Short answer
Pre-moderation means nothing appears until it's approved; post-moderation means posts appear immediately and are removed if they break the rules; reactive moderation means you act only on reports. Use pre-moderation where a single bad post would cause real harm (a big screen, a children's audience, a brand campaign page), post-moderation for ongoing conversation, and reactive moderation only when volume makes anything else impossible.
Key takeaways
- Pre-moderation is safest but slows conversation and needs constant staffing.
- Post-moderation keeps conversation moving but lets bad posts be seen for a while.
- Rules let you mix the two: approve trusted sources, hold the rest.
- Choose by the cost of a single bad post being seen.
What are the three approaches?
They differ in when a person looks at a post: before anyone sees it, after it's live, or only when someone complains.
| Pre-moderation | Post-moderation | Reactive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When posts appear | After approval | Immediately | Immediately |
| Who checks | Moderator, every post | Moderator, after the fact | Only reported posts |
| Risk of a bad post being seen | Very low | Medium | High |
| Staffing | Constant during live periods | Regular checks | Low |
| Conversation speed | Slow | Normal | Normal |
| Typical use | Event screens, kids' sites, campaign pages | Brand comments, community replies | Very high volume platforms |
How do I choose?
Ask what happens if one bad post is visible for ten minutes; if the answer is "real harm", use pre-moderation.
A slur on a projector screen in front of 2,000 attendees and a sponsor is real harm. A spam reply under a product post that sits there for an hour is an annoyance. Most accounts fall somewhere between, which is why the default in the rule builder is a choice, not a fixed setting.
How do rules let me mix the two?
Approve sources you trust automatically and hold everything else, so you only pre-moderate the posts that need it.
With an allow list of your team, speakers and regulars, plus an approve rule for your official hashtag, most good posts go straight through. Reject rules drop the obvious spam. The remaining unknown posts wait for a person. This hybrid gives you most of pre-moderation's safety at a fraction of the staffing.
What does post-moderation need to work?
Regular checks, fast removal tools and a clear policy, so problems are handled within minutes or hours rather than days.
Set a check rhythm (hourly during launches, twice daily otherwise), know where the hide and report buttons are, and write down what gets removed. Our policy template covers that last part.
Common questions
Can I use pre-moderation on X replies?
Not directly. X shows replies as they come in. Reply controls (limiting who can reply) are the closest thing; hidden replies are post-moderation.
Does pre-moderation reduce engagement?
It can, if approvals are slow. People like seeing their post appear. Allow-listing regulars and approving quickly removes most of the downside.