Lists Management

Create and manage CometChat moderation lists for keywords, regex patterns, and sentences used across moderation rules.

Lists Management provides tools for creating and managing lists of keywords, regex patterns, or sentences that power your moderation rules. When detected in user-generated content, these lists trigger moderation actions like blocking or flagging messages.

Lists are reusable. Create a list once and use it across multiple rules. Update the list in one place and all rules using it are automatically updated.

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Quick Start

Create a custom keyword list in under 2 minutes:

1. Open Lists Settings

   Login to CometChat Dashboard → Select your app → Moderation → Settings → Lists

2. Create a New List

   Click Add → Enter a name, select category (word/pattern/sentence), and add your terms

3. Use in a Rule

   Go to Rules → Create or edit a rule → Select your list in the Conditions section

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List Types

Keywords

Simple word matching. Use for:

• Profanity and offensive terms
• Brand names or competitors
• Industry-specific blocked terms

Entry format: Comma-separated. Add multiple keywords on the same line, separated by commas.

Example:

badword, offensive, blocked

Patterns (Regex)

Regular expression matching for complex patterns. Use for:

• Phone number formats
• Email patterns
• Custom data formats

Entry format: Newline-separated — one regex pattern per line. Commas are treated as literal characters inside a pattern, so do not comma-separate multiple patterns on the same line.

Example:

\b\d{3}[-.]?\d{3}[-.]?\d{4}\b
[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Za-z]{2,}

Greedy Regex Not Allowed: For system performance and security, greedy regex patterns (using *, +, {n,} without proper boundaries) are not permitted. Greedy patterns can cause excessive backtracking and impact system performance.

Examples of prohibited patterns:

• .* (matches everything)
• .+ (matches one or more of anything)
• (a+)+ (nested quantifiers)
• \d{10,} (unbounded quantifier)

Use specific, bounded patterns instead:

• \d{3,10} instead of \d+
• [a-z]{1,50} instead of [a-z]+
• \b\w{3,20}\b instead of \w+

Sentence Similarity

AI-powered semantic matching. Use for:

• Scam message variations
• Platform circumvention attempts
• Context-aware blocking

Entry format: Newline-separated — one sentence or phrase per line.

Example:

Send me your credit card details
What is your bank account number
Share your OTP with me

Entry format at a glance

List type	Format	Separator
Keywords	Comma-separated	,
Patterns (Regex)	Newline-separated	New line
Sentence Similarity	Newline-separated	New line

If you paste comma-separated values into a Patterns or Sentence Similarity list, the entire string is stored as a single entry and will not match as expected.

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Default Lists Summary

Pre-configured lists ready to use with your rules:

Text Moderation

List	Description	Use Case
Profane Words	Common profanity and inappropriate language	General chat moderation
Platform Circumvention	Phrases attempting to bypass rules	Marketplace, dating apps
Spam Detection	Repetitive/promotional message patterns	High-traffic apps
Scam Detection	Deceptive messages and phishing attempts	Finance, marketplace
Hate and Harassment Prompt	Hate speech, threats, and slurs	Community platforms
Explicit Content Prompt	Sexual descriptions and violence	Family-friendly apps
Privacy and Sensitive Info Prompt	Personal data sharing	Healthcare, finance
Self-Harm Content Prompt	Self-harm and suicidal content	Mental health safety
Spam and Scam Prompt	Phishing and fraudulent schemes	All apps
Violent Threats Prompt	Violence and terrorism promotion	All apps
Impersonation Prompt	Identity fraud attempts	Business apps
Non-Consensual Content Prompt	Exploitation and grooming	Dating, social apps

Image Moderation

List	Description	Use Case
Hate or Harassment Prompt	Hateful symbols and offensive gestures	Community platforms
Explicit or Sexual Content Prompt	Nudity and sexually explicit imagery	Social apps
Graphic Violence Prompt	Violent imagery and gore	Family-friendly apps
Privacy or Personal Data Prompt	IDs, financial docs, personal records	Finance, healthcare
Minor Safety Prompt	Child exploitation content	All apps
Fraud or Scam Indicators Prompt	Fake documents and counterfeit images	Marketplace
Terrorism Prompt	Extremist propaganda and recruitment	All apps

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When to Create Custom Lists

Industry-Specific Terms

Add terms specific to your industry that default lists don’t cover:

• Gaming: Game-specific slurs, exploit terms
• Finance: Competitor names, prohibited investment terms
• Healthcare: Medical misinformation terms

Brand Protection

Block mentions of:

• Competitor names
• Prohibited external links
• Trademark violations

Regional/Language Variations

Add localized profanity or slang that default English lists miss.

Platform-Specific Rules

Create lists for your unique community guidelines:

• Prohibited topics
• Off-platform contact attempts
• Community-specific terms

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Best Practices

Practice	Description
Start with Defaults	Use default lists first, then create custom lists only for gaps in coverage.
Use Sentence Similarity for Scams	Scammers constantly change wording. Sentence similarity catches variations automatically.
Test Regex Patterns	Test regex patterns before deploying. A bad pattern can block legitimate content. Avoid greedy patterns that can impact system performance.
Avoid Greedy Regex	Do not use unbounded quantifiers (*, +, {n,}) without proper boundaries. Always specify maximum lengths (e.g., \d{3,10} instead of \d+).
Review Regularly	Check blocked messages monthly and update lists based on new patterns.

Tips for Effective Lists

1. Keep lists focused - Create separate lists for different purposes (profanity vs. spam vs. competitors)
2. Use CSV for bulk imports - Upload large keyword lists via CSV instead of manual entry
3. Combine list types - Use keywords for exact matches + sentence similarity for variations
4. Document your lists - Add clear descriptions so team members understand each list’s purpose

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Managing Lists

Create List

1. Click Add in the Lists tab
2. Configure:
   • Name: Descriptive name for the list
   • ID: Unique identifier
   • Category: Word, Pattern, or Sentence Similarity
   • Description: Purpose of the list
   • Source: Enter terms manually or upload CSV. Format depends on the category:
     • Word: comma-separated entries.
     • Pattern and Sentence Similarity: one entry per line (newline-separated).
3. Click Save

List All Lists

All configured lists are displayed in the Lists tab with their name, category, and item count.

Update List

1. Click Edit in the action menu
2. Modify the list settings or add/remove terms
3. Click Save

Delete List

Click Delete in the action menu and confirm.

Deleting a list will affect any rules using it. Check rule dependencies before deleting.

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Related Resources

Rules Management

Create rules that use your lists

Blocked Messages

View content blocked by your lists

Flagged Messages

Review flagged content

Moderation Overview

Learn about the moderation system