Using Your Mod Tools
Every tool has a purpose. Use the right one for the situation.
Pin Thread
When: Important announcements, rules posts, community events, FAQs. Best practice: Keep no more than 2-3 pinned threads per forum. Too many pins and people stop reading them.
Lock Thread
When: Discussion has run its course and is going in circles, or a resolved support thread that is attracting necro-posts. Best practice: Always post a final message explaining why you are locking before you lock it.
Move Thread
When: A good thread posted in the wrong forum. Best practice: Use this instead of asking the user to repost. Moving preserves the discussion and the user does not lose their work.
Delete Post
When: Spam, rule violations, duplicate posts. Best practice: Use soft delete (the default). This preserves the content for review and allows restoration if you made a mistake. Only request a hard purge from admins for truly objectionable content.
Forum Ban
When: A user repeatedly violates rules after warnings. Best practice: Start with a short ban (1-7 days) for first offenses. Permanent bans should be reserved for serious or repeated violations. Always include a reason.
Edit Description
When: Forum scope evolves, or you want to add rules and guidelines. Best practice: Keep descriptions concise. Link to a pinned rules thread for detailed guidelines.
Escalate to SysOps
When: The situation is beyond your authority — site-wide bans, legal issues, threats, cross-forum harassment. Best practice: Include as much context as possible. Link to specific posts. Describe what you have already tried.
The Mod Log
Check it regularly. It shows all moderation actions across your forum. Use it to:
- Make sure you and co-moderators are aligned
- Spot patterns in user behavior
- Review your own actions for consistency