Updated 4 October 2026: we removed the step-by-step botting advice, corrected the history of Jagex's anti-bot updates, and added what Jagex's current rules say about bots.
OSRS botting means using software that plays Old School RuneScape for you. Bots train skills, gather resources or farm gold without a person at the controls. It breaks Jagex's rules, and Jagex says bot users are likely to be banned, even on a first offence. This page explains how bots work, how they get caught and why they hurt the game. It does not explain how to bot.
All about Old School RuneScape botting
- What is OSRS botting?
- What can OSRS bots do?
- Types of RuneScape bots
- How bots get caught
- Is OSRS botting worth it?
You may have seen a bot yourself: a group of characters with odd names standing on the same tile, fishing or chopping in the same pattern for hours.
What is OSRS botting?
Botting, also called macroing, is using third-party software to perform tasks in the game automatically. It is usually done to farm gold or resources, or to level skills without a player in front of the screen.
Jagex's Rules of RuneScape forbid it. The rules say: "Our games are meant to be played by humans - if you cheat, you are likely to be banned, even if it is the first time you have broken the rules." Jagex can also reset skill levels or bank value before a ban.
Learn more about the risks of running an OSRS bot.
What can OSRS bots do?
A simple bot repeats one loop: mine ore until the inventory is full, bank it and go back. More advanced bots can run several activities, sell items on the Grand Exchange, and do quests, minigames and bosses.
Bots often follow fixed routes and repeat the same actions, so they can stand out to a player who is paying attention.
In our view, bots crowd out real players at popular spots and make legitimate achievements look cheaper.
Types of RuneScape bots
Bots can be grouped by what they do or by how they read the game. This section uses the second grouping.
Colour bots
A colour bot looks at the screen the way a player does. It finds a colour or shape and clicks on it. These bots are the simplest kind. Jagex has broken many of them by changing colours or graphics in the game.
Injection bots
An injection bot puts itself into the game client and reads the client's code, so it knows what is happening without looking at the screen. That lets it do more complex tasks. Jagex has fought these bots by changing the code the bot depends on, so the bot reads the wrong thing.
Reflection bots
A reflection bot reads a copy of the game client's code instead of changing the client itself. Many bots combine injection and reflection to gather more data.
On 25 October 2011, Jagex released an update for RuneScape code-named ClusterFlutterer. It changed how bots could reach the game code and added false code for them to read. Jagex said at the time that over 1.5 million bots had recently been banned.
How bots get caught
Jagex's rules say it employs a team whose job is to find players who cheat, and that the team keeps improving its tools "so that all types of cheating can be detected." The rules also say that software sellers who call a bot "can not be detected" or "ban proof" are not telling the truth.
Players can also report a suspected bot with the Report button below the chatbox. "Macroing or use of bots" is one of the rules on the report list.
Running a bot also puts the botter at risk outside the game. Bot downloads, especially "cracked" copies, can carry keyloggers and other malware that steal accounts.
Is OSRS botting worth it?
No. Botting breaks Jagex's rules, and Jagex says bot users are likely to be banned even on a first offence. A ban can also reach other accounts: the rules say that if any of your accounts gained items or wealth through macro use, all your accounts may be banned. On top of that, botters risk losing money and personal data to the people who sell bot software.
Jagex says its rules exist to deal with "cheating and other activities that might ruin things for players who choose to play fairly." Botting is one of those activities.
Sources
- Jagex rules: the Rules of RuneScape page on legal.jagex.com, section "Macroing and third-party software/hardware", read on 4 October 2026.
- How bots work and the history of anti-bot updates: the OSRS Wiki pages Botting and Code of Conduct, read on 4 October 2026.
- Who did this: an AI editor checked the facts and edited this page from the sources above.
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Item, boss and game images: © Jagex, from the Old School RuneScape Wiki.