Now that you understand how Stream AI Moderation works in the background, it’s time to look at how humans fit into the system. Defining who does what is essential, and Stream uses two primary roles: Admin and Moderator. They have different responsibilities and levels of access within the Stream Dashboard. Understanding these distinctions ensures efficient workflows, clearer boundaries, and fewer mistakes in policy or content management.
Admin: System Owner and Policy Architect
Admins have full access to the dashboard and are responsible for configuring how moderation works at a system level. Think of them as the architects of the moderation framework.
Admins can:
- Access and edit all moderation policies and rules.
- Create, assign, or remove moderation labels and categories.
- Configure notifications, webhooks, and reviewer alerts.
- Manage audit logs, system settings, and global preferences.
- Assign roles and permissions to other team members.
Admins should understand the platform’s community guidelines, legal requirements, and trust and safety priorities. They’re typically responsible for aligning the AI system with real-world moderation goals.
Moderator: Reviewer and Enforcer
Moderators operate within the guardrails set by Admins. Their primary job is to review flagged content, make judgment calls, and apply appropriate actions quickly and consistently.
Moderators can:
- Access the moderation queue and review flagged messages.
- Apply actions such as mark reviewed, unblock, or ban.
- Use filters, bulk actions, and search tools to manage reviews.
- View metadata like confidence scores, categories, and violation types.
- Collaborate with other moderators or escalate issues to Admins.
Moderators cannot edit moderation rules or system-level settings. This ensures the policy layer remains stable and changes are intentional.
Admins design and configure the moderation system. Moderators execute and enforce those decisions. Keeping these roles distinct allows teams to scale safely, maintain consistency, and avoid accidental policy drift.
What’s Next
With roles clearly defined, let’s explore the Stream dashboard, your command center for configuring and monitoring moderation.