[Zero Two]

Spam is the most common moderation task. This guide covers identification and the full handling workflow.

Types of spam we see

• Bot registrations - register and immediately post links. Usually obvious from the account age (minutes) and post content (generic compliment + link).
  
• Human spammers - make a few legitimate-looking posts to build account credibility, then drop promotional content. Harder to catch early.
  
• Necro-spam - reviving old threads with a single promotional reply or link.
  
• Signature spam - user adds SEO links to their signature. May not post spam content itself.
  

Handling procedure

• Step 1: Remove the spam post(s) immediately.
  
• Step 2: Check the user profile - review all their posts for other spam you may have missed.
  
• Step 3: Ban the account. For obvious bots, permanent ban with reason "Spam account." For human spammers who have legitimate posts, use judgment - a warning first if the spam was isolated and recent.
  
• Step 4: If the spam contained a malicious link, flag it here with the URL (do not make it clickable) so it can be added to the domain blocklist.
  
• Step 5: If there is a surge of spam from similar accounts (same IP range, same content pattern), flag in the Staff Lounge so admin can review registration settings.
  

Do not engage with spam accounts
Do not reply to their posts, even to call them out. Remove silently. Public callouts attract attention to the spam and sometimes the spammer.

False positives
Occasionally a legitimate new user will post something that looks like spam - low post count, link in first post, promotional-sounding. Check the context. A developer sharing their open source project in Project Showcase is not spam. If unsure, flag here rather than banning immediately.