Guide: Mute or block an author
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/mute-or-block-an-author
Topic: Inbox and comments
Time: about 3 minutes
Who can do it: Anyone on your team
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox
Result when done: A person who keeps causing trouble stops reaching your audience, quietly or completely.
Context: Muting is ours and is quiet: every future comment from that person is hidden the moment it arrives, and they never know. Blocking is Facebook's and is final: they can no longer interact with your Page at all.

Before you start:
1. Muting hides future comments automatically. It changes nothing about the comments already on the post.
2. Blocking happens on Facebook and stops the person interacting with the Page.
3. Both are reversible from the same place, and both can be applied to many authors at once.

Steps:
Step 1 of 4: Open the author controls.
Where: The block or mute icon in the action row under a comment, or Block and Mute in the phone sheet. The tooltip says which state the author is already in.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the inbox)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox.en.webp (Block or mute, in the row under the comment.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-phone.en.webp (Block and Mute in the phone sheet.)
You should see: Mute and Block, and Unmute or Unblock when the author is already in one of those states.

Step 2 of 4: Mute the author.
Where: Mute. From then on every comment that person writes is hidden as it arrives, and the row carries a Muted author chip so your team knows why.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox.en.webp (Mute, in the author controls.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-longpress-phone.en.webp (Mute, in the phone sheet.)
You should see: Their future comments arrive hidden, labelled Muted author. Nothing they have already written changes.

Step 3 of 4: Block the author when muting is not enough.
Where: Block. This is a Facebook action: the person can no longer comment on that Page at all. It is undone here with Unblock, or in your Page settings on Facebook.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox.en.webp (Block, in the author controls.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-longpress-phone.en.webp (Block, in the phone sheet.)
You should see: The row shows the author as blocked, and they cannot interact with the Page.

Step 4 of 4: Do it for many authors at once.
Where: Select the comments, then Bulk actions: Mute authors, Block authors, and the two that undo them. The confirmation names how many authors it will affect.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bulk.en.webp (Bulk actions: Mute authors and Block authors are in the list.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bulk-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The job runs in the background at Meta pace, and tells you when it is done.

If something is off:
Problem: Blocking is not offered on an Instagram comment
Fix: Blocking through the API is a Facebook Page action. On Instagram, mute the author here or block them in the Instagram app.
Problem: A muted person still appears in the inbox
Fix: That is the point: their comments arrive, hidden, so you can see what was said. Filter Visibility to Visible to keep them out of view.
Problem: I muted the wrong person
Fix: Unmute from the same control, or in bulk with Unmute authors. Their earlier comments were never changed.
Problem: Blocking failed
Fix: Meta refused or is limiting actions. The row keeps the error, and a queued action finishes on its own under Tasks.

Common questions:
Question: Does muting an author hide the comments they already posted?
Answer: No. Muting changes nothing about the comments already on the post. From then on every comment that person writes is hidden as it arrives and carries a Muted author chip, so your team knows why.
Question: Will a person know they have been muted?
Answer: No. Muting is CommentWatchDog's own action and is quiet: their future comments are hidden the moment they arrive, and they never know. Blocking is different: it happens on Facebook and stops the person interacting with your Page at all.
Question: Can I unblock someone from CommentWatchDog?
Answer: Yes. Unblock appears in the same author controls when the person is already blocked, and Unblock authors is in bulk actions. It can also be undone in your Page settings on Facebook.
Question: Can I mute or block several authors in one go?
Answer: Yes. Select their comments, then Bulk actions: Mute authors or Block authors, with Unmute authors and Unblock authors to undo. The confirmation names how many authors it will affect, and the job runs in the background at Meta pace.

Related guides:
- Hide, unhide and undo: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/hide-unhide-and-undo
- Act on many comments at once: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/act-on-many-comments-at-once
- What the chips on a comment mean: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/what-the-chips-on-a-comment-mean

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/mute-or-block-an-author.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt