The moderation queue is your main review hub, but sometimes a flagged message doesn’t tell the whole story. To fully understand user behavior and community dynamics, moderators need a way to step outside the queue and explore entire conversations. That’s exactly what the Channel Explorer is for.
It allows moderators to browse channels directly, review both flagged and unflagged content, and take proactive action when community health is at risk. Think of it as your bird’s-eye view of conversations, complementing the queue’s focus on individual items.
Browsing Channels Across Your App
From the dashboard, the Channel Explorer shows a list of all channels in your app, whether they are general chat rooms, private groups, or topic-based discussions. Moderators can:
- Search by channel type (e.g., livestream, messaging, gaming).
- Filter by activity level to prioritize channels with heavy traffic.
- Jump directly into channels where issues are most likely to arise.
This makes it easy to keep track of community hotspots without waiting for AI to surface issues.
Reviewing Context Beyond Flagged Items
Inside each channel, moderators can scroll through recent conversations just like a regular user. Unlike the moderation queue, this view isn’t limited to flagged content. You’ll see everything, safe, questionable, and harmful messages side by side.
This extra context is useful when:
- A flagged message looks ambiguous: Seeing the conversation thread helps you judge intent.
- Patterns emerge: A single flagged insult may seem small, but reading the channel might reveal ongoing bullying.
- Evasion attempts appear: Users may split harmful messages across multiple posts to bypass AI. Reviewing the channel helps you catch the full picture.
Taking Proactive Actions
The Channel Explorer isn’t just about observation; you can intervene directly:
- Apply moderation actions (flag, block, delete messages, ban users) to specific users or messages.
- Broadcast reminders to the whole channel (e.g., “Please keep discussion respectful, personal attacks are not tolerated”).
- Escalate channels by flagging them for closer monitoring to Admins.
- Ban disruptive users from the channel or platform directly within context.
Example Scenarios
Here are some real-world ways moderators might use the Channel Explorer:
- Escalating Harassment: A user is flagged for “mild insults.” Checking the channel reveals a group targeting one individual repeatedly. You escalate to Admins and apply a ban.
- Spam Campaigns: The queue shows a few spam messages, but the Channel Explorer reveals dozens across multiple threads. You use bulk bans to stop the campaign.
- Policy Reminder: During a heated discussion, multiple borderline comments show up. Instead of banning users immediately, you post a guideline reminder to de-escalate.
Best Practices for Channel Monitoring
- Balance Proactive and Reactive Work: Don’t spend all your time browsing channels, but use Channel Explorer to investigate patterns the queue can’t reveal.
- Document Escalations: Leave notes when you escalate issues from Channel Explorer so admins can refine rules later.
- Focus on High-Risk Areas: Prioritize busy or high-conflict channels like livestream chats, where harms escalate quickly.
- Intervene with Care: Use public reminders sparingly; overusing them can make communities feel over-policed.
Why Channel Explorer Matters
AI does an excellent job surfacing harmful content, but moderation isn’t only about single messages. The Channel Explorer gives moderators a holistic view of conversations, letting them connect the dots between individual violations, community dynamics, and user intent. By combining queue reviews with proactive channel monitoring, you maintain fairness, consistency, and healthier conversations at scale.
Now that you know how to explore channels and review conversations in context, it’s time to focus on the tools you’ll use most often in your day-to-day work, the moderation actions themselves. In the next module, we’ll cover the full range of actions available in Stream (Flag, Block, Shadowblock, Bounce, Mask, and more) and break down when to use each one to keep your community safe and consistent.