Villager Trading Guide

Overview

Villager trading is the backbone of Minecraft's endgame economy. With the right setup, you can obtain enchanted diamond gear, infinite emeralds, and rare items like Mending books — all without ever mining. Each villager profession offers unique trades that unlock as the villager levels up, from Novice to Master.

The key to efficient trading is curing zombie villagers for permanent discounts and rerolling trades by breaking and replacing workstations.

Best Villager Professions

Librarian: The most valuable profession. Novice Librarians offer enchanted books, including Mending — the single most important trade in the game. Break and replace the lectern until Mending appears.

Farmer: Farmers buy crops for emeralds, making them the backbone of an emerald farm. Carrot, potato, and beetroot trades are cheap and renewable.

Armorer, Toolsmith, Weaponsmith: These offer diamond armor and tools at Master level. With zombie curing discounts, a full set of Protection IV diamond armor costs just a few emeralds.

Cleric: Clerics trade Ender Pearls at Master level, eliminating the need to hunt Endermen.

Curing Zombie Villagers

When a zombie villager is cured with a Splash Potion of Weakness followed by a Golden Apple, it becomes a normal villager with permanent discounts. All trades are reduced by 75% or more, and the discount never fades.

To maximize this, convert a zombie villager multiple times. Each cure stacks the discount, eventually making trades cost just one emerald. This is the key to cheap diamond gear and infinite emeralds.

Trading Hall Design

Build a trading hall with individual 1x2 cells for each villager. Place the workstation (lectern, grindstone, etc.) in front of the cell so you can access the villager through a trapdoor or fence gate.

For Librarians, place a lectern and check the trade. If the book is not Mending or another valuable enchantment, break the lectern and place it again to reroll. Repeat until you get Mending, then lock the trade by trading once. The villager keeps its profession forever.

Emerald Farming

Farmers are the key to infinite emeralds. Set up a farmer with a composter and a crop farm. The farmer auto-harvests and replants crops. Trade the crops for emeralds — a single farmer can generate a stack of emeralds per game day.

Combine with a cured farmer for maximum efficiency. Master-level farmers also trade pumpkin and melon slices, which are highly efficient emerald trades.

Pro Tip: To cure a zombie villager, throw a Splash Potion of Weakness at it (use a lingering potion for easier aim), then right-click with a Golden Apple. Wait 2-5 minutes — the villager shakes and converts. The permanent discount is worth the wait.