Moderation playbooks · Checked October 12, 2026

Build and run a staff team

Least privilege, sub-teams, training and confidentiality, from Discord and Trust & Safety practice.

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1. 1. Give the least access that works

   Administrator only as a last resort; Manage Server only for people you’d trust with adding bots. Require 2FA for moderation.

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2. 2. Split into sub-teams

   Discord suggests teams such as chat moderators, bot managers and event staff, with written moderator guidelines and regular reviews (monthly, quarterly or twice a year). Correct mistakes privately first.

3. 3. Train new moderators

   Pair them with a mentor, keep a handbook (conduct, the punishment outline, duties) and a quick reference for bot commands. Practise openly with mock cases, never hidden tests, and prepare them for abuse aimed at them.

4. 4. Write enforcement guidelines

   The Trust & Safety Professional Association recommends guidelines that say how to spot a violation, what information to use and which action to take, with a defined escalation path for serious cases such as child safety.

5. 5. Keep private things private

   Share personal information from reports on a need-to-know basis, don’t reveal which moderator took an action, and delete log entries with personal data once a case is closed.

6. 6. Use Kipp’s access levels

   Kipp separates the owner, trusted users and Kipp admins, and staff groups decide who skips which protections, so nobody needs Administrator to run Kipp.

   Dashboard: Access & backups › Who controls Kipp · Kipp guide