This guide explains how to moderate and manage flags within Discourse, including system flags and custom flags, as well as actions required to add, reorder, or disable them.
Required user level: Administrator
Moderating flags in Discourse
Flags are essential for maintaining community standards and managing content within Discourse. This guide outlines the available flags, how to manage them, and the steps to add custom flags for tailored moderation.
Summary
This documentation covers:
- Overview of system flags
- Management of custom flags
- Procedures for moderating flags through the Discourse admin interface
System flags
Discourse provides the following system flags by default:
- Send @username a message
- Off-Topic
- Inappropriate
- Spam
- Illegal
- Something Else
You can change position or disable these flags but cannot edit or delete them. The “Send @username a message” flag is always pinned to the first position and cannot be reordered.
Managing custom flags
Custom flags offer additional flexibility for moderation. To manage flags you have to visit /admin/config/flags
Adding a custom flag
- Click the “Add Flag” button.
- Fill in the details:
- Name: A unique identifier for the flag.
- Description: A brief explanation of the flag’s purpose.
- Display this flag on: Choose whether the flag is applicable to posts, topics, or chat messages (if the chat plugin is enabled).
- Prompt users to provide additional reasons: Decide if the user should provide extra details when using this flag.
- Enable this custom flag after saving: Decide if flag should be active.
- Auto hide flagged content: When enabled, content flagged with this flag type will be automatically hidden once the flag threshold is reached.
Change position or destroying custom flags
To change position of the flag or destroy it, you have to click the “⋮” (vertical ellipsis) icon. This menu provides options to Move up, Move down, or Delete the flag. Custom flags can also be edited by clicking the Edit button.
Best practices
- Clear definitions: Ensure that all flags, especially custom ones, have clear and descriptive names and purposes.
- Regular review: Periodically review flags to ensure they remain relevant and useful.
- Disable unused flags: Unused or irrelevant flags should be disabled to avoid clutter.
Common issues and solutions
- Cannot delete used flags: System and custom flags that have been previously used cannot be deleted. Instead, you can only disable them. Custom flags that have been used can still be edited.
- Cannot edit system flags: System flags cannot be edited or deleted, but they can be disabled or reordered.
- Missing custom flag options: Ensure you have appropriate administrative permissions to create or modify custom flags.
- Disabling flagging system entirely: If you don’t need flagging at all, for example for a private site or intranet for a team where everyone is trusted, you can disable all the flags and the flag icon will no longer appear on the post menu and in other places.
Last edited by @tobiaseigen 2025-07-11T19:48:37Z
Last checked by @hugh 2024-09-09T06:38:45Z
Check document
Perform check on document: