--- title: Overview permalink: /overview.html nav_order: 2 --- # Table of Contents * [Getting Started](#getting-started) * [How It Works](#how-it-works) * [Concepts](#concepts) * [Event](#event) * [Activity](#activity) * [Run](#runs) * [Check](#checks) * [Rule](#rule) * [Available Rules](#available-rules) * [Rule Set](#rule-set) * [Action](#action) * [Available Actions](#available-actions) * [Filters](#filters) * [Configuration and Usage](#configuration-and-usage) * FAQ ## Getting Started Review **at least** the **How It Works** and **Concepts** below, then: * For **Operators** (running a bot instance) refer to [**Operator Getting Started**](operator/gettingStarted.md) guide * For **Moderators** (configuring an existing bot for your subreddit) refer to the [**Moderator Getting Started**](moderators/gettingStarted.md) guide ## How It Works Where possible Context Mod (CM) uses the same terminology as, and emulates the behavior, of **automoderator** so if you are familiar with that much of this may seem familiar to you. ### Diagram Expand the section below for a simplified flow diagram of how CM processes an incoming Activity. Then refer the text description of the diagram below as well as [Concepts](#Concepts) for descriptions of individual components.
Diagram ![Flow Diagram](images/diagram-highlevel.jpg)
CM's lifecycle looks like this: #### 1) A new Activity in your subreddit is received by CM The Activities CM watches for are configured by you. These can be new modqueue/unmoderated items, submissions, or comments. #### 2) CM sequentially processes each Run in your configuration A [**Run**](#Runs) is made up of a set of [**Checks**](#Checks) #### 3) CM sequentially processes each Check in the current Run A **Check** is a set of: * One or more [**Rules**](#Rule) that define what conditions should **trigger** this Check * One or more [**Actions**](#Action) that define what the bot should do once the Check is **triggered** #### 4) Each Check is processed, *in order*, until a Check is **triggered** In CM's default configuration, once a Check is **triggered** no more Checks will be processed. This means all subsequent Checks in this Run (in the order you listed them) are skipped. #### 5) All Actions from the triggered Check are executed After all **Actions** from the triggered **Check** are executed CM begins processing the next **Run** #### 6) Rinse and Repeat from #3 Until all Runs have been processed. ## Concepts Core, high-level concepts regarding how CM works. ### Event An **Event** refers to the [Activity](#activity) (Comment or Submission) CM receives to process as well as the results of processing that Activity. ### Activity An Activity is a Comment or Submission from Reddit. ### Runs A **Run** is made up of a set of **Checks** that represent a group of related behaviors the bot should check for or perform -- that are independent of any other behaviors the Bot should perform. An example of Runs: * A group of Checks that look for missing flairs on a user or a new submission and flair accordingly * A group of Checks that detect spam or self-promotion and then remove those activities Both group of Checks are independent of each other (don't have any patterns or actions in common). [Full Documentation for Runs](subreddit-configuration/README.md#runs) ### Checks A **Check** is the main logical unit of behavior for the bot. It is equivalent to "if X then Y". A Check is composed of: * One or more **Rules** that are tested against an **Activity** * One of more **Actions** that are performed when the **Rules** are satisfied A Run can be made up of one or more **Checks** that are processed **in the order they are listed in the Run.** Once a Check is **triggered** (its Rules are satisfied and Actions performed) all subsequent Checks are skipped. [Full Documentation for Checks](subreddit-configuration/README.md#checks) ### Rule A **Rule** is some set of **criteria** (conditions) that are tested against an Activity (comment/submission), a User, or a User's history. A Rule is considered **triggered** when the **criteria** for that rule are found to be **true** for whatever is being tested against. CM has different **Rules** that can test against different types of behavior and aspects of a User, their history, and the Activity (submission/common) being checked. [Full Documentation for Rules](subreddit-configuration/README.md#rules) #### Available Rules All available rules can be found in the [components documentation](subreddit-configuration/README.md#rules) ### Rule Set A **Rule Set** is a "grouped" set of `Rules` with a **trigger condition** specified. Rule Sets can be used interchangeably with other **Rules** and **Rule Sets** in the `rules` list of a **Check**. They allow you to create more complex trigger behavior by combining multiple rules into one "parent rule". [Rule Sets Documentation](subreddit-configuration/README.md#rule-sets) ### Action An **Action** is some action the bot can take against the checked Activity (comment/submission) or Author of the Activity. CM has Actions for most things a normal reddit user or moderator can do. #### Available Actions [Available Actions Documentation](subreddit-configuration/README.md#list-of-actions) ### Filters **Runs, Checks, Rules, and Actions** all have two additional (optional) criteria "pre-tests". These tests are different from rules/checks in these ways: * Filters test against the **current state** of the Activity, the Author of the Activity, or the Subreddit of the Activity -- rather than looking at history/context/etc... * Filter test results only determine if the Run, Check, Rule, or Action **should run** -- rather than triggering it * When the filter test **passes** the thing being tested continues to process as usual * When the filter test **fails** the thing being tested **fails**. [Full Documentation for Filters](subreddit-configuration/README.md#filters) ## Configuration And Usage * For **Operator/Bot maintainers** see **[Operation Guide](operator/README.md)** * For **Moderators** * Start with the [Subreddit/Moderator docs](moderators/README.md) or [Moderator Getting Started guide](moderators/gettingStarted.md) * Refer to the [Subreddit Components Documentation](subreddit-configuration) or the [subreddit-ready examples](subreddit-configuration/cookbook) * as well as the [schema](https://json-schema.app/view/%23?url=https%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2FFoxxMD%2Fcontext-mod%2Fmaster%2Fsrc%2FSchema%2FApp.json) which has * fully annotated configuration data/structure * generated examples in json/yaml ## FAQ TODO