cactbot
The FFXIV raiding overlay that turns your combat log into timelines, alerts and answers.
cactbot is a free, open-source raiding overlay for Final Fantasy XIV. It runs as a plugin for Advanced Combat Tracker (ACT) through OverlayPlugin, and turns the game’s combat log into something you can actually read mid-fight: timelines that count down the next mechanic, on-screen alerts for the abilities aimed at you, death and mistake reports after a wipe, and compact job gauges that keep resources, cooldowns and procs in one place. This site is an independent guide to what cactbot does, what it needs to run, how the setup works, and how to fix the problems people hit most often.
✓ Free & open source • Runs on ACT + OverlayPlugin • Unofficial fan resource
Stack marker on you
oopsyraidsy
Mistake and death reporting after every pull.
jobs gauges
Resources, cooldowns and procs in one strip.
Plain-English Guides
Setup and configuration explained step by step, without assuming you already know ACT.
Overlay Focused
Each cactbot overlay — raidboss, oopsyraidsy, jobs, eureka, radar — covered separately.
Kept Organised
Requirements, load order, troubleshooting and update notes grouped where you expect them.
For Every Level
Useful whether this is your first overlay or you are writing your own custom triggers.
What Is cactbot?
cactbot is an ACT overlay that provides raiding tools for Final Fantasy XIV. It does not modify the game client and it does not play the game for you. Instead it reads the combat log that Advanced Combat Tracker already parses, matches events against a large library of encounter data, and draws a transparent HTML overlay on top of the game window.
Technically, cactbot is a plugin that depends on OverlayPlugin, which is itself a plugin for Advanced Combat Tracker. That chain matters: ACT reads the log, OverlayPlugin exposes it to web content, and cactbot is the web content. Because the interface is built with HTML, CSS and TypeScript, almost everything you see can be restyled or extended with your own CSS and user-side JavaScript files.
The project is community-maintained and open source. The repository originally lived at quisquous/cactbot and has since moved to OverlayPlugin/cactbot, which is where current releases, encounter data and documentation are published. Contributions — new timelines, trigger fixes, translations — come from players rather than from the game’s developer.
It is worth being clear about what cactbot is not. It is not made by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Square Enix, and neither is this website. cactbot.com is an independent information resource. Square Enix does not officially support third-party tools of any kind, so the decision to use ACT and overlays is one you make yourself, with that context in mind.
Reads, never writes
It consumes the ACT log. It sends no input to the game client.
Built from web tech
HTML, CSS and TypeScript, so the UI is genuinely customisable.
Community data
Timelines and triggers are written and corrected by players.
Multiple overlays
One plugin, several independent overlays you enable as needed.
Independent resource. cactbot.com is not owned, operated, endorsed or approved by Square Enix, by Advanced Combat Tracker, or by the cactbot project maintainers. Always check the project’s own repository for current releases and documentation.
cactbot Features
raidboss — Timelines & Triggers
The overlay most people install cactbot for. It shows a scrolling timeline of the current encounter and fires text and sound alerts for mechanics as they happen, including callouts targeted specifically at you rather than at the whole party.
oopsyraidsy — Mistake Reports
Tracks avoidable damage, missed mitigation and deaths, then lists what actually killed each player. After a wipe you get a readable log line naming the last ability someone took and the health they had at the time, instead of guesswork.
jobs — Condensed Gauges
Compact job UI covering HP and MP, job-specific resources, cooldowns, procs and important buff and debuff timers, plus a raid buff zone. It can be switched to a compact view or trimmed down to only the parts you want.
eureka — Foray Tracking
A tracking map for Adventuring Forays such as Eureka and Bozja. It surfaces notorious monster activity and zone information in a single overlay so you are not switching between the game and a browser tab.
radar — Hunt Directions
Points you towards nearby hunt marks and gives puller notifications, which is the difference between arriving for the kill and reading about it in shout chat.
dps — Meter Extras
Adds extra features on top of DPS meter overlays for players who want more detail than the default parse view offers, sitting alongside the rest of the cactbot overlays.
Deep Customisation
User folders let you drop in your own CSS and JavaScript to restyle overlays, change alert text, adjust sounds, or add personal triggers without editing the shipped files, so your changes survive updates.
Multi-Language Support
Encounter data and interface strings exist in several game languages, which matters because triggers match on log text. Coverage depends on the overlay and how recent the content is.
How cactbot Works
01 ACT parses the log
Advanced Combat Tracker, with the FFXIV parsing plugin, reads the network log the game produces and turns it into structured combat events.
02 OverlayPlugin bridges it
OverlayPlugin exposes those events to web content and handles drawing transparent, click-through browser windows over the game.
03 cactbot matches the data
cactbot compares incoming events against its timeline and trigger files for the zone or encounter you are currently in.
04 You get the callout
Matching results become the thing you actually see: a timeline bar, an alert line, a mistake entry, or an updated gauge.
Why People Search for cactbot
Understanding what it is
Most searches start with the basics — is cactbot a mod, a bot, a cheat, or an overlay? It is an overlay that reads the combat log.
Which overlay to use
raidboss, oopsyraidsy and jobs solve very different problems, and people want to know which one they actually need.
Requirements and setup
The dependency chain trips up newcomers: ACT, the FFXIV plugin, OverlayPlugin, then cactbot, in that order.
Installation problems
Plugins loading in the wrong order or a missing dependency is the single most common source of an overlay that shows nothing.
Updates after a patch
New content arrives with every major and minor FFXIV patch, and timelines need time to catch up.
Customisation questions
How to restyle overlays, change alert wording, mute sounds, or add a personal trigger without breaking updates.
Troubleshooting blank overlays
A transparent overlay that appears empty is usually a configuration issue rather than a broken install.
Alternatives and comparisons
People also compare cactbot with other trigger sets and standalone overlay tools before committing.
cactbot Compatibility
Windows
Operating system — Advanced Combat Tracker is a Windows application, so the ACT-based cactbot setup follows the same limitation.
64-bit ACT
Host application — The 64-bit build of Advanced Combat Tracker is required. Install it before adding any plugins.
.NET Framework 4.6.1+
Framework — Documented as the minimum. Newer supported versions are generally fine.
DirectX 11
Game renderer — FFXIV must be running in DirectX 11 mode for overlays to draw correctly.
FFXIV plugin + OverlayPlugin
Required plugins — The FFXIV ACT parsing plugin and the maintained ngld build of OverlayPlugin are both prerequisites.
Varies by patch
Game version — Timeline and trigger coverage depends on how recently the encounter data was updated for current content.
A note on accuracy: requirements and supported content change between releases. The values above reflect what the project documentation states for the ACT-based setup. Where something depends on your version, treat the project’s own documentation as the source of truth rather than any third-party page, including this one.
How to Use cactbot
01. Pick the overlay you need
Start with a single overlay rather than enabling everything. For raiding, raidboss is the usual first choice.
02. Create it from a preset
In the OverlayPlugin tab inside ACT, click New and choose the matching cactbot preset from the list.
03. Position and resize
The overlay ships with test UI so you can see its bounds. Drag to move, drag the corner to resize.
04. Lock and enable clickthrough
Locking the overlay removes the test bar, placeholder alert text and the shaded background, and clickthrough stops it stealing your mouse.
05. Verify it is live
Load into content and confirm the timeline advances and alerts fire. Silence usually means a configuration problem, not a broken plugin.
06. Tune it in the config panel
Use the cactbot config overlay to adjust per-trigger behaviour, output text and sounds instead of editing shipped files.
07. Add your own layer last
Once the defaults work, add user CSS or JavaScript for personal styling and custom triggers.
How to Install cactbot
Required plugin load order
FFXIV_ACT_Plugin.dll → OverlayPlugin.dll → CactbotOverlay.dll
cactbot depends on both plugins above it. If they load in any other order, cactbot usually fails without showing an error — the overlay simply stays empty.
Step 01 — Check the requirements
Windows, 64-bit ACT, .NET Framework 4.6.1 or above, and FFXIV running in DirectX 11. Confirm all four before you start — most failed installs are a missing prerequisite.
Step 02 — Install and configure ACT
Install the 64-bit Advanced Combat Tracker, then run the startup wizard and enable the FFXIV parsing plugin. Make sure ACT is not blocked by your firewall, or it will not see the game's log.
Step 03 — Add OverlayPlugin
In ACT, open Plugins, then Plugin Listing, then Get Plugins, and install OverlayPlugin. Use the currently maintained build referenced by the cactbot documentation rather than an old fork.
Step 04 — Add cactbot
From the same plugin installer, select cactbot and download and enable it. It installs into your ACT plugins folder and appears in the plugin list.
Step 05 — Fix the load order
This step is not optional. cactbot must load after both of its dependencies: FFXIV ACT plugin first, then OverlayPlugin, then cactbot. Reorder them in ACT if needed.
Step 06 — Restart ACT
Restart Advanced Combat Tracker so the plugins initialise cleanly in the corrected order. Skipping the restart is a very common reason a new install appears to do nothing.
Step 07 — Create and verify an overlay
Open the OverlayPlugin tab, click New, choose a cactbot preset, and confirm the test UI appears on screen. Once positioned, lock it to clear the placeholder visuals.
Step 08 — Keep it updated
After a game patch, update cactbot before assuming encounter data is broken. Keep personal changes in the user folder so updates do not overwrite them.
What cactbot Is Actually Good At
Know what is coming before it lands
The whole point of raidboss is reducing the gap between something happening in the fight and you knowing about it. A timeline tells you what is coming and when; triggers tell you when a mechanic is aimed at you specifically. Together they replace the habit of memorising a fight purely from repetition.
Because encounter data lives in editable files and the config overlay exposes per-trigger settings, you can dial the amount of information up for progression and down once a fight is on farm, without reinstalling anything.
Post-wipe clarity
oopsyraidsy names the ability that killed each player and the damage taken, so reviews stop being arguments.
One place for resources
The jobs overlay puts HP, MP, job resources, cooldowns and procs in a single readable strip.
Yours to restyle
Every overlay is web content, so a user CSS file is all it takes to change the look.
cactbot Comparison
Feature
cactbot
Without an overlay
Notes
Mechanic warnings
Timeline plus targeted trigger alerts
Memory and party callouts
Depends on timeline coverage for that fight
Death analysis
Per-player mistake and death reporting
Manual log reading after the fact
Health values can lag by around a second
Job resources
Condensed gauge overlay with procs and cooldowns
Default in-game HUD elements
Support is stronger for some jobs than others
Customisation
User CSS and JavaScript plus a config panel
In-game HUD layout options
Keep edits in the user folder to survive updates
Setup effort
ACT, OverlayPlugin and correct load order
None
The dependency chain is the main hurdle
Cost and licence
Free and open source
Included with the game
Community maintained, not a Square Enix product
Highlights & Things to Consider
cactbot Highlights
- Covers several genuinely different needs — mechanics, mistakes, job resources, forays and hunts — from one plugin
- Targeted alerts call out mechanics aimed at you, not just generic fight events
- Open source, so behaviour is inspectable and encounter data is community-correctable
- Deeply customisable through user CSS and JavaScript that survives updates
- Config overlay lets you tune individual triggers without touching files
- Multiple game languages supported across much of the encounter data
Things to Consider
- Requires a working ACT and OverlayPlugin setup first, which is where most people get stuck
- Windows only in practice, because ACT is a Windows application
- Load order is strict and silently breaks things when wrong
- New content after a patch may have incomplete timelines until contributors catch up
- Job overlay support is more complete for some jobs than others
- Third-party tools are not endorsed or supported by Square Enix, and that risk sits with you
Common cactbot Problems & Solutions
Overlay is completely blank
Likely reason: Usually the plugin load order, or ACT was not restarted after installing.
Suggested fix: Confirm the order is FFXIV plugin, then OverlayPlugin, then cactbot, then fully restart ACT.
No triggers or alerts fire
Likely reason: ACT is not parsing, or the required log data is not being captured.
Suggested fix: Check that ACT is showing live combat data at all. If the parser is empty, the problem is ACT or its network settings, not cactbot.
Test UI will not go away
Likely reason: The overlay has not been locked in its configuration panel.
Suggested fix: Open the overlay's config panel and enable the lock option. The placeholder bar, alert text and shaded background disappear once locked.
Overlay steals mouse clicks
Likely reason: Clickthrough is disabled, which is the default while you are positioning it.
Suggested fix: Re-enable clickthrough after you finish resizing and moving the overlay.
Timeline missing for new content
Likely reason: Encounter data for very recent fights may not exist yet, or your install predates it.
Suggested fix: Update cactbot to the current release. If it is still missing, the timeline has likely not been contributed yet.
Overlay invisible over the game
Likely reason: The game is not running in DirectX 11, or is in a display mode overlays cannot draw over.
Suggested fix: Switch FFXIV to DirectX 11 and try borderless windowed mode before assuming the overlay failed.
Customisations vanish after updating
Likely reason: Edits were made to shipped files rather than to the user folder.
Suggested fix: Move personal CSS and JavaScript into the user folder so updates do not overwrite them.
Plugin fails to load in ACT
Likely reason: A missing framework, a blocked file, or the wrong OverlayPlugin build.
Suggested fix: Verify .NET Framework 4.6.1 or above, unblock the downloaded files in Windows if needed, and use the maintained OverlayPlugin build.
cactbot Tips & Best Practices
Tip 01 — Enable one overlay first
Get raidboss working alone before adding jobs or oopsyraidsy. Debugging one overlay is far easier than debugging three.
Tip 02 — Lock overlays when you finish
Unlocked overlays keep their test visuals and can intercept clicks. Locking is a two-second habit that avoids a lot of confusion.
Tip 03 — Keep edits in the user folder
User CSS and JavaScript are the supported way to customise. Editing shipped files works until the next update deletes it.
Tip 04 — Update after every game patch
Check for a new cactbot release when FFXIV patches. Most reports of broken timelines are just an out-of-date install.
Tip 05 — Trim alerts on farm content
The config panel lets you silence triggers you no longer need. Less noise on farm means the alerts that remain actually register.
Tip 06 — Place overlays outside your sightline
Put timelines and gauges where you can glance without moving your eyes off the boss. Placement affects usefulness more than settings do.
Complete cactbot Guide
Who cactbot is for
cactbot is aimed at Final Fantasy XIV players who want more structured information than the default interface provides during combat. That includes people progressing through savage or ultimate content, players learning a new job who want cooldowns and procs visible in one strip, and anyone running forays or hunts who is tired of alt-tabbing to a tracker. It is equally usable by a casual player who simply wants a countdown to the next raid-wide, provided they are comfortable setting up Advanced Combat Tracker first.
What it actually does during a fight
Once running, cactbot watches the parsed combat log for events tied to your current zone or encounter. The raidboss overlay draws a timeline of upcoming abilities and fires alerts when a mechanic resolves or is aimed at you. The oopsyraidsy overlay records avoidable damage and deaths, and after the pull it presents a full scrollable list rather than the trimmed view shown during combat. The jobs overlay tracks your resources, cooldowns, procs and major raid buffs. None of this changes the game — it changes what you can see about it.
Requirements in plain terms
You need Windows, the 64-bit build of Advanced Combat Tracker, .NET Framework 4.6.1 or later, the FFXIV parsing plugin, a current build of OverlayPlugin, and FFXIV running in DirectX 11. cactbot then sits on top of that stack. The dependency chain is the single most important thing to understand, because cactbot cannot function if anything below it in the chain is missing, misconfigured, or loaded in the wrong order.
Load order, and why it breaks installs
Plugins in ACT initialise in the order they are listed. cactbot depends on both the FFXIV plugin and OverlayPlugin, so it must appear after both of them. When the order is wrong, cactbot often fails quietly: no error dialog, just an overlay that never populates. If you take one thing from this page, take this — check the order, then restart ACT. A large share of the questions people ask about cactbot are answered by those two actions alone.
Customising without breaking updates
Because the overlays are HTML and CSS, restyling them is genuinely straightforward. cactbot supports user files that are loaded on top of the defaults, which means your changes are not overwritten when you update. Use that path rather than editing the files that ship with the plugin. The same applies to custom triggers: keeping them separate means a new release upgrades the encounter data underneath you while your personal additions stay intact.
Staying current with patches
FFXIV content changes with each patch, and encounter data has to be written and tested by contributors afterwards. Timelines for brand-new fights can be incomplete for a while, and triggers occasionally need correcting as edge cases surface. Updating cactbot after a patch is the first thing to try when something stops matching. If data for a very recent encounter is genuinely absent, it usually means nobody has contributed it yet — which is also an invitation, since the project accepts community contributions.
Things worth thinking about first
cactbot is a third-party tool, and Square Enix does not officially support third-party tools for Final Fantasy XIV. That context is worth knowing before you install anything, and it is your decision to make. Separately, more information on screen is not automatically better: overlays that cover half the viewport can make you worse at reading the actual fight. Start minimal, add only what you use, and remove anything you have stopped looking at.
Quick reference
- What it is: an ACT overlay for FFXIV
- Depends on: ACT + FFXIV plugin + OverlayPlugin
- Load order: FFXIV → OverlayPlugin → cactbot
- Overlays: raidboss, oopsyraidsy, jobs, eureka, radar, dps
- Licence: free and open source
- Official? No — community project
At a glance
6 overlays 1 plugin to install
Before you install. Third-party tools are not officially supported by Square Enix. Download only from the project’s own repository, keep your install current, and make your own judgement about whether to use it.
cactbot Download & Resources
cactbot Resources
The project repository — releases, source and current documentation.
Installation Guide
The full setup walkthrough on this page, including plugin load order.
Latest Information
Version notes, requirement changes and encounter data updates.
Download safely. Use reputable sources only. cactbot is distributed through the project’s own repository and through Advanced Combat Tracker’s built-in plugin installer; there is no official installer hosted on this website. Before installing or updating, check the requirements and confirm that the release matches the version of the game and of OverlayPlugin you are running. Compatibility and encounter coverage vary by release.
cactbot Frequently Asked Questions
What is cactbot?
cactbot is a free, open-source ACT overlay that provides raiding tools for Final Fantasy XIV. It runs as a plugin for Advanced Combat Tracker via OverlayPlugin and adds encounter timelines, targeted mechanic alerts, mistake and death reporting, condensed job gauges, foray tracking and hunt radar. It reads the combat log that ACT already parses and draws information over the game window.
How does cactbot work?
ACT parses the game’s network log into combat events. OverlayPlugin makes those events available to web content and handles drawing transparent overlay windows. cactbot is that web content: it matches incoming events against timeline and trigger files for your current zone, then updates what you see. Nothing is sent to the game client — the flow is strictly one way, from log to screen.
What are the main cactbot overlays?
The commonly used ones are raidboss for timelines and triggers, oopsyraidsy for mistake and death reporting, jobs for condensed resource and cooldown gauges, eureka for Adventuring Foray tracking, radar for hunt directions and puller notifications, and dps for extra dps meter features. You enable each one separately, so you can run only what you need.
Is cactbot easy to use?
Day to day, yes — once configured it runs on its own and you mostly interact with it by glancing at it. The setup is the harder part, because cactbot sits at the end of a dependency chain that includes ACT, the FFXIV parsing plugin and OverlayPlugin. If you follow the installation order carefully, the rest is largely positioning windows and locking them.
What devices and systems support cactbot?
In practice, Windows PCs. Advanced Combat Tracker is a Windows application, and cactbot is an ACT plugin, so the whole stack inherits that requirement. You also need FFXIV running in DirectX 11 and a 64-bit ACT install. There is no console or mobile version, and this is not something that runs alongside the PlayStation or Xbox clients.
How do I install cactbot?
Install 64-bit ACT and enable the FFXIV parsing plugin, then use ACT’s plugin installer to add OverlayPlugin, then add cactbot the same way. Make sure the plugin order is FFXIV plugin, then OverlayPlugin, then cactbot, and restart ACT. Finally, open the OverlayPlugin tab, create a new overlay from a cactbot preset, position it, and lock it.
How do I update cactbot?
Update through the same plugin mechanism you used to install it, or replace the plugin folder with a current release. Restart ACT afterwards so the new version loads. Because personal customisations belong in the user folder, a normal update should leave your CSS, JavaScript and custom triggers untouched while refreshing the encounter data underneath them.
Why is cactbot not working?
The two most frequent causes are an incorrect plugin load order and ACT not having been restarted after installation. After that, check that ACT is parsing live combat at all, that FFXIV is running in DirectX 11, and that you are using a current OverlayPlugin build. An overlay that appears empty is far more often a configuration problem than a broken install.
What should I check before installing?
Confirm you are on Windows, that you have the 64-bit version of ACT, that .NET Framework 4.6.1 or above is installed, and that FFXIV is set to DirectX 11. Also make sure ACT is not blocked by your firewall, since it needs to read the game’s network log. Checking these first prevents most of the problems people report afterwards.
Does cactbot behave differently by version?
Yes. Encounter coverage, available overlays and configuration options all change over time, and timelines for recent content depend on when contributors added them. Documentation for an older release may describe menus that have since moved. When following a guide, check that it matches the version you are actually running.
Where can I find cactbot resources?
The project’s GitHub repository is the primary source for releases, documentation and encounter data. It previously lived under quisquous and has moved to the OverlayPlugin organisation. Community discussions and player-written guides can help with specific problems, but the repository is the one that reflects the current state of the project.
How do I troubleshoot cactbot?
Work from the bottom of the stack upward. Confirm ACT is parsing, then that OverlayPlugin is loaded, then that cactbot is loaded after both, then that the specific overlay is created and unlocked in the right place on screen. Isolating which layer is failing turns a vague problem into a specific one, and specific problems are usually quick to fix.
Can I uninstall cactbot?
Yes. Disable or remove the cactbot plugin from ACT’s plugin list, delete any overlays you created for it in OverlayPlugin, and remove the plugin folder if you want it gone entirely. Removing cactbot does not affect ACT or OverlayPlugin, both of which continue to work on their own.
What should I do before updating?
Make sure any customisation you care about lives in the user folder rather than in shipped files, and keep a copy of it. Note the version you are currently running so you can tell whether a change in behaviour came from the update. Then close ACT before replacing files, and restart it afterwards.
Does cactbot require additional software?
Yes — it cannot run alone. It requires Advanced Combat Tracker with the FFXIV parsing plugin, plus OverlayPlugin, plus .NET Framework 4.6.1 or later on Windows. cactbot is the last piece added on top of that stack, which is why so much of the setup process is really about getting the other components installed correctly.
How can I check my current version?
The version is visible in ACT’s plugin listing next to the cactbot entry, and the installed folder name typically reflects the release you downloaded. Note that the folder name may keep the version number from the original download even after updating, so treat the plugin listing as the more reliable indicator.
What are the most common cactbot problems?
Blank overlays caused by load order, alerts not firing because ACT is not parsing, test UI that will not disappear because the overlay is unlocked, overlays capturing mouse clicks because clickthrough is off, missing timelines for brand-new content, and customisations disappearing because they were made to shipped files instead of the user folder.
Can I write my own triggers?
Yes. cactbot supports user-side files where you can add personal triggers and JavaScript alongside the built-in encounter data. Keeping them in the user folder is important, because that is what allows updates to refresh the shipped data without deleting your work. The configuration overlay also lets you adjust many built-in triggers without writing code.
Is cactbot.com an official website?
No. cactbot.com is an independent information resource about cactbot. It is not operated by, affiliated with, or endorsed by the cactbot project maintainers, by Advanced Combat Tracker, or by Square Enix. For releases and official documentation, refer to the project’s own repository rather than to this site.
What should new cactbot users know?
Three things. Install in order and restart ACT, because most first-time failures come from that. Start with a single overlay and add more only once it works. And remember that cactbot is a third-party tool that Square Enix does not officially support, so the choice to use it — and the responsibility for that choice — is yours.
Explore cactbot
Read the setup order, check the requirements, and get a single overlay working before you add the rest. Everything on this page is written to be followed in that sequence — and to be useful again the next time something breaks after a patch.
cactbot.com is an independent, unofficial resource and is not affiliated with Square Enix, Advanced Combat Tracker, or the cactbot project.