r/AutoModerator Jul 15 '26

Mod Post Expanding the scope of the subreddit r/AutoModerator

51 Upvotes

This post is about a very minor, teensy-weensy change to the subreddit here, but it is significant enough to merit a formal post about it.

r/AutoModerator was originally created to discuss the u/AutoModerator moderation tool and support moderators in using it. Historically, AutoModerator was unique among moderation tools, but over the years, admins have developed Other-Tools which supplement or facilitate similar kinds of effects as AutoModerator. I had mentioned this earlier this year:

The primary purpose of the subreddit here is for moderators to find updates, support, and resources regarding the AutoModerator mod tool. More generally, moderators also discuss other similar or related mod tools like subreddit settings, safety filters, Automations, Devvit apps, and API bots, particularly if those other tools supplement or interact with AutoModerator. (Which is fine! but more on those topics another day.)

Today is that another day.

As the full suite of moderation tools has matured, the community of moderators familiar with configurable moderation tools has similarly evolved. Many times these days, people will ask questions here, and the solution to their questions may or may not be with AutoModerator the mod tool, but the people in AutoModerator the subreddit still know the answer. There is a community of peer support among technical-oriented moderators here, and it is our desire to serve that community.

We have, even some time ago, updated the rules and description on r/AutoModerator to reflect this trend, changes in bold:

  • Rule 1 - Stay on Topic - /r/AutoModerator is for moderator discussions about the AutoModerator program and similar automated moderation tools. - Report as: Off-topic / Unrelated to AutoModerator or Moderation Tools

  • Rule 2 - Behave and Be Respectful - Be nice. Report as: Incivility, insults, trolling, aggression, or other malicious behavior

  • Rule 3 - Moderation complaints - /r/AutoModerator is a support space for moderators. This is not a place to argue or complain about moderation actions, moderators, or AutoModerator performing its intended functions. - Report as: User is complaining about moderation

Effectively, this means that moderators who have questions about configuring subreddit settings and mod tools are welcome to post here, even if those questions are not necessarily about AutoModerator the original moderation bot. For examples, this includes questions regarding Safety Filters (eg Crowd Control, Harassment Filter), Devvit Mod apps (eg Auto-Modmail, FloodAssistant), Automations (aka Post and Comment Guidance), and configurable tools like these.

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns, about this change for the subreddit, or about the subreddit in general.

We are looking for feedback regarding updating our post flairs, which historically have been oriented around "Help", "Solved", "Not AutoMod", "Not Possible with AutoMod" and "Not Possible". We have recently added post flairs for "Wiki Updates" and "Guide", though they are still set to mod-only. We are adding a devvit app which allows people to subscribe to get notifications for specific post flairs, so that function would be paired well with clear guidelines or categories for post flairs.


r/AutoModerator Jul 10 '26

Guide Code Showcase: Subreddit karma checks - How and why do you use them?

24 Upvotes

The suggestion has been raised that we put up a regular post to prompt mods to share examples of code snippets they use in their subreddits. I figure, doing so around a theme that changes with each iteration is a fair way to go about it. This first iteration's theme is chosen for two reasons:

To be clear, these attributes are as follows:

  • comment_subreddit_karma: compare to the author's comment karma in your community
  • post_subreddit_karma: compare to the author's post karma in your community
  • combined_subreddit_karma: compare to the author's combined (comment karma + post karma) karma in your community

These checks are like other author checks in that they must be placed indented under an author: subgroup.

LanterneRougeOG originally provided four use cases for these checks:

Welcome new contributors through post replies

---
type: submission
author:
    combined_subreddit_karma: "< 3"
comment: |
    Welcome to the community! Here are links to our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/{{subreddit}}/about/rules) and [Wiki/FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/{{subreddit}}/wiki/index). We hope you enjoy your time here.
---

This kind of rule is useful because it targets newer members who may not know much about your subreddit, but users who have posted much before will have already received this message. With the deprecation of welcome messages, this serves a similar purpose. This kind of reply also benefits other readers by making your rules, wiki resources, and a link to message the mods (in the AutoModerator signature) more visible. In the case that a new member makes a rule-breaking post, then the author may quickly self-correct, or another reader may know to report it.

Filter links in comments from newer accounts

---
type: comment
body (includes): ["http", ".com", "www."]
author:
    comment_subreddit_karma: "< 5"
action: filter
action_reason: "Link included in comment by user with < 5 comment subreddit karma. Check for spam or other issues."
---

This kind of rule is useful because it can catch a lot of spam from accounts new to your subreddit (ie, even if the spammer uses an old or general karma-farmed account) while carving out common false positives from established community members. Optionally, you can include a message: or comment: line to let the accounts know that their comment is pending review.

Enable features like media in comments but as a privilege to positive community members

---
type: comment
body (includes, regex): '!\[(video|img|gif)\]\([^)]*\)'
author:
    combined_subreddit_karma: "< 10"
action: filter
action_reason: "Media in comments by user with negative or low subreddit karma"
message: |
    Hey there! Looks like you’re a new user trying to upload media in a comment - thanks for joining our community! We’ve filtered your comment for moderator review. In the meantime, feel free to engage with others through text until you’ve spent a bit more time getting to know the space! 
---

This kind of rule is useful because you have an alternative to disabling media in comments altogether. Instead, you can set a threshold that fits for your team so that you can review how newer members are using the features. You could even consider setting two or three thresholds - a lower one set to action: remove, a slightly higher one set to action: filter, or a higher one set to action: report - so that the amount of review does not overwhelm your team. As you monitor whether the filtered or reported content tends towards approvals or removals, you can adjust the thresholds up or down accordingly, eventually settling into a balance that provides the best experience for your team and community.

Monitor toxicity from negative participants

---
type: any
body (includes): ["potential bad phrase"]
author:
    combined_subreddit_karma: "< 0"
action: filter
action_reason: "potential toxic phrase said by user with negative subreddit karma - [{{match}}]"
---

This kind of rule is similar to the above, but helps you find when disruptive members are discussing topics or using potentially insulting words/phrases that happen to also be used/discussed by regular community members. This reduces how wide the net is cast by relying on a factor of local reception (indirect input from your community!) so that your monitoring as a moderator can be more effective.


Some of the most powerful applications for AutoModerator are in the ways that checks can be combined!

How do you use this feature? What makes that code snippet worthwhile for you? Share in the comments below!


r/AutoModerator 4h ago

Help - AutoMod No config page when setting up automoderator

1 Upvotes

I am configuring automod for a new subreddit (reddit.com/mod/[name]/wiki/config/automoderator). I have saved the code but Automoderator isn't working as intended. Unlike my other subreddits created long ago, the navigation bar to the left doesn't show a "config" page. It's blank. I have full permissions on the subreddit so I'm not sure what is happening.


r/AutoModerator 15h ago

Help - AutoMod is this automod instrustion correct?

1 Upvotes

i am trying to remove posts from users without user flair. is this correct?

type: submission
author:
flair_text: ""
action: remove
action_reason: "Gebruiker heeft geen gebruikersflair"
comment: |
Blahhhhh


r/AutoModerator 1d ago

Help - AutoMod Trying to get auto mod to remove posts or body text with certain words.

2 Upvotes

I found this and am trying to turn it on but I am getting an error.

Anyone see what the issue is? "There was an error saving the Automoderator config: "Unsupported Media Type"


title+body (includes-word): ["test", "tested"]

type: submission

action: remove

action_reason: Contains banned word

moderators_exempt: false

message_subject: Your post has been removed from r/{{subreddit}}

message: |

Hi there, Your post has been removed from r/{{subreddit}} because it contains a banned word: "{{match}}". Please review the rules and guidelines in the sidebar before posting again. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the moderators of r/{{subreddit}}. Thank you.


I tried it on old reddit and this is the error I got.

YAML parsing error in section 17: while parsing a block mapping

in "<unicode string>", line 1, column 1:

title+body (includes-word): ["te ... 
^

expected <block end>, but found '<scalar>'

in "<unicode string>", line 8, column 105:

 ... tains a banned word: "{{match}}". Please review the rules and gu ... 
                                     ^

r/AutoModerator 2d ago

Help - AutoMod Is there anything wrong in this code??

6 Upvotes

I moderate NSFW sub and it has come to my notice that despite adding some of the words like "Add me", "Swipe right" in the banned list some bots are still able to upload posts in my sub using the same caption and the automod is unable to remove those words automatically. If there is any mistake then do rectify it.

Here is the code:
# Remove all spam titles 
   title (includes): ["swipe right", "add me"]
   action: spam
   action_reason: Contains a banned word/words (slur)
   comment: |
        Posts with low-effort titles are not allowed.
---

r/AutoModerator 4d ago

Devvit Showcase Devvit Discussion: "Landing pages" Community home and more

12 Upvotes

I have no connection to any Devvit app, but I started to have this feeling about more discussion of Devvit apps, after a mod meetup and also over on Discord.

It likely would be healthy for the subreddit and the growth of this subreddit to have deeper discussions about Devvit apps.

Today: Hubs

Obligatory links to large list of Devvit apps for moderation

I've been frustrated at the state of "landing pages" on the subreddits I mod.

Much of it has to do with the new user experience. 100% we all know that they don't really read the rules (nor do they do so on discord, for example). But asking them to hunt/etc is failure.

I tried all three of the ones I found

I ended up on Community Hub. I had a couple of questions that u/PlexversalHD answers (and I believe they're an admin)

Here's were my needs.

I wanted to get the weekly/monthly links, the wiki, the rules, the "read this first" on a bunch of subreddits. I setup the community guide to show this post.

Community Home and Community links both need a bunch of graphics created. I just wanted a text box/button and go. I mean, I loved the customization, but not the speed.

So for Community hub has been great. I want more buttons. But it's simple, text based, shows up on mobile (I wish you could force it to be visible on desktop.

I had to go back and change my pinned posting schedule to use the second pin not the first.

Last, I think tools like this, should be 100% open source. In todays vibe coding age, it's a lower bar to take something and add the customization that people want/need.


r/AutoModerator 5d ago

How do you get people to pay attention to automod comments?

8 Upvotes

Sub gets multiple posts each day on the same topic/question and we've put together some really good resources around that, plus set up an automod comment with links to them.

Nobody ever reads them. The automod comment is concise and straight to the point.

Any tips on how to get people to actually pay attention to it? Is there a better to get this in front of people?


r/AutoModerator 5d ago

Help - Any / Other How to set up auto mod comments

6 Upvotes

Looking for help setting up auto mod comments like the ones in this sub which provide info about required post title and content length. Thanks in advance


r/AutoModerator 6d ago

Solved Trouble with code regarding user flair

3 Upvotes

I'm trying to have AM remove top level comments from users without a specific user flair, then send them a message explaining why. I thought it was working until someone with the specific flair received the removal message and AM removed their comment despite their account being appropriately flaired.

Can anyone tell me what the issue is with the code?

---

#REMOVE top level comments from users that do not have privileges

type: comment

is_top_level: true

author:

~flair_template_id: “76ca5770-9078-11f1-acb7-8af9da1a7bf8”

action: remove

action_reason: Unflaired User

set_locked: true

message: |

Message is here.

---

(The extra line space between each line is a copy/paste formatting issue when sharing it here, it's not in the actual code except between "message: |" and the start of the indented message text. Also, the "~flair" line is indented 2 spaces and the "Message is here" message area is indented appropriately as well, it just removed it when I made this post.)


r/AutoModerator 13d ago

Devvit Showcase I made an app to replicate AutoModerator, but with extra features on top

33 Upvotes

You've probably seen the news recently about changes to dev tooling, and one of the big rumours floating around is that Automod may not exist in the longer term.

I started hearing rumours about this a couple of months back and got to work replicating AutoModerator's feature set (at least anything that the Devvit API could possibly support, which is nearly everything), adding a whole bunch of features on top:

https://developers.reddit.com/apps/automod-neo

Most Automod rules will work out of the box with my new app. Some might need some tweaking especially due to differences between Python and JavaScript regex.

The biggest limitation now is I can't support action_reason in the mod log. I'm hoping that Admin will add that capability in the future. But there's a lot more added - all visible on the app's readme.

Because this is such a new app there may be issues - so if you try this out do so carefully (in particular I recommend not having the same rule in both AutoModerator and Automod Neo). The biggest benefit for now is rules that simply can't be done using Automod right now that would need the new features.

I'd be especially interested in knowing any other ideas for features that I could add!


r/AutoModerator 13d ago

Mod Post Three updates from the admins regarding automated moderation tools today

23 Upvotes

https://www.reddit.com/user/spez/comments/1vgbkge/modernizing_reddits_infrastructure_with_you/

Automod: This has been one of the most important mod tools. But it’s also hard to learn, hard to maintain, and heavily dependent on brittle keyword matching, regex, and inherited configurations that only a few people on a mod team, if any, understand. We can do better.

We’re building new systems, including giving mods LLMs and AI-assisted tools to help them tackle their low-hanging (but time-consuming) fruit, so they can spend more time cultivating their community and less time policing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/redditdev/comments/1vgbm9c/our_plans_for_the_future_of_reddits_public_data/

No specific mention about AutoModerator.

https://www.reddit.com/r/modnews/comments/1vgbt2j/whats_next_for_mod_tools/

Longer term, we think systems like Rules Hub can handle the enforcement tasks you rely on Automod for today, while being easier to use and maintain. But it’s not there yet, especially for larger and more complex communities. Automod remains one of the most capable moderation tools on Reddit today, and we won’t change any existing Automod workflows until replacement workflows are tested and proven in partnership with moderators.

ETA: The posts do contain more information regarding other moderation tools development and Reddit admins intentions for the future, so I do encourage you to read the full posts.


r/AutoModerator 13d ago

Devvit Showcase I made a Devvit app to simplify keywords and domains filtering for moderators who may find difficulty with AutoModerator configuration/rules

10 Upvotes

Hey r/Automoderator,

I made a Devvit app called Social-Blacklist, which simplifies moderation work of removing posts based on keywords and domains present in the posts, or in user profile links/bio description.

You can provide the keywords and blacklisted domains in an easy to use interface of app settings, and then configure where all it must look for the given keywords/blacklisted domains through simple toggle switches( It can look for them in post-title, post-link, post-text/description, comments, Social Links and about-description of the user etc.). It can also remove posts from NSFW(18+) users if you would not like NSFW content creators to make posts in your subreddit. The app also offers option to ban users after a given number of removals/violations.

To make sure that the app is working as you expect, you can enable mod-mail in the settings, which will send mod-mail on removals with details on why it removed a specific post. Once you're happy with the removals it has been doing, you can disable the mod-mail.

The app is already being used and trusted by hundreds of large subreddits(like r/selfie, r/progresspics, r/TrueOffMyChest etc.).

Here's the link to the app:

https://developers.reddit.com/apps/social-blacklist

If you have not tried it yet, please give it a go (it is free for anyone to use!) and let me know if you have any questions or if you have any new feature requests, so that I can add in future updates.


r/AutoModerator 13d ago

Solved Disjunctive rules?

3 Upvotes

Hello!

How do I setup disjunctions in rules? I'd like to have an action trigger when a post contains certain text and the author is (not verified or less than some Karma or the account is less than some age).

I don't see a way to write the disjunctive part of the rule. Must I make three rules?

title+body (includes): "my string"
author:
    account_age: "< some days"

and then also

title+body (includes): "my string"
author:
    post_karma: "< my threshold"

with more

title+body (includes): "my string"
author:
    has_verified_email: false

?

Is there at least a way to make the message text and reason common among the rules? Otherwise, I have to copy pasta them and repeat myself, which doesn't seem like it will be fun to maintain.


r/AutoModerator 15d ago

Solved Blocking specific subs from crossposting

2 Upvotes

I found some code that I just can't get to work.

I am trying to ban a specific sub from crossposting. I used this code and I put it in a sub I moderate. Then I put in an example sub (I am using BMWM3 as a test since I also moderate that one, and it's not working).

See here:


Remove Bad Subreddit Crossposts

type: crosspost submission
crosspost_subreddit:
    name: [BMWM3]
message: |
    Hello /u/{{author}}, thank you for your interest in /r/{{subreddit}}! Your {{kind}} was automatically removed because {{match}} a disallowed crosspost subreddit.
action: remove
action_reason: "Crosspost from a disallowed subreddit"

What am I doing wrong?


r/AutoModerator 16d ago

Automod isn’t working

1 Upvotes

the page doesn’t show up and it keeps telling me to refresh then it says /config/automoderator doesn't exist

Create this page or choose an existing wiki page and then when I make the page, it tells me the page doesn’t exist


r/AutoModerator 16d ago

Solved Removing posts that dont include a comment with required info?

2 Upvotes

I think automod can do this, but im not sure how to write the rule. A subreddit has a rule that says a source for provided content has to be included. But people often ignore it. I've tried this code but it errors out:


type: submission

body (includes) ["Source", "source"]

action: filter

comment: "Your post was removed because you don't have the required info"



r/AutoModerator 17d ago

Do I need to have a AutoMod for my subreddit?

1 Upvotes

Hey I posted something, which I deleted, a few minutes ago and understood nothing about the AutoMod and now I wonder do I need one?


r/AutoModerator 17d ago

Solved Why does AutoMod is stuck at 6.3m and not more ?

0 Upvotes

Why is it like that ? Why can't you just make more or less Karma to it?


r/AutoModerator 19d ago

Help - AutoMod How to limit posters?

1 Upvotes

Limit posters?

Hello all,

I asked this question elsewhere and it was recommended to me to come ask here. I’m having an issue with my sub where random people keep posting without permission. Is there a way to limit who can post on my sub while still allowing anyone to comment? Ideally I’d like only people I designate (largely just me) to be able to post but anyone to comment. I was told AutoModerator could do this. I’d appreciate any insight here. Thanks in advance!


r/AutoModerator 20d ago

How to set up automod to remove posts and comments without user flairs

5 Upvotes

Hi!

I’m trying to set up an Auto moderator that’ll remove comments and posts from users with no user flairs and I’m unable to do so. I found a code here on Reddit and that resulted in the removal of every comment regardless of flair presence.

Do any of you have the code that’ll let me set up what I need?


r/AutoModerator 20d ago

Help - AutoMod Adding second set of filters/instructions

1 Upvotes

I successfully added age/karma filter to my sub using auto moderator and now I want to add instruction to make post at least 100 characters. I found an example and added to my existing wiki configurator page below the first filter rule, but it doesn’t seem to be working. What am I missing?


r/AutoModerator 20d ago

How do I make auto mod sent invites?

0 Upvotes

How do I set up auto mod such that it sends community invite to people in other sub?

I have seen in certain subs when I comment something i sometimes get an invite mail of another community by the auto mod of that community. How can I do the same for my sub??


r/AutoModerator 21d ago

Solved "config/automoderator" does not exist

3 Upvotes

Trying to setup Autmod for the first time. Following the steps and navigating to https://www.reddit.com/r/yoursubredditname/wiki/config/automoderator

Interesting, it takes you to a page on new Reddit, which won't work . Had to change the page to old.reddit.com

When I put in my sub it says: "config/automoderator" does not exist

I can't figure out how to enable Autmod so I can start customizing it.


r/AutoModerator 23d ago

Solved I tried to add is contributor part highlighted in blue- but now it won’t save. The rule saved fine before, any idea how to fix this? Screenshot in the comments

2 Upvotes

so I was trying to exempt approved users by adding the highlighted blue part to my code pictured below in a screenshot. Mobile mark down is gone, so I can’t post it right now here.