How To Make A Lead In Minecraft? 2026 [Expert Crafting Guide]

Updated by Ashish Arya
August 6, 2025
GamingHow ToMinecraftTutorials

Have you ever tried herding animals in Minecraft, only to watch them wander off in every direction? I’ve been there countless times, and let me tell you – it’s frustrating! That’s exactly why the lead (also called a leash) is one of the most essential tools in your Minecraft arsenal. Whether you’re trying to transport your newly-found horse back to base, creating a mob farm, or just keeping your pet llama from wandering into lava, mastering the lead is crucial for any serious Minecraft player.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll show you exactly how to craft a lead in Minecraft, where to find the materials, alternative methods to obtain them, and pro tips that’ll make you a mob-wrangling expert. Plus, I’ll cover the exciting new changes coming to lead crafting in 2026 that’ll make your life so much easier!

Quick Minecraft Lead Crafting Overview

Aspect	Details
Materials Needed	4 String + 1 Slimeball (or 5 String in new update)
Crafting Output	2 Leads per craft
Primary Use	Leashing and transporting mobs
Works On	Most passive and neutral mobs, boats, Happy Ghasts
Maximum Range	10-12 blocks (16 for Happy Ghasts)

What is a Lead in Minecraft?

A lead is a utility item that allows you to leash and guide passive and neutral mobs around your world. Think of it as a rope or leash that connects you to an animal, letting you pull them along as you move. But here’s the cool part – leads aren’t just for moving mobs! You can also:

Tie mobs to fence posts to keep them in place
Leash boats for water transportation (Bedrock Edition, coming to Java)
Create mob caravans by leashing multiple animals
Control Happy Ghasts in the air (new 2026 feature)
Suspend mobs in mid-air for creative builds

Materials You Need to Craft a Lead in Minecraft

Current Recipe (As of March 2026)

To craft leads in Minecraft, you’ll need:

4 String – Obtained from:
- Killing spiders (drop 0-2 string)
- Breaking cobwebs with a sword
- Fishing (rare catch)
- Cat gifts (tamed cats bring string)
- Striders in the Nether
1 Slimeball – Obtained from:
- Killing slimes in swamps (nighttime)
- Slimes in underground slime chunks
- Breaking slime blocks (gives 9 slimeballs)
- Baby pandas sneezing (rare)
- Wandering trader trades

New Recipe Coming Soon (Summer Drop 2026)

Great news! Mojang is updating the lead recipe to make it more accessible:

5 String only – No slimeball required!
Same crafting output (2 leads)
Already available in snapshot 25w18a

This change is a game-changer because finding slimes can be incredibly frustrating, especially for new players who haven’t located a swamp biome yet.

Step-by-Step Lead Crafting Guide (March 2026)

How to Make a Lead (Current Recipe)

Open your Crafting Table – Right-click on a placed crafting table to access the 3×3 grid
Place the String in this exact pattern:
- Top row: String in slots 1 and 2
- Middle row: String in slot 1
- Bottom row: String in slot 3
Add the Slimeball – Place it in the middle slot (row 2, slot 2)
Collect your Leads – Drag the 2 leads from the result box into your inventory

[S][S][ ]
[S][B][ ]
[ ][ ][S]

S = String
B = Slimeball

New Lead Recipe (Available in Latest Snapshots)

[S][S][ ]
[S][S][ ]
[ ][ ][S]

S = String

Simply replace the slimeball with another string in the same position!

2026 Alternative Ways to Get Leads in Minecraft

Don’t want to craft? No problem! Here are other ways to obtain leads:

1. Wandering Trader Method (My Favorite!)

The wandering trader spawns with two llamas on leads. You can:

Put the llamas in boats/minecarts (lead drops instantly)
Kill the trader or llamas (not recommended)
Use shears on the lead (new 2026 feature)

2. Chest Loot

Find leads in these structures:

Woodland Mansions – 28.3% chance
Ancient Cities – 16.1% chance
Buried Treasure – 34.3% chance (Bedrock only)

3. Archaeology

Trail Ruins – 2.2% chance when brushing suspicious gravel

4. Trading

Some players report being able to buy leads from wandering traders for emeralds, though this isn’t consistent across all versions.

How to Use a Lead Like a Pro in 2026?

Basic Leashing

Equip the lead in your hotbar
Right-click (or use button on console) on a mob
The mob will now follow you within 10 blocks

Tying to Fences

Leash a mob first
Right-click a fence post while holding the lead
The mob stays within 5 blocks of the fence
To release: right-click the fence knot

Advanced Techniques

Creating Mob Caravans

You can leash multiple llamas together! When you leash one llama, nearby llamas will follow in a line, creating a caravan. This works with up to 10 llamas following the leader.

Vertical Transportation

Mobs suspended 7+ blocks in the air will hang from the lead. I use this for:

Creating floating animal displays
Moving mobs up cliffs safely
Building mob elevators

Happy Ghast Flying (2026 Feature)

With the new update, you can:

Leash Happy Ghasts for aerial transportation
Attach boats/chest boats underneath
Create flying storage systems!

Which Mobs Can Be Leashed?

Currently Leashable Mobs

Here’s every mob you can leash with a lead:

Passive Mobs:

Allay
Axolotl
Bee
Camel
Cat
Chicken
Cow/Mooshroom
Dolphin
Donkey/Mule
Fox
Frog
Goat
Horse/Skeleton Horse/Zombie Horse
Llama/Trader Llama
Ocelot
Parrot
Pig
Polar Bear
Rabbit
Sheep
Sniffer
Squid/Glow Squid
Strider
Wolf

Neutral/Other Mobs:

Hoglin/Zoglin
Iron Golem
Snow Golem
Boat (all variants)
Happy Ghast (new!)
Copper Golem (coming Fall 2026)

Cannot Be Leashed (Without Commands)

Villagers
Hostile mobs (zombies, skeletons, etc.)
Ender Dragon
Wither
Bats
Fish
Turtles

Pro Tips and Tricks (March 2026)

1. Lead Breaking Mechanics

Leads break at 10 blocks distance (12 in newer versions)
Happy Ghasts get 16 blocks range
Leads drop as items when broken (except in Creative mode on Java)
Projectiles can break leads attached to fences

2. Nether Portal Behavior

If YOU go through a portal while holding a lead, it stays attached
If the MOB goes through, the lead breaks and drops

3. Chunk Loading Issues

Always keep leashed mobs in loaded chunks! If a chunk unloads:

The lead breaks
The mob might despawn
You lose your lead

4. Combat Applications

Leashed hostile wolves still attack but remain tethered
Great for creating guard dog posts
Leads don’t break when the mob attacks

5. Slime Farming Tips

Since slimeballs are currently required:

Swamps spawn slimes on full moon nights
Build platforms at Y=40 in swamp biomes
Use looting enchantment for more drops
Find slime chunks with online seed analyzers

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Moving Too Fast – Sprint-jumping will break leads quickly
Forgetting About Cliffs – Mobs take fall damage if dropped from height
Not Bringing Extras – Always carry 4-6 leads for long journeys
Ignoring Water – Some mobs move slowly in water, stretching leads
Portal Placement – Keep portals away from leashed mob areas

The Future of Leads in Minecraft

Confirmed Changes Coming in 2026

New Crafting Recipe – 5 string instead of 4 string + 1 slimeball
Shears Functionality – Cut leads without killing mobs
Mob-to-Mob Leashing – Create complex mob chains
Boat Leashing – Now in Java Edition too
Extended Range – Some mobs get longer lead distances

Potential Future Updates

Based on community feedback and recent Minecraft development, we might see:

Colored leads using dyes
Unbreakable leads with netherite
Chain leads for industrial looks
Wireless/redstone-activated leads

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you craft leads without slimeballs?

Not yet in the official release, but the Summer Drop 2026 update will allow crafting with just 5 string! You can test this in snapshot 25w18a right now.

Why do my leads keep breaking?

The most common reason is distance – stay within 10 blocks of your leashed mob. Also check for:

Mobs getting stuck on blocks
Height differences over 10 blocks
Chunk loading issues
Projectiles hitting the lead knot

Can you leash villagers?

Not in vanilla Minecraft without commands. However, you can transport villagers using:

Boats
Minecarts
Job site blocks to lure them
Zombie conversion method (risky!)

Do leashed mobs despawn?

No! Leashing a mob prevents despawning, making leads perfect for keeping that rare mob you found. Just ensure they stay in loaded chunks.

How many mobs can you leash at once?

There’s no hard limit! I’ve personally led 15+ animals at once, though it gets chaotic. Each mob needs its own lead, so bring plenty.

Can hostile mobs be leashed?

Only with commands or NBT editors. The only exceptions are:

Hoglins and Zoglins (neutral)
Wolves when hostile (if already leashed)

What’s the best way to get string quickly?

I recommend:

Spider farms – Most efficient for bulk string
Mineshaft cobwebs – Great for early game
Cat gifts – Passive income while you sleep
Fishing – Slow but works anywhere with water

Will wandering traders run out of leads to steal?

Each wandering trader spawns with exactly 2 leads (one per llama). They respawn regularly, so it’s an infinite source – just not very fast!

Conclusion

Mastering leads in Minecraft transforms how you interact with mobs and opens up countless possibilities for farms, transportation, and creative builds. Whether you’re using the current recipe with slimeballs or waiting for the simpler string-only version, leads are absolutely essential for any serious Minecraft player.

The upcoming changes in 2026 make leads more accessible than ever, especially for new players who struggle to find slimes. Combined with new features like Happy Ghast leashing and mob-to-mob connections, we’re entering an exciting era for mob management in Minecraft.

Now that you know everything about crafting and using leads, it’s time to put this knowledge into practice! Start by gathering those strings, hunting some slimes (or waiting for the update), and transforming your chaotic animal pens into organized farms. Your future self will thank you when you’re effortlessly leading a caravan of llamas loaded with treasures back to your base.

What’s your favorite use for leads? Have you tried the new features in the snapshots? Let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to check out our other Minecraft guides for more tips and tricks!

Happy crafting, and may your leads never break at the worst possible moment!