About the Hypixel Watchdog System
In this article, we will explain what Watchdog is, why you may have been banned by it, how you can prevent yourself from being banned, and other commonly asked questions.
If your appeal has been denied by the Hypixel Appeals Team on the forums, this support service cannot change their decision — it is final.
What is Watchdog?
Watchdog is our Cheat Detection System. Watchdog actively monitors all players on the network detecting irregularities from a vanilla client or improbable behavior to determine if a person is using unfair advantages or not.
When Watchdog detects a user using unfair advantages, it records the data of the player to be punished at a later time, or is immediately removed from the game depending on the severity of the unfair advantage.
Why was I banned?
You were monitored, caught, and confirmed to be in one or more of the following categories:
- Actively using one or more unfair advantages on the network
- A mod you were running was sending irregular data to the server
- The use of a macro or AutoClicker
How do I appeal my ban?
To appeal a punishment, please go here: https://hypixel.net/appeals/create
You MUST have your account linked to appeal.
Appeals sent in any other way (e.g. private message, email, etc) will be directed back to the appeals section here with no further answer. If you have received a response on your appeal that decision is final and it will not change.
What can I do to stop this from happening?
1. Make sure to read and follow our latest network rules.
2. Check to see if your modifications are allowed on our network.
3. Do not use any automated or toggling macros.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is X modification allowed on the server?
You can find out more about allowed modifications here. If the modification provides any form of advantage over other users then we strongly recommend removing it.
OptiFine is allowed as it’s main purpose is to provide an FPS (Frames-Per-Second) boost to players.
Will I ever be 100% sure that my modification(s) are safe?
No. For that reason we recommend a 100% vanilla client when possible.
Can a staff member tell me if a modification is allowed?
No. We DO NOT approve modifications on request. If you want to know if a modification is allowed on the network, our recommendation is not to use it, we can refer you to our whitelisted modifications thread here.
If I have modifications installed but aren’t actively using them, am I at risk?
If the modification is still running but you are not using its features, you are still at risk of being punished. Some modifications interact with the server even if you aren’t actively using them. But, simply having modifications downloaded on your computer will not put you at risk. Although beware that some cheats often contain malicious code to steal information or install other malicious software on your computer. Use good judgment when running programs downloaded online.
I have used modifications in the past, am I at risk of being banned?
No, as long as they are no longer installed and you are no longer using them on the server.
Does Watchdog access any of my computer’s files?
No, Watchdog is entirely server side.
Will I be banned if I have a glitchy/laggy connection?
No. Lag does not affect Watchdog. Players may experience increased rollbacks as a result of lag, but lag itself will not cause Watchdog to ban players.
Is there a chance I can be falsely banned by Watchdog?
We will only ever confirm and commit to 100% positive bans which fit into one or more «Why was I banned?» categories. If you believe you have been falsely banned by Watchdog please submit an appeal in on the forums.
How does the stat wipe system work?
On a Watchdog punishment the user will receive a wipe from all leaderboards. Once the users temporary ban has expired and before returning to the leaderboard system their stat’s will be wiped.
Does Watchdog differentiate between ranks?
No, justice is blind. It does not care which rank you have.
What can I do if I spot a cheater in my game?
You can report the player using /report and a report will be forwarded for review by our game masters. It is important to report cheaters you encounter, as that way if a cheater is not being detected by Watchdog, our game masters can remove the cheater from the game as quickly as possible. We can also learn why Watchdog was unable to detect the player for cheating and improve our cheat detection methods.
Why are some cheaters not banned by Watchdog?
Watchdog is not a perfect system and can sometimes miss cheaters that are using certain methods to cheat. Additionally, some players may be using cheats that are not detectable by Watchdog, due to cheat developers constantly changing their methods. It is a constant mouse and cat game between us and the client developers, we just have to try our best to be one step ahead of the cheaters.
If you come across a cheater who has only recently started cheating, it may take us some time to determine whether they are actually cheating or not. In order to prevent cheaters from learning how to avoid getting banned, we may also decide to ban them at a later point. That is why it is crucial to report any cheaters you encounter — as you will also receive a message letting you know if the cheater was removed from the network. By reporting cheaters, you are helping us keep the game fair for everyone.
Will Hypixel ever be cheater free?
No, it is impossible for any game to be completely free from cheaters. Cheaters will always find new methods to gain an unfair advantage. But, we can slowly work towards the goal of heavily limiting the cheaters impact on gameplay, to the point where cheating is no longer fun, or where the cheater has little to no advantage over a normal player.
Watchdog command
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TaPele
Active Member
Joined Jun 27, 2015 Messages 25 Reaction score 5
Hi everybody. I wanted to know how the watchdogreport command works. In my opinion, I think it should work like this: You use the command, and that player because that hack goes to a staff list and moderators, helpers, and the staff tries to watch the hacker moves in order to know if they are true.
Anyway, there is another server called removed which has an excellent system to ban. You could look for it. Thanks for reading!
How to bypass WatchDog (100% working Sep. 2016!)
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Quadruplet
Active Member
Joined Apr 14, 2015 Messages 119 Reaction score 122
1. Go to your Run
2. Type in %AppData%
3. Go to .minecraft
4. Go to the Versions folder.
5. See your hacked client(s), right click the folder, and delete them.
6. Launch Minecraft, go to Profile Editor, and delete all the profiles with hacks on them.
7. Click Play and go into Minecraft.
8. Go on Hypixel.
9. You will never get banned if you follow these steps and don’t edit your Versions folder.
10. Have fun!
Is there any chance to get unbanned after a Watchdog ban?
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Emilius123
New Member
Joined Oct 30, 2017 Messages 2 Reaction score 1
Hey yall. Around 2/3 years ago, I got banned for hacking. (Yes, I was that dumb and really regret it.)
2 months ago, I really wanted to play on Hypixel again, since it’s one of my most favourite servers and got the bright idea of appealing.
Though my appeal was denied by a probably automated/lazily copy-pasted message, that didn’t even refference my appeal and how sorry and regretful I am.
Spoiler: Message
Still, I really really want to play again, so is there any, any slight chance of me getting unbanned with something like another appeal?
Thanks in advance — Emilius123
plazar
Dedicated Member
Joined Oct 2, 2019 Messages 4,091 Reaction score 2,102
There is only one appeal per punishment. Once it gets denied, you cannot appeal again for the same punishment.
It’s really nice to see when a cheater decides to give up cheating and turn into a normal player! You can’t play on Hypixel anymore, but there are a lot of other servers where you could have just as much fun. Try looking for some!
Neoteric
Well-Known Member
Joined Jun 7, 2018 Messages 835 Reaction score 204
your only chance would be a new account, but that is also against the rules soooooooo
Subblime
Dedicated Member
Joined May 26, 2019 Messages 2,388 Reaction score 854
Hey yall. Around 2/3 years ago, I got banned for hacking. (Yes, I was that dumb and really regret it.)
2 months ago, I really wanted to play on Hypixel again, since it’s one of my most favourite servers and got the bright idea of appealing.
Though my appeal was denied by a probably automated/lazily copy-pasted message, that didn’t even refference my appeal and how sorry and regretful I am.
Spoiler: Message
Still, I really really want to play again, so is there any, any slight chance of me getting unbanned with something like another appeal?
Thanks in advance — Emilius123
If it is a false ban, there is a chance that you can get unbanned after a watchdog ban. In your case, it is a permanent ban. Even if you are sorry, you still deserve your ban and therefore are going to stay banned.