# Topics automatically closing due to flags?

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/topics-automatically-closing-due-to-flags/40275>\
**Category:** Feature\
**Created:** [February 28, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/topics-automatically-closing-due-to-flags/40275 "2016-02-28T03:40:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 4

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**Author:** ![Mittineague](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mittineague/32/114259_2.png) [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/topics-automatically-closing-due-to-flags/40275/4 "2016-02-28T04:14:51Z")

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Admin → Settings → Spam

**BUT** if this is happening I think you probably have an underlying problem that should be addressed, not by tweaking the threshold values, but by evaluating just what kind of community you want to have and why this is happening. .

To highlight my opinion, the settings and their default values are

> num flaggers to close topic - default 5  
> Minimum number of unique flaggers that is required to automatically pause a topic for intervention

> num flags to close topic - default 12  
> Minimum number of active flags that is required to automatically pause a topic for intervention

IMHO these default values are not insignificant.

This means if a topic was closed at least 5 _different_ members saw a problem with it that they felt was bad enough to make them Flag  
And that at least 12 Flags were given.

Not every community is “all work and no play” or “all fun and games”  
That is, _why_ are members Flagging?  
Does the community have different ideas as to what is OK and the more “conservative” are Flagging the more “liberal”? (i.e. are the forum policies spelled out clearly)  
Are some members “ganging up” on other members? (do moderators need to become more involved)

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