Flood Control & Anti Spam

What Happens Without Flood Control

Message flooding is one of the most disruptive forms of abuse in Telegram groups. A single user sending dozens of messages in rapid succession can push every other conversation off the screen, making the group unusable for everyone else. In groups with hundreds or thousands of members, a determined flooder can completely derail the chat, and admins may not be online to respond immediately. The damage compounds because each flooded message pushes legitimate content further into history, and members who see the chaos may leave the group, assuming it is poorly managed.

Flood control is not just about stopping individual bad actors. It is about preserving the quality of the conversation for everyone. When members know that flooding will be detected and stopped automatically, they feel more confident that the group is well managed and that their messages will not be drowned out by spam. This confidence translates into higher engagement and a healthier community, because members are more willing to participate when they trust that the environment will remain readable and organized.

Configurable Flood Thresholds

The /flood command sets the flood threshold, which is the maximum number of messages a user can send within a specified time window before being flagged as a flooder. For example, /flood 10 means a user who sends more than 10 messages within the time window will trigger the flood response. The /floodtime command sets the time window in seconds, so /floodtime 5 combined with /flood 10 means 10 messages in 5 seconds triggers a flood.

The right threshold depends on your group's culture. A fast paced chat group might need a higher threshold because members naturally send rapid messages during active discussions. A professional or support group might need a lower threshold because rapid messaging is unusual and likely indicates spam. The ability to fine tune both the message count and the time window gives you the flexibility to set a threshold that matches your community's communication patterns without triggering false positives on legitimate active members.

Automatic Mute on Flood

When a user triggers the flood threshold, the bot automatically mutes them for a configurable duration. The /floodmode command sets what happens when flooding is detected: mute, kick, or ban. Mute is the most common response because it stops the flooding immediately without permanently removing the user, giving them a chance to cool down and return to normal behavior. The /floodmute command sets the duration of the automatic mute, so you can choose a short cooling off period of a few minutes or a longer penalty of several hours.

Automatic response is critical because it eliminates the delay between flooding and enforcement. When a flood starts, the bot responds within seconds, before the flooding has time to cause significant disruption. This is far more effective than relying on an admin to notice the flooding, open the chat, identify the flooder, and manually mute them, by which time the damage is already done. The speed of the automatic response is what makes the system effective, and it is what protects the group even when no admins are online.

Spam Pattern Detection

Beyond simple message counting, BotWave can detect spam patterns that indicate coordinated or automated flooding. If multiple users send identical or near identical messages within a short time period, the bot can identify this as a coordinated spam attack and take action against all involved users simultaneously. This is particularly important for groups that may be targeted by bot networks or coordinated raid attacks.

The /antiflood command toggles the advanced spam detection system. When enabled, the bot uses pattern matching to identify spam campaigns, including repeated links, repeated phrases, and messages that match known spam templates. This goes beyond what simple message counting can detect and catches sophisticated spam that would otherwise require manual review to identify.

Exempting Admins and Trusted Members

Admins are automatically exempt from flood control, since they may need to send multiple messages in rapid succession during announcements or moderation actions. You can also exempt other trusted members with /floodexempt, which is useful for bots that post regular updates or for members who manage automated feeds.

The exemption system ensures that flood control targets actual spammers without interfering with legitimate high volume contributors. This is important because overly aggressive flood control can drive away active members who feel penalized for participating enthusiastically. By exempting trusted members, you create a system that is strict with newcomers and unproven accounts but flexible with established contributors, which is the right balance for a growing community.

Available Commands