Keyword Blacklist Discord: AutoMod Then a Bot
A keyword blacklist on Discord is two layers. First, Server Settings > AutoMod > Custom Keyword Rule, so Discord can block a word before it posts. Second, BetterAntispam /antispam settings (requires Administrator): open Other · blacklisted words, press Edit blacklisted words, and paste a comma- or newline-separated list. AutoMod is the net. The bot is the whole-word list with a real punishment after repeated hits.
Set AutoMod custom keywords before you touch a bot
You need Manage Server or Administrator. Discord's AutoMod FAQ is the current walkthrough, not a 2022 blog screenshot.
- Open Server Settings and go to AutoMod.
- Turn on Commonly Flagged Words if you want Discord's maintained lists (Insults and Slurs, Sexual Content, Severe Profanity). Add exempt words for terms your community actually uses.
- Create a Custom Keyword Rule. Add the phrases you care about. Discord caps each term at 60 characters and each custom list at 1,000 terms.
- Set responses to Block message plus Send alert into a staff-only channel. Timeout is available on custom keyword rules if you also have Moderate Members.
- Exempt moderator roles and any channel where a false hit would wreck a workflow, such as a ticket log.
Start that custom rule on send-alert only for a day if the list is new. You will see what it would have blocked without deleting a legitimate post.
This is also the query people type as discord automod setup. The same screen covers how to stop spam in discord that is just banned words, not a join raid. Raids are a different problem; use the raid playbook for join waves.
Wildcards, regex, and why AutoMod still misses bypasses
Exact keywords match whole words or phrases, case-insensitive, whitespace-aware. Test Filter matches test filter, not testfilter.
Wildcards use *:
scam*matches a word that starts with scam.*nitromatches a word that ends with nitro.*gg*matches the letters inside a longer token.
That is how people search discord automod wildcard and discord automod custom keyword. Use them for variants. Do not put a bare *cat* on a gaming server unless you enjoy timing out "catch" and "category".
For patterns instead of a 50-row word list, Discord's regex filter runs Rust-flavor regex on the same custom keyword rule (up to 10 patterns). Test in a Rust regex playground before you paste. Regex is how you catch free nitro misspellings without listing every variant.
AutoMod still does not watch DMs, does not score join rate, and does not run your server's punishment ladder. A dedicated word filter in a bot fills that gap. For copy-paste AutoMod templates beyond keywords, see four AutoMod rules.
Add the BetterAntispam blacklist with /antispam settings
Add BetterAntispam, then run /antispam settings. There is no website login for this. Configuration is the in-Discord panel.
On the panel:
- Use the page picker and open Other · blacklisted words.
- Press Edit blacklisted words.
- In Words to block (comma or newline separated) paste terms such as
scam, free nitro. - Set Triggers before punishment (default 5).
- Set Must be sent within (default 60s). Examples in the modal use
60s. - Submit. Free servers cap the list at 50 entries. Shield (Tier 1) removes that cap.
Words are stored lowercase. Matching is literal whole-word, case-insensitive. A blacklist entry scam matches scam as a word. It does not match scammer, and a * in the list is a literal asterisk, not an AutoMod wildcard. If you need scammer, add scammer.
The filter ignores bots. It also ignores members with Manage Messages or Administrator, so staff can quote a blocked term without deleting their own message. Channels you marked as relaxed on the Allowlist page (spamchannels) skip the word filter too.
The word filter runs off the blacklist itself. It does not wait for the Overview "Antispam is on" toggle. An empty list means nothing is filtered. Fill the list, or AutoMod is doing all the work.
What happens after a hit
On a match, BetterAntispam deletes the message and posts a short notice: the member's remaining hits toward the threshold, then deletes that notice after a few seconds.
Hits count per member inside the window you set. Defaults are 5 hits in 60 seconds. The runtime window will not go below 5 seconds even if you type a smaller value.
When the count reaches the threshold, the Punishment page action runs. Default punishment is a timeout (mute) for 5 minutes (antispamduration 300000 ms). The same page can be set to kick, ban, or strip roles onto a quarantine role. That action is logged as a moderation case. Route antispam logs with /logging settings if you want the filtered word in a staff channel.
This is not a replacement for AutoMod block-before-send. Discord still sees the message long enough for the bot to delete it. Keep AutoMod on for the words you never want visible. Use the bot list for the terms you also want on a warning-then-punish ladder.
What to put on the list, and what to leave off
Put server-specific scam bait, raid phrases, and slurs AutoMod's presets miss. Leave dictionary words that appear in normal chat. Leave invite domains if /adblock settings already covers advertising; stacking both on discord.gg is how you mute someone sharing your own community invite.
If a phrase is only bad in context, AutoMod send-alert is safer than a bot delete. Keyword blacklists have no context. They will hit the word every time.
Do not claim this stops every raid or every scam. It deletes listed words and, after enough hits, runs the punishment you chose. Join floods still need /antiraid settings. Destructive staff actions still need /antinuke settings.
FAQ
How do I blacklist words on Discord without a bot?
Server Settings > AutoMod > Custom Keyword Rule. Add the terms, set Block message, and optionally Send alert. That is Discord's native keyword blacklist.
Does BetterAntispam replace AutoMod keyword filters?
No. Use both. AutoMod can block before the message is visible. /antispam settings matches whole words, counts repeats, and applies your Punishment tab action after the threshold.
Why did scam not catch scammer?
The bot uses whole-word matching. Add each form you actually want blocked. For prefix variants in AutoMod, use scam* instead.
Who is bypassed by the bot blacklist?
Members with Manage Messages or Administrator, bots, and channels on the antispam relaxed-channel list. Everyone else is filtered.
How many words can I add for free?
- Saving more than 50 on a free server is rejected until you upgrade to Shield.
Where do I change mute vs kick vs ban for blacklist spam?
/antispam settings → Punishment · after warnings. The blacklist modal only sets the hit count and the time window.
