Emergency moderation tools on KICK

Sometimes a chat situation escalates quickly and you need to take control fast. Whether it is a coordinated attack, a sudden flood of spam, or an argument that has spiralled out of hand, having the right moderation tools at your fingertips makes the difference between a stressful moment and one you can manage calmly.

This guide walks through the moderation tools you can deploy quickly to protect your stream and your community.

Most streams do not need heavy moderation. But a few situations call for stronger tools:

- A coordinated harassment attack (see Mass harassment response guide)

- A spam attack from bots or low-effort accounts

- A heated argument that is dominating chat

- Someone repeatedly violating your channel rules

- An influx of new accounts behaving badly

- Sensitive content being shared in chat

The goal is not to silence your community — it is to protect it from people who are not contributing in good faith.

KICK offers several chat modes that restrict who can chat or how often. These are your fastest tools to reset chat behaviour.

Restricts chat to accounts that have followed your channel. You can usually set a minimum follow time (such as 10 minutes, 1 day, 30 days, or more).

When to use it:

- During harassment attacks (newly created accounts cannot bypass a 30+ day follow requirement)

- When you want chat to be people who have engaged with your channel

- During sensitive conversations where you want a more familiar audience

Restricts chat to subscribers only.

When to use it:

- For sub-only segments of your stream

- When followers-only is not strict enough

- During particularly chaotic moments where you want chat to be your most invested community

Limits how often each Chatter can send a message (for example, one message every 30 seconds).

When to use it:

- During spam attacks

- When chat is moving so fast no one can read it

- To calm down a heated argument by forcing pauses between messages

Slow mode is less restrictive than followers-only or sub-only, since everyone can still chat — just less frequently.

Restricts chat to Emotes only, blocking text messages entirely.

When to use it:

- During hype moments where you want pure reaction

- As a fast way to shut down text-based harassment without locking everyone out

- Briefly, to defuse a tense moment

For specific bad actors, your Moderators have several tools.

Temporarily prevents a user from chatting. Time outs typically range from a few seconds to several hours and end automatically.

When to use it:

- A first warning for someone breaking your channel rules

- A cooling-off period for a Chatter who is getting too heated

- A clear signal that behaviour was inappropriate without a permanent ban

Permanently prevents a user from chatting on your channel. Bans last until you remove them.

When to use it:

- For severe violations that warrant immediate removal

- For repeat offenders who do not respond to time outs

- For users who are clearly not in your community in good faith

Removes a specific message from chat without restricting the user further.

When to use it:

- For inappropriate content that does not warrant a time out or ban

- To remove links you do not want shared

- To clean up after a Chatter posts something they regret

KICK's AutoMod and chat filter tools automatically block or filter messages based on rules you set. Configure these in advance so they are ready when you need them.

Common filters to set up:

- Slurs and hate speech — KICK has built-in lists for common slurs

- Sexual content — block sexually explicit messages

- Spam patterns — block excessive caps, repeated characters, link spam

- Specific keywords — words or phrases unique to your community that need filtering

- Links — restrict people to post links

For full setup details, see Moderation Features Guide.

Trusted Moderators are your most valuable tool. A Moderator can:

- Apply chat modes during your stream

- Time out or ban users

- Delete messages

- Help enforce your channel rules

- Take action while you focus on your content

To add a Moderator:

For more, see How to Moderate Your KICK Chat.

Clear rules help everyone, including Moderators making split-second decisions. Common channel rules to consider:

- No hate speech or slurs

- No personal attacks on other Chatters

- No sharing personal information about yourself or others

- No spamming or excessive caps

- Respect Moderators

- No backseat gaming (or whatever applies to your content)

- Keep discussions on topic

Post your rules in your channel panels so Viewers see them before chatting.

Before each stream, take a moment to check:

- ✅ Your AutoMod and keyword filters are set as you want them

- ✅ Your Moderators know they may be moderating today

- ✅ Your channel rules are visible in your panels

- ✅ Your default chat mode is appropriate (followers-only with a longer requirement, slow mode by default, etc.)

- ✅ You know how to switch chat modes quickly during the stream

If something goes wrong mid-stream:

There is no shame in ending a stream early. Your safety and wellbeing matter more than any individual broadcast.

For users who break our Community Guidelines, use the Report button to flag them to our moderation team. Channel-level bans on your end are about your specific channel; reporting helps us take broader platform-wide action.

For coordinated harassment attacks, also contact our Cyber Security Team at [email protected]. See Mass harassment response guide for full details.

For questions about moderation tools and setup, contact [email protected]. Please include:

- Your KICK Streamer username

- A description of what you are trying to do

- Any specific tool or setting you cannot find

- How to Moderate Your KICK Chat

- Moderation Features Guide

- Mass harassment response guide

- Streamer Safety Tips: How to Stream Safely on KICK

- Viewer Controls & Streamer Controls

- Account Safety at KICK