# Chat Moderation

> Kinescope stream chat moderation: who moderates the chat, moderator tools, and message premoderation — how to enable it, what happens to a message, chat history, and FAQ.

Source: https://docs.kinescope.com/live-streams/live-stream-guide/stream-chat/chat-moderation/
Updated: 2026-10-30

The stream chat is moderated by the organizer and moderators. The organizer works with the chat on the event's **Studio** tab.

Moderators are created via the API — see [Moderators](https://docs.kinescope.com/api/workspace/members/#v1-moderators) in the API reference. If viewers join the chat via JWT, you can grant moderator rights with the `moderator` role in the token — see [Roles](https://docs.kinescope.com/developer-guides/jwt-authentication-for-stream-chat/#jwt-roles).

## Moderator tools

In the chat, a moderator can:

* pause the chat;
* turn message premoderation, slow mode, and the **Participants see only their own messages** setting on and off;
* delete individual messages or all messages from an author;
* block users;
* pin messages;
* convert messages into questions and moderate questions — see [Questions in the stream chat](https://docs.kinescope.com/live-streams/live-stream-guide/stream-chat/chat-questions/#moderating-questions).

Chat restrictions do not apply to moderator messages: they are published without premoderation, slow mode does not apply to them, and links can be posted even when **Hide users links in chat** is enabled.

To learn how deleting messages works in threads, see [Replies in threads](https://docs.kinescope.com/live-streams/live-stream-guide/stream-chat/chat-threads/#deleting-messages).

## Message premoderation

When there are hundreds of participants in a chat, spam and offensive messages can appear instantly. Premoderation holds each new message for a set amount of time, giving a moderator a chance to review it. If the moderator takes no action, the message is published automatically.

![Message premoderation in Kinescope chat](https://docs.kinescope.com/live-streams/live-stream-guide/stream-chat/images/ls-guide-premoderation-01.webp)

### How to enable

Premoderation is enabled and configured by the event **organizer**.

1. Open your **Kinescope account** and go to the **stream** you need.
2. Open the **Settings** tab → **Chat** section.
3. Enable the **Messages pre-moderation** toggle.
4. In the **Delay in posting messages** field, set a delay from 1 to 60 seconds.
5. **Save** the settings.

Premoderation can be **turned on or off at any point during a live stream**.

### What happens to a message

The viewer sends a message and sees it in their own chat immediately — other viewers do not see it yet.

The moderator sees the message highlighted in red. During the delay, the moderator can:

1. **Delete the message** — it will not appear in the public chat. The sender will still see their message, and the moderator will see it with a strikethrough.
2. **Block the author** via the message menu — the message is removed from chat, and the user will not be able to rejoin the stream.

![Moderator view of pending messages in Kinescope chat](https://docs.kinescope.com/live-streams/live-stream-guide/stream-chat/images/ls-guide-premoderation-02.webp)

If the moderator takes no action, the message is published for everyone after the delay.

### If premoderation is toggled during a live stream

* Already published and deleted messages are not affected.
* Messages that were **still awaiting moderation** are immediately published for everyone when premoderation is turned off.

### Chat history

Only published messages appear in the chat history. If a moderator deleted a message before it was published, it will not appear in the chat.

Message order reflects the **time of publication**, not the time the message was sent.

### FAQ

**I sent a message but others can't see it — why?**

Premoderation is enabled: the message is waiting for the delay to end or for the moderator's decision.

**I can see my message but my friend can't — why?**

You see your own message immediately after sending; others see it only after it is published.

**What happens to messages if premoderation is turned off during a stream?**

Messages waiting for moderation are immediately published for everyone; messages already deleted by the moderator are not restored.

**Can the delay be changed during a stream?**

Yes. Open the stream's Settings tab, update the value, and save. The new delay applies to messages sent after the change.

## What's next?

1. **[Replies in threads](https://docs.kinescope.com/live-streams/live-stream-guide/stream-chat/chat-threads/)** — how premoderation and deletion work with replies
2. **[Questions in the stream chat](https://docs.kinescope.com/live-streams/live-stream-guide/stream-chat/chat-questions/)** — moderating questions and converting messages into questions
3. **[JWT Authentication for Stream Chat](https://docs.kinescope.com/developer-guides/jwt-authentication-for-stream-chat/)** — viewer sign-in to the chat and the moderator role

Still have questions? Write to the support chat within the Kinescope interface — our specialists will help!