Introduction to moderating for an online community

The biggest question of them all… What exactly is a moderator and what do they do? The word ‘Moderator’ is used to identify a person who typically supports a community or project and may take on various duties, which can vary greatly depending on the group, platform, etc.
Moderators are sometimes referred to as Admins/Administrators, although an Admin is typically a higher position or role of authority depending on the structure of the group or community. For our purposes we’ll be using a more classic version of the term Moderator, which means:

A Moderator is a dedicated community member who is typically a volunteer, and shares their time to support and maintain a positive environment. They serve as both ambassadors and protectors, welcoming new members, fostering engagement, and ensuring that discussions remain respectful and inclusive. Trusted and respected, Moderators play a vital role in shaping their communities, balancing enforcement with encouragement, and contributing to the overall enjoyment of the space while keeping disruptive behavior in check.

The Moderator Academy was originally intended to help newer moderators and community leaders for online communities. Although, I feel the content of the academy could potentially be applied to real world moderation situations as well.

This academy is primarily meant to serve as a starting point. Generalized basic information that you should be able to apply to nearly any community; then you’ll hone your craft within your respective community.

Because of how many different types of online communities there are and each having unique moderation needs; we’re unable to offer community and platform specific information at this time. Although that is something I would like to explore at some point in the future.

My sincere hope is the information provided by the academy is able to help you on your journey to becoming the best moderator that you can be!

 

NEXT: MOD CODE OF CONDUCT