Best Practices
These are some common best practices to guide you along the moderation duties.
- Communicate early and communication often
- Many moderator teams use a private Discord to communicate during a live stream.
- Share your observations, concerns, and actions so other mods are aware of the situation.
- Post clear and well-defined rules
- It's easier to point to posted rules when an infraction occurs.
- This gives a clear understanding of what is expected from the community.
- Be prepared to act
- Use the platform moderation tools, if availabe
- If you are lurking, keep listening to the channel owner if you can; they may ask for help.
- Say no gently
- Moderators often have to draw the line on bad beahvior.
- Be firm but gentle in how you approach discipline.
- Regulars are not exempt
- Even the most well-known and longest tenure chatters may need to be watched from time to time.
- Make friends along the way with caution
- The people you spend time with along the way can become friends, but use caution with parasocial relation boundaries.
- Taking action on a friend can lead to difficult challenges.
- Be open to feedback
- Offer a ticket system, or a private or confidential feedback channel for people needing direct help.
- Respect Privacy and Confidentiality
- Do not discuss moderation actions with others. Keep discipline on a need-to-know basis.
Updated: 1 August 2026