How to stop spam and mass mentions on Stoat

Understand the patterns

• Exact repeats and near-duplicate messages.
• Rapid message bursts and a decaying behaviour score.
• Multiple links and character flooding.
• A configurable number of unique user and role mentions, plus @everyone or @online.

Configure protection

1. 01

   Check the current state

   Spam detection is normally enabled by default. The status response also shows the server's saved thresholds.

   ~spam-detection status
2. 02

   Open Spam protection

   In the server dashboard, open Protection Centre and choose Spam protection.

3. 03

   Tune the message rules

   Set the repeated-message count and window, then the rapid-message count and window.

4. 04

   Tune combined behaviour

   Choose the score needed to trigger, how quickly an inactive score halves, and the combined user-and-role mention limit.

5. 05

   Choose the response

   Set the automatic timeout length, review the warning escalation, then select Save all changes.

   ~policy show
6. 06

   Explain the rule

   Tell members what counts as spam, the likely timeout and how to appeal a mistake.

Choose suitable sensitivity

The defaults are three repeated messages in 30 seconds, five messages in 10 seconds, a five-point trigger score with a 30-second half-life, five mentions and a 60-minute timeout.

• Raise a message count or shorten its window to make that rule more tolerant.
• Lower the trigger score or lengthen score memory to catch combined patterns sooner.
• Remember that the behaviour score can still catch activity below the repeated-message or rapid-message limit.
• Use Restore defaults in Spam protection if the adjusted rules are not a good fit.

Important: @everyone and @online always count as mass mentions while spam protection is active, regardless of the numeric mention limit.

Test safely

1. 01

   Use a controlled account

   Do not ask ordinary members to trigger protection.

2. 02

   Test one pattern

   Begin with repeats, then rapid messages, combined score signals and mentions.

3. 03

   Inspect the real timeout

   Confirm its duration and the member's warning count.

4. 04

   Inspect the message

   The mass-mention path attempts to delete its message; other spam messages may remain even when the member is timed out.

Respond to false positives

• Remove the warning case when appropriate.
• Undo the timeout separately if it remains.
• Record why the correction was made.
• Adjust the affected server threshold instead of weakening unrelated rules.
• Restore the defaults if several adjustments are causing unexpected results.