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Create Auto-Moderation Rules: The Ultimate Guide
Create Auto-Moderation Rules: The Ultimate Guide

Learn how to create an Auto-moderation rule: get the scoop on message types, conditions, triggers, actions, and more

Napoleon The Cat avatar
Written by Napoleon The Cat
Updated over a year ago

A story for you: Imagine one Facebook page getting buried under a mountain of 76,000 comments and direct messages in just a day. Crazy, right?

Well, believe it or not, this happened to one of our dear customers at NapoleonCat.

Now, imagine this: 9 people, fueled by cup after cup of coffee, working day and night without rest, just to manage this tsunami of messages. ๐ŸŒŠ

But with NapoleonCat, they didn't have to do it! Auto-moderation did it for them. It turned a big, messy job into a small, easy, and automated one. ๐Ÿ†

With NapoleonCat, you can automatically seize sales opportunities 24/7, prioritize responses to loyal fans, swiftly remove offensive content, and block those pesky troublemakers. Actually, Auto-moderation will do it for you!

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

But everything starts with a single step. So, let's show you how to make your first auto-moderation rule!


Create an Auto-moderation rule

To get started, you're going to learn the basics of setting up an Auto-moderation rule. Down the line, you'll master more details like triggers, conditions, and actions.

Requirements

  1. Ensure you're on the Pro Plan. Not there yet? No worries, here's how to upgrade


Set it up

  • ๐Ÿงญ No need to worry, it's a guided journey in the app, and you won't get lost.

  • โœ๏ธ Remember, you can tweak your Auto-moderation rule anytime you want. You're in charge!

  • โญ๏ธ Note that your rule will come into play for interactions that pop in after you've set it up - it won't affect previous interactions.

๐Ÿ“š Consider this your starter guide. It'll lead you to more detailed insights into Auto-moderation (see the links throughout this article).


To create your first Auto-moderation rule, follow these steps:

  1. Head on over to Auto-moderation in NapoleonCat

  2. See the "Create new rule" button on the left? Click it! ๐Ÿ‘

  3. Give your Auto-moderation rule a name, and an internal note if you want to:

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

  4. ๐Ÿ‘† Choose your social media platform (NapoleonCat supports Facebook, Facebook Ads, Instagram, Instagram ads)

  5. Select your social media page. The cherry on top? You can auto-moderate multiple pages with one rule!

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

  6. Now it's time to choose the type of message your rule will apply to:

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

    From mentions, ad comments to private messages, etc. - you call the shots!

    โžก๏ธ Learn more about types of messages NapoleonCat supports here.

  7. Set a condition for your rule. Want to target messages with links, for example? You've got it!

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

  8. You can also specify your rule to trigger only when certain keywords are used, users are tagged in a specific way, or let it play with all types of interactions. This field is optional:

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

    โžก๏ธ See more about triggers here.

  9. Decide on the social media action to take - like hiding a comment:

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

    โžก๏ธ Get the lowdown on social media actions here.

  10. Want NapoleonCat to perform internal actions, like archiving a message in your Inbox? You got it! This field is optional, though:

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

    โžก๏ธLearn more about NapoleonCat actions here.

  11. Stay in the loop by setting up email notifications. You'll always know when your rule springs into action. ๐Ÿ“ง

    This field is optional too:

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

  12. Finally, decide when your rule should work. Want it to guard 24/7, or during specific hours? The choice is yours!

    This field is not required, however:

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

  13. Lastly, switch this on if you don't want other rules to run when this one does. Alternatively, leave it switched off:

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

  14. Hit the yellow "Save&Run" button in the top-right corner, and that's it!

    Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

And there you have it! Your first Auto-Moderation rule is up and running. Give yourself a high-five, you're awesome! ๐Ÿ‘

๐ŸŽฅ For a more visual guide, check out this video that'll walk you through creating a simple Auto-Moderation rule:


Now let's get to the nitty-gritty of setting up Auto-moderation rules!

Types of messages and conditions

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

As you navigate through Auto-moderation, you'll discover that it offers different rules for different platforms.

๐Ÿ”ง It's like having a unique toolset for each of your social media pages.

And yes, the types of interactions (message types) and conditions aren't all the same across the board.

๐Ÿค” What exactly are these interactions and conditions, you ask?

Let's imagine you want an auto-moderation rule for your ad comments, but only for those sneaky ones containing links. You'd choose "ad comments" as type of message, and "Containing link" as condition.

