AutoMod Actions

Every AutoMod rule carries a dm_on_trigger boolean (defaults to off). This flag lets you tune whether the user receives a direct message when the rule fires, independent of the server's global Enforcement → DM notifications toggle.

• delete, mute, ban: when on, the bot DMs the user before the action lands with the rule name and reason_text. Native Discord timeout/ban banners don't carry the Arkanis reason, so this is the only way the user sees it. When off, no pre-action DM is sent.
• warn, strike: the rule flag overrides the global dm_notifications_enabled enforcement setting. When on, the user is always DMed with the warning/strike embed. When off, no DM is sent from the AutoMod path — even if the global flag is on.
• If the user has DMs closed, the failure is logged at debug level and the action proceeds normally.

The bot calls Discord's message.delete() on the triggering message, then posts a short channel notice tagging the author and sends them a DM with the reason and (where the trigger captured one) the flagged content. The channel notice is styled as an auto-deleting embed that Discord removes after 15 seconds.

When to use it

• Content should be removed but you do not want to escalate to a sanction record (warning, strike, or ban).
• Free-tier servers. It is the only action available without a Pro subscription.

Side effects

• Posts a grey “Message Removed” embed in the channel that auto-deletes after 15 seconds.
• DMs the author with the reason text, the flagged content (if captured), and the channel name.
• When the rule has dm_on_trigger on, Arkanis also sends a pre-action DM with the rule name and reason before the deletion. See "DM on trigger".
• Writes an entry to the Event Log with action_taken = "delete".
• Does not create a Warning, Strike, or Ban record. Does not count toward auto-strike or auto-ban thresholds.

Discord constraints

• The bot needs Manage Messages in the channel where the rule fires.
• Discord does not allow bulk-deleting messages older than 14 days — but AutoMod only acts on fresh messages, so this rarely matters.
• If the deletion fails (permissions, race with another bot, message already gone) the rule still logs the event and sets delete_success = false.

action_config fields

The bot deletes the message, then creates a Warning record through the enforcement system and DMs the user with the warning number, reason, category, and conversion thresholds. Multiple warnings can automatically convert into a strike, and strikes can auto-ban — this action plugs into the full enforcement escalation chain.

When to use it

• Low-severity rules (emoji spam, caps spam, mild profanity) where you want a paper trail without a timeout.
• First-offender posture: let repeated warnings accumulate into a strike via the enforcement settings.

Side effects

• Deletes the message first (same code path as the delete action).
• Writes a Warning row and an enforcement audit entry. Shows up on the user's record in the Enforcement Board.
• DMs the user with warning number, reason, category, reference ID, and conversion thresholds (e.g. “2 same-category warnings = Strike”). DM is gated by the rule's dm_on_trigger flag, which overrides the global dm_notifications_enabled enforcement setting. See "DM on trigger".
• Posts a yellow/orange channel notice tagging the user (auto-deletes after 15s).
• Counts toward the warning-to-strike thresholds. If the warning auto-converts into a strike, the strike can in turn trigger the auto-ban threshold.
• Writes an Event Log entry with action_taken = "warn".

Discord constraints

• Manage Messages permission for the delete step.
• No extra Discord permission for the warning itself — it is a database record, not a Discord-level sanction.

action_config fields

The bot deletes the message and calls Discord's native member.timeout() for the configured duration. The user is muted server-wide: they cannot send messages, react, or join voice channels until the timeout expires. This is Discord's own timeout feature — not an Arkanis mute role.

When to use it

• Mention-bomb and raid-response rules where a short cooldown stops the noise without escalating to a strike.
• Short-term “cool off” sanctions (5–30 minutes) for heat-of-the-moment violations.

Side effects

• Deletes the message first.
• Applies a Discord timeout with reason "Arkanis AutoMod: <reason_text>" — this string shows up in Discord's own Audit Log.
• Writes an Event Log entry with action_taken = "mute", plus mute_duration_minutes.
• Does not create a Warning, Strike, or Ban record and does not count toward auto-strike or auto-ban thresholds.
• When the rule has dm_on_trigger on, Arkanis DMs the user with the rule name and reason before the timeout lands (Discord's own timeout banner doesn't carry that text). See "DM on trigger".

Discord constraints

• The bot's role needs Moderate Members and must be above the target user's highest role in the role hierarchy.
• Discord refuses to timeout users with the Administrator permission — the mute will fail and the Event Log records error_code = "mute_failed".
• Timeouts cannot exceed 28 days per Discord's API.

action_config fields

The bot deletes the message and calls the enforcement service to add a Strike to the user's record. Strikes carry a point value (minor = 1 point, major = 2 points) and feed into the auto-ban threshold configured under Enforcement. The user is DMed with the strike number, reason, point total, and remaining distance to an auto-ban.

When to use it

• Medium-severity rules where you want the violation to count toward an eventual auto-ban.
• Content-policy violations that are bad enough to skip the warning step.

Side effects

• Deletes the message first.
• Creates a Strike record with an enforcement audit trail. Appears on the user's Enforcement Board profile.
• DMs the user with the strike number, severity, point count vs threshold, and an appeal reference ID. DM is gated by the rule's dm_on_trigger flag, which overrides the global dm_notifications_enabled setting. See "DM on trigger".
• Posts a coloured channel notice (yellow → orange → red as strike count rises) that auto-deletes after 15s.
• May trigger an automatic ban if the user's total strike points now meet the guild's auto-ban threshold. The escalation uses the same code path as the ban action, including its own ban-notification DM.
• Writes an Event Log entry with action_taken = "strike".

Discord constraints

• Manage Messages for the delete step.
• No Discord permission for the strike record itself.
• If the strike auto-escalates to a ban and discord_ban: true is configured for auto-ban, the bot additionally needs Ban Members.

action_config fields

The bot deletes the message and records a Ban against the user through the enforcement service. Optionally, with discord_ban: true, it also calls Discord's native guild.ban() so the user is actually kicked out of the server. Without that flag, Arkanis holds the ban in its own enforcement ledger without touching Discord — useful for cross-server reputation before pulling the trigger on a real Discord ban.

When to use it

• Confirmed raid bots and burner accounts — pair with discord_ban: true.
• Hate-speech or targeted-harassment rules where no warning ladder is needed.

Side effects

• Deletes the message first.
• Creates a Ban record in the enforcement ledger (always major severity).
• When discord_ban: true: calls guild.ban() with delete_message_seconds=0 (does not bulk-purge the user's recent messages).
• Writes an Event Log entry with action_taken = "ban", ban_reference_id, and discord_ban_success.
• When the rule has dm_on_trigger on, Arkanis DMs the user with the rule name and reason before the ban is recorded. (For bans triggered by auto-ban escalation, the strikes service also sends its own ban notification DM.) See "DM on trigger".

Discord constraints

• Ban Members permission on the bot's role, and the bot's role must be above the target user's highest role.
• Discord refuses to ban the server owner and will fail on users with a higher role than the bot. The Event Log records discord_ban_success = false when that happens.

action_config fields

These are the AutoMod triggers you can pair with any of the actions above:

• Word Filter — block slurs, harassment, and custom banned words with preset packages.
• Mention Spam — catch mention-bombs and mass-ping raids in a single message.
• Attachment Spam — flag messages that attach too many files at once.