Top 5 Mistakes That Get Your OSRS Account Permanently Banned in 2026

Hey, RuneScape grinders! If you’ve poured hundreds of hours into your Old School RuneScape (OSRS) account maxing stats, stacking that bank, or finally nailing that Inferno cape losing it all to a permanent ban is a nightmare worse than a dry Vorkath streak. In 2025 alone, Jagex dropped the hammer on 4.29 million accounts, with over 139,000 just for Real World Trading (RWT). And 2026 kicked off with a brutal 1 million macro bans in January, causing player counts to dip from 211k to 160k. These aren’t just bot farms getting nuked legit players are slipping up on “innocent” habits that trigger Jagex’s advanced detection systems.

This blog dives deep into the top 5 mistakes that lead to permabans in 2026. I’ll break down why they happen, how Jagex detects them, real player stories, and bulletproof ways to avoid them. Stick to these tips, and your account stays safe. Let’s keep Gielinor bot-free!

Bad at Runescape = Permanent Ban?

Quick Overview: The Ban Breakdown Table

Here’s a snapshot of the top offenders, based on Jagex stats and community reports:

#	Mistake	Why It Leads to Permaban	Detection Method	2025/2026 Ban Impact
1	Real World Trading (RWT)	Exchanging GP/items for real money	Trade patterns, gold seller monitoring	139k+ bans in 2025
2	Dangerous Chat Messages	Triggering auto-flags with keywords	AI chat scanners	Thousands muted/banned weekly
3	Third-Party Clients & Auto-Clickers	Automation or unapproved plugins	Click patterns, plugin signatures	Part of 1M+ macro bans Jan 2026
4	Buying Sketchy Services	Paying for capes/quests (often botted)	IP/logins, unnatural progress	Hits buyers hard, not just sellers
5	Account Sharing	Letting friends log in	Playstyle shifts, linked bans	Enforced in Leagues/DMM

Mistake 1: Real World Trading (RWT) The Biggest Account Killer

RWT is public enemy #1. It’s swapping OSRS gold, items, accounts, or services for real-world value like buying 1B GP for $50 on a shady Discord or selling your maxed main. Jagex’s rules are crystal clear: accounts are theirs, and RWT fuels bots and scams.

Why It Gets You Permabanned

First offense? Often permanent. No warnings for serious RWT.
Even “gifts” count: Stream donations + in-game GP = flagged as payment.
2026 twist: Jagex tracks gold seller sites and trade histories with machine learning.

How Jagex Detects It

Unnatural trades: Massive GP dumps to new accounts.
IP linking: Same device buying from sellers.
Ban waves: They hit buyers/sellers simultaneously.

Real story: A streamer got perma’d after viewers donated $20, then he gifted 500m GP as thanks. Appeal denied“clear RWT pattern.”

How to Avoid It 100%

Use Bonds: Official way to buy GP with real money.
Gift smart: Small amounts to long-time clanmates only.
No third-party sites: Ever. Report them in-game.

Pro Tip: Check your account status weekly at oldschool.runescape.com.

Mistake 2: Dangerous Chat Messages & Trigger Words

You think you’re helping by warning about scams? Boom auto-ban. Jagex’s chat AI scans for keywords like “gold,” “sythe.org,” or “selling acc” without context.

Why It’s a Trap

Auto-mutes to perms: Repeated flags escalate.
Sarcasm fails: “Don’t buy gold lol” = flagged.
Copy-paste scams: Reporting by quoting triggers it.

Detection in 2026

Real-time AI: Flags 1000s daily.
Public chat worst: CCs are safer.

Reddit horror: Player copy-pastes a gold seller PM to warn clan perma for “advertising.” Appeal: “Context irrelevant.”

Dodge It Like a Dragon Breath

Report button only: Don’t type scam details.
Private CCs: Avoid public spam.
Clean jokes: No “selling my acc” memes.

Bold advice: Mute toxic chat and grind in peace.

Mistake 3: Third-Party Clients, Auto-Clickers & Rogue Plugins

RuneLite is safe mostly. But unapproved plugins or auto-clickers? Instant macro flag. Jagex updated detection in 2026 for “one input = one action.”

Top 5 BANNED RuneLite Plugins (OSRS)

The Ban Triggers

Banned plugins: Menu Entry Swapper tweaks, old helpers like Zulrah.
Auto-clickers: Perfect AFK patterns scream bot.
Custom clients: Non-official downloads.

2026 Detection Upgrades

Click intensity: Bots click too consistently.
Plugin sigs: Jagex blacklists risky ones.

X post example: “Grok nearly got me banned with perfect clicks…”

Safe Playbook

Official RuneLite: runelite.net only.
Approved plugins: Check Jagex list Ground Markers, Inventory Tags OK; auto-solvers NO.
Manual AFK: Weight on spacebar, not software.

List of must-avoids:

Auto-typers
Color bots
Restored banned plugins from GitHub

Mistake 4: Buying Services from Discord/Sites

“$20 Fire Cape? Sweet!” Wrong your account pays. Services for capes, quests, or boosting often use bots, and you get banned for “macroing.”