> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.cometchat.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> Overview of Overview in CometChat.

CometChat allows you to integrate your own moderation logic using a **Custom API**. This "bring your own moderation" approach lets you use any third-party service (OpenAI Moderation, Perspective API, etc.) or your own AI model while CometChat handles message interception and action enforcement.

## How It Works

```mermaid theme={null}
sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant CometChat
    participant Your Webhook
    
    User->>CometChat: Sends message
    CometChat->>Your Webhook: POST message + context
    Your Webhook->>Your Webhook: Apply moderation logic
    Your Webhook->>CometChat: Return decision
    CometChat->>CometChat: Apply configured action
    CometChat->>User: Message delivered or blocked
```

1. **User sends a message** in your chat application
2. **CometChat intercepts** the message and POSTs it to your webhook URL along with optional conversation context (previous messages as plain text)
3. **Your webhook processes** the message using your custom moderation logic
4. **Your webhook responds** with a JSON decision containing `isMatchingCondition`, `confidence`, and optional `reason`
5. **CometChat compares** the returned confidence against your configured threshold and applies the appropriate action (block, flag for review, etc.)

## Getting Started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Build Your Moderation Endpoint">
    Create a webhook that accepts POST requests with message data. Your endpoint must return JSON with:

    * `isMatchingCondition` (boolean) – whether the content violates rules
    * `confidence` (number 0.0-1.0) – confidence score of the decision
    * `reason` (string, optional) – explanation for flagging
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a Custom API List">
    In the CometChat Dashboard, go to **Moderation** → **Settings** → **List** and create a new list with:

    * **Category**: Custom API
    * **URL**: Your webhook endpoint
    * **Basic Auth** (optional): Username and password for secure authentication
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Advanced Settings">
    Under **Moderation** → **Settings** → **Advanced Settings**, configure:

    * **Context messages** (0-10): Number of previous messages to include for context-aware moderation
    * **Error handling**: Choose to approve or block messages when your API is unavailable
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a Moderation Rule">
    Go to **Moderation** → **Rules** and create a rule that:

    * Selects your Custom API list
    * Sets a confidence threshold (e.g., "greater than 80%")
    * Defines actions when content is flagged

    <Card title="Custom API Configuration" icon="gear" href="/moderation/custom/custom-api">
      Step-by-step guide to configure your custom moderation API
    </Card>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Handle Moderation Events (Optional)">
    Set up webhooks to receive notifications when messages are approved or blocked by your moderation logic.

    <Card title="Moderation Events" icon="bell" href="/fundamentals/webhooks#moderation-events">
      Learn about moderation webhook events
    </Card>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Key Features

* **Contextual Moderation** – Include up to 10 previous messages from the conversation for context-aware analysis
* **Secure Authentication** – Optional Basic Auth support for webhook security
* **Confidence-Based Decisions** – Set confidence thresholds to fine-tune when actions are triggered
* **Configurable Error Handling** – Choose to approve or block messages when your API is unavailable or returns an error
* **Full Message Details** – Receive complete message objects including sender/receiver info, timestamps, and metadata
* **Real-time Processing** – Moderation decisions are applied before message delivery