Test a comment in the Playground
You know what your rules will do to a comment before a real one arrives.
On this page
Before you start
- It uses your live rules, including allowances.
- It changes nothing on the platform.
- The verdict names the rule that decided.
Type a comment and press Test.
Playground, at the bottom of the page
You will see The verdict, and the rule that decided it.
Test both sides of every rule you change.
Test a match and a non-match, each time
You will see Two verdicts that confirm your change.
If something is off
- The verdict is not what I expected
- The rule that decided is named; the whitelist beats everything.
- AI checks are unavailable right now
- The AI rules retry by themselves on live comments.
- It says a comment would be left alone but a real one was hidden
- A real comment can match on an image or a link, not only text.
Common questions
Does testing in the Playground use credits?
No. The Playground costs nothing and touches nothing on Facebook or Instagram, so you can test as many comments as you like.
Can a moderator use the Playground?
No. The Playground is at the bottom of the Moderation tab of a page, which owners, administrators and managers use to set the rules. What a rule did to a real comment is visible to anyone on the team, from the label in the inbox.
Does the Playground test the rules of all my pages?
No. It runs your text against the live rules of that page, exactly as they are saved, including its whitelist and allowances. Test on each page whose rules differ.
What verdicts can the Playground give?
One of three, with the rule that decided: Would be left alone, Would be hidden, or Would be deleted. When the AI rules cannot answer it says AI checks are unavailable right now rather than guessing.
For agents: plain text of this guide · all guides
For agents
Guide: Test a comment in the Playground
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/test-a-comment-in-the-playground
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: You know what your rules will do to a comment before a real one arrives.
Context: The Playground runs any text you type against the live rules of that page and tells you the verdict and the rule that decided. It changes nothing on Facebook or Instagram, so you can test as much as you like.
Before you start
1. It uses the rules exactly as they are saved, including your whitelist and allowances.
2. It touches nothing on the platform and costs nothing.
3. The verdict names the rule, so a surprise is always explainable.
Steps
Step 1 of 2: Type a comment and press Test.
Where: The Playground at the bottom of the Moderation tab. Paste a real comment you saw, or write the one you are worried about.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/moderation-playground.en.webp (Type a comment, press Test.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/moderation-playground-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: One of three verdicts, with the rule that decided: Would be left alone, Would be hidden, or Would be deleted.
Step 2 of 2: Test both sides of every rule you change.
Where: After adding a word or a topic, test a comment that should be caught and one that should not. Two tests catch most mistakes.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/moderation-playground.en.webp (The verdict under the box.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/moderation-playground-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Two verdicts that tell you whether your change did what you meant.
If something is off
Problem: The verdict is not what I expected
Fix: The rule that decided is named. Check its words, and remember the whitelist beats everything.
Problem: AI checks are unavailable right now
Fix: The rules that need AI cannot answer for a moment. The word rules still answer, and live comments retry by themselves.
Problem: It says a comment would be left alone but a real one was hidden
Fix: The real comment may have matched on something not in your text, such as an image or a link preview.
Common questions
Question: Does testing in the Playground use credits?
Answer: No. The Playground costs nothing and touches nothing on Facebook or Instagram, so you can test as many comments as you like.
Question: Can a moderator use the Playground?
Answer: No. The Playground is at the bottom of the Moderation tab of a page, which owners, administrators and managers use to set the rules. What a rule did to a real comment is visible to anyone on the team, from the label in the inbox.
Question: Does the Playground test the rules of all my pages?
Answer: No. It runs your text against the live rules of that page, exactly as they are saved, including its whitelist and allowances. Test on each page whose rules differ.
Question: What verdicts can the Playground give?
Answer: One of three, with the rule that decided: Would be left alone, Would be hidden, or Would be deleted. When the AI rules cannot answer it says AI checks are unavailable right now rather than guessing.
Related guides
The whitelist and what to allow: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/the-whitelist-and-what-to-allow
Custom topics in plain words: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/custom-topics-in-plain-words
When the AI is unavailable: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/when-the-ai-is-unavailable
Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/test-a-comment-in-the-playground.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt