Skip to main content

👤 User Blacklist

The User Blacklists feature allows administrators to proactively prevent unwanted users, such as scammers or impersonators, from joining the community. By banning specific names, enforcing username requirements, or limiting excessive emoji usage in Telegram names, this feature strengthens community security.

Overview​

When enabled, the Fren One bot will automatically monitor and prevent users who match blacklist criteria from joining your community. Additionally, if Fren One was not added from the launch of the community - admins can scan the chat to identify and remove existing users who violate the blacklist criteria.

Configuration​

To set up user blacklist:

  1. Use the /settings command in your chat
  2. Navigate to 👋 Onboarding → User Blacklist
  3. Configure your blacklist settings

Banned Names​

Admins can maintain a list of usernames that are banned from joining the community.

Use cases:

  • Blocking usernames that impersonate mods, team members, or trusted individuals
  • Preventing known scammers from joining
  • Blocking suspicious username patterns
Example

Ban usernames like Admin123 or SupportTeam to prevent scams.

Regular Expressions

You can use regular expressions to match a series of usernames — for example, all usernames containing the word "admin".

Username Required Toggle​

Scam accounts often avoid setting up usernames to bypass moderation bots.

Toggle this option ON to enhance community security. It enforces a rule requiring all new users to have a Telegram username to join the group.

Benefits:

  • Increases accountability
  • Makes it harder for scammers to hide
  • Easier to identify and track problematic users

Emoji Limit​

Bots and airdrop hunters often use excessive emojis in their usernames.

This feature limits the number of emojis allowed in a username.

Available options:

  • None (no limit)
  • 3 emojis
  • 5 emojis
  • 8 emojis
  • 10 emojis
tip

Setting a reasonable emoji limit (3-5) helps filter out bot accounts while still allowing legitimate users to express themselves.

Scan Chat​

Use this option to retroactively scan the chat for users who match user blacklist criteria.

The bot identifies and removes users who violate the following settings:

  • Banned Names
  • Missing Username
  • Exceeding Emoji Limit
warning

This feature is particularly useful if Fren One was added to an existing community. It helps clean up the member list based on your newly configured blacklist rules.

Best Practices​

Effective Blacklist Management
  • Regularly update your banned names list based on emerging threats
  • Enable Username Required for high-security communities
  • Set reasonable emoji limits to avoid blocking legitimate users
  • Run Scan Chat periodically to maintain community hygiene
  • Use regex patterns for efficient blocking of username variations
Balance Security and Accessibility
  • Settings that are too restrictive may prevent legitimate users from joining
  • Test your blacklist settings before deploying them widely
  • Monitor false positives and adjust criteria as needed
  • Communicate username requirements clearly in community rules

Common Use Cases​

Preventing Impersonation​

Block usernames that mimic your team members or official accounts:

  • Add variations of admin/mod names to banned list
  • Use regex to catch similar patterns
  • Example regex: admin|moderator|support|official

Blocking Airdrop Hunters​

These accounts often have:

  • No username set
  • Excessive emojis in display names
  • Generic or bot-like patterns

Solution: Enable Username Required and set Emoji Limit to 3-5.

Cleaning Up Existing Communities​

If you're adding Fren One to an established group:

  1. Configure your blacklist settings
  2. Use Scan Chat to identify violators
  3. Review and remove flagged accounts
  4. Monitor new joins with automated enforcement

Troubleshooting​

Blacklist not working for new members?

  • Ensure the bot has admin privileges with ban permissions
  • Check that blacklist rules are properly configured
  • Verify the bot can read user information

Legitimate users being blocked?

  • Review your banned names list for overly broad patterns
  • Adjust emoji limits if too restrictive
  • Consider temporarily disabling Username Required if needed

Scan Chat not removing users?

  • Verify bot has ban/kick permissions
  • Ensure blacklist criteria are properly set before scanning
tip

Remember to give the Fren One bot admin privileges with ban permissions in your chat for all features to work properly.