# How To Avoid Being Mistaken As A Spammer ![[Cover_Spammers_2025-flat1000.jpg|600]] On social media, the term "spam" generally refers to content that is unwanted, irrelevant, or repetitive. People interpret spam differently, so before jumping into an online conversation or community chat, I strongly recommend FIRST observing. > [!NOTE] Community-Sourced Thread On Bluesky > When I asked the Bluesky community for tips on how to avoid being flagged as a spammer, [here's what they said](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:5amsebbtpuqieuxuqadmmvcv/post/3lz4k6jqxdc23). ### Related posts in this Guide [[Impersonator or Imposter Accounts]] [[Cautions and Scams]] [[e. Control What You Do (& Don't) See|Control What You Do (& Don't) See]] UPDATE (2025-09-20): Bluesky is [updating its Community Guidelines](https://bsky.social/about/blog/09-19-2025-building-healthier-social-media) on Oct. 15th, 2025. ## HOW DO POSTS GET FLAGGED AS SPAM ON BLUESKY? I do not have direct experience with this, but as far as I can tell there are two ways: 1. Someone reports your account, your post, or reply. You can see the option to do this by clicking on the three dots "..." on the bottom right of any post or reply. To report a Bluesky user account, click on the three dots "..." in the top right, below the user's cover image. 2. I haven't been able to verify this yet, but one user told me in the above community-sourced thread that there are anti-spam bots on Bluesky...? However, the user has since deleted their reply, so maybe that's not true. ## WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CONTENT GETS FLAGGED AS SPAM Again, I don't have direct experience with this, but there should be a way to appeal. If anyone has a screenshot (I can blur out your user acct info) or any other useful info, please let me know and I will add that here in case it helps others. According to [Bluesky CEO's Jay Graber's post](https://bsky.app/profile/jay.bsky.team/post/3lyoiyock3k2d) on Sept. 12th, 2025: "When there’s a lot of activity on the site, our dedicated mod team works around the clock to keep you safe and uphold our community standards. If you think there was a mistake, you can appeal by emailing [email protected] and they will get to it as soon as they can." ![[HowTo_Appeal_Jay_2025-09-21_08-27-54.jpg|500]] While I haven't yet had content flagged as spam, I have had my [work updates Bluesky account ](https://bsky.app/profile/work.debbieohi.com)(purposely broadcast-only) flagged as being an impersonator account. I clicked the appeal button (I can't remember the exact wording, but it was easy to find), explained that the second account was really me and why I created it, and my account got reinstated within a day. Yes, I was irritated at first BUT then I realized Bluesky was just trying to protect its community from the growing number of impersonator accounts. I'd far rather go through the temporary inconvenience to help make the platform a safer space. ## TRAITS THAT *MAY* GET YOU FLAGGED AS A SPAMMER: Please note that people vary widely in what they do and don't consider as spammy behavior. If you have had multiple meaningful interactions (more than just Likes or "great post!"), then the other person will likely be more understanding. Just be aware that it does take time and effort to establish a trust level. ### Unsolicited content: Content that is not asked for by the person or community. > [!EXAMPLE] > Someone has posted about how adorable their cat is being that day. You respond with a reply promoting your book about cats. Or maybe you DM someone and promote your book about cats or cat rescue business or crowd-sourced funding project -- even if that person is following you on Bluesky, they may react negatively to the DM if you are not already corresponding with each other. > ### Irrelevant content Content that doesn't meaningfully contribute to the conversation or context. > [!EXAMPLE] > Someone has posted about their recent experience volunteering with a cat rescue. You respond with a reply promoting your book about cats (a book that has nothing to do with cat rescue). NOTE: Even if your book is about a cat rescue, if you have not had meaningful interactions with the person before, they may still interpret your reply as spam. ### Repetitive Content that is the same or similar content being posted across accounts, posts, replies, or private messages. > [!EXAMPLE] > You do a search across Bluesky for posts about cats and reply to a bunch with something like "Great post. You might be interested in my book about cats!" Or maybe you make multiple near-identical posts on your own Bluesky account, @-tagging people. Note: Sometimes even making multiple near-identical replies like thanking people for a reshare or Liking posts can get you flagged, if you do so in a short period of time (e.g. "Thanks for Liking my post, John!") If you want to thank people but also want to avoid looking like a spammer, I advise only doing a few thank you replies at a time before posting something else. I also advise making your thank you replies more personal, to avoid the telltale cut-and-paste impression. Also, rather than thanking people for Liking a post (which some people might find interpret as spammy behavior), I advise interacting with one of their posts in a more meaningful way. You could Like one of their posts, for example, and maybe reply with something that makes it clear that you appreciate their own unique content (e.g. "Love the expression of your cat in this photo, John!"). If you are posting multiple photos of your cat on your feed with a community hashtag but never respond to anyone's replies or comments, someone may report you as a spammer; this is real-life example given by someone in the community-sourced thread. [More info about the example in this reply thread.](https://bsky.app/profile/oldandtired.bsky.social/post/3lz4w6aumsk2s) ### Manipulative Content that aims to artificially boost visibility. > [!EXAMPLE] > Someone has made a post asking people to name a favorite book they have read recently. You respond with a reply promoting your book about cats. Or maybe you post a photo of your cat and then cram all kinds of keywords and hashtags into your alt-text in hopes it gets picked up by more searches and feeds. Note: see [[Alt text - Why It's Important]]. ### Related posts to check out: [[Impersonator or Imposter Accounts]] [[Cautions and Scams]] [[e. Control What You Do (& Don't) See|Control What You Do (& Don't) See]]