Tips for Preventing Spam

Documentation Site Management
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Yes, if approve_post_count is set to 1, you should still review those other settings.

How these settings interact:

approve_post_count (set to 1):

  • Affects users with trust level 0 and 1
  • Requires their first post to be approved
  • After 1 approved post, they can post freely (assuming they’re still TL0 or TL1)

approve_unless_allowed_groups (formerly approve_unless_trust_level):

  • Affects everyone not in the specified groups
  • Requires all posts (not just the first one) to be approved

approve_new_topics_unless_allowed_groups (formerly approve_new_topics_unless_trust_level):

  • Affects everyone not in the specified groups
  • Requires approval only for new topics (not replies)

The key difference:

  • approve_post_count is temporary - once users hit the count threshold, they can post freely
  • The “unless allowed groups” settings are ongoing - they apply to ALL posts/topics from users not in the specified groups, regardless of how many posts they’ve made

You could also combine settings for better control over posting on your site, for example:

  • Use approve_post_count: 1 to review initial posts from new users (TL0/TL1)
  • Use approve_unless_allowed_groups settings for ongoing moderation of everyone except specific groups (e.g., TL2+ members)

This creates an approach where new users are moderated initially, and you could also control who gets ongoing freedom to post without approval.