The layers
Auto-Mod
Rule-based message filtering: bad words, invites, links, caps, spam, mass mentions. Free.
AI Auto-Mod
Understands meaning rather than matching text. Catches what keyword rules miss. Black tier.
Anti-Raid
Detects mass-join floods and screens suspicious accounts at the door. Basic tier.
Protection
Limits the damage a compromised moderator or rogue bot can do. Free.
Moderation tools
Review and lift active bans, mutes, timeouts and temporary roles. Free.
Logs
A record of what happened in your server, across 148 trackable events. Free.
Which layer catches what
Auto-Mod and AI Auto-Mod are complementary, not alternatives. Auto-Mod is instant and free and catches the obvious cases cheaply. AI Auto-Mod reads intent and catches the rest. Servers on Black commonly run both.
A sensible starting point
1
Turn on the Auto-Mod rules you need
Every rule ships disabled. Nothing filters messages until you enable it. Start with the obvious ones for your community and add more over time.
2
Set up logging early
Logging costs nothing and answers ‘what actually happened’ later. Enable it before you need it, not after.
3
Add Protection limits
Protection is free and is the only layer that helps when a trusted account turns against you. Configure it even on a quiet server.
4
Enable Anti-Raid if you are publicly listed
If your invite is posted anywhere public, you will eventually be raided. Anti-Raid requires Basic.