![[Cover-Moderation-Preview-v3-flat-1024.jpg|400]] # Tips On How To Curate What You See (and Don't See) on Bluesky *(Last updated February 17, 2025)* ## INDEX [Impersonator accounts](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Impersonator+accounts) [**Muting and Blocking**](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#MUTING+AND+BLOCKING) - [How To Block Someone](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#How+To+Block+Someone) - [Muted words and tags](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#You+can+add+muted+words+and+tags) - [Moderation list](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Moderation+List) - [Muted accounts](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Muted+accounts) & [Blocked accounts](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Blocked+Accounts) - [How to report a post](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#How+to+report+a+post) [**Controlling who can interact with you**](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#CONTROLLING+WHO+CAN+INTERACT+WITH+YOU) - [Chat Settings](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Chat+Settings) - [Control who can reply to your post](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Control+who+can+reply+to+your+post) (and if they can quote-post you or not) - [Example of how to use LISTS to limit who can reply](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Example+of+how+to+use+LISTS+to+limit+who+can+reply) - [Example of what "Quote Posts Enabled" means](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Example+of+what+%22Quote+Posts+Enabled%22+means) - [What to do if someone quote-posts you and you don't like it](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#What+to+do+if+someone+quote-posts+you+and+you+don't+like+it) - [Hiding a reply, blocking someone from their reply](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#How+to+hide+replies) [Filtering out replies, reposts, and quote-posts](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#How+to+filter+out+Replies%2C+Reposts%2C+and+Quote-Posts) [How to turn off trending topics](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#How+to+turn+off+trending+topics) [How to turn off trending videos in your Discover feed](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#How+to+turn+off+trending+videos+in+your+Discover+feed) One of the things I love about Bluesky is that users have a lot of control over what they do and don't see. This page mainly focuses on Moderation tools, but I also STRONGLY advise checking out [[Feeds]] and [[Labelers]] after you've mastered the basics. If you haven't already, DO check out your [Moderation settings](https://bsky.app/moderation). See [[b. Settings|Settings]] for tips, including how to adjust who can send you DMs. It only takes a few minutes, and will have a HUGE impact on your user experience. I also recommend following [Bluesky Safety @safety.bsky.app](https://bsky.app/profile/safety.bsky.app) for updates about trust and safety on the platform. Also check out [Brian Kirby's Bluesky Moderation - Nuclear Block & Mute Lists For Beginners](https://boringstorybook.com/bluesky-mute-lists-for-beginners). ## Impersonator accounts ***Edited Nov. 29, 2024: As Bluesky's numbers continue to soar, the platform is attracting [more spammers, scammers, trolls, and impersonators](https://bsky.app/profile/safety.bsky.app/post/3layun7rf522x). For more info on how to recognize an Impersonator Account and tips on how to avoid being mistaken for one, see my new list of tips re: [[Impersonator or Imposter Accounts]].** > [!NOTE] This is NOT an official Bluesky resource! > Be aware that this is a living vault, very much a work-in-progress. It is NOT meant to be a 100% accurate and finished resource. Please note that these tips are just based on my own experience. What works for me may not work for you. Feel free to send me feedback via [[Contact Debbie]] 👉🏼 My biggest piece of advice: If a troll comes after you, DO NOT ENGAGE. Block, report (if appropriate), move on. I love this [John Scalzi quote about Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/scalzi.com/post/3lbfam5ophs22): ![[An Unofficial Guide To Bluesky/3. The Basics/attachments/JohnScalzi-BotsTrolls.jpg|400]] *Alt-text: "1. I reiterate that I don't think bots/trolls get how comprehensive the 'block'"' function here is. 2. I also think they don't quite get how prevalent '"'**don't engage, just block**'"' is as an ethos here. 3. Bluesky is a neighborhood party: everyone is welcome until they're a jerk. Then out they go."* # MUTING AND BLOCKING ## How To Block Someone ![[Cover-HowToBlockSomeone-Landscape-flat800.jpg|600]] Speaking of blocking, here's how to block someone on Bluesky: - Go to the person's Bluesky profile by clicking on their avatar. - Click on the three dots in the top right of their account (next to the Follow button). This will display a dropdown menu. ![[HowToBlockSomeone.jpg|350]] Note that you can also block someone directly from their reply. Click on the three dots at the bottom right of their account and select "Block account." ![[HowToBlockSomeone_FromTheirReply.jpg|350]] You'll be prompted for a confirmation: ![[Confirmation-Blocking.jpg|300]] After you've blocked someone, their profile cover image, user pic, profile bio and posts will no longer be visible to you. ![[BlockedUser-Example.jpg|300]] If you [browse your list of Blocked Accounts](https://bsky.app/moderation/blocked-accounts) anytime. If you change your mind about blocking, just go to the blocked user's account profile, choose "Unblock." Blocked users cannot see your profile pic, cover image, profile bio, or post content. ![[UserBlockingMe.jpg|300]] ## You can add muted words and tags: The ability to add muted words and tags can be handy if there's a flurry of posts about a particular hashtag-focused event that you don't necessarily want to see until the event is over. You can specific how long the word or tag should be muted. ![[An Unofficial Guide To Bluesky/screenshots/Add_muted_words_and_tags.jpg|Screenshot showing how to use the 'Add muted words and tags' moderation feature, with a field where a user can enter a word or tag, then chose the duration and context.]] ## Moderation List [Moderation lists](https://bsky.app/moderation/modlists) are public, shareable lists of users to mute or block in bulk. ## Muted accounts [Muted accounts](https://bsky.app/moderation/muted-accounts) have their posts removed from their feed and from your notifications. Mutes are private; if you mute someone, they won't know. ## Blocked Accounts [Blocked accounts](https://bsky.app/moderation/blocked-accounts) cannot reply in your threads, mention you, or otherwise interact with you. You will not see their content and they will be prevented from seeing yours. Be aware that Block lists are public, and a savvy user can easily find out who has blocked them. I still use Block without hesitation, however, and know that I've been blocked as well. Instead of making a big flamey-stink about being blocked by so-and-so, try to take the attitude, "So-and-so didn't like my post or posts for some reason, and they're just curating their own Bluesky experience. I'm not going to take this personally." ## "When should I mute and when should I block?" It's up to you, but I generally use Mute if the user is basically harmless but I find their posts annoying. I will regularly check my Mute lists every week or so to see if the user is STILL annoying. At the moment, I have no users on my Mute list. I use Block for users who are abusive, spammers, trolls, constantly ask for money, hijack discussion threads for self-promo or to harass others. ## How to report a post If you want to report a post, click on the three dots at the bottom right of the post and choose "Report post." ![[HowToReportAPost-flat-1000.jpg|300]] # CONTROLLING WHO CAN INTERACT WITH YOU ## Chat Settings Go to your Chat Settings to allow new messages from "Everyone", "Users I Follow", or "No one." Default is "Users I follow." Note that Chat Settings has moved (used to be under Settings). To control who can send you chat messages, click on CHAT then find the icon that looks like two tiny toggle switches. ![[Settings-ChatSettings-NEW-flat-800.jpg|350]] ## Control who can reply to your post You can customize who can interact with your posts. When composing your post, click on the "Anybody can interact" button if you want to change this from the default. This located in the bottom left corner of the post text window. ![[Post_Interaction_Moderation-800.jpg|350]] Clicking on that button will bring up the Post Interaction Settings options, where you can customize who can interact with your post. If you want to limit replies to only those who are following you, for example: ![[Post_Interaction_Settigns_ExampleSinglePost.jpg|400]] NOTE that you can also set a default via the [Post Interaction Settings](https://bsky.app/moderation/interaction-settings) page (Settings > Moderation > Post Interaction Settings). ![[Post_Interaction_Settings_Default.jpg|400]] You can control whether or not people can quote-post your post by enabling or disabling the Quote settings (and again, you can set this as a default). ![[Post_Interaction_Settings_QuoteSettings.jpg|400]] **Edit January 24, 2025: Note that the above only applies to ONE post, not the entire thread. If you don't want anything in the thread quote-posted, you need to turn off quote-posting for every reply you make to the first thread post as well**. ## Example of how to use LISTS to limit who can reply Note that you can use [[Lists]] to limit who can reply! For my \#[KidLitAMA](https://debbieohi.com/kidlitama/) events, I ask everyone to "pre-register" for the AMA event by replying to a thread in which they agree to certain guidelines, and I lock it after the pre-reg deadline. Then when I launch the intro AMA thread, I limit replies to people in that list as well as my main guest. After the AMA is over, I lock the AMA thread so no one else can reply. You can browse a [sample KidLit AMA event here](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/post/3ktsfnemsgk24), when Scholastic's Brian LaRossa was my AMA guest. This also helped keep Brian from inundated with "where can I send my portfolio" replies during the live event; everyone who pre-registered had agreed to the guidelines, one of which was a promise NOT to pitch Brian directly during the event. 😁 After the event, I locked the thread so no one else could reply. ## Example of what "Quote Posts Enabled" means If you leave Quote Posts Enabled, it means people have the ability to quote-post your content. Here's an example in which I am quote-posting something that @kidlitchat posted: ![[Example-Quote-Post.jpg|350]] (An aside: if you're wondering, I used [deck.blue](https://www.patreon.com/deckblue) to insert those hyperlinks. See [[Third-party apps and tools]]). You can also control who is able to reply to your post, from everybody to nobody, to a combination of mentioned / followed users and/or users in any of your Lists. ## What to do if someone quote-posts you and you don't like it If someone quote-posts you in a way you don't like, you can detach your post from their quote by clicking on the "...". Here's an example of a quote post, with the "..." circled: ![[Example-Quote-Post-800.jpg|350]] When you click on the three dots, you get a list of options that includes "detach quote": ![[Example2-Quote-Post-Detach-800.jpg|350]] After you click on "Detach quote," you will be asked to confirm that you want to detach the quote post. Message reads "This will remove your post from this quote post for all users, and replace it with a placeholder." ![[Example3-DetachQuote.jpg|400]] If you click "Yes, detach" and look at the quote-post, you'll see your quote replaced by the message "removed by you." ![[Example4-QuoteRemoved.jpg|400]] The person who made the quote-post will see your quote replaced by "Removed by author." ![[Example5-QuoteRemoved-ViewedByQuotePoster.jpg|350]] As mentioned earlier, you can control whether or not people quote-post any individual post by enabling or disabling Quote Settings. See [Control who can reply to your post](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/bluesky-moderation#Control%20who%20can%20reply%20to%20your%20post). ## How to hide replies, how to block someone from their reply If someone replies to your thread with something inappropriate, you can report the post. You can also hide their reply by clicking on the three dots in the bottom right of their comment, and selecting "Hide reply for everyone." You can also block the user from this menu as well. ![[BlockingFromReply_NuclearBlock_HidingReply_20250122.jpg|450]] This will bring up a confirmation box asking if you really do want hide the reply. The warning says "This reply will be sorted into a hidden section at the bottom of your thread and will mute notifications for subsequent replies - both for yourself and others." ![[Hide_This_Reply.jpg|350]] ## How to filter out Replies, Reposts, and Quote-Posts Tired of seeing feeds that are almost all just Reposts? Just want to see original posts, not the replies? You can control this via your [Following Feed Preferences](https://bsky.app/settings/following-feed). Below is a screenshot of what my Following Feed Preferences look like; I am currently opting to show everything. ![[attachments/Curation-FollowingFeedPrefs.jpg|350]] ## How to turn off trending topics Don't want to see Trending Topics? You can turns this off in your Settings > [Content & media](https://bsky.app/settings/content-and-media). Here's a screenshot from the Bluesky app on my iPhone: ![[Settings_TrendingTopics_20250122-800.jpg|450]] ## How to turn off trending videos in your Discover feed On my desktop Bluesky app (as of January 22, 2025), I also have an "Enable trending videos in your Discover feed" option. ![[Settings_ContentMedia_TrendingVideos-v2-800.jpg|450]] ## Related Resources in this Guide: [[b. Settings|Settings]] [[Tips - How To Fix A Quiet Feed]] ## Other people's resources about moderation [Bluesky Moderation - Nuclear Block & Mute Lists For Beginners](https://boringstorybook.com/bluesky-mute-lists-for-beginners) - by Brian Kirby