Glossary

Plain-language definitions of the terms you'll see around Banwatch.

Banwatch network — The collection of all servers using Banwatch. When you share a ban, it becomes visible to the rest of the network so other communities can make informed decisions.

Network ban — A ban that has been shared to the network. Other servers can see it when they look up the user or when that user joins their server.

Mod channel — The channel you pick for Banwatch to post ban information and alerts. Set it with /config change → Mod Channel. This is the one setting every server should configure.

Lookup — Checking a user's ban history with /lookup. You can search by the user or by a ban ID.

Checkall — Scanning every current member of your server against the global ban database with /checkall.

Checkall cache — A short-lived copy of ban data used to make /checkall fast. It refreshes about every 10 minutes, which is why a newly hidden ban can briefly still appear.

Verified ban — A ban that Banwatch staff have reviewed and confirmed as legitimate, backed by evidence. Verification helps other servers trust the record.

Hidden ban — A ban that is not broadcast and can't be seen by regular users. Bans with no reason, a [hidden] tag, or insufficient proof end up hidden. Only Banwatch staff can see them.

Silent ban — A ban that isn't broadcast to other servers, but is still shown to staff when the user joins a server that uses Banwatch. Add the [silent] tag to a ban message to make it silent.

Evidence / proof — Text, screenshots, or files attached to a ban or warning that explain what happened. See Evidence.

Evidence archive — The channel where warning evidence is stored, set through /config change.

Appeal — A banned user's request to have a ban reconsidered. Servers choose whether to allow appeals with /config appeals. See Appeals.

Bot-trap — A premium feature (a button or a role) that automatically bans anyone who triggers it, used to catch self-bots and bad actors.

Cross-ban — A premium feature that copies a ban from your main server to the other servers you own.

Sensitive / flagged word — A word in a ban reason that triggers extra review by Banwatch staff, to prevent harmful rumors from spreading without proof. The list is kept private on purpose.

Visibility — Whether your server's bans show up in public lookups. Toggle it with /config visibility.

Support server — The Discord server where you can get help, report issues, and appeal decisions. Reach it with /support.