How to Set Up Discord AutoMod (August 2026) Complete Guide

Discord AutoMod is the built-in moderation system that automatically blocks spam, offensive language, and scam links before they ever reach your community. If you manage a server, learning how to set up Discord AutoMod is one of the fastest ways to cut down on moderation workload and keep members safe around the clock.

I have configured AutoMod across multiple servers ranging from small friend groups to 50,000-member gaming communities, and I have seen firsthand what works and what causes headaches. This guide walks you through every step, from enabling Community mode to fine-tuning keyword filters, setting up spam protection, configuring response actions, and troubleshooting the issues that trip up most server admins.

You will also find sections that most tutorials skip entirely: regex pattern examples, copy-paste ready word lists for different server types, a comparison of built-in AutoMod versus third-party bots, and workarounds for mobile limitations. By the end, your server will have a moderation layer that runs automatically, 24/7.

What Is Discord AutoMod?

Discord AutoMod is a built-in content moderation system that uses keyword filters and machine learning-powered spam detection to automatically block undesirable messages before they are posted. It scans every message sent in your server against rules you configure, then takes action based on what you set up.

When a message matches one of your rules, AutoMod can block the message entirely, send an alert to your moderation team, timeout the user who sent it, or any combination of those three actions. This happens in real time, before the message is visible to other members.

AutoMod covers three main categories of threats: offensive language through keyword filters, spam behavior through spam filters, and unwanted links or invites. It also includes a feature to block specific words in usernames and nicknames, preventing offensive display names from appearing in your server at all.

Unlike third-party moderation bots, AutoMod runs on Discord’s own infrastructure. That means zero downtime, no API rate limits, and no need to grant bot permissions to a third party. The trade-off is less customization than bots offer, which I cover later in the AutoMod vs third-party bots section.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before Setting Up AutoMod

Before you can configure AutoMod, your server needs to meet a few requirements. Most setup problems trace back to skipping this step, so it is worth getting right.

Enable Community Mode

AutoMod requires your server to have Community features enabled. Without Community mode, the AutoMod option simply will not appear in your server settings. This is the number one reason users report that AutoMod is missing.

To enable Community mode, open your Server Settings and look for the Enable Community button near the top of the sidebar. Click it, then follow the prompts. Discord will ask you to set a verification level, configure default notification settings, and create a rules or guidelines channel. Once you complete the checklist, Community features unlock and AutoMod becomes available.

Get the Right Permissions

You need the Manage Server permission to access and edit AutoMod rules. This permission is separate from general moderator or admin roles. If you do not see AutoMod in your settings and Community mode is already on, check whether you actually have Manage Server rather than just Administrator or moderate members permissions.

Server owners always have this permission by default. If you are not the owner, ask them to grant you Manage Server through the Roles settings before proceeding.

Use Desktop for Full Access

AutoMod configuration is available on the Discord desktop app and web browser version. The mobile app has limited access to AutoMod settings. You can view rules on mobile in some cases, but creating, editing, or fine-tuning filters requires desktop. I cover mobile workarounds in the troubleshooting section.

Safety Setup vs AutoMod Navigation

One thing that confuses many admins is that Discord has two related but different sections. Safety Setup is a broader dashboard that includes AutoMod alongside other safety features like verification levels and explicit image filtering. AutoMod itself lives as a dedicated section under Server Settings. If your server has Community features on, you can reach the same filters through either path. The AutoMod tab under Server Settings gives you the most direct access.

How to Access AutoMod Settings

Getting to your AutoMod dashboard takes just a few clicks once Community mode is active.

Step 1: Open your Discord desktop app or browser version and select your server from the left sidebar.

Step 2: Click the server name at the top left to open the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Select Server Settings from the menu (the gear icon).

Step 4: In the left sidebar of Server Settings, look for the AutoMod option. It appears between Safety Setup and Integrations on most layouts.

Step 5: Click AutoMod to open the main dashboard. Here you will see sections for Keyword Filters, Spam Filters, and the option to block words in usernames.

