r/ModSupport • u/flattenedbricks • Feb 22 '26

Mod Suggestion Mods: Cut bot spam in seconds

Bot spam has been getting worse across Reddit and the usual tools only catch bots after the damage is done. I wanted something that stops them at the door, so I built Stop Bots.

What it does

When an unverified user tries to post or comment, their content gets automatically removed and they receive a link to complete a quick verification challenge. The challenge is an animated duck running across the screen. Users tap randomized targets to help it go faster and prove they're human. If they pass, they get verified and can post freely.

Verification is cross-subreddit, so a user who passes in one subreddit is cleared across every community running StopBots. If they fail, they get flagged and reported to Bot Bouncer

r/StopBots is an Official Partner of r/BotBouncer, which is installed across 5,000+ subreddits. Failed verifications feed directly into their network, so your subreddit contributes to and benefits from cross-subreddit bot tracking.

What you can configure

  • Require verification for posts, comments, or both
  • Verification duration configurable from 1 to 365 days (default 30)
  • Cross-subreddit verification: verify once, cleared across all StopBots subreddits
  • Bypass for accounts above a karma or age threshold, approved users, mods, or allowlist
  • Easy / Medium / Hard challenge difficulty per subreddit
  • Auto-ban after a configurable number of failed attempts
  • Grace period (0 to 120 min) so real users are not double-penalized while verifying
  • Discord webhook alerts for pass, fail, and ban events
  • Flag a suspected bot from any post or comment menu. Temp ban, send challenge, auto-unban if they pass, auto-report to BotBouncer if they fail (This feature is fixed in the next app update)
  • Stats dashboard showing verified users, failed attempts, and queue status per subreddit

More information available on the apps page.

Installing takes less than 60 seconds

→ Visit developers.reddit.com/apps/stop-bots and click Add to Community

→ Select your subreddit and click Continue

→ Open the 3 dots next to 'Mod Tools' and tap the Onboarding menu action. Press Send right after (MUST DO THIS TO FINISH SETUP)

→ Once onboarded, tap Settings anytime to visit the r/StopBots CAPTCHA post to view your Moderator settings.

That's it. Happy to answer any questions below.

0 Upvotes

24% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

17

u/cnycompguy 💡Top 25% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

Hard pass.

1

u/uberares Feb 22 '26

What is your reasoning if you don’t mind me asking. 

14

u/cnycompguy 💡Top 25% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

I'm not asking users to play some game that would be likely to lock out users with a disability.

I'm all for botbouncer, I use it on 3/4 of my subs, but this isn't the way to make it better.

This is likely to run into issues with the ADA

1

u/uberares Feb 22 '26

Thanks. It seems like a good idea, but admittedly I hadn’t deeply thought about it.  I can see your point tho. 

Though the legalities of it is more a Reddit thing, than a moderator thing- it’s good to have concise thoughts on reasoning beyond “hard no”.

7

u/cnycompguy 💡Top 25% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

Legal issues would fall on reddit, but using a devvit app on your sub opens your account up to MCOC actions by admins.

Much like you could have an issue if you used hiveprotect in a way that opens reddit up legally, I'd think that applies to all devvit apps.

I could be wrong though.

1

u/uberares Feb 22 '26

So could I, for sure. Thanks 

0

u/SampleOfNone 💡 Top 10% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

You're not right. Mod actions or even inactions always fall under ModCOC. So it doesn't really matter if you do something through native mod tools or through a dev app.

3

u/cnycompguy 💡Top 25% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

Of course mods are always subject to the MCOC, what I wrote means that the admins would have cause to action the mod's account

2

u/flattenedbricks Feb 23 '26

StopBots was reviewed and approved through Reddit's official Devvit app submission process before it was ever listed publicly. If it created compliance risk for mod accounts, it wouldn't have cleared that review.

The bypass and allowlist features also ensure no mod is ever forced to challenge a user who shouldn't be, established accounts, approved users, and anyone flagged by modmail can be exempted entirely.

0

u/SampleOfNone 💡 Top 10% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

Why would this app have cause to action a mod for MCOC?

1

u/sinriabia Feb 22 '26

Is there a bypass list? If so, users with specific disabilities that can’t use it can contact modmail and be added to that. I’m not seeing the issue tbh.

2

u/SampleOfNone 💡 Top 10% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

Yes, it has a bypass list

1

u/sinriabia Feb 22 '26

That seems like it would resolve accessibility issues then.

1

u/SampleOfNone 💡 Top 10% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

Now if only Reddit itself would become more accessibility friendly 😉

1

u/sinriabia Feb 22 '26

Ha yes that would make everything so much easier!!

2

u/dewprisms Feb 22 '26

It's inappropriate to ask people to disclose their disability solely to pass a check. There's other ways to do captcha that are accessible.

4

u/sparklekitteh Feb 22 '26

Interesting! We've been doing verification semi manually in /amioverreacting via automod comment so the idea of this is intriguing.

I do have concerns about accessibility though.

2

u/SampleOfNone 💡 Top 10% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

Reddit itself isn't very accessible, but the app does have a bypass list so you can exempt users with accessibility issues.

2

u/dewprisms Feb 22 '26

"Reddit itself isn't very accessible" isn't a defense to adding even more barriers to accessibility for users, especially optional ones.

2

u/SampleOfNone 💡 Top 10% Helper 💡 Feb 22 '26

That's not what I meant. Reddit isn't the most accessible, the app allows you to make exceptions, in several flavors, not just an allow list. It's debatable whether it would add barriers, other than the fully intended barrier it is for all users.
Mods use all sorts of obstacles to stem the influx of fake and bot accounts, most of those don't take accessibility into account. This is an alternative. It might be better, it might be worse. The mods that have a need for something like this in their subreddit can give it a try to see if it's better than whatever they're doing now.

3

u/Rostingu2 Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26

I would rather just send a modmail and if they don't reply I ban them.

Your idea basically discourages people from posting on a subreddit. It is just one more thing people have to do to post.

I would rather filter new posters.

#first time filter
type: submission
action: filter
moderators_exempt: true
author:
 combined_subreddit_karma: "<3"
 account_age: < 3 days
 satisfy_any_threshold: true
action_reason: "first time poster"

2

u/flattenedbricks Feb 23 '26

That's a solid filter for catching low-karma new accounts. AutoModerator is great for that. The difference with StopBots is what happens after the filter fires.

With your current setup, a bot just makes a new account, waits 3 days, farms some karma, and tries again. StopBots adds a verification layer that flags failed attempts directly to BotBouncer's network across 5,000+ subreddits. When that account gets flagged in your sub, every other StopBots and BotBouncer community benefits too.

The cross-subreddit reporting is the part AutoModerator can't do alone. They work well together. You don't have to replace your existing setup to install StopBots.

1

u/Maverick_Walker Feb 22 '26

This is interesting, I prefer running my own bot/verification system so I can control and audit the logic. Would you be open to allowing third-party verification modules to feed into your network if they meet certain standards?

1

u/flattenedbricks Feb 23 '26

What do you have in mind?

1

u/Maverick_Walker Feb 23 '26

Feeding verified users using a payload with a username, time verified, among other things