Best OSRS Botting Guide 2023
This guide is primarily aimed at botting a single main account.
For what to use for every skill, see skilling guide
Why I started botting
As someone who used to play Runescape back in the day, I was excited to revisit the game recently and see how it had changed. But as I started playing, I quickly realized that things were not as I remembered them.
The grind. Oh my god, the grind. I remember spending hours and hours grinding out levels in various skills, but I had forgotten just how long it took to make any real progress. And yet there was so much content time-locked behind weeks or months worth of grinding. I just don’t have the same amount of free time to devote to the game, not to mention the hundreds of other games I could be playing instead.
I just wanted to experience the game within a reasonable amount of time. A typical triple A game can be completed in 50 hours, and yet singular skills in OSRS can take hundreds of hours to grind.
How far did I get?
My main account is over 2.1k total level with no bans on record, not even a temporary one.
My primary goals were to experience the game and test the limits of AHK botting, getting on the high scores or maxing mean nothing to me.
Most of my GP was made through playing the game and merching with no intentions to RWT, I’d rather just not have to worry about membership so I could have an account ready to develop scripts.
Other than my main, I’ve made numerous other accounts mostly for testing scripts which still rarely triggered bans unless I was deliberately suiciding the account.
Best bot to use in 2023
In June 2023, thousands of players were banned for using third party clients.
Although botting clients can have very complex botting scripts, they will always run the risk of detection. The same scripts you use on these clients are also run by hundreds if not thousands of other accounts and is not worth the risk.
AHK and macro recorders are the most lightweight, flexible and undetected solution which will also work on the Official client even if third party clients are ever completely disabled.
Number 1 rule to avoid bans
If you don’t bot, you won’t get banned
I have never heard of a legit player getting banned for botting. Anyone that claimed they were falsely banned eventually admitted to botting/clienting.
How is this useful? If your bot gameplay matches exactly how you normally play, then there is ZERO risk of getting banned. Since applying this tip, I have never been banned on my main account.
I achieved this by writing my own AHK scripts and Macro Recorder which I’ve improved to be easily customisable for anyone to use.
Use legitimate clients
Only use approved clients by Jagex. Development builds of Runelite are also included as safe to use as confirmed by the developer of Runelite.
Do not use VPNs or proxies
Anyone trying to sell you VPNs or proxies to “reduce bans” is just trying to make a quick buck off you. Your best IP is your home IP.
IP ranges from well known providers are public information and are an immediate flag e.g. AWS https://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/aws-ip-ranges.html
Smaller providers will not necessarily give you a unique IP and instead will increase your chance of getting banned.
Using a Macro recorder to avoid bans
Humans are not completely random, everyone has their own pattern. Using a macro recorder captures this unique randomness and identifies your account as a real player.
Ordinary macro recorders only let you record and playback a single recording, however to fully capture your gameplay it takes many recordings.
My custom macro recorder not only stores and plays back an unlimited amount of recordings, but also randomises the speed and click locations of each recording.
Only bot during times you would otherwise be free to play
If you suddenly start botting overnight or longer hours that you would normally play, this will trigger warning flags on your account. Keep to a regular schedule that matches how you would play normally.
Unlock equipment/bonuses ingame
Before starting a new skill, unlock the related bonuses e.g. Varrock armor for mining. Bots will typically skip these steps.
Most bots will not bother with getting a fire cape. Using this plugin makes the fight much easier so you don’t waste time dying to Jad on the last wave. The plugin is provided on a development build of Runelite which is safe to use.
Work towards ingame “goals”
The only goal of bots is to gold farm. Real players will achieve things ingame simply for the sake of unlocking something.
For example most bots wouldn’t bother obtaining the Void Knight outfit and instead would rather make GP in the time it’d take to farm the outfit. If you have the outfit, players are also less likely to report you.
Writing your own AHK scripts to avoid bans
With enough scripting knowledge, it’s possible to write AHK scripts that match your own gameplay. Not only are you going to avoid bans better, but you will also learn a real life skill!
P2P vs F2P
F2P bots are 100% treated differently to P2P bots. F2P bots have a trade restriction attached and provide no benefit to Jagex whatsoever.
As such, botting on F2P has a significantly higher risk of getting banned. Having any account on your IP banned will begin flagging your IP so it is recommended to start botting from P2P immediately.
Mouse movement vs instant mouse movement
Java can detect every mouse motion whether you interact with an object or not. As no one but Jagex really knows whether the data is being used or not, it is better to use mouse movements where possible.
However, accounts where I have used instant mouse movement minimally have never been banned. PK scripts or occasionally skilling scripts which need instant mouse movement have not had any difference in ban rates. An instant mouse movement can easily be detected by the client, but it is not an immediate trigger to cause a ban.