Skip to content

Honeypot

Jump to bottom
Jerad Berhow edited this page Oct 15, 2026 · 5 revisions

Honeypot

A trap channel for spam bots. Real members are told not to post there; anyone who does is removed from the server. It's part of /security, alongside Verification.

Along with Moderation (/mod, run by a moderator), this is the only way PariahBot ever bans or removes anyone, and it's the only one that acts automatically.

How it works

When someone posts in the trap channel:

  1. Staff are skipped: admins and mods. Always, so you can check on the channel yourself.

  2. The person is sent a DM saying they were removed for posting in a spam-trap channel, and to contact a moderator if it was a mistake. It's sent before they're removed, because the bot can't DM them afterwards. If their DMs are closed, they're removed anyway.

  3. They're removed:

    • Remove (the default) is a softban: banned, then unbanned straight away. They can rejoin.
    • Ban keeps them banned.

    Both delete their messages from the last hour. That's why the default is a softban rather than a kick: a kick leaves their spam behind.

  4. An admin alert is sent (see Admin-Alerts), including when the removal fails.

Every ban and unban carries a reason, so the server's audit log explains itself.

Set it up

/security honeypot setup
Option Default Effect
channel A new #do-not-post channel An existing channel to use instead
name + category — Make the channel under a name and category you choose. Both together, or neither
action Remove (softban) Remove or Ban

The bot posts a warning in the channel: "⚠️ Do not post in this channel. This channel is a spam trap…". Everything else about the channel is left to you.

Tips:

  • Make it look ordinary. Some spam bots skip channels with "honeypot" in the name, so a plausible name like #off-topic-2 works better than #do-not-post.
  • Put it near the top of the channel list, where spam bots tend to post first.
  • Put the bot's role above anyone it should be able to remove, in Server Settings → Roles. It can't act on anyone whose highest role is above its own.

Turning it off

/security honeypot disable

Posting there no longer removes anyone. The channel is left in place.

/security status

Shows the trap channel and the action.

Troubleshooting

What happens Fix
Someone posted and wasn't removed Check: are they staff, an admin or mod (always skipped)? Is their highest role above the bot's? Does the bot have Ban Members? The admin alert says which
No alert arrived Check /alerts status
A real member was removed They can rejoin after a softban. Use a clearer warning, or a less tempting channel name

Permissions needed: Ban Members (even for the softban), and Manage Channels and Manage Roles to create and set up the channel. See Permissions.

Clone this wiki locally