How to set up Discord AutoMod

Discord AutoMod
(Image credit: TechRadar)

Quick steps

  • Go to Server Settings
  • Activate Community Settings
  • Click Content Moderation Beta and enable Commonly Flagged Words
  • Click Custom Keyword Rule to add additional banned words

On June 16, Discord introduced a brand new moderation tool called AutoMod that can prevent harmful messages from appearing on a server. The tool works by having the moderators in a server select which words they want to ban.

AutoMod also has the ability to automatically ban people who break the rules.  That said, we're going to show you how to get AutoMod and how to set it up.

You will need to be either a moderator, the administrator, or the creator of a Discord server in order to implement AutoMod. Also, this feature is limited to the desktop version of the app; it's not available on mobile.

Tools and Requirements

  • Discord client (desktop or browser app)
  • Internet connection
  • Moderator, administrator, or creator permissions

Steps

  • Click the arrow next to the name of your Discord server.

Discord server arrow

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • In the drop-down menu, select Server Settings. You will have to enable the Community settings on Discord.

Discord select Server Settings

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • Select Enable Community on the left-hand side.
  • Click the Get Started button in the middle of the screen to activate the Community Settings.

Discord Get Started button

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • A window will appear that will take you through the steps of setting up your server. Click the boxes next to 'Verified email required' and 'Scan media content from all members'.
  • Then click Next.

Discord setting up server

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • Next, you'll be given the opportunity to create a Rules and Community Updates channel.
  • You create your own by clicking the menu and choosing #general or letting Discord do it for you.

Discord setting up rules and community channels

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • For the final step, you can remove moderation privileges from other users and set notifications to Mentions by clicking the boxes next to the entries.
  • Check off the box next to 'I agree and understand'.
  • Then click Finish Setup.

Discord Community server final steps

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • Click Content Moderation Beta on the left hand menu.
  • Click Set Up next to Commonly Flagged words to select what words you want filtered.

Discord Set Up Content Moderation

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • Select the language you want excluded.

Discord commonly flagged words

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • Then choose a response to users breaking the rules. You can either block the message or send an alert to that channel.
  • Choose which users or channels are exempt from AutoMod. This is an optional step.
  • Click Save Changes at the bottom. 

Discord choosing responses and exemptions

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • To add the words yourself, click Set Up next to Custom Keyword Rule.

TechRadar custom keyword rule

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • Under Choose your words, enter the words or phrase you want blocked.
  • Choose a response afterwards. You can either block the message, send an alert to the channel, or disable user access.
  • You can then select who and which channels can be exempt.
  • Click Save Changes

Discord Custom Keyword Changes

(Image credit: TechRadar)
  • If you do select Timeout user, a small window will appear.
  • In the small window, you can change the timeout duration, from 60 seconds to a week
  • Once done, hit Save.

Discord timeout duration

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Final thoughts

The purpose of AutoMod is to help moderators manage their Discord server. It's difficult to take care of a server that has dozens, if not hundreds, of users on there, so this tool seeks to alleviate that.

As such, you will need to be either a moderator or the owner of a Discord server in order to implement AutoMod. Also, this feature is limited to the desktop version of the app; it's not available on mobile.

And if you're interested in other Discord tools, there are many to choose from:

  • MEE6 is a Discord bot that you can configure to welcome users, send out notifications, or ban people from a server.
  • Sesh is a calendar bot that can create events for all users, send out RSVPs, and take into account the timezone.
  • And there's Captcha.bot which boost security to a Discord server by adding in a Captcha test.

If you want other Discord bots, it's recommended that you perform adequate research and make sure the tools you download come from a secure place.

Cesar Cadenas
Contributor

Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry for several years now specializing in consumer electronics, entertainment devices, Windows, and the gaming industry. But he’s also passionate about smartphones, GPUs, and cybersecurity. 

Read more
ChatGPT logo
ChatGPT explained – everything you need to know about the AI chatbot
An unhappy looking man at a party holding the Discord app logo
How to stream Prime Video on Discord
DuckDuckGo AI
What is Duck.ai? Everything we know about DuckDuckGo’s privacy-focused AI chatbot
ChatGPT on a phone
What is ChatGPT: everything you should know about the AI chatbot
Meta AI on a smartphone
What is Meta AI: everything you need to know about the social network’s AI assistant
ChatGPT search extension in Chrome.
What is Rawbot? Everything we know about the AI comparison tool
Latest in Websites & Apps
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, March 26 (game #1157)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, March 26 (game #388)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 25 (game #1156)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 25 (game #387)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #1155)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #386)
Latest in How Tos
Mobile phone with logo of video game distribution platform Steam operated by Valve on screen in front of web page
How to gift a game on Steam
Venezuela's forward #09 Jhonder Cadiz celebrates after scoring during the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Ecuador and Venezuela, at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium in Quito, on March 21, 2025 ahead of Venezuela vs Peru
Venezuela vs Peru live stream: how to watch today's FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier anywhere online
The cast of Alone Australia season 3, standing in a knee-high body of water
How to watch Alone Australia season 3 online – stream the survival show from anywhere
Pinterest
How to post on Pinterest
ChatGPT app on an iPhone
5 things you should ask ChatGPT today – oh, and 1 you should never ask it!
This City Is Ours
How to watch This City Is Ours online – stream Sean Bean crime drama from anywhere