Offline Build: Housing’s riskiest permission
Offline Build lets a group keep building in your house after you log off, with nobody there to moderate. Hypixel holds owners responsible for everything on their plot, so this one switch can get your house terminated and your account banned while you’re not even online. Here’s what it does, where it is, and how to make sure it’s off.
- Off by default
- Only works with Build
- First on page 3
What Offline Build does
Normally, a group with Build can only place and break blocks while you’re in your house, so you’re there to see what goes up. Offline Build removes that safety net. Its tooltip says it toggles whether a group can build when the owner is offline.
It doesn’t work on its own: the same tooltip notes that it only affects players who also have permission to build. When Hypixel added offline building in September 2022, it called the feature a big change for moderation and said it would watch the impact closely.
| A group with | Can place and break blocks |
|---|---|
| Build only | While you’re in your house |
| Build and Offline Build | While you’re in your house, and while you’re offline |
| Offline Build only | Never, since Offline Build needs Build |
From Hypixel’s own Build and Offline Build tooltips, checked on .
Where to find Offline Build
Offline Build is the first permission on page 3 of the permissions editor. It was there in September 2025, and it’s still there as of October 2026.
- Open Permissions and Groups. Open the Housing Menu with the Nether Star in your hotbar, then click the paper icon in the middle of the bottom row.
- Open a group’s permissions. Click the group, then the Edit Permissions book at the end of the second row.
- Go to page 3. Use the white arrow at the bottom right. Offline Build is the first permission on the page, or you can click the compass and search for it.
- Check the color. Green means it’s on, and gray means it’s off. Hover over it to read Hypixel’s warning.
Why Offline Build is so risky
Offline Build combines the two things that get houses terminated: building, and nobody watching. Here’s what that means for you as the owner.
- Nobody is moderating. While you’re offline, there may be no one around to stop a bad build, remove it, or ban the player who made it.
- You answer for every block. Hypixel’s Housing Content Rules make owners solely responsible for everything on their plot, including content other players create. Being offline doesn’t change that.
- One build can be enough. It doesn’t take a plot full of bad builds. Even one inappropriate build can get a Free Build terminated.
- Termination means a ban. When a Free Build is terminated, the plot is reset and the owner is banned, usually for 7 days the first time. According to the Free Build wiki, each repeat termination brings a longer ban, up to a full year.
- It keeps working while you’re banned. A termination doesn’t switch Offline Build off. If your house stays public, anyone with it can keep building while you can’t log in, which can lead to a longer ban.
- It works with Pro Tools. Since a January 2023 patch, a group with Offline Build can use Pro Tools commands while no owner is online, as long as it has Pro Tools too. Pro Tools can change huge areas in seconds.
The short version: leave it off
Unless you have a specific reason and a small group you’d trust with your whole house, keep Offline Build off for every group. It’s off by default, so if you’ve never changed it, you’re already safe.
Make sure Offline Build is off
It only takes a minute to check every group, and it’s worth repeating whenever you add a group or change your staff.
- Open Permissions and Groups. It’s the paper icon in the middle of the Housing Menu’s bottom row.
- Open a group’s permissions. Click the group, then the Edit Permissions book.
- Find Offline Build. It’s the first permission on page 3, or search for it with the compass.
- Make sure it’s gray. If it’s green, click it to turn it off.
- Repeat for every group. That includes groups you made a long time ago, and any group players can be promoted into.
Pro tip: check Build while you’re there
Offline Build only matters for groups that can build, so look at who has Build too. The fewer groups that can build, the fewer places Offline Build can hurt you.
If you turn it on anyway
Some owners have a real reason, like a small team they trust finishing a project while they’re away. If that’s you, keep the risk as small as you can.
- Never for a Free Build’s builders. Keep it off for guests and every builder rank. Public builders are exactly who Offline Build is dangerous with.
- Use one small, separate group. Only add people you know well, never someone who asked for it. If a player asks for Offline Build, treat that as a red flag.
- Check who you’re trusting. Impersonators are common in Housing, and being well known isn’t the same as being trustworthy. If someone claims to be CTG, message ctg123456 on Discord to check.
- Keep Pro Tools out of that group. Together, they let a group make huge changes while no owner is online.
- Turn it off when the work is done. Don’t leave it on as a standing perk, and look over what was built each time you log back on.
- Never give anyone full access. Hypixel advises against it, even for players you trust.
If you’re banned while it’s on
This is where Offline Build does the most damage. A Free Build termination resets your plot, but it doesn’t turn Offline Build off. If your house stays public, any group that has it can keep building while you’re banned, and trolls can fill your fresh plot with new rule-breaking builds.
The fix is a kick loop: an action that sends anyone who joins straight back out until you’re unbanned. You can build one ahead of time and leave it switched off, so a trusted staff member can turn it on if you’re ever banned. When you’re back, join your house in Safe Mode, where no actions run on you, turn the kick loop off, and turn Offline Build off for every group before you reopen.
The Free Build ban guide walks through terminations, kick loops, and Safe Mode step by step.
Offline Build FAQ
What does Offline Build do in Hypixel Housing?
It lets a group build in your house while you’re offline. Without it, a group with Build can only place and break blocks while you’re in your house.
Does Offline Build work without the Build permission?
No. Hypixel’s own tooltip notes that Offline Build only affects players who also have permission to build.
Where is Offline Build in the permissions menu?
It’s the first permission on page 3 of a group’s permissions editor, as of October 2026. You can also click the compass and search for it.
Is Offline Build on by default?
No. It’s off by default, and it’s safest to leave it that way, especially in a Free Build.
Can I be banned for something built while I was offline?
Yes. Hypixel’s Housing Content Rules make owners solely responsible for everything in their plot, including content other players create, whether or not you were online.
Should I turn on Offline Build for my Free Build?
No. Keep it off for guests and every builder rank. With Offline Build on, people can build in your Free Build with nobody moderating, and even one inappropriate build can get it terminated.
Is HypixelHousing.com affiliated with Hypixel?
No. HypixelHousing.com is an independent, community-run resource website. It is not owned by, operated by, affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Hypixel Inc. or the Hypixel Minecraft server.
Sources and updates
This guide is written and maintained by CTG123456, an early pioneer of the Free Build format on Housing. The screenshot was taken by CTG123456 on the latest version of Hypixel Housing with no texture packs, and the facts were checked against Hypixel’s official rules, update posts, and patch notes on . Ban lengths come from the Free Build wiki, since Hypixel doesn’t publish them.
Official sources
- Hypixel Housing Content Rules (last updated May 2025)
- Housing Update: Functions, Global Stats, Inventory Layouts, and more! (September 2022), which added offline building
- Housing Patch Notes, 5th January 2023, which let Pro Tools commands work with Offline Build while no owner is online
- Housing Update: New Actions, New Themes, and more! (January 2025), which added Safe Mode
Community sources
- Termination (Hypixel Freebuild Wiki)
- Kick Loop (Hypixel Freebuild Wiki)
Changelog
- Rebuilt on the site’s current design with a new screenshot from the latest version of Housing, Hypixel’s official notes on Offline Build, and much more on why it’s so risky. Fixed the screenshot and links, which weren’t working.
- Earlier version, which noted Offline Build as the first permission on page 3.
Pick your next step
Whether you’re locking down a house or hosting a busy Free Build, here’s where to go next.