Discord Mods 101: How to Make Someone a Mod on Your Server

In the world of online gaming and community building, Discord has become the go-to platform for connecting with like-minded individuals. Whether you are running a small private server for you and your friends or managing a large community hub, having effective moderation is essential to maintain a positive and inclusive environment. In this article, we will dive into the world of Discord moderation and explore the steps involved in making someone a mod on your server.

Defining Mod Roles and Responsibilities

Before you start appointing mods, it is crucial to define their roles and responsibilities and understand how they differ from those of admins. While mods primarily focus on enforcing server rules, resolving conflicts, moderating chat channels, and monitoring user behavior, server owners and community managers have broader responsibilities. They manage the server from behind the scenes, have the ability to create custom roles and text channels, and enlist the help of moderators to maintain server integrity. This distinction highlights the unique and significant control Discord admins hold, emphasizing the importance of selecting experienced and trustworthy individuals for these roles.

With our analytical dashboard, you can clearly define a moderator’s responsibilities and the corresponding KPIs, as well as outline the critical role of owners and CMs in creating custom roles and managing the server settings. We define a moderator’s role in 2 parts: front-end user engagement where we measure how well a mod talks to the general public; back-end ticket support where we measure how well mods answer tickets. All of our new moderators and admins will review and go through the dashboard to understand their responsibilities and how it is being measured.

Establishing Server Moderation Guidelines

Another crucial step in making someone a mod on your server is establishing clear moderation guidelines, a task often overseen by Discord owners or the community managers. These guidelines will serve as a reference for the mods and provide them with a set of rules to follow, including details about user behavior expectations, consequences for rule violations, and guidelines for handling sensitive topics. Discord admins play a pivotal role in creating custom roles and text channels, enlisting the help of mods, and having the authority to delete messages, which underscores their involvement in setting up these guidelines and their authority in the server. By providing your mods with a well-defined framework, you empower them to make informed decisions and maintain a safe environment.

Adding New Mods to Your Server

Now that you have defined mod roles and established moderation guidelines, it’s time to add new discord mods to your server. Start by identifying individuals who have demonstrated active participation and a commitment to your community, embodying the qualities that make a successful discord mod, such as upholding rules, ensuring decorum, and maintaining a positive environment. Reach out to them and explain the responsibilities and expectations associated with being a discord mod. If they are interested, invite them to join your server moderation team. Once they accept the invitation, you can adjust their permissions within the server settings to grant them mod privileges.

You can also use our data analytics to do the initial filtering for mods candidates. In our member deepdive tab, we create a leaderboard to score how much contribution a member has made to your community by looking at how often they show up, how they talk and how they interact with their users.

Assigning Moderator Permissions

When making someone a discord mod, it is important to assign them the appropriate permissions to carry out their role effectively. Discord provides a wide range of permissions that can be customized to meet your server’s specific needs. Owners are responsible for creating custom roles and managing the server’s settings, including the ability to kick or ban users, manage channels, mute or deafen members, and delete messages. It is important to strike a balance between empowering mods and ensuring they do not abuse their privileges.

We recommend admins to start by granting limited permission to junior mods, including only mute members. Kick/Ban should be preserved for senior mods, or when they go through proper training because a ban could ignite negative sentiment across your members. In addition, you should only give webhook permission on a need-basis to mods to lower the risk of the server being hacked, in case any of the mods click on malicious links. Permissions are super important to safeguard the security of the server. You can read more about how to grant permission if you have some doubt about how to secure your server setup.

Exploring Different Moderator Commands

To make the most of their moderation roles, mods should familiarize themselves with the various commands available to them. Discord has a rich set of moderation commands that can be used to perform tasks such as muting or kicking users, managing roles, and implementing temporary bans. Taking the time to understand these commands will enable your mods to handle situations efficiently and maintain order within the server.

Managing Users and Dealing With Violations

One of the primary responsibilities of mods is managing users and handling rule violations. Mods should actively monitor chat channels and intervene when necessary. When dealing with violations, it is important to approach each situation with fairness and impartiality. Depending on the severity of the violation, mods can issue warnings, temporary mutes, or escalate to banning if necessary. The goal is to enforce the rules consistently while fostering a sense of accountability within the community.

For the junior mods, you should always train them on how to de-escalate a stressful situation. Typically this involves:

• Acknowledge the issues and then ask to take it to private chat
• If a user refuses to take it private and continues to FUD on the server, the junior mod can temporarily mute or slow-down the users.
• The junior mod should then alert senior staff members about the issue and handle it together.

Removing Mods from Your Server

As your server evolves, there may come a time when you need to remove mods from their position. This can be due to a variety of reasons, such as inactivity, non-compliance with moderation guidelines, or personal conflicts. When removing a mod, it is essential to handle the situation with sensitivity and transparency. Reach out to the mod privately to discuss the concerns and explain your decision. Always strive to maintain open communication and ensure that the decision is in the best interest of your server and its members. Finally, make sure that you have properly removed all permissions, kick/ban users and any access to webhook.

Utilizing AI Bots to Automate Tasks

In addition to human moderation, you can also leverage moderation bots to automate certain tasks and enhance server management. Discord offers a variety of bots that can assist with spam detection, keyword filtering, user verification, and much more. By integrating these bots into your server, you can improve the efficiency of your moderation efforts and ensure a safer and more organized community.

If you don’t have the budget to hire many mods, you can also use our custom bot Communityone as the first line of support. Spark automatically answers members’ questions after reading your project information. It engages with new users and allows them to learn more about the projects without these new users feeling intimated. Read more if you want to leverage AI to significantly increase your discord engagement rate.

Tips for Effective Moderation

To wrap up, here are some tips to help you ensure effective moderation on your Discord server:

• Regularly communicate with your mods to address any concerns they may have and provide feedback on their performance.
• Encourage a collaborative atmosphere among your moderation team to foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
• Stay up to date with Discord’s community guidelines and best practices to ensure your server remains compliant.
• Seek input from your server members on moderation policies to create a collective sense of ownership and inclusivity.
• Recognize and appreciate the hard work of your mods through personalized messages or occasional rewards.

By following these tips and implementing effective moderation strategies, you can create a vibrant and welcoming community on your Discord server.

In conclusion, making someone a mod on your Discord server is an important step towards ensuring a positive and well-managed community. By defining roles, establishing guidelines, and providing the necessary tools, you empower your mods to enforce rules, resolve conflicts, and foster a sense of belonging within your server. Remember to regularly assess and refine your moderation approach to adapt to the evolving needs of your community. With a dedicated moderation team and a clear vision, your Discord server can thrive and become a haven for gamers and enthusiasts alike.

Originally published at https://blog.communityone.io on September 22, 2023.