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Reports

Status: Complete

Reports allow any community member to flag content for review. The report system bridges the gap between regular users (who can see a problem) and moderators/admins (who can take action).

How Users File Reports

Any authenticated user can report a message, user, or file. The most common flow is reporting a message directly from the chat interface.

Reporting a Message

  1. Right-click (or long-press on mobile) the message you want to report.
  2. Select Report from the context menu. This option appears for all messages that were not sent by you.
  3. A Report Message modal opens, asking "Why are you reporting this message?"
  4. Describe the issue in the text area (required, up to 1,000 characters in the UI; up to 2,000 via the API).
  5. Click Submit Report.
  6. You will see a confirmation: "Report submitted -- admins will review it."

Report Types

Reports can target three types of content:

Report Type Description When to Use
message A specific chat message Harassment, spam, rule violations, illegal content
user A user account Impersonation, repeated harassment, bot/spam accounts
file An uploaded file Malicious files, inappropriate media, copyright violations

The message report flow uses report_type: "message" automatically. User and file reports can be submitted via the API.

API Details

POST /api/reports

Request body: 

{
  "report_type": "message",
  "target_id": "<message-uuid>",
  "reason": "This message contains harassment directed at another member."
}

  • report_type must be message, user, or file.
  • target_id is the UUID of the message, user, or file being reported.
  • reason must be 1--2,000 characters.

The report is automatically associated with the reporting user and timestamped. A report_created entry is added to the audit log.

Report Workflow for Admins

Permission Required: Instance Admin or Instance Owner

Reports are reviewed in the admin panel, not at the community level. This ensures a consistent review process across the entire instance.

Viewing Reports

Navigate to the Reports tab in the admin panel. Reports are listed with:

  • Status badge -- color-coded: pending (yellow), reviewed (blue), resolved (green), dismissed (gray)
  • Report type -- message, user, or file
  • Reason -- the reporter's description of the issue
  • Reporter ID -- who submitted the report
  • Target ID -- what was reported
  • Created at -- when the report was filed

Reports can be filtered by status and are paginated for large volumes.

Report Statuses

Status Meaning
pending New report, not yet reviewed by an admin
reviewed An admin has seen the report and is investigating
resolved Action was taken -- the issue has been addressed
dismissed The report was reviewed but no action was warranted

Reviewing a Report

  1. Open the admin panel and navigate to the Reports tab.
  2. Click on a pending report to expand its details.
  3. Investigate the reported content:
  4. For message reports, find the message and check its context and edit history.
  5. For user reports, review the user's profile and recent activity.
  6. For file reports, inspect the file in the admin file browser.
  7. Take appropriate action if needed (warn, timeout, kick, ban, delete, quarantine).
  8. Update the report status and add admin notes (optional, up to 5,000 characters).

From the API:

POST /api/admin/reports/{reportId}/review

Request body: 

{
  "status": "resolved",
  "admin_notes": "User was warned and the message was deleted. Harassment policy violation."
}

The review records the reviewing admin's ID and a reviewed_at timestamp. The action is also logged in the audit log.

Dismissing vs. Acting on Reports

Not every report warrants action. Here is a framework for deciding:

When to Resolve (Take Action)

  • The reported content clearly violates community rules or instance policies.
  • The reported user has a history of similar behavior.
  • The content is illegal, threatening, or constitutes harassment.

After taking moderation action (warning, timeout, kick, ban, delete, quarantine), set the report status to resolved and document what was done in the admin notes.

When to Dismiss

  • The report is a misunderstanding or disagreement, not a rule violation.
  • The reported content does not violate any rules upon review.
  • The report appears to be retaliatory or abusive.

Set the report status to dismissed. Adding a brief note explaining the reasoning is good practice in case the same content is reported again.

When to Mark as Reviewed

  • You have seen the report and want to investigate further before making a decision.
  • You are gathering more context or consulting with other admins.
  • The situation is borderline and needs monitoring.

Report Tips for Users

  • Be specific. Describe exactly what the problem is and why it violates the rules.
  • Report once. Submitting the same report multiple times does not speed up review.
  • Do not abuse the system. Frivolous or retaliatory reports waste moderator time and may result in action against the reporter.
  • Block if needed. If you feel unsafe, you can also block the user immediately. Blocking is separate from reporting and takes effect instantly.

Next Steps