# Matrix Homeserver Moderation

We run managed Matrix servers, but we don’t own or control them, and that’s the whole point. We handle the technical side (installation, updates, backups, monitoring), your data stays yours, and we never touch what happens inside your homeserver.

The flip side of that freedom: moderation is **your** job as the owner. This guide walks through why it matters, what to watch for, which tools actually work, and where to find people who’ve been through it.

And you won’t be doing it alone. We’ve teamed up with [Muninn Hall](https://muninn-hall.com/), a community of developers, moderators, and community managers who have seen it all, from lone trolls to full-scale spam waves, and they share what they know.

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## Why moderation is important

Without moderation, a server can quickly become unpleasant or even unsafe. Here are some threats you may face:

- **Spammers**: flood your rooms with ads, crypto scams, and noise that drowns out real conversation
- **Phishers and scammers**: DM your users to trick them out of credentials, money, or data
- **Abusers and trolls**: harass people until your regulars get tired and leave
- **Illegal content**: from pirated media to child abuse material, the kind that gets servers seized and police involved
- **Unwanted bots**: fake activity, amplified garbage, relentless noise

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## What to moderate

### Open registration servers

If your instance is public and anyone can sign up, make sure to:

- Protect registration (for example, use email verification or CAPTCHAs)
- Keep an eye on **new accounts** (they can upload harmful avatars or spam)
- Check **new rooms** (users can create spaces with illegal or unwanted content)
- Watch out for **inactive accounts** that may suddenly start abusing the server

### Closed or invite-only servers

If registration is restricted, moderation is simpler, but public rooms and invited users still need oversight.  
We strongly recommend running [Draupnir](https://etke.cc/help/bots/draupnir/) in either case.

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## How to moderate

There are several ways to moderate your communities.

### Admin dashboard

Your [Ketesa dashboard](https://etke.cc/help/extras/ketesa/) (installed by default) lets you:

- Suspend (make read-only), ban, or shadowban users. A shadowbanned user keeps posting into the void; nobody else sees a thing.
- Redact messages or uploaded media
- Remove problematic rooms

This is your “control center” for quick moderation.

### Moderation bot

Matrix does not come with built-in moderation, so you will need a bot.  
We recommend [Draupnir](https://etke.cc/help/bots/draupnir/). It works well for both small servers and large communities.

See our [quick start guide](https://etke.cc/help/bots/draupnir/#getting-started) for an easy setup with safe defaults suggested by Muninn Hall and Draupnir developers.

### Knowledge

Tools are powerful, but knowing **how to respond** is equally important.  
For example:

- [What to do if your server sends spam](https://matrix-community-help.codestorm.net/sending-server-admin.html)
- [What to do if your server receives abuse](https://matrix-community-help.codestorm.net/receiving-server-admin.html)

The [Matrix Community Help guides](https://matrix-community-help.codestorm.net/) are an excellent starting point.  
For deeper insights, see the [Muninn Hall docs](https://muninn-hall.com/docs/intro).

### Coordination

No homeserver owner can fight abuse alone. The best approach is to **coordinate with others**.  
Muninn Hall gives you:

- **Active Threats list** that plugs straight into Draupnir if you follow our guide
- **Alerts room** that pings you early when a spam wave hits the network or your own server
- **Announcements** for policy and tooling updates
- **Discussion rooms** to ask questions and compare notes with people who’ve been there
- **Off-topic chat** for everything else

Muninn Hall cannot be joined directly. It is a focused community for server admins and moderators, with a short screening process before joining. Once you are in, you can invite your moderation team as well.

👉 [How to join Muninn Hall](https://muninn-hall.com/#how-to-join)

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## Where to start

Running your own homeserver means running its moderation too: the cost of self-governance. Good tools make it far lighter than it looks.

Start small: lock down registration, set up [Draupnir](https://etke.cc/help/bots/draupnir/), and read the basic guides. [Ketesa](https://etke.cc/help/extras/ketesa/) and Draupnir do the heavy lifting, and [Muninn Hall](https://muninn-hall.com/) means you’ve always got people to ask. Step by step, you’ll get the hang of it.


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