๐Ÿ“‘ Let's break down the types of messages and conditions you can work with:

Facebook and Facebook Ads

Instagram

Instagram Ads

๐Ÿ“จ Message types:

  • Organic comments;

  • Ad comments;

  • Private messages;

  • Comments for specific post;

  • Ad top-level comments;

  • Ad subcomments;

  • Comments, and subcomments for specific post;

  • Comments to profile mention;

  • Organic top-level comments;

  • Profile mention;

  • Organic subcomments;

  • Post page;

  • Review

  • Comments for specific posts;

  • Organic comments;

  • Private messages

  • Comments for specific posts;

  • Ad comments

โš™๏ธ Conditions:

  • All;

  • Text only;

  • Containing link;

  • Containing images or videos;

  • First private message;

  • Negative or positive review

n/a

n/a

Ready to crack some jargon?

We're going to delve into some specific terms. You'll see the less obvious ones explained to make sure you're all set:

Types of messages:

  • ๐Ÿ†“ Organic Comments: These are comments on your posts that are not part of paid ads

  • ๐Ÿ’ฒ Ad Comments: These comments come from people who see your paid ads

  • ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Comments for Specific Posts: Comments on posts that were published in the last 30 days

  • ๐Ÿ” Ad Top-Level Comments: The first comments made directly on your promoted posts or ads

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Ad Subcomments: These are comments made in response to other comments on your ads

  • ๐Ÿท๏ธ Comments to Profile Mention: Comments made on posts where someone tags you in their post

  • ๐ŸŒฑ Organic Top-Level Comments: The first comments made directly on your posts that aren't paid ads

  • ๐Ÿท๏ธ Profile Mention: When someone tags you or your brand in their post

  • ๐ŸŒฑ Organic Subcomments: These are comments made in response to other comments on your non-promoted posts

  • ๐Ÿ“ฎ Post Page: When a user posts something directly onto your page

  • โญ Review: This is a rating or evaluation given by a user on Facebook

Now, onto Conditions:

  • ๐ŸŒ All: This applies to all types of messages, whether they contain text, link, image, video, or a mix

  • ๐Ÿ“ Text only: This applies only to messages that contain just text

  • ๐Ÿ”— Containing Link: A heads up - Facebook can be picky about what it considers a link.

    For example, acme.com might not get recognised as a link, but https://acme.com will. We get the info from Facebook if a post is an object with a link.

  • ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Contains image or video: This works only for messages with images or videos


Triggers: keywords and tags

Diving into triggers! ๐ŸŽฏ It's a neat feature that you can choose to use. Yes, it's optional, but oh-so-powerful!

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

A trigger is an additional condition you can set to launch your auto-moderation rule. Itโ€™s like an extra filter.

There are two types of triggers to choose from: tag triggers and keyword triggers.

You can mix tag and keyword triggers together in one rule. Quite a powerful combo, isn't it? ๐Ÿ’ฅ

Tag triggers

You can set up your rule to activate only for users you've previously tagged as, for example, 'Troll'.

You can use one tag at a time.

To add a tag to an Auto-moderation rule, simply click "Select tag" and pick the tag you want from the dropdown list:

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

๐Ÿ‘‰ Here's how to set up and use tags in NapoleonCat.

๐Ÿ’กHere are some examples of tags and corresponding rules you might find useful:

  1. Hot Lead: Trigger a quick response rule to potential customers.

  2. Loyal Fan: Prioritize responses to users who frequently engage with your posts.

  3. Spammer: Automate blocking or deleting comments from repeat trolls.

Keyword triggers

Now, onto keywords as triggers. Keywords are specific words or phrases. When users use these in their message or comment, it starts your rule.

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

For example, to block crypto spam, you could use keywords like:

*crypto*, *coin, coin, bit, *bitcoin*, ethereum, *eth, *blockchain, *token, *ico, *mining, *trade, *exchange, *wallet, *trx, crypto investment, hodl, moon, lambo, etc.

You can pick from the 'simple mode' and 'advanced mode'.

The 'simple mode' should suffice for most use cases. But it helps to know how to best format your keywords!

Here's how keywords work:

Using an asterisk โ€” * โ€”before, after, or both before and after a word sequence makes your rule more flexible.

*win* triggers for any words containing "win," like "winnings", or "twin"

sale* activates for words starting with "sale", such as "sales", "salesman", "saleswoman", etc.

*ful will apply to words ending with "ful", such as helpful, beautiful, etc.

giveaway triggers for the standalone word "giveaway", and within a phrase like "Each giveaway is great."

best price sets off the rule for this exact sequence of words in a sentence, like in "We offer the best price."

โžก๏ธ And here's how to quickly add multiple keywords to your Auto-moderation rule all at once.

๐Ÿค– Tired of compiling lists of keywords manually? Learn how to use ChatGPT to swiftly generate keyword lists.


Actions

Alright, you've set the stage: you've defined where (the social media page), when (the message type), and the conditions (such as text only) for your rule to trigger.

You've also added any extra triggers, like users tagged as "trolls" and keywords like "scam" or "knock-off."

Now, it's time for the grand finale - actions!

What do you want to do with these messages? ๐Ÿค”

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

Actions come in two flavors: external actions that'll reflect on the social media platform, and NapoleonCat (internal actions) to keep your social Inbox clean and conversations organized. ๐Ÿงน

You need at least one social media action, but NapoleonCat actions are optional. They're useful, though.

For example, you could hide a nasty comment (social media action) and archive the ticket in your Social Inbox (NapoleonCat action).

Social media actions

Each social media platform has a range of available actions you can choose from:

Facebook and Facebook Ads

Instagram

Instagram Ads

๐Ÿค– Social Media Actions:

  • ๐Ÿ—จ๏ธ Reply as comment;

  • ๐Ÿ“ฉ Reply in a private message;

  • ๐Ÿ™ˆ Hide;

  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Delete;

  • ๐Ÿšซ Block user

  • ๐Ÿ—จ๏ธ Reply as comment;

  • ๐Ÿ“ฉ Reply in a private message;

  • ๐Ÿ™ˆ Hide;

  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Delete

  • ๐Ÿ—จ๏ธ Reply as comment;

  • ๐Ÿ™ˆ Hide;

  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Delete

๐Ÿ’ก Here's a nifty fact about replying as comment and replying in a private message:

You can mention the author and even randomize multiple responses! ๐Ÿ‘‡

So, when you get a product inquiry, you could automatically and randomly send one of these responses:

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

Multiple social media actions

Got multiple actions on your mind? No worries!

๐ŸŒฒWithin one branch of a rule, you can juggle some actions like "Reply as a comment" and "Reply in a private message" together:

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

But, it gets better.

๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒณ ๐ŸŒณ Your rule can have up to six different branches, each with their own triggers and actions.

โžก๏ธ Check out this article to learn about more complex rules with multiple triggers and actions.

NapoleonCat actions

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

And for housekeeping your Social Inbox, these actions (internal ones) are the same across all platforms.

This field is optional, and you can add just one internal action or all of them:

Facebook, Facebook Ads, Instagram, Instagram Ads

๐Ÿงน NapoleonCat (Internal) Actions:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Archive;

  • ๐Ÿšฉ Flag;

  • ๐Ÿท๏ธ Tag;

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Assign to moderator;

  • ๐ŸŽญ Mark sentiment;

  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Archive - Moves the conversation to your Archive folder in Social Inbox

  • โš‘ Flag - Flags the conversation and moves it to your 'Flagged' folder in Social Inbox

  • ๐Ÿท๏ธ Tag - Applies a tag to the message to categorize it for future reference.

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Assign to moderator - Assigns the conversation to a specific moderator to handle

  • ๐ŸŽญ Mark sentiment - Classifies the conversation as either positive, negative, or neutral

๐Ÿ”— You can dig deeper into internal actions in Social inbox here!



Notifications and schedule

Alright, let's dive into the last two optional fields: notifications and schedule!

๐Ÿ“ง Notifications - Whenever a rule gets activated, it can send out email alerts.

Plus, you can send them to several emails at once! Handy, right?

You can make these notifications even more detailed by using variables like [author] (the user who sent the message), [link] (direct link to the message), and [content] (the message itself).

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat

This way, if an Auto-moderation rule replies to a comment, you can see the comment's author, a direct link to the comment, and what the original comment said.

โžก๏ธ See how else to view when and how your Auto-moderation rules were triggered.

โฐ Schedule: Imagine you could set your rules on a timer - well, you can! You can time a rule to kick off on a particular date, and operate within a defined time frame (handy for campaign periods).

Or, you can customize it to work only on certain days and hours - ideal for times when your Customer Care team is off-duty!

Create your first Auto-Moderation rule in NapoleonCat


Detailed guides

๐Ÿš€ There you have it, you're officially Auto-moderation ready! It's all smooth sailing from here.

๐Ÿ”— And if you're in the mood for a deep dive into each step of creating Auto-moderation rules, check out these links:


๐Ÿ’ฌ Need a meow-tainance check? We've got you covered! Connect with our Customer Success team on chat in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.

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