> ## 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.

# Lists Management

> Lists Management — CometChat documentation.

Lists Management provides tools for creating and managing lists of keywords, regex patterns, or sentences that power your moderation rules. When detected in user-generated content, these lists trigger moderation actions like blocking or flagging messages.

<Note>
  **Lists are reusable.** Create a list once and use it across multiple rules. Update the list in one place and all rules using it are automatically updated.
</Note>

***

## Quick Start

Create a custom keyword list in under 2 minutes:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Lists Settings">
    Login to [CometChat Dashboard](https://app.cometchat.com) → Select your app → **Moderation** → **Settings** → **Lists**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a New List">
    Click **Add** → Enter a name, select category (word/pattern/sentence), and add your terms
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use in a Rule">
    Go to **Rules** → Create or edit a rule → Select your list in the Conditions section
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cometchat-22654f5b/0Cdnhz6eU6kdn5Ms/images/b18bf8ee-moderation_keywords_management_overview-f2f57307e982afa3859f2440d17c787b.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=0Cdnhz6eU6kdn5Ms&q=85&s=d59b5a34f3990673f56eeceeefac2f25" width="1839" height="900" data-path="images/b18bf8ee-moderation_keywords_management_overview-f2f57307e982afa3859f2440d17c787b.png" />
</Frame>

***

## List Types

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Keywords">
    Simple word matching. Use for:

    * Profanity and offensive terms
    * Brand names or competitors
    * Industry-specific blocked terms

    **Example:** `badword, offensive, blocked`
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Patterns (Regex)">
    Regular expression matching for complex patterns. Use for:

    * Phone number formats
    * Email patterns
    * Custom data formats

    **Example:** `\b\d{3}[-.]?\d{3}[-.]?\d{4}\b` (US phone numbers)

    <Warning>
      **Greedy Regex Not Allowed:** For system performance and security, greedy regex patterns (using `*`, `+`, `{n,}` without proper boundaries) are not permitted. Greedy patterns can cause excessive backtracking and impact system performance.

      **Examples of prohibited patterns:**

      * `.*` (matches everything)
      * `.+` (matches one or more of anything)
      * `(a+)+` (nested quantifiers)
      * `\d{10,}` (unbounded quantifier)

      **Use specific, bounded patterns instead:**

      * `\d{3,10}` instead of `\d+`
      * `[a-z]{1,50}` instead of `[a-z]+`
      * `\b\w{3,20}\b` instead of `\w+`
    </Warning>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Sentence Similarity">
    AI-powered semantic matching. Use for:

    * Scam message variations
    * Platform circumvention attempts
    * Context-aware blocking

    **Example:** "Send me your credit card details" will match similar phishing attempts
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Default Lists Summary

Pre-configured lists ready to use with your rules:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Text Moderation">
    | List                                  | Description                                 | Use Case                 |
    | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
    | **Profane Words**                     | Common profanity and inappropriate language | General chat moderation  |
    | **Platform Circumvention**            | Phrases attempting to bypass rules          | Marketplace, dating apps |
    | **Spam Detection**                    | Repetitive/promotional message patterns     | High-traffic apps        |
    | **Scam Detection**                    | Deceptive messages and phishing attempts    | Finance, marketplace     |
    | **Hate and Harassment Prompt**        | Hate speech, threats, and slurs             | Community platforms      |
    | **Explicit Content Prompt**           | Sexual descriptions and violence            | Family-friendly apps     |
    | **Privacy and Sensitive Info Prompt** | Personal data sharing                       | Healthcare, finance      |
    | **Self-Harm Content Prompt**          | Self-harm and suicidal content              | Mental health safety     |
    | **Spam and Scam Prompt**              | Phishing and fraudulent schemes             | All apps                 |
    | **Violent Threats Prompt**            | Violence and terrorism promotion            | All apps                 |
    | **Impersonation Prompt**              | Identity fraud attempts                     | Business apps            |
    | **Non-Consensual Content Prompt**     | Exploitation and grooming                   | Dating, social apps      |
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Image Moderation">
    | List                                  | Description                            | Use Case             |
    | ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | -------------------- |
    | **Hate or Harassment Prompt**         | Hateful symbols and offensive gestures | Community platforms  |
    | **Explicit or Sexual Content Prompt** | Nudity and sexually explicit imagery   | Social apps          |
    | **Graphic Violence Prompt**           | Violent imagery and gore               | Family-friendly apps |
    | **Privacy or Personal Data Prompt**   | IDs, financial docs, personal records  | Finance, healthcare  |
    | **Minor Safety Prompt**               | Child exploitation content             | All apps             |
    | **Fraud or Scam Indicators Prompt**   | Fake documents and counterfeit images  | Marketplace          |
    | **Terrorism Prompt**                  | Extremist propaganda and recruitment   | All apps             |
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## When to Create Custom Lists

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Industry-Specific Terms">
    Add terms specific to your industry that default lists don't cover:

    * **Gaming:** Game-specific slurs, exploit terms
    * **Finance:** Competitor names, prohibited investment terms
    * **Healthcare:** Medical misinformation terms
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Brand Protection">
    Block mentions of:

    * Competitor names
    * Prohibited external links
    * Trademark violations
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Regional/Language Variations">
    Add localized profanity or slang that default English lists miss.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Platform-Specific Rules">
    Create lists for your unique community guidelines:

    * Prohibited topics
    * Off-platform contact attempts
    * Community-specific terms
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Best Practices

| Practice                              | Description                                                                                                                                        |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Start with Defaults**               | Use default lists first, then create custom lists only for gaps in coverage.                                                                       |
| **Use Sentence Similarity for Scams** | Scammers constantly change wording. Sentence similarity catches variations automatically.                                                          |
| **Test Regex Patterns**               | Test regex patterns before deploying. A bad pattern can block legitimate content. Avoid greedy patterns that can impact system performance.        |
| **Avoid Greedy Regex**                | Do not use unbounded quantifiers (`*`, `+`, `{n,}`) without proper boundaries. Always specify maximum lengths (e.g., `\d{3,10}` instead of `\d+`). |
| **Review Regularly**                  | Check blocked messages monthly and update lists based on new patterns.                                                                             |

### Tips for Effective Lists

1. **Keep lists focused** - Create separate lists for different purposes (profanity vs. spam vs