TRIPWIRE HOOK
Placed in pairs with string between them. Outputs signal strength 15 when an entity passes through the string. Can span up to 40 blocks.
Crafting Recipe
1 Iron Ingot + 1 Stick + 1 Wooden Plank → 2 Tripwire Hooks
Signal Behavior
Input
InputEntity crossing the tripwire string
Output
OutputSignal strength 15 when triggered
Max Signal Strength
Max Signal Strength15
Delay
DelayNone (instant activation)
Modes
- Triggered when entity passes through string
Overview: what the Tripwire Hook is and does
Placed in pairs with string between them. Outputs signal strength 15 when an entity passes through the string. Can span up to 40 blocks.
As a power source it sits at the start of a circuit, generating the signal that everything downstream reacts to. Paired across a run of string, it forms the cheapest long-range entity tripwire in the game.
The Tripwire Hook was added to Minecraft in 1.3.1 and everything described here reflects its behaviour in Java Edition 1.21.
How it works: the redstone mechanics
On the input side, entity crossing the tripwire string. On the output side, signal strength 15 when triggered.
Two hooks placed facing each other and joined by string output signal 15 the instant any entity touches the string. The string may span up to 40 blocks between the hooks. Cutting or breaking the string also fires the hooks once.
It acts instantly with no redstone-tick delay of its own, so it adds nothing to the timing of a circuit.
It can output a maximum signal strength of 15, which travels 15 blocks through bare redstone dust before fading to nothing.
It operates in the following modes: triggered when entity passes through string.
How to set it up
- 1Craft the Tripwire Hook: 1 Iron Ingot + 1 Stick + 1 Wooden Plank → 2 Tripwire Hooks.
- 2Decide where the signal needs to start or land, then place the Tripwire Hook against a solid surface so it can feed the rest of your circuit.
- 3Run redstone dust away from it toward the component you want to control, remembering the signal will fall by 1 per block.
- 4Test in a creative-mode plot first: trigger the input and confirm the Tripwire Hook behaves exactly as the timing above predicts before committing it to a survival build.
Uses & applications
- ▸Long-range detection
- ▸Hidden traps
- ▸Doorway detection
- ▸Perimeter alarms
Tips & common mistakes
- !String must connect two hooks facing each other
- !Breaking string triggers the hook
- !Max 40 blocks between hooks
- !The two hooks must point directly at each other and the string must be unbroken end to end, or the line simply will not arm.
Tripwire Hook FAQ
What is the Tripwire Hook used for in Minecraft redstone?
The Tripwire Hook is most often used for long-range detection, hidden traps, doorway detection, and perimeter alarms. As a power source it sits at the start of a circuit, generating the signal that everything downstream reacts to.
What signal strength does the Tripwire Hook output?
Signal strength 15 when triggered. Its maximum signal strength is 15.
How do you craft the Tripwire Hook?
1 Iron Ingot + 1 Stick + 1 Wooden Plank → 2 Tripwire Hooks. It was introduced in 1.3.1.
What is the most common mistake with the Tripwire Hook?
String must connect two hooks facing each other. Breaking string triggers the hook.