How-To Guideintermediate5 minutes

How to Stop Spam in WhatsApp Groups

Set up anti-spam protection. Anti-delete tracking, link blocking, and flood detection.

WhatsApp groups attract spam, link drops, copy-paste broadcasts, repeated emoji walls. BotWave's anti-spam is configurable per-group, tracks every offender via a warning ladder, and pairs with anti-flood (catches identical-message repetition) and anti-link (catches URL drops). Together they handle 90% of community spam without admin attention.

Prerequisites

  • BotWave bot in the group as admin (admin is required to delete spam).
  • A clear definition of "spam" for your community, high-bar communities can be strict, casual hangouts should be lenient.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 1

    Enable anti-spam

    Run `!antispam on` in the group, or toggle Dashboard → Groups → Moderation → Anti-spam → ON.

    !antispam on
  2. 2

    Tune the burst threshold

    Defaults: 5 messages within 10 seconds = warning. Tighter for highly-moderated groups (3/10s), looser for hangouts (8/10s).

  3. 3

    Enable anti-flood (catches identical reposts)

    Run `!antiflood on`. Anti-flood deletes the second copy of the same message within a 1-minute window.

    !antiflood on
  4. 4

    Configure the warning ladder

    Dashboard → Moderation → Warnings. Pick threshold (3 warnings default → kick) and warning expiry (30 days default).

  5. 5

    Whitelist legitimate noisy members

    For co-admins and known power-users, run `!whitelist @user` so the bot ignores their burst behaviour.

    !whitelist @user

Expected result

Bursts of 5+ messages in 10s, identical reposts, and repeat offenders all get auto-handled, warned, then deleted, then escalated to kick.

Power-user tips

  • Pair with anti-link so spam-with-a-link gets caught either way.
  • Run !modlog weekly to see what the bot has been doing; tune thresholds based on real activity.

Common pitfalls

  • Anti-spam without bot-admin can only warn, not delete. Promote the bot first.

Frequently asked questions

Does anti-spam delete in real time?

Yes. The bot reacts within 1-2 seconds of the offending message appearing.

Can members appeal warnings?

Yes. By default the bot DMs the user when warned, with a "reply !appeal" prompt. Admins review appeals in the dashboard.

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