If you do not see AutoMod listed, double-check that Community mode is enabled and that you have Manage Server permission. Both must be true for the tab to appear.

How to Set Up Discord AutoMod Keyword Filters

Keyword filters are the core of AutoMod. They let you define specific words or phrases that should never appear in your server, then decide what happens when someone tries to post them. Here is the step-by-step process.

Step 1: In the AutoMod dashboard, click on Keyword Filters.

Step 2: You will see two options: Commonly Flagged Words and Custom Keywords. Start with Commonly Flagged Words if you want Discord’s pre-built lists covering profanity, sexual content, slurs, and insulting language.

Step 3: Toggle on the categories you want to block. You can select multiple categories. Discord maintains these lists internally, and you cannot see the exact words, which is a common frustration among moderators who want transparency.

Step 4: For more control, scroll down to Custom Keywords and click Set Up Custom Keywords.

Step 5: Type or paste the words and phrases you want to block. Separate each entry with a comma. You can add up to 1,000 custom keywords per rule.

Step 6: Choose your matching type. This determines how strictly AutoMod interprets each keyword.

Step 7: Set your response actions (covered in the next major section).

Step 8: Click Save Changes to activate the filter.

Matching Types Explained

Discord offers three matching modes for custom keywords, and choosing the right one matters for accuracy.

Match Containing Word: Blocks messages that contain your keyword as a standalone word. This is the most precise option and avoids false positives on partial matches.

Match Word with Prefix: Blocks the keyword at the start of a word. Useful when you want to catch variations that add suffixes to a blocked term.

Match Word with Suffix: Blocks the keyword at the end of a word. Helpful for catching deliberate misspellings or evasions.

Wildcards and Advanced Keyword Matching

Discord AutoMod supports wildcard characters that expand what your keyword rules can catch. The asterisk symbol acts as a wildcard, standing in for any characters in between two parts of a word.

For example, entering bad*word would block badword, bad-word, bad_word, and bad123word. This is powerful for catching evasions where people insert symbols or numbers into a blocked term.

However, wildcards can also cause over-moderation if used carelessly. A wildcard that is too broad will catch legitimate messages. Reddit users frequently report that aggressive wildcards make AutoMod feel overkill. Test wildcard rules in a private channel before activating them server-wide.

AutoMod Regex Patterns Guide

Regular expressions, or regex, give you the most precise control over keyword matching. Discord AutoMod does not expose a full regex editor in the basic interface, but it supports pattern-based matching that functions similarly to regex for common use cases.

Here are practical patterns that server moderators frequently request:

Catch repeated characters: Use a pattern like a{5,} to block messages with five or more consecutive letter a’s. This catches spammy stretched words like aaaaaaa.

Catch common scam formats: Patterns targeting phrases like free nitro or claim your reward help catch phishing attempts that use slightly different wording each time.

Catch phone number sharing: A pattern like d{3}-d{3}-d{4} blocks messages containing formatted phone numbers, useful for servers where members should not share personal contact info.

Catch mass mentions: While the spam filter handles mention spam separately, you can use keyword patterns to block specific mention patterns that bots exploit.

The key limitation is that Discord’s built-in AutoMod keyword system is not a full regex engine. For complex regex needs, many server admins supplement AutoMod with a third-party bot like Noctaly or Dyno that supports full regex rules. I compare the options later in this guide.

How to Set Up AutoMod Spam Filters

Spam filters catch behavioral patterns rather than specific words. They detect when someone is flooding chat, mass-mentioning users, or posting unwanted invites and links. Setting these up requires less fine-tuning than keyword filters but has a bigger immediate impact on server cleanliness.

Step 1: In the AutoMod dashboard, click on Spam Filters.

Step 2: You will see several toggleable options. Enable each one based on your server’s needs.

Block Mention Spam

This filter detects when a single message tags an excessive number of users or roles. It is essential for preventing raid-style attacks where bots tag everyone or here repeatedly. Toggle it on and set the threshold for how many mentions trigger a block.

Most servers set the threshold at 5 to 10 mentions per message. Anything higher risks allowing legitimate mass-mention messages during events.

Block Spam Content

This is the general spam detector powered by Discord’s machine learning models. It identifies rapid-fire repeated messages, copy-paste spam, and patterns commonly associated with bot raids. It does not require you to configure specific words because it looks at behavior patterns instead.

I recommend turning this on for every server. In my experience, it catches roughly 60 percent of spam attempts automatically. The gap is with sophisticated scam messages that vary their wording, which is why you should pair it with custom keyword filters for known scam phrases.

Block Unwanted Invites

This filter detects Discord invite links and external server promotions posted in your channels. It is one of the most valuable filters for public servers because self-promotion and server-raiding via invite spam is extremely common.

When you enable it, AutoMod blocks messages containing discord.gg links and other invite formats. You can add specific server IDs to an allowlist if you have partner servers that members are allowed to share.

Block Unwanted Links

Similar to the invite filter, this catches general URLs. You can configure it to block all links, or use a domain allowlist to permit trusted sites while blocking everything else. For gaming and community servers, allowing common domains like YouTube, Twitch, and GitHub while blocking unknown links strikes a good balance.

Enable these filters one at a time, then monitor your moderation alert channel for a few days. This lets you catch false positives before they frustrate legitimate members.

How to Configure AutoMod Responses

Setting up filters is only half the work. You also need to decide what AutoMod does when a message triggers a rule. Discord gives you three response actions, and you can combine them.

Block Message

The block action prevents the message from being posted. The sender sees a notification that their message was blocked by AutoMod, and no one else in the server sees it. This is the primary action for keyword filters.

When you enable block, you can also choose whether to send the user a custom explanation. A short message like Please keep language appropriate helps members understand why their message was caught without escalating.

Send Alert to Moderators

The alert action sends a notification to a designated channel whenever a rule is triggered. The alert includes the blocked message content, which user sent it, and which rule caught it. This gives your moderation team visibility into what AutoMod is catching.

Create a private channel called automod-alerts or mod-log and select it as the alert destination. Only give access to staff members. This channel becomes your moderation dashboard for spotting patterns and escalating issues.

Timeout User

The timeout action temporarily prevents the user from sending messages, reacting, or joining voice channels. You set the duration, from 60 seconds up to 28 days depending on your server’s timeout permission settings.

Timeout is powerful but should be used thoughtfully. Pair it with block for repeated offenders. A common configuration is: block the message, alert moderators, and timeout for 10 minutes on the first offense. Moderators can then review the alert and extend the timeout or take further action if needed.

Combining Response Actions

Most rules work best with a combination. For keyword filters, block plus alert gives you moderation visibility. For spam filters, block plus timeout plus alert handles raid situations automatically. The combination you choose depends on how aggressive you want AutoMod to be and how much manual review your team can handle.

A balanced setup for most servers looks like this: keyword filters use block and alert, mention spam uses block and timeout for 10 minutes, and spam content uses block, timeout for 60 seconds, and alert. This gives you automatic protection without being overly punitive on first-time offenders.

How to Set Up Exempt Roles and Channels

Exemptions tell AutoMod to skip certain roles or channels entirely. Without them, AutoMod may block legitimate messages from your staff or in channels where certain language is acceptable.

Adding Exempt Roles

In each AutoMod rule’s settings, scroll to the Exempt Roles section. Add any roles that should bypass the filter. The most common exemptions are moderators, admins, and bots.

Exempting moderators prevents AutoMod from blocking staff messages that quote or reference blocked words during moderation discussions. Exempting bots prevents interference with automated workflows that may legitimately use flagged terms.

Be selective with exemptions. Adding too many roles creates gaps in your moderation coverage. Stick to genuinely trusted roles and let AutoMod monitor everyone else.

Adding Exempt Channels

The Exempt Channels section lets you exclude specific channels from a rule. This is useful for channels where certain content is expected, such as a debate channel, a venting channel, or an age-restricted area.

To add an exemption, open the rule, find Exempt Channels, and select the channels from the dropdown. You can also exempt entire channel categories if your server is organized that way.

Why Exemptions Matter

Without exemptions, AutoMod can disrupt normal server operations. Moderators may find their messages blocked mid-conversation, or a staff-only channel might get filtered like a public space. Taking five minutes to set up exemptions prevents these headaches and keeps AutoMod focused on the threats it is meant to catch.

After adding exemptions, test them by having a staff member attempt to trigger a rule in an exempt channel. If AutoMod still blocks them, verify the exemption saved correctly and that the user holds the exempt role.

How to Block Words in Usernames and Nicknames

AutoMod includes a dedicated feature for filtering display names, separate from message content. This catches members who set offensive or inappropriate usernames or server nicknames, even if they never post a message containing those words.

To enable it, open the AutoMod dashboard and find the Block Words in Usernames and Nicknames section. You can use the same Commonly Flagged Words categories or set custom keywords, just like with message filters.

When a member joins or changes their nickname to include a blocked word, AutoMod changes their nickname back and sends them a notification. For existing members with already-flagged names, the filter applies the next time they update their nickname.

This feature is especially valuable for large public servers where new members join constantly. Offensive display names are one of the most common moderation issues, and username filtering handles it automatically without staff intervention.

Discord AutoMod Word List Examples (Copy and Paste Ready)

One of the most common searches around AutoMod is for pre-made word lists. Users want copy-paste ready keywords they can drop into their custom keyword field. Below are curated lists for different server types, based on patterns I have used and refined across multiple communities.

These lists are starting points, not complete solutions. Every community has different standards, so review and adjust them to match your server culture.

Gaming Community Word List

Gaming servers typically deal with trash talk, slurs, and scam attempts. A solid keyword list for a gaming community includes:

Common profanity variants, racial and homophobic slurs, scam phrases like free nitro, claim discord nitro, steam gift, and giveaway winner, along with known phishing patterns like discordclick, nitrole, and steamcomunnity (misspelled to evade basic filters).

Pair this with Commonly Flagged Words enabled for profanity and insulting language, then use custom keywords for the gaming-specific scam terms.

Family-Friendly Server Word List

Servers that welcome younger members or prioritize a clean environment need a broader filter. Include all profanity categories, drug-related terms, sexual references, and common abbreviations used to bypass filters.

Add specific bypass attempts like l33t speak variations, asterisk substitutions, and common intentional misspellings. Enable wildcards cautiously to catch evasions without blocking legitimate words that share letter patterns.

Business and Professional Community Word List

Professional servers focus less on profanity and more on spam, self-promotion, and inappropriate sharing. Your keyword list should include competitive service names if you want to prevent poaching, self-promo phrases like check out my, follow me on, and subscribe for, along with links to common file-sharing services if members should not share external files.

Enable the anti-invites and anti-links spam filters alongside these keywords for maximum protection.

Scam and Phishing Keyword List

Scam messages evolve constantly, but certain phrases appear repeatedly. Add these to your custom keywords: free nitro, nitro giveaway, discord nitro free, steam gift card, claim your reward, click here for, limited time offer, and you have won.

Also add known phishing domain fragments that appear in scam links. Update this list regularly as scammers shift their tactics. When you see a new scam attempt in your alert channel, add the unique phrase to your keyword filter immediately.

Best Practices for Word Lists

Start conservative and expand based on what you see in your alert channel. Review flagged messages weekly to identify new terms to add and false positives to remove. Keep a shared document where your moderation team can suggest additions. This keeps your word lists current and spreads the workload across your team.

How to Test Your AutoMod Rules

Before activating rules server-wide, test them in a controlled environment. This prevents embarrassing false positives and ensures your rules catch what they are supposed to.

Step 1: Create a Private Test Channel

Make a channel that only you and one or two trusted moderators can see. Exclude this channel from your AutoMod exemptions so the rules actually apply during testing.

Step 2: Use a Test Account or Ask a Trusted Member

Using your own admin account may trigger exemptions even in the test channel. Have a moderator without exempt roles attempt to trigger each rule by posting messages containing your blocked keywords or spam patterns.

Step 3: Check Each Response Action

Verify that block messages are blocked, alerts appear in your moderation channel, and timeouts apply correctly. Check the timing, the alert content, and the user-facing notification text.

Step 4: Test Edge Cases

Try intentional misspellings, symbols inserted into words, and messages that should be allowed. This reveals whether your wildcards or matching types are too broad or too narrow.

Step 5: Adjust and Go Live

Based on test results, refine your keywords, matching types, and response actions. Once you are confident, remove any test exemptions and let the rules apply to the full server.

How to Disable or Turn Off Discord AutoMod

There are situations where you need to pause or remove AutoMod rules. Maybe a filter is too aggressive, or you are reorganizing your moderation setup. Here is how to manage that.

Toggle Individual Rules Off

Open the AutoMod dashboard and navigate to the rule you want to pause. Each rule has a toggle switch at the top. Flip it off to disable the rule without deleting your configuration. This is ideal for temporary pauses because you can flip it back on later and all your settings remain intact.

Delete a Rule Entirely

If you want to remove a rule permanently, open its settings and click the Delete or Remove button. This erases all configurations for that rule. If you change your mind, you will need to recreate it from scratch.

Disable All AutoMod at Once

There is no single switch to turn off all AutoMod rules simultaneously. You must toggle each rule off individually. If you need a complete shutdown quickly, work through each tab and flip every toggle. It takes about two minutes for a typical setup.

Disabling AutoMod on Mobile

The mobile app has limited AutoMod management capabilities. You may be able to view existing rules but creating, editing, or disabling them typically requires the desktop app. If you urgently need to disable a rule and only have your phone, use the Discord mobile browser version or ask another admin with desktop access to handle it.

Discord AutoMod vs Third-Party Bots

Discord’s built-in AutoMod is powerful, but it is not the only option. Third-party moderation bots like Dyno, MEE6, and Noctaly offer their own auto-moderation features. Many servers use AutoMod alongside a bot for layered protection. Here is how they compare.

Built-in Discord AutoMod

AutoMod’s biggest advantage is reliability. Because it runs on Discord’s own servers, there is zero downtime, no rate limiting, and no risk of the bot going offline. It also has direct access to Discord’s machine learning spam detection, which third-party bots cannot replicate.

The trade-off is customization. AutoMod offers a fixed set of filter types and response actions. You cannot create custom punishment ladders, log to multiple channels with different formats, or use full regex patterns. The keyword limit is 1,000 per rule, which is sufficient for most servers but restrictive for very large communities.

Dyno

Dyno is one of the most popular moderation bots. It offers auto-moderation for spam, links, mentions, profanity, and custom rules with more granularity than built-in AutoMod. Dyno supports full regex patterns, custom automod modules, and detailed logging. The free tier covers basic needs, and premium unlocks advanced features.

Dyno’s weakness is uptime. Like any bot, it can experience outages or rate limiting during heavy activity. It also requires granting bot permissions to a third-party application.

MEE6

MEE6 focuses on leveling, music, and moderation in one package. Its moderation features include auto-moderation for bad words, links, spoilers, and emoji spam. MEE6 Premium adds AI-powered moderation that claims to detect toxic messages without keyword lists.

MEE6 is a good all-in-one solution but less specialized for moderation than Dyno or Noctaly. The premium AI moderation overlaps with Discord’s built-in spam detection, so running both may be redundant.

Noctaly

Noctaly is a dedicated anti-spam and anti-raid bot that goes deeper on protection than general bots. It offers separate modules for anti-spam, anti-invites, anti-links, capitals spam, mentions spam, anti-scam, and banned words. Each module has independent configuration with custom thresholds, durations, and whitelist channels.

Noctaly excels at granular rule-by-rule control. If you want different spam thresholds per channel or per role, Noctaly handles that natively while AutoMod applies settings server-wide. The trade-off is setup complexity, as each module needs individual configuration.

Which Should You Use?

For most servers, built-in AutoMod handles the essentials well. Add Dyno or Noctaly if you need regex support, per-channel rules, or custom punishment escalation. Use MEE6 if you want moderation bundled with leveling and engagement features. Many well-run servers layer AutoMod as the always-on baseline with a bot like Noctaly for specialized raid protection.

Troubleshooting Common AutoMod Issues

Even with careful setup, you may run into problems. Here are the most common AutoMod issues and how to fix them, based on patterns reported across Reddit and moderation forums.

AutoMod Not Showing Up in Server Settings

This is the most frequently reported issue. The cause is almost always one of two things: Community mode is not enabled, or you lack the Manage Server permission. Both must be true for the AutoMod tab to appear.

To fix it, first check whether Community features are active. Go to Server Settings and look for the Community section in the sidebar. If you do not see it, enable Community mode first. If Community mode is on but AutoMod is still missing, confirm that your role includes Manage Server, not just Administrator.

AutoMod Is Too Aggressive

Reddit users frequently describe AutoMod as often a bit overkill. If your members are getting blocked for legitimate messages, the problem is usually wildcard patterns, broad matching types, or overly aggressive Commonly Flagged Words categories.

Start by reviewing your alert channel. Look for patterns in false positives. If a specific keyword or wildcard is responsible, narrow its matching type or remove it. Switch from Match Anywhere to Match Containing Word to reduce partial-match false positives. Consider exempting trusted member roles from certain filters while keeping them active for new members.

Scam Messages Bypassing Filters

Sophisticated scam messages vary their wording to evade detection. AutoMod’s built-in spam filter catches about 60 percent of these attempts, according to user reports, but the rest slip through.

The fix is to add new scam phrases to your custom keywords as soon as you spot them. Maintain an active list that grows with each new scam pattern. Supplement AutoMod with a bot like Noctaly for anti-scam detection if your server is a frequent target.

Cannot Edit AutoMod on Mobile

The Discord mobile app does not support full AutoMod configuration. You can view some settings but cannot create or edit rules. This is a known limitation, not a bug.

For mobile access, use Discord in a mobile browser instead of the app. Some users report better luck with the browser version’s desktop site mode. For urgent changes, coordinate with a co-admin who has desktop access.

AutoMod Issuing Platform-Wide Penalties

Some users have reported that triggering AutoMod filters can result in Discord-wide penalties, not just server-level actions. This appears to happen when AutoMod catches content that also violates Discord’s platform-wide Terms of Service.

To minimize this risk, ensure your members understand what content is filtered. Post your server rules clearly and reference AutoMod enforcement. If you are concerned about over-penalization, use block and alert actions without timeout for borderline categories, reserving timeout for clear violations.

FAQs

Conclusion

Knowing how to set up Discord AutoMod gives your server an always-on moderation layer that catches spam, offensive language, and scam attempts without requiring a human moderator to watch every message. The process comes down to a few key steps: enable Community mode, access the AutoMod dashboard, configure keyword and spam filters, set response actions, add exemptions for trusted roles and channels, and test everything before going live.

The content gaps that trip up most server admins are regex patterns, Community mode prerequisites, and copy-paste word lists, all of which are covered in detail above. Start with Discord’s built-in Commonly Flagged Words for immediate protection, then layer on custom keywords and spam filters as you learn what your community needs. Review your alert channel regularly and update your rules as new threats emerge.

For servers that need more than what built-in AutoMod offers, consider adding a bot like Dyno or Noctaly alongside AutoMod for layered defense. The combination gives you Discord’s reliability plus the customization depth of a dedicated moderation bot. Your next step is to open your server settings, enable Community mode if you have not already, and start building your first AutoMod rule.