HawkWatch Logo Brand HawkWatch
Home Docs Support Install Bot

Documentation

What HawkWatch Tracks

Understanding what changes HawkWatch detects in Roblox games. Learn about update triggers, name changes, thumbnails, and descriptions.

Last updated:

HawkWatch watches for several types of changes to a Roblox experience. You can choose which ones matter to you — and the bot will only alert you for the parts you’ve selected.

By default, HawkWatch tracks:

  • ✅ Update time
  • ✅ Name changes
  • ✅ Thumbnail changes
  • ✅ Description changes

You can customize your preferences at any time using /watch settings set.

🕒 Update Time

This is the most common trigger for an alert.

Roblox updates an experience’s “last updated” time when the developer:

  • Publishes a new version of the main game (usually the first place players join)
  • Updates other public places within the experience (joinable or visible to players)
    • This can include places that are not directly playable, but are listed publicly on roblox.com.
  • Makes structural or ownership-level changes (like transferring the experience to a group)

Important to Know:

🔹 Not every update means new gameplay. Developers often:

  • Push code changes that are hidden from players (like feature flags or internal systems)
  • Release bug fixes or performance tweaks that don’t visibly change the game
  • Update metrics, analytics, or server behavior without changing the experience’s look or feel

In short: if the change affects what players can access or see — or how the game runs under the hood — it can result in a new update time, and HawkWatch will catch it.

🖼️ Thumbnail Changes

When developers update the main game thumbnail or add new ones, HawkWatch will alert you.

Example thumbnail change notification
Example: HawkWatch detected a new thumbnail was added to Adopt Me, showing the visual change.

This is useful for:

  • Visual updates - New screenshots of gameplay or features
  • Event announcements - Seasonal or special event imagery
  • Version previews - Sneak peeks of upcoming content
  • Promotional changes - Updated marketing imagery

Thumbnails are often changed during:

  • Seasonal events or promotions
  • Major updates
  • Style refreshes

Note: Thumbnail changes do not always mean the game was updated — developers can update them separately from game content.

✏️ Name Changes

If the developer changes the experience’s title — even slightly — HawkWatch will detect it.

Example name change notification Example: Simple name change detection showing before and after comparison.

This is useful for spotting:

  • New updates being teased
  • Event names or seasonal changes
  • Sudden rebrands

Example:

  • "Adopt Me!" → "Adopt Me! 🎃 Halloween Update"

📄 Description Changes

Changes to the game’s description can signal:

  • Patch notes or update logs
  • New features being introduced
  • Promotional text changes

If a developer edits the description, HawkWatch will compare it and notify you.

Example showing multiple changes in one notification Example: HawkWatch detected both name and description changes, showing all details in one rich notification

Examples:

  • Adding update notes: "NEW: Pet trading system!"
  • Seasonal changes: "🎄 Winter event now live!"
  • Bug fix announcements: "Fixed connectivity issues"

Examples:

  • Adding update notes: "NEW: Pet trading system!"
  • Seasonal changes: "🎄 Winter event now live!"
  • Bug fix announcements: "Fixed connectivity issues"

⚙️ Customize What You Track

You have full control over what HawkWatch monitors for each game you follow.

Track only specific changes

# Only track name and description changes
/watch settings set game_name:RIVALS thumbnail:Don't Track date:Don't Track

# Only track thumbnails
/watch settings set game_name:RIVALS name:Don't Track description:Don't Track date:Don't Track

View current settings

/watch settings get game_name:RIVALS

Available options:

  • date - Update timestamps (Track / Don’t Track)
  • thumbnail - Thumbnail changes (Track / Don’t Track)
  • name - Name changes (Track / Don’t Track)
  • description - Description changes (Track / Don’t Track)

Understanding Real vs. Cosmetic Updates

🎮 Likely Gameplay Updates

  • Update time change + description mentioning new features
  • Update time change + thumbnail showing new content
  • Name change + update time change + description together

🎨 Likely Cosmetic/Marketing Updates

  • Only thumbnail changes (no update time change)
  • Only description changes (promotional text)
  • Only name changes (seasonal titles)

🔧 Likely Technical Updates

  • Only update time changes (no visible changes)
  • Could be bug fixes, server improvements, or backend changes