# Users can block private messages from forum staff
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/users-can-block-private-messages-from-forum-staff/202412
**Category:** Bug
**Created:** [September 2, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/users-can-block-private-messages-from-forum-staff/202412 "2021-09-02T01:47:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@metalspork](https://meta.discourse.org/u/metalspork)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/users-can-block-private-messages-from-forum-staff/202412/1 "2021-09-02T01:47:22Z")
During some routine flag handling, our staff encountered a situation where a user had his PMs set to a whitelist that did not include moderators. As such, we were not able to privately address the flag with the user without getting a forum admin involved to manually add the user to the private message thread.
Our moderator issued a flag under the “something else” workflow, then attempted to add the user whose post is in question. From there, the moderator go the message “Sorry, that user does not allow you to send them private messages.”
While I understand the value users hold in wanting to keep their inbox free from spam, I believe that moderators should have the ability to override this preference for purposes of settling issues in a private manner.
I propose a flag in forum settings to allow moderators to override PM whitelists.
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### Author:  [@P2W](https://meta.discourse.org/u/P2W)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/users-can-block-private-messages-from-forum-staff/202412/2 "2021-09-02T02:29:58Z")
Well, that’s creative.
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### Author:  [@metalspork](https://meta.discourse.org/u/metalspork)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2021, 2:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/users-can-block-private-messages-from-forum-staff/202412/3 "2021-09-02T02:48:41Z")
Yeah, it was definitely a new one for us. We routinely add flag subject users to the PM, but this was the first time we encountered this issue.
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### Author:  [@incapaz](https://meta.discourse.org/u/incapaz)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2021, 4:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/users-can-block-private-messages-from-forum-staff/202412/4 "2021-09-02T04:28:38Z")
> [@metalspork](#):
>
> I believe that moderators should have the ability to override this preference for purposes of settling issues in a private manner.
>
> I propose a flag in forum settings to allow moderators to override PM whitelists.
Aren’t staff always able to bypass any restrictions? This topic is phrased as a feature request yet in #Contribute > Bug – I always thought staff were able to bypass any PM whitelist settings.
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### Author:  [@metalspork](https://meta.discourse.org/u/metalspork)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2021, 6:52am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/users-can-block-private-messages-from-forum-staff/202412/5 "2021-09-02T06:52:56Z")
> [@incapaz](#):
>
> I always thought staff were able to bypass any PM whitelist settings.
I was under the impression that this was the intended use case, therefore I filed it under #Contribute > Bug. I added the last couple sentences on the off chance this is the intended behavior.
If you think it’s better suited for feature requests, I’m happy to re-categorize it if that’s best.