> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.cometchat.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# AI Moderation
> Automatically moderate chat messages using AI to detect and block inappropriate content in real-time with the CometChat iOS SDK.
```swift theme={null}
// Send message - check moderation status
CometChat.sendTextMessage(message: textMessage) { sentMessage in
if let msg = sentMessage as? TextMessage {
let status = msg.getModerationStatus() // "pending" | "approved" | "disapproved"
}
}
// Listen for moderation results
func onMessageModerated(moderatedMessage: BaseMessage) {
if let msg = moderatedMessage as? TextMessage {
let status = msg.getModerationStatus()
// Handle "approved" or "disapproved"
}
}
```
**Supported types:** Text, Image, Video messages only
**Statuses:** `"pending"` -> `"approved"` or `"disapproved"`
AI Moderation automatically reviews messages for inappropriate content in real-time. When a user sends a text, image, or video message, it's held in a `pending` state while the moderation service analyzes it, then marked as `approved` or `disapproved` via the `onMessageModerated` event.
`getModerationStatus()` is available on [`TextMessage`](/sdk/reference/messages#textmessage) and [`MediaMessage`](/sdk/reference/messages#mediamessage) objects. Custom messages are not subject to moderation.
For configuring moderation rules and managing flagged messages from the dashboard, see the [Moderation Overview](/moderation/overview).
## Prerequisites
1. Moderation enabled in the [CometChat Dashboard](https://app.cometchat.com)
2. Moderation rules configured under **Moderation > Rules**
3. CometChat SDK version that supports moderation
## How It Works
```mermaid theme={null}
sequenceDiagram
participant App
participant SDK
participant CometChat
participant Moderation
App->>SDK: sendMessage()
SDK->>CometChat: Send Message
CometChat->>Moderation: Process Message
CometChat-->>SDK: Message (status: pending)
SDK-->>App: onSuccess (pending)
Moderation-->>CometChat: Moderation Result
CometChat-->>SDK: onMessageModerated
SDK-->>App: approved or disapproved
```
| Step | Description |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| 1. Send Message | App sends a text, image, or video message |
| 2. Pending Status | Message is sent with `pending` moderation status |
| 3. AI Processing | Moderation service analyzes the content |
| 4. Result Event | `onMessageModerated` event fires with final status |
## Supported Message Types
| Message Type | Moderated | Notes |
| --------------- | --------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Text Messages | Yes | Content analyzed for inappropriate text |
| Image Messages | Yes | Images scanned for unsafe content |
| Video Messages | Yes | Videos analyzed for prohibited content |
| Custom Messages | No | Not subject to AI moderation |
| Action Messages | No | Not subject to AI moderation |
## Moderation Status
The `getModerationStatus()` method returns one of the following string values:
| Status | Value | Description |
| ----------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| Pending | `"pending"` | Message is being processed by moderation |
| Approved | `"approved"` | Message passed moderation and is visible |
| Disapproved | `"disapproved"` | Message violated rules and was blocked |
## Implementation
### Step 1: Send a Message and Check Initial Status
When you send a text, image, or video message, check the initial moderation status:
```swift theme={null}
let textMessage = TextMessage(receiverUid: receiverUID, text: "Hello, how are you?", receiverType: .user)
CometChat.sendTextMessage(message: textMessage) { sentMessage in
if let message = sentMessage as? TextMessage {
if message.getModerationStatus() == "pending" {
print("Message is under moderation review")
}
}
} onError: { error in
print("Message sending failed: \(error?.errorDescription ?? "")")
}
```
```objc theme={null}
TextMessage *textMessage = [[TextMessage alloc] initWithReceiverUid:receiverUID text:@"Hello, how are you?" receiverType:ReceiverTypeUser];
[CometChat sendTextMessageWithMessage:textMessage onSuccess:^(TextMessage *sentMessage) {
if ([[sentMessage getModerationStatus] isEqualToString:@"pending"]) {
NSLog(@"Message is under moderation review");
}
} onError:^(CometChatException *error) {
NSLog(@"Message sending failed: %@", error.errorDescription);
}];
```
### Step 2: Listen for Moderation Results
Register a message listener to receive moderation results in real-time:
```swift theme={null}
extension YourViewController: CometChatMessageDelegate {
func onMessageModerated(moderatedMessage: BaseMessage) {
if let message = moderatedMessage as? TextMessage {
switch message.getModerationStatus() {
case "approved":
print("Message \(message.id) approved")
case "disapproved":
print("Message \(message.id) blocked")
handleDisapprovedMessage(message)
default:
break
}
}
}
}
// Register the delegate
CometChat.addMessageListener("MODERATION_LISTENER", self)
// Don't forget to remove the listener when done
// CometChat.removeMessageListener("MODERATION_LISTENER")
```
```objc theme={null}
- (void)onMessageModerated:(BaseMessage *)message {
if ([message isKindOfClass:[TextMessage class]]) {
TextMessage *textMessage = (TextMessage *)message;
if ([[textMessage getModerationStatus] isEqualToString:@"approved"]) {
NSLog(@"Message %d approved", message.id);
} else if ([[textMessage getModerationStatus] isEqualToString:@"disapproved"]) {
NSLog(@"Message %d blocked", message.id);
[self handleDisapprovedMessage:message];
}
}
}
// Register the delegate
[CometChat addMessageListener:@"MODERATION_LISTENER" delegate:self];
```
### Step 3: Handle Disapproved Messages
When a message is disapproved, handle it appropriately in your UI:
```swift theme={null}
func handleDisapprovedMessage(_ message: BaseMessage) {
let messageId = message.id
// Option 1: Hide the message completely
hideMessageFromUI(messageId)
// Option 2: Show a placeholder message
showBlockedPlaceholder(messageId, text: "This message was blocked by moderation")
// Option 3: Notify the sender (if it's their message)
if message.sender?.uid == currentUserUID {
showNotification("Your message was blocked due to policy violation")
}
}
```
```objc theme={null}
- (void)handleDisapprovedMessage:(BaseMessage *)message {
int messageId = message.id;
[self hideMessageFromUI:messageId];
[self showBlockedPlaceholder:messageId text:@"This message was blocked by moderation"];
if ([message.sender.uid isEqualToString:currentUserUID]) {
[self showNotification:@"Your message was blocked due to policy violation"];
}
}
```
Always remove listeners when they're no longer needed (e.g., on component unmount or page navigation). Failing to remove listeners can cause memory leaks and duplicate event handling.
***
## Next Steps
Allow users to report inappropriate messages manually
Build intelligent automated conversations with AI Agents
Smart replies, conversation summaries, and more
Send text, media, and custom messages