Comparison
AI image moderation against keyword-only AutoMod
Keyword rules read the words in a message, and image scanning looks at the pictures. This page explains what each approach covers, where keyword rules alone are enough and why most public servers end up using both.
Two tools for two kinds of content
Discord's native AutoMod works on text. You give it keywords, presets or patterns, and Discord itself blocks a matching message before it is posted. It also covers usernames and mention spam. It does not look inside images.
AI image moderation works on media. SfwBot scans images, GIFs and videos after they are posted, rates them at one of three nudity levels and removes what is at or above the level your server blocks. It does not read the text of a message.
SfwBot is not an alternative to AutoMod. It sets up and keeps Discord's AutoMod rules in sync from its dashboard, so you manage both in one place. See AutoMod and nudity detection.
Side by side
| Keyword AutoMod | AI image moderation | |
|---|---|---|
| What it checks | Message text and usernames. | Images, GIFs and videos. Optionally stickers and custom emojis. |
| When it acts | Before the message is posted. Discord enforces the rule itself. | After the message is posted. The bot scans the media and removes it. |
| What you configure | Keywords, presets and, with premium, regex patterns and extra keyword packs. | The lowest nudity level that is blocked, plus exemptions and image lists. |
| What it cannot see | An image with no telling words around it. | Insults, scams and anything else written as text. |
| Typical mistake | A harmless word that contains or matches a keyword. | A harmless picture rated too high, or an unsafe one rated too low. |
| How you correct it | Edit the keyword list. | Flag the removal as inaccurate, add the image to your allow list or change the level. |
| Credits | Uses no credits. | Each AI scan uses credits. Matches against your lists use none. |
AutoMod is a Discord feature and is free to use. SfwBot's free plan includes custom keywords, a profanity preset and two keyword packs.
When keyword rules are enough
Keyword-only moderation is a sound choice in some servers:
- Images are switched off or rare. If members cannot attach files or embed links in your main channels, there is little for an image scan to do.
- Your problems are in text. Slurs, scam phrases, advertising and mention spam are all handled by AutoMod rules, and they are stopped before anyone sees them.
- You want no running cost. AutoMod rules use no credits.
In these cases, set up AutoMod carefully and skip image scanning, or leave SfwBot's nudity detection at the default and let the free monthly credits cover the few images that do appear.
Where keyword rules stop
A keyword rule can only match what is written. An explicit picture posted with no caption, or with a harmless one, contains nothing for it to match. The same is true of GIFs and videos. Blocking words such as common file names or site names catches a little and annoys members a lot.
If your server allows members to post media and you care what those pictures show, a text filter cannot do that job. That is the gap image moderation fills, and it is the only thing it fills: SfwBot detects nudity, not violence, gore or hate symbols.
When to use both
Any public server that allows both text and media benefits from both. A workable split looks like this:
- AutoMod for words: your own keywords, the profanity preset and the free packs for Nitro scams and self-promotion spam.
- Nudity detection for media, at the level that suits your audience.
- Link protection for links to listed pornographic and scam sites, which neither keywords nor image scans cover well.
All three are configured in the same dashboard. Text filters and AutoMod use no credits, so adding them to image moderation does not change what you pay. See pricing.
Questions and answers
Can AutoMod block explicit images?
No. AutoMod works on text and usernames, not on images. Discord has a separate explicit image filter in server safety settings.
Does SfwBot replace Discord's AutoMod?
No. SfwBot creates and updates Discord's AutoMod rules from its dashboard. Discord still enforces them.
Does AI image moderation read text inside a picture?
SfwBot rates images for nudity. It does not offer detection of text or its meaning.
Which one should I set up first?
AutoMod, if your problems are mostly in text. Image moderation, if members post media freely. Both can be set up from the dashboard in one sitting.