Consider adding verification requirement for Optimism Fractal Discord

This task aims to explore the implementation of a verification requirement for the Optimism Fractal Discord server to prevent spam attacks. By establishing a "waiting room" system for new members and utilizing Discord's built-in tools, the goal is to enhance server security and ensure a smoother user experience.

Question:

How to make it to the new spammers can join the group and then just posted a bunch of channels at once. Is there a way to restrict it so they can only Post in one child and make them do a captcha or something like that how difficult is it to do and can you just make it so that they can only be post once or something like that and they're not allowed to post like 10 messages all at once and different channels.

Summary of the Solution

Discord has several powerful, built-in tools to stop this, and you can create a very secure setup. Here is a guide on how to solve this, starting from the easiest and most immediate fixes to more advanced setups.

You will create a "waiting room" for new members. They will join and only be able to see and interact with one channel (e.g., #verification). To gain access to the rest of the server, they must complete a simple action, which proves they are not a bot. This stops them from spamming multiple channels at once.

Level 1: Easy & Immediate Fixes (Do these now!)

These are built-in Discord settings that you can enable in minutes.

1. Increase Your Server's Verification Level

This is your first and strongest line of defense. It forces new members to meet certain criteria before they can speak at all.

• Difficulty: Easy
• How to set it up:
1. Go to Server Settings > Safety Setup.
2. Under Verification, set the level to at least Medium or High.
• Medium: The user must have had their Discord account for more than 5 minutes. This stops brand-new bot accounts.
• High: The user must be a member of your server for more than 10 minutes. This is very effective, as it forces a 10-minute waiting period before they can type anything.

2. Set up Discord's AutoMod

AutoMod can automatically block spammy messages and even time-out a user if they post too much, too quickly.

• Difficulty: Easy
• How to set it up:
1. Go to Server Settings > AutoMod.
2. Create a rule for Spam Content. A good starting point is the "Block Mention Spam" rule. Set a mention limit (e.g., 5) and set the action to "Timeout user." This prevents spammers from pinging everyone.
3. You can also create a Custom Keyword Rule to block common spam phrases or links.

This directly addresses your point about a user posting "10 messages all at once." AutoMod can punish them for it automatically.

Level 2: The Verification Gate System (The Core Solution)

This is how you restrict new users to a single channel until they are verified.

• Difficulty: Intermediate

Step A: Create a "Verified" Role

1. Go to Server Settings > Roles.
2. Click Create Role.
3. Name it something like Verified or Member.
4. Give it a color so you can tell it apart.
5. Don't give it any special permissions yet. Just save it.

Step B: Lock Down Your Server for New Members

1. In Server Settings > Roles, select the default @everyone role.
2. Go through the permissions and turn OFF almost everything. Most importantly, turn off View Channels, Send Messages, and Add Reactions.
3. Click Save Changes.
• Result: Now, when a new person joins, they can't see or do anything. Your server will appear empty to them. This is what we want.

Step C: Create Your Verification Channel

1. Create a new channel called #verification or #rules-and-verify.
2. Right-click the channel and select Edit Channel > Permissions.
3. For the @everyone role, override the permissions for this channel only:
• Turn ON View Channel.
• Turn ON Read Message History.
• Turn OFF Send Messages. (This is optional but prevents clutter).
4. In this channel, post a message explaining your server rules and how to get verified. For example: "Welcome! Please read the rules and click the ✅ emoji below to access the rest of the server."

Step D: Set Up the Verification Method

Now you need a way for users to get the Verified role.

• The Captcha/Bot Method (Recommended): This is the best way to handle verification. You'll use a trusted bot to do it for you.
1. Invite a Bot: Invite a well-known bot like MEE6, Carl-bot, or Dyno to your server.
2. Set up Reaction Roles: In the bot's dashboard, look for a feature called "Reaction Roles."
3. Configure it so that when a user reacts with the ✅ emoji on your message in the #verification channel, the bot automatically gives them the Verified role.
4. How it works: A spam bot usually cannot perform this action. When a real user reacts, they get the Verified role, which grants them permission to see all the other channels.
• The Captcha Bot Method: For even higher security, you can use a dedicated captcha bot like Captcha.bot. When a user joins, the bot will DM them an image with distorted text (a captcha) that they must solve to be granted the Verified role.

Level 3: Limiting Post Frequency in Channels

This stops even verified users from spamming a single channel too quickly.

• Difficulty: Easy

Enable "Slowmode"

1. Right-click the channel you want to limit (e.g., #general-chat) and go to Edit Channel.
2. On the Overview tab, you will see a slider for Slowmode.
3. Set it to a reasonable time, like 5 or 10 seconds.
4. Result: Users (except admins/mods) will only be able to send one message in that channel every 10 seconds, preventing rapid-fire message spam.

Your Action Plan

1. Immediately: Go to Server Settings > Safety Setup and set Verification to High.
2. Next: Go to Server Settings > AutoMod and enable the "Block Mention Spam" rule.
3. Then, when you have 15-20 minutes: Follow the steps in Level 2 to create a Verified role and a #verification channel. Invite a bot like Carl-bot to handle reaction roles. This will be the single biggest improvement to your server's security.
4. Finally: Enable Slowmode in your busiest chat channels.

By doing this, new spammers will be completely stopped. They will be stuck in your #verification channel, unable to post anywhere, and will eventually leave or be filtered out by the verification process.