Guide: Ads only, posts only, or both
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/ads-only-posts-only-or-both
Topic: Moderation rules
Time: about 2 minutes
Who can do it: Owner, Administrator or Manager
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox
Result when done: Your rules run exactly where you want them: under your ads, under your posts, or both.
Context: Most of the damage happens under ads, where strangers see your comments before they see anything else. Scope lets you moderate hard under paid posts and leave your organic community alone, or the other way round.

Before you start:
1. Scope is one setting for the page and applies to every rule on it.
2. A comment counts as an ad comment when it arrived through a paid post.
3. The inbox has the same distinction as a filter, so you can check what a scope will cover before you set it.

Steps:
Step 1 of 2: Open Apply moderation to.
Where: On the Moderation tab, under the rules. Three choices: Both posts and ads, Ads only, Posts only.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/moderation-whitelist.en.webp (Apply moderation to: both, ads only, or posts only.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/moderation-whitelist-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The choice applies to every rule on that page from the moment you save.

Step 2 of 2: Check what each scope would cover.
Where: In the inbox, filter Type to Ads or Organic. That is the same distinction the scope uses, so the list shows you exactly what a scope will and will not touch.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the inbox)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-ad.en.webp (Ad, on a comment that came through an ad.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-ad-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: A list of the comments the scope covers, before you commit to it.

If something is off:
Problem: Comments under my ad are not moderated
Fix: The page scope is set to Posts only. Change it to Ads only or Both.
Problem: I only advertise, so why moderate posts
Fix: Comments on an old organic post still show under your page. Both is the usual choice unless you have a reason.
Problem: An ad comment is labelled organic
Fix: Meta reports where a comment came from. If the ad has stopped running, some comments arrive without the ad marker.

Common questions:
Question: Can I set a different scope for each rule?
Answer: No. Apply moderation to is one setting for the page and applies to every rule on it from the moment you save. Each page has its own setting, so one page can run Ads only while another runs Both.
Question: How does CommentWatchDog know a comment came from an ad?
Answer: Meta reports where each comment came from, and a comment counts as an ad comment when it arrived through a paid post. In the inbox such a comment carries an Ad marker, and the Type filter separates Ads from Organic.
Question: Does changing the scope affect comments already in my inbox?
Answer: No. The new scope applies to every rule on the page from the moment you save, and rules run only on comments that arrive after that. The inbox Type filter shows which existing comments each scope would have covered.

Related guides:
- The twelve rules, one by one: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/the-twelve-rules-one-by-one
- Which rule caught a comment: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/which-rule-caught-a-comment
- Copy your rules to other pages: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/copy-your-rules-to-other-pages

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/ads-only-posts-only-or-both.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt