like grass and mycelium
Fortune – drops more items when mining ore and some blocks
Unbreaking – makes the durability last longer
Mending – repairs the tool using experience points
Curse of Vanishing – disappears when you die (not useful)

If you want to make a golden shovel worth using, throw Efficiency III and Unbreaking III on it. It’ll still break fast, but at least you’ll dig quickly.