Nathan FieldSkool AutoMod is Skool's built-in spam filter: it spots members that Skool's system rates as high risk and flags them, and their posts and comments, for you to review. It is already on in every community, so there is nothing to switch on. This guide covers what Skool AutoMod does, what "spam risk score" means, the other moderation settings worth using, and what you still need to check yourself. Every Skool step here was checked against Skool's help centre on 29 September 2026.
Skool AutoMod is on in every Skool community by default. It flags members that Skool's system rates as high risk, plus their posts and comments, so an admin can keep or delete them. Skool says it works on the person, not the words. Owners still review flags, approve members and handle rude or off-topic posts by hand.
What Skool AutoMod does
Skool's help article on managing spam (last updated 2 April 2026) says AutoMod "is now active in all communities." In plain words, it does three things:
- It rates members. Skool's system looks at "different signals" to decide if a user is high risk. Skool says high-risk members "are likely to spam or scam."
- It flags them for you. AutoMod flags high-risk users and the posts and comments they write, for admins to review.
- It looks past friendly openers. Skool warns that a high-risk member's content "may appear innocent at first." A plain "hi, how are you" post can still be flagged, because the flag is about the account, not the words.
The help article's screenshots show where you meet it. A membership request can carry a red SPAM RISK SCORE: HIGH label. A flagged post shows AutoMod reported this post, the reason "User has high spam risk score", and two buttons: Keep and Delete. So AutoMod reports. You decide.
How it started
Skool showed its plan in Skool News #43 (27 January 2026), the video at the top of this page. Skool's team showed the spam risk score on membership requests, with a new explainer next to it, and a red warning on DMs from high-risk users, with a nudge to block them. They said AutoMod was coming next, to flag posts and comments from high-risk users without waiting for a member to report them. They were also frank that the risk score is not perfect and sometimes lets spammers through. By April 2026, the help centre said AutoMod was live in all communities.
What about "AI moderation"?
Skool News #19 (15 July 2025) was titled "2 New Features + AI Moderation". In #43, Skool's team listed more ideas for AutoMod later: flagging links, flagging keywords you choose, flagging known types of spam, flagging posts that look written by AI, flagging posts copied across many groups, and sending spam DMs to a separate folder. The help centre today describes only the high-risk member flagging. We could not find the other ideas documented, so treat them as plans, not features.
How to turn on Skool AutoMod (you do not need to)
There is no switch to find. The help centre says AutoMod is active in all communities. It does not describe a setting to turn it off or make it stricter. What you control is what happens after a flag.
Skool's own advice for a high-risk member, from the same help article:
- Free member: ban them from the group and block them in chat.
- Paid member: refund the recent charge, remove them from the group and block them in chat.
- You can also report them to Skool.
How to ban a flagged member
These are Skool's steps from its help article on banning a member:
- Go to the Members tab and find the member, or search for them.
- Click the MEMBERSHIP button with the cog next to their name, or the cog at the top right of their profile.
- Click Ban from group.
- Confirm, then click BAN. You can also remove their last 7 days of posts and comments. Skool says that deletion is permanent.
A ban stops them from requesting access again or getting into the group at all.
How to block and report them
- Block in chat: in the Skool Chat window, click the three dots menu, then Block. Skool says you will not get notifications of their messages and they will not know you blocked them (help article).
- Report the user: go to their profile, click the three dots menu, click Report user, pick the reason and click REPORT (help article).
Other Skool moderation settings worth turning on
AutoMod is one tool. Skool's spam article lists more, and its plugins article says which plan each one needs. All of the settings below live under Settings, then Plugins.
| Setting | Plan | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Instant membership approval: OFF | Pro plugin | You approve each new member by hand, so spam accounts cannot walk straight in. |
| Membership questions | Hobby and Pro | Up to three questions. You see the person's bio, location and photo before you approve them. |
| Unlock posting at Level 2 or 3 | Hobby and Pro | Only members who have taken part can post. |
| Unlock chat at any level | Hobby and Pro | New accounts cannot DM your members until they reach the level you pick. Skool says Level 9 basically turns chat off. |
Skool suggests the chat and posting locks mainly for big groups. Its plugins article says to use the chat lock when a group gets over 1,000 members, and that a smaller group probably does not need it. In #43, Skool's team made the same point: spam is mostly a problem for large free groups, not small or paid ones.
That links to Skool's last tip. Charging even a small fee, "as low as $1/year", cuts spam a lot, because spam accounts usually avoid paid groups. If you are weighing a paid group, our guide to Skool pricing covers the plans and fees.
AutoMod reports. You decide whether the post stays.
What owners still check by hand
AutoMod takes one job off your plate: spotting accounts Skool does not trust. Plenty is still yours.
- The flags themselves. Each flagged post waits for Keep or Delete. A risk score is a guess, and Skool's team has said it is not perfect.
- Real members who break your rules. Skool describes AutoMod flagging by the person, not by what the post says. Off-topic posts, pitches and rude comments from ordinary members are yours to handle.
- Member reports. Remind members they can open the three dots menu on any post or comment and click Report to admins. Skool's spam article says this helps admins act faster.
- Membership requests. Read the answers, look at the risk label, then approve or decline.
- DMs between members. Your tools here are the chat level lock and asking members to block and report anyone who pitches or spams them.
- Refunds. If a flagged member has paid, Skool suggests refunding the recent charge. That is your call and your money.
A five-minute daily check
- Open your membership requests. Decline anyone marked high risk unless you know them.
- Scroll your feed for "AutoMod reported this post" and click Keep or Delete.
- Deal with anything members reported to admins.
- Ban and block any spammer you find, and report their profile to Skool.
If your group is busy, spread this across your admins and moderators. For the other half of the job, keeping real members talking, see our guide to Skool community engagement.
Where Backpack fits, and where it does not
Backpack does not moderate. It does not read your feed, flag spam or ban anyone, so keep Skool AutoMod and the settings above for that. Backpack is a Chrome extension plus our servers for a different daily job that is easy to miss while you are busy moderating: following up with members. Its Payment Recovery sends your message when a member's card fails, and its Cancellation Recovery sends your message when a member cancels. You write the words, it sends them from your own account, and it stops when they pay or come back. It runs with your computer off, costs $9 a month for every Skool community you admin, and is not made by or affiliated with Skool. See how it works in our guide to Skool failed payments, or try Backpack free for 7 days.
For spam, the short version is simple: Skool AutoMod is already watching, and your job is to act on what it flags and set the few plugins that close the gaps.
FAQ
Is Skool AutoMod on by default?
Yes. Skool's help centre says AutoMod is active in all communities, so you do not need to turn it on. It flags members that Skool's system rates as high risk, plus their posts and comments, for admins to review. The help centre does not describe a setting to turn it off or change how strict it is.
What does "spam risk score: high" mean on Skool?
It means Skool's system thinks that person is likely to spam or scam. Skool looks at different signals about the account to decide this. You may see the label on a membership request. Skool does not recommend letting high-risk members in or chatting with them, but the final choice to approve or decline is yours.
Does Skool AutoMod delete posts on its own?
Skool's help centre describes AutoMod as flagging, not deleting. A flagged post shows "AutoMod reported this post" with Keep and Delete buttons, so an admin makes the call. If you delete, you can also ban the member and remove their last 7 days of posts and comments, which Skool says is permanent.
Does Skool use AI to moderate posts?
Skool documents a risk score built from signals about each account, not a tool that reads and judges post text. In January 2026, Skool's team floated ideas like flagging links, keywords and posts that look AI-written. We could not find any of those documented in Skool's help centre on 29 September 2026.
How do I stop spam DMs in my Skool group?
Use the "Unlock chat at any level" plugin, which works on Hobby and Pro. New accounts then cannot DM members until they reach the level you set, and Level 9 basically turns chat off. Ask members to block spammers in chat with the three dots menu, and report the profile to Skool.
What should I do with a high-risk paid member?
Skool's help centre suggests refunding the recent charge, removing them from the group and blocking them in chat. For a free member it suggests banning them and blocking chat. You can also report the user to Skool from the three dots menu on their profile, so its team can act across the platform.