Running a server

AutoMod and raid protection

AutoMod checks every message before it's posted and blocks the ones that break your rules: blocked words, invite links, all links, or mass mentions. Raid protection keeps unwanted accounts from joining in the first place. Both are set up in Server Settings by people with Manage Server.

AutoMod#

Turn on Enable AutoMod first; nothing else on the page takes effect until it's on. Then pick the rules you want and click Save Changes.

When a message trips a rule, it isn't posted, and the sender sees why, for example:

AutoMod blocked this message: it contains a blocked word.

Edits are checked too, so someone can't post something clean and then edit a blocked word into it.

Blocked Words#

One word or phrase per line, up to 200 entries. Matching ignores capitals and looks anywhere inside a message.

Example
scam-site.example
free nitro
buy followers

Blocks "Check out SCAM-SITE.example now" and "anyone want free nitro?", wherever the phrase appears.

Blocks invite links to Sunflare and other chat servers specifically, without touching ordinary links. The most common anti-advertising rule.

Blocks every http:// and https:// link. Heavy-handed on purpose: most servers want Block Invite Links instead, or this rule only in a server that's getting link-spammed.

Mention Limit#

Blocks a single message that mentions more than 3, 5, 10, or 20 people. Only real members count: an @word that isn't anyone's username doesn't, so code like @Override won't trip it.

Example

With the limit at More than 5, a raid message tagging 30 members is blocked, while "@leo @jun @dex you in?" goes through.

When a rule trips#

Block the message
The message isn't posted. Nothing else happens.
Block the message and time them out
Also times the sender out for 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week. Good against spam bots, which keep trying.

Every block is written to the Audit Log under the name AutoMod, with the reason, so automated removals are never invisible.

Raid protection#

A raid is a wave of accounts joining at once to spam or harass. These settings decide who can join at all. They don't affect anyone already in the server.

Pause New Joins#

Turns away everyone trying to join, through any invite, until you switch it off. They see "This server has temporarily paused new joins". Reach for this the moment a raid starts, deal with the accounts already inside, then fine-tune the settings below and switch it off.

Require A Verified Email#

Only accounts that have confirmed their email can join. It costs a throwaway account one more step than most bother with. Real people who haven't verified are told to verify in Settings and try again.

Minimum Account Age#

Turns away accounts younger than 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, or 1 year. It's measured from when the account was created, not from when they found your server, so it's a speed bump against throwaways and ban evasion, not a waiting period for real people.

Example

A public gaming server getting raided by fresh accounts: Require A Verified Email on, Minimum Account Age 1 week. Brand-new accounts are stopped at the door, and real players with older accounts join normally.

During a raid: a checklist#

  1. Turn on Pause New Joins.
  2. Lock the channels being flooded, or turn on slowmode.
  3. Ban the raid accounts and purge their messages.
  4. If an invite was leaked to the raiders, regenerate it or revoke the extra link.
  5. Set Require A Verified Email and a Minimum Account Age, turn on AutoMod rules that would have caught it, then switch Pause New Joins off.
  6. Report organized raids to Sunflare staff.