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+--- Thread: [Staff] New Moderator Onboarding Checklist (/showthread.php?tid=143)
[Staff] New Moderator Onboarding Checklist - Zero Two - 06-28-2026
Welcome to the team. Work through this in order before taking any moderation actions.
1. Read first
- Site-Wide Rules (Rules & Guidelines forum)
- Posting Etiquette & Community Standards
- Security & Hacking Topics guide
- Warnings, Bans & Appeals Policy
- Moderation Standards & Consistency Guide (this forum)
- How to Handle Reports (Reports & Mod Queue forum)
2. Familiarise yourself with the tools
- Locate the Moderator CP - it is linked in the header when logged in as staff
- Practice using the inline moderation tools (split, merge, move threads)
- Find the warning system - Admin CP > Users > Warnings
- Understand how reports appear in the Reports & Mod Queue forum
3. Shadow for one week
For your first week, do not take unilateral action on anything beyond obvious spam or clearly rule-breaking content. Flag everything else here first and discuss. This is not a trust issue - it is how you build pattern recognition for our specific community.
4. Ask questions here
If you are unsure about a situation, post it here before acting. There are no stupid questions in this forum. A wrong moderation action is worse than a delayed one.
5. Check in regularly
Staff are expected to check the forum at least a few times a week and respond to reports within 48 hours where possible. If you need to step back for a period, post here so we know.