Pre moderation
Content is held until it is approved. Nothing harmful is ever visible, and users wait for the review.
Pre moderation fits content where one mistake is expensive: profile photos on a dating app, new listings from new sellers, ads, content on services for younger audiences, and anything published under your brand. It is the most expensive model per item, because every item needs a decision within the time users are willing to wait.
Post moderation
Content is published immediately and reviewed shortly after, usually within minutes or hours. Users get instant publishing, and harmful content is visible for a short window.
Post moderation fits fast conversation where waiting kills engagement: comments, forum replies, group posts. The window of exposure is what you are managing, so the SLA matters more than in any other model.
Reactive moderation
Content is reviewed only when a user reports it. It is the cheapest model, and it puts the job of finding harm on your users.
Reactive moderation fits low risk content and trusted communities, and it is the floor for everything else: every platform needs a report button with a working queue behind it, whatever else it does.
Most platforms mix all three
The useful question is not which model to use, but which model per content type and per user. A common pattern:
| Content | New or untrusted users | Established users |
|---|---|---|
| Profile photos | Pre moderation | Post moderation |
| Listings | Pre moderation | Post moderation with AI scoring |
| Comments | Post moderation | Reactive plus AI scoring |
| Private messages | Reactive plus AI scoring | Reactive |
| Livestreams | Live watching for high risk | Risk based sampling |
Where AI changes the math
AI scoring makes a fourth option possible: automatic pre screening of everything, with only uncertain items held for a person. Clear violations never appear, clear safe content publishes instantly, and only the middle band waits. That keeps the speed of post moderation with much of the safety of pre moderation. Read how we set those thresholds in AI content moderation.
How to choose for your platform
- What does one minute of exposure cost here, for users and for you
- How long will users wait for publishing before they leave
- How much do you trust this user, based on age of account and history
- What do app stores, payment partners and regulators expect for this content
Next step
The plan builder sizes a team for the mix you choose, from five answers about your platform. You can also compare UGC moderation approaches by content type.