Show your judgement
Answer 20 introductory multiple-choice questions and 30 short written prompts. Trust & Safety reviews the written section alongside your account standing.
Secret SauceKeep information need-to-know Handle urgent concerns through the right channel Step back when conflicted Write a useful case note Use a second reviewer when needed Close the loop Identify the exact content Separate facts from interpretation Protect private material Record changes A heated disagreement Repeated unwanted contact A suspicious link wave A conflict involving you
Practical moderation. Human judgement.
A learning resource for people who help care for online communities.
THE COMMUNITY MODERATION ACADEMY
Learn the craft. Keep the community human.
A structured, volunteer learning path for members who want to help care for Secret Sauce communities. Start with the handbook, complete an easy 50-question assessment, then work through supervised practice with the Academy team.
YOUR PATH THROUGH THE ACADEMY
Clear steps, useful feedback, no surprises.
Certification is earned through practice and review. The quiz is the first checkpoint, not an instant staff role.
Join the classroom
Accepted candidates get an Academy Server link and the Academy Cadet role. Read the training channels, meet a mentor, and learn the written rules.
Train before acting
Work through simulations, shadow experienced moderators, and receive feedback before any scoped community assignment.
Earn a scoped credential
Graduates can receive the custom Academy Moderator badge. It shows training completion; it does not grant platform-wide authority or employment.
01 · Foundations
A six-part learning path
Each module can be used on its own. Teams can discuss scenarios together and add examples from their own written rules.
Read the situation
Separate what you observed from what you inferred. Check the surrounding conversation, channel context, and applicable rules before deciding what happened.
De-escalate first
Use calm language, give clear direction, and avoid public arguments about intent. Move sensitive details to a private staff discussion.
Choose a proportionate action
Match the response to severity, repetition, and immediate risk. Explain what must change, what the member can do next, and how long a restriction lasts.
Preserve evidence carefully
Record only relevant details in approved staff tools. Limit access to people who need the information and never repost sensitive evidence publicly.
Be consistent and accountable
Use the same written standards across members. Record the reason for significant actions, disclose uncertainty internally, and seek another review for high-impact decisions.
Support review and appeals
Tell members how to request a review. Consider new context fairly, separate the reviewer from personal disputes, and keep private staff identities confidential.
02 · Decision framework
Four questions before you act
Which written rule applies?
Point to the rule or explain why immediate safety requires a temporary step before the full review.
What is the impact?
Consider who is affected, whether harm is ongoing, and whether behaviour appears targeted or repeated.
What is the least restrictive response?
Prefer a clear reminder or channel adjustment when it safely resolves the issue. Use account-level restrictions for serious or repeated conduct.
What should the member know?
Give a concise reason, any duration, and the available review path. Do not promise an appeal outcome.
03 · Safety and privacy
Moderation work has boundaries.
Do not look for or share private information unrelated to a safety review. Never use staff tools for curiosity, retaliation, or personal disputes.
Use the platform reporting process and the team’s safety procedure. Do not claim to provide emergency services or legal representation.
If you are involved, close to a party, or personally upset, ask another moderator to lead and record the handoff.
04 · Team practice
Make decisions that can be understood later.
Include the relevant rule, the evidence reviewed, the action taken, and the next review point. Keep unrelated personal details out.
For a permanent or high-impact action, request an independent check when the team’s process allows it.
When a review ends, update the case status and send the member a clear outcome without revealing private employee details.
05 · Severity and response
Match the response to the immediate risk and available evidence.
These examples guide judgement; they do not replace the Terms of Service or an authorised Trust & Safety review.
Confusion or first-time disruption
Clarify the channel purpose, point to the relevant rule, and give the member a reasonable opportunity to adjust. Record the interaction only when the server’s process requires it.
Repeated or targeted conduct
Slow the situation down with a timeout, preserve the relevant messages, and ask another moderator to review the context. Explain the duration and expected change.
Credible safety or platform risk
Stop immediate access within your assigned scope, preserve evidence without redistributing it, and escalate promptly to Trust & Safety. Do not investigate outside authorised tools.
06 · Evidence checklist
Collect enough context to support a fair review.
Record message links or IDs, channel, server, author, and timestamp. Include surrounding conversation only when it changes the meaning.
Write what was observed before describing the likely rule or impact. Avoid diagnosing intent when the available evidence cannot establish it.
Use approved case notes and access controls. Do not download, repost, or retain sensitive attachments beyond the team’s authorised process.
If content was edited or removed, note when you observed it and which version informed the decision. Never recreate missing evidence from memory as if it were exact.
07 · Member communication
Be direct, calm, and specific.
Reminder
“Please move this conversation to #channel and keep replies focused on the topic. You can review the channel guide here.”
Timeout
“Your access to post here is paused for one hour because the targeted replies continued after a reminder. You may return when the timeout ends.”
Escalation
“This report requires Trust & Safety review. I have preserved the relevant context and will not discuss private case details in this channel.”
Appeal direction
“You can request a review through the Appeals page. Include new context or explain which part of the decision you believe should be reconsidered.”
08 · Practice scenarios
Pause, identify the rule, then choose the smallest safe response.
Two members are arguing but neither has made a threat. Move the discussion, ask both to stop personal remarks, and review the surrounding messages before considering a timeout.
A member continues tagging another person after being asked to stop. Preserve the relevant sequence, apply the server’s harassment rule consistently, and consider a timeout while the report is reviewed.
Several new accounts post the same link rapidly. Remove access within your permission scope, warn members not to open the link, preserve representative evidence, and escalate as a possible raid.
If you are personally involved, do not lead the enforcement decision. Record the handoff and ask another authorised moderator to review the facts independently.
THE HANDBOOK STANDARD
Fairness, privacy, and careful decisions.
Stay within scope
Academy members are volunteers, not Secret Sauce employees. A cadet has no moderation authority. Graduates only moderate servers or events where they have been specifically assigned.
Protect member privacy
Use approved tools, share case details only with people who need them, and never use moderation access to satisfy curiosity or settle a personal dispute.
Make room for review
Explain the rule and next steps, document significant decisions, and consider new context in an appeal. A moderator’s decision should be understandable later.
Learning is ongoing.
The Academy is a volunteer training and certification program. It does not create employment, grant access to private account records, or provide global authority. Certification applies only to a server or event where a graduate has been assigned.