Event Attendee & Chat Management

As the host of an event, it’s important to moderate the chat, spotlight the messages that are important for all to see, and take action if chats are inappropriate and members are disruptive.

There are a number of access roles you can configure that allow you and your team to moderate events chats; pin messages you want to spotlight at the top of the chat block, delete ones that are not beneficial or appropriate to the event discussion, and even ban members from chatting entirely.

Auto-Moderation Tools

Gradual has also deployed several native moderation features that automatically moderate messaging, chats and Q&A so they are appropriate and work to deter spamming:

• Basic profanity filter moderation will block messages and return an error to the user if the text contains profanity
  • Gradual is currently using a standard available library of profane terms in English. If you have words or phrases that need to be added to the filter parameter, please reach out to the Gradual team
• Basic content filter moderation will block messages and return an error to the user if the text contains blanks or spaces only
• Rate limits moderation will block messages and return an error to the user if the text is duplicated or messages are sent in rapid succession
• Filter moderation will block all ASCII text messages and return an error to the user
• Posts are only received via the frontend UI, so users will be unable to post to the chat via the API or script

Who can moderate the chat?

There are several roles you can establish within the dashboard to help moderate event chats.

Dashboard Admin

This role has the highest level of access as they have access to all community dashboard settings, all events, and all channels or chats.

They are able to see all chats, pin or delete messages in the dashboard, and pin or delete messages on the front end. They are also able to ban disruptive members.

Dashboard admins can assign collaborators, event permissions, chat moderators, and meeting hosts in events to aid in chat moderation.

Learn more about how to add admins to the community dashboard here

Collaborator

Collaborators create and manage events within the dashboard, and the dashboard admins can assign specific permissions for collaborators in terms of what type of events they can manage, and thus, what level of chat moderation.

They are able to see all chats, pin or delete messages in the dashboard, and pin or delete messages on the front end for ONLY events they have created. They are also able to ban disruptive members.

Collaborators can assign event permissions, chat moderators, and meeting hosts in events to aid in chat moderation.

Learn more about collaborators here.

Event Permissions

This role has access only within the event they are assigned. There are three levels of access within the event permissions - Event Admin, Event Manager and Event Editor.

All three levels can see all chat messages, pin or delete messages in the dashboard, and pin or delete messages on the front end of ONLY the event(s) they are given access to. They are also able to ban disruptive members.

All levels can assign chat moderators and meeting hosts in events to aid in chat moderation.

Learn more about how to add event permissions to users in an event here

Chat Moderators

Chat Moderators have access only to moderate the chat on a certain stage or channel of an event on the front end.

They are able to see chat messages, pin or delete messages on the front end for ONLY the stages (channels) they are given access. They are also able to ban disruptive members.

Here is a video on chat moderators in livestream events:

Learn more about how to add chat moderators to a livestream event here.

Meeting Hosts

Hosts have access to moderate the chat and Q&A within the meeting event they are assigned.

They can see chat messages, pin or delete messages and moderate Q&A on the front end for ONLY the meeting event they are assigned host. They are also able to pin or delete messages on the front end of the chat within the messages thread after the event has ended. They are also able to ban disruptive members.

Here is a video on chat moderation in meeting rooms:

Learn more about how to assign hosts to a meeting event, and their controls and features here.

Manual Moderation Tools

There are two places to edit event chat messages and Q&A questions - from within the admin dashboard, and on the front-end, in the live event.

Dashboard: Pin chat messages

This function is accessible only in livestream events by dashboard admins, collaborators, and event permission admins. Chat moderators and meeting hosts cannot pin chat messages from within the dashboard.

From within the dashboard, at the event level, in the Channels tab:

1
Select the stage where the chat is taking place
2
Find the message you’d like to pin
3
Select the pin icon and the message will be pinned to the top of the chat thread in real time

In-Event: Pin chat messages and Q&A questions

This function is accessible by dashboard admins, collaborators, event permission admins, chat moderators, and meeting hosts.

From within the live event, in the chat stream on the front end:

Dashboard: Hide chat messages and Q&A questions

This function is accessible by dashboard admins, collaborators, and event permission admins. Chat moderators and meeting hosts cannot hide chat messages from within the dashboard.

From within the dashboard, at the event level, in the Channels tab:

1
Select the stage where the chat is taking place
2
Find the message you’d like to hide
3
Select the trash icon to hide it entirely
4
If you'd like to hide all messages from that member, you can select the box beside 'Clear all messages...' and it will automatically hide all messages from that user.

Clear Chat

If you'd like to clear and delete all messages simultaneously, you can use the 'Clear Chat' action in the event dashboard, in Channels. All messages will be deleted, and disappear from the front-end chat. They can be restored in the dashboard at any time.

In-Event: Hide chat messages and Q&A questions

This function is accessible by dashboard admins, collaborators, event permission admins, and meeting hosts.

From within the live event, in the chat stream on the front end:

Dashboard: Restore chat messages and Q&A questions

This function is accessible in livestream events by dashboard admins, collaborators, and event permission admins. Chat moderators and meeting hosts cannot restore chat messages.

From within the dashboard, at the event level, in the Channels tab:

1
Select the stage where the chat is taking place
2
Find the message you’d like to restore
3
Select the Restore button

Dashboard: Hide chat entirely

This function is accessible by dashboard admins, collaborators, event permission admins and meeting hosts. Chat moderators cannot hide the chat entirely.

From within the dashboard, at the event level, in the Channels tab:

Managing Attendees who are disruptive

Banning them from chatting

Follow the steps in this resource to ban the member from chatting for 7 days.

Marking the disruptive member ‘Limited Approval’

From within the dashboard, at the community level, in the Members tab:

1

Search for the user

2

Mark their Type as Limited Approval and click Save

3
Select their name (to access their profile)
4
Log them out by selecting the Logout button in upper right. Confirm this action by selecting OK. 

If you want to reverse this action, simply mark their Type as Standard. 

Booting the disruptive member from the Community

Here is a document on understanding and changing member access levels and how to change the access levels from Approved to Pending, or Unapproved.

From within the dashboard, at the community level, in the Members tab:

1

Search for the user

2

Select their name (to access their profile)

3

Log them out by marking them Pending Approval or Unapproved using the drop down in the upper right

If you want to reverse this action, they are now in the Pending or Unnapproved list in the Members tab and can be approved there. They will not receive any notification of this action, so emailing them to invite them back is necessary. 

Here is a document on understanding and changing member access levels.