Guide: Which rule caught a comment
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/which-rule-caught-a-comment
Topic: Moderation rules
Time: about 2 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: Every hidden or deleted comment can be traced to the rule that decided it.
Context: Nothing happens anonymously. A comment your rules touched carries a label naming the rule, in the inbox and in the Bin, and the label is also a filter, so you can see everything one rule has done.

Before you start:
1. The label names the rule that decided, even when several could have matched.
2. Hidden, outside the app means the comment was hidden on Facebook or Instagram, not here.
3. The label survives in the Bin, so deletions can be explained afterwards.

Steps:
Step 1 of 3: Read the label on the row.
Where: On the comment, beside Hidden or Deleted: Profanity, Negativity, Custom topic, Impersonator, URL, Email and phone, Mention, Hashtag, Image, Emoji, Keyword, Hide all, Whitelist, or You when a person did it.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the inbox)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-hidden.en.webp (Hidden, then the rule that hid it.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-hidden-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: One label per comment, naming what decided.

Step 2 of 3: List everything one rule did.
Where: Filters, then Label. Pick a rule to see every comment it touched, and combine it with Visibility or a date to narrow further.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-filtered.en.webp (Filter by label to list everything one rule did.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-filters-phone.en.webp (The Filters sheet on a phone.)
You should see: Every comment that rule caught, which is the fastest way to judge whether it is too strict.

Step 3 of 3: Check the Bin for deletions.
Where: The Bin tab. Deleted comments keep the same labels, so you can answer for a removal weeks later.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox?tab=bin (Open the bin)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin.en.webp (The Bin: deletions, with the rule.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The record of every removal with the reason attached.

If something is off:
Problem: The label says Whitelist
Fix: A rule matched, but a whitelisted word saved the comment. Nothing was hidden.
Problem: The label says outside the app
Fix: Someone hid it on Facebook or Instagram, or the platform word filters did. Unhide from here still works.
Problem: No label, but the comment is hidden
Fix: It was hidden by hand. The row records who did it.

Common questions:
Question: Can a moderator see which rule hid a comment?
Answer: Yes. Anyone on your team can read the label beside Hidden or Deleted in the inbox and in the Bin. Changing the rules themselves is for owners, administrators and managers.
Question: Does a comment show more than one label when several rules match?
Answer: No. One label per comment, naming the first rule that decided, even when several could have matched. The comment was handled either way.
Question: Can I still see why a comment was deleted weeks later?
Answer: Yes. Deleted comments keep the same labels in the Bin tab of the inbox, so a removal can be explained weeks later with the rule that decided it.

Related guides:
- What the chips on a comment mean: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/what-the-chips-on-a-comment-mean
- Hide, unhide and undo: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/hide-unhide-and-undo
- The twelve rules, one by one: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/the-twelve-rules-one-by-one

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/which-rule-caught-a-comment.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt