Tripwire
Tripwire is a string strung between two Tripwire Hooks that fires a redstone signal the instant any entity crosses the invisible line.
Description
Players use Tripwire for hidden traps, automatic doors, mob detectors, and adventure-map puzzles. Cutting the Tripwire string with shears removes it silently without firing the circuit, while breaking it any other way — or destroying a connected hook — sends the activation pulse. Because the Tripwire string is hard to spot in dark passages, pairing it with dispensers, TNT, or pistons makes a classic base-defense and PvP trap that catches intruders before they reach the loot.
Redstone Guide
How to set up a Tripwire in Minecraft
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1
Place two Tripwire Hooks
Set a Tripwire Hook on two facing walls or blocks up to 40 blocks apart so the hooks point toward each other across the gap.
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2
Connect them with string
Place String along the floor in a straight line between the two hooks; the hooks click into place and link the run into one Tripwire circuit.
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3
Wire the output
Attach redstone dust, an iron door, a dispenser, or a piston to the block each hook is mounted on to use the signal the hooks emit.
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4
Test the trip line
Walk, ride, or throw an item through the Tripwire string: both hooks send a redstone pulse of strength 15 and your contraption activates.
Cut the string with shears to take a Tripwire down silently without triggering the circuit; breaking it any other way or destroying a hook fires the signal.
Frequently asked questions
Can you craft Tripwire?
No. Tripwire is not a craftable item — you place String on the ground between two Tripwire Hooks, and the connected string becomes the tripwire.
How far apart can Tripwire Hooks be?
Two Tripwire Hooks can be up to 40 blocks apart in a straight line, with String filling every block between them.
How do you disarm a Tripwire without setting it off?
Cut the String with shears. This removes the Tripwire silently, while breaking it any other way or destroying a hook triggers the redstone signal.
Does Tripwire work in both Java and Bedrock?
Yes. Tripwire was added in Java Edition 1.3.1 and is present in both Java and Bedrock Edition with the same hook-and-string mechanic.
What can trigger a Tripwire?
Any entity that touches the string triggers it — players, mobs, dropped items, projectiles like arrows, and minecarts passing through the line.
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