Comparison
Automated image moderation and manual moderation
A bot does not replace moderators, and moderators cannot watch every channel at every hour. The two are good at different things. This page sets out where each one is stronger and how to combine them.
Two ways to enforce the same rules
Manual moderation means people read the server and act on what they see or on what members report. They understand context, they know the community and they can talk to a member.
Automated image moderation means a bot checks every piece of media against a fixed rule. SfwBot rates images, GIFs and videos at three nudity levels and removes what is at or above the level you block. It applies that one rule the same way every time, and it knows nothing about the conversation around the picture. See how it works.
Side by side
| Manual moderation | Automated image moderation | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | When a moderator is online and looking at the channel. | Whenever media is posted, as long as the server has credits for AI scans. |
| Context | Understands jokes, intent, history and the tone of a channel. | Rates the picture only. It does not know why it was posted. |
| What it covers | Every rule your server has. | Nudity in media. Text is handled by separate rule based filters. |
| Consistency | Depends on the moderator and the moment. | The same level is applied to every image. |
| Typical mistake | Something is missed, seen late or judged differently by two people. | A harmless image is removed or an unsafe one is rated too low. |
| Burden on moderators | Moderators have to find and look at unsafe content themselves. | Removals arrive in a log channel for review. Moderators check decisions instead of searching for them. |
| Cost | Volunteer or paid time. | Credits for AI scans. There is a free plan with monthly credits. |
When manual moderation is enough
Plenty of servers do well without automated image moderation:
- Small servers where people know each other. A handful of friends or colleagues rarely need a filter.
- Servers with few images. If media is limited to one channel and moderators read it anyway, a bot adds little.
- Servers with enough active moderators. If someone is reliably online and nothing stays up for long, the main benefit of automation is already covered.
- Communities with nuanced rules. If what is acceptable depends heavily on context, a person will decide better than a fixed level.
If this describes your server, keep doing what works.
Where automation helps
Automation earns its place when volume or timing is the problem. Media is posted while your team sleeps. A raid posts the same image again and again. Moderators grow tired of looking at content they would prefer not to see.
A bot handles the clear, repetitive cases: it removes the image, records it in the log channel and, if you use trust and strikes, applies the consequence you defined. What it cannot do is judge an argument, calm a conflict or decide whether a borderline post fits your community. SfwBot also detects nudity only. Everything else in your rules stays with people.
When to use both, and how
For most public servers the answer is both, with a clear division of work.
- The bot does the first pass. It removes media at your level and writes each removal to the log.
- Moderators review. From the log they can flag a removal as inaccurate, or delete, mute, kick or ban. They can view a member's history, undo a violation and add or remove strikes.
- Members can appeal. With
/standinga member sees their standing and can report an image that was removed wrongly. - Moderators feed the bot. Adding an image to the allow list or block list means the same decision does not have to be made twice.
If your team is not ready to trust automatic removal, switch off automatic deletion. The bot then only logs what it finds, and every decision stays with a person. The nudity detection guide explains this setting.
Questions and answers
Can SfwBot replace my moderators?
No. It removes nudity in media and applies rule based text filters. Context, disputes and everything else in your rules need people.
Can the bot report without removing anything?
Yes. Switch off automatic deletion and the bot only logs what it finds. A moderator decides what happens next.
What happens when the bot gets it wrong?
A moderator can flag the removal as inaccurate and undo the violation, and the member can report it. An image on your allow list is not removed again.
Do moderators still need to watch image channels?
Less closely, but yes. No image model is right every time, and SfwBot does not detect violence, gore or hate symbols.