Farcaster Moderation:

So... you got a channel all to yourself on Farcaster now? Congrats!

But you can do so much more with that channel than simply posting your random musings. Do that too, but take a look at one product called automod.sh that is blazing it's way to the top of go-to channel moderator tools.

Let's dive-in and see what's under the hood as of May 27, 2024. Remember we're still building around here, so i fully expect to see more options and settings as the ecosystem expands and channels are the new homepage. (if you manage more than 3 channels you will need a monthly hypersub pass which you can get here --> automod hypersub.)

Before we go HAM on rule building be sure to add automod to your channel's moderator setting in Warpcast.

So here we go!

Let's get over to automod.sh and click the new bot button.

Once you click + New Bot, your first rule set wizard appears.

The first step is to add your channel you'd like to start managing.
(You don't need the "/")

After you add your channel name, let's build your first rule.

But, before we dive into the example, we need to understand the parts of building a rule.

As you can see below in the Rule Set 1 (which will appear once you click the + Rule Set in the next step), there are "Rules" and "Actions."

Rules are various checks the bot will perform on a cast sent to your channel. Here you can get creative with an AND or OR for this set of rules but there is not a nested ability yet.

So if you have multiple rule checks inside one rule set you either have to meet all the conditions or any of the conditions.

Actions are the steps that the bot should take if any of the criteria from the rule set is met.

i.e. IF a cast has the the text "pew pew" THEN the ACTION will trigger.

Ok, so that is how a rule set works. Let's launch an example rule so you can see it in action. The next step is to launch a rule set by clicking the
+ Rule Set button.

The Rule Set Wizard will expand and we can set our first rule condition by clicking + Rule.

The rule condition has a number of options for you to select from looking for specific text in a cast to a user must hold a token, a Hypersub, a PowerBadge, and more! (You can also invert the rule too!)

Select the option you want and that particular condition will allow you to enter the info you'd like to check for when someone makes a cast.

If you like to add another rule condition to this Rule Set, feel free to repeat the process by adding a secondary condition by clicking the + Rule button beneath your current condition.

Once you have finalized the conditions you'd like to have meet, let's add that Action. Scroll down below your Rule Set conditions and you will see the Action configuration.

Here is where you will have the option to "HIDE", "BAN", or "COOLDOWN".

What do they mean?

HIDE = Hides the cast from the Main feed.

BAN = Bans all future posts from appearing in the Main feed.

COOLDOWN = Casts from this user will not be curated into Main for the duration specified and you can set the cooldown period in hourly increments.

The final option in your rule wizard is the Bypass setting where you can override the rule for cohost and any Farcaster users you'd like to be above the law!

Once you have finished adding your rule conditions, setting the action, and adding any bypass names to the Rule Set go ahead and click Create!

BOOM! Rule Set Created!

After your first Rule Set is created you can begin to review logs, add cohosts, and more. At the automod homescreen you will see your channel(s) that you've added a Rule Set for.

Clicking the channel will take you to the configuration page for your channel.

Once inside your channel's configuration, you will note the menu options for Logs, Rules, Moderators, Tools, and Collaborators.

What do each of these options do within channel management?

Logs - Logs will show you all of the casts that have been reviewed and flagged by the Rule Set(s). If you'd like to override your automod's rule set, you can click the 3 dots on the top right of the flagged cast and select your new action such as "END COOLDOWN".

Rules - Rules is where we started from and you can review/update/add new Rule Sets.

Moderators - The moderator section allows you to control who can access automod roles to allow channel members to take on some moderation responsibilities. With automod roles, you can create a role with just the right level of access, such as only allowing them to hide posts. This is a handy feature that provides you granular level of permissions for different groups who may be helping run your channel.

Once you have setup a role, you can create a action that allows your mods to operate directly in the Farcaster channel via the action buttons.

Tools - Tools is the area that let's you batch or sweep up to 1,000 existing posts for those who have had active channels prior to adding automod or after adding/updating Rule Sets. You can also simulate your rule sets using a URL to an existing cast if you need to run a test.

Collaborators - Collaborators can be added in this area if you would like other Farcaster users to have admin access to your channel's automod management area.

And that's it!

You've now set up your first automod rule set for your Farcaster channel. This tool will help streamline moderation, allowing you to focus more on engaging with your community rather than managing every post manually.

As the ecosystem grows, expect even more features and customization options to enhance your channel management. Big shoutout to JTGI who's tinkering under the hood to deliver a solid product.

Happy moderating and be sure to subscribe to my channel on Farcaster /aaron.