How to Tell When a Player Has Gone Idle or Fallen Asleep

Watch for the Sleeping Pose

If a player stops doing anything for more than five minutes, their character falls asleep. You will see them drop into a sleeping pose while still standing or sitting where they were. This is automatic and needs no setup from you. It is the clearest sign that someone has stepped away from their keyboard.

Check the Player List for "Zz"

Open the player list (the tab list) and look next to each name. Any idle player has a "Zz" symbol beside their name. This is faster than scanning the world for sleeping characters, especially on a large server. Use it before you send a message that needs a quick reply, or before you start a group activity like a mining trip.

Put It to Work on Your Server

Idle detection is useful for knowing who is actually present. If you are organizing a build or a raid, check the tab list first and only count players without the "Zz" marker. If someone has the marker but you need them, send a chat message — when they return and start typing, their typing animation will play and the "Zz" symbol will clear. Remember the threshold is more than five minutes of inactivity, so brief pauses will not trigger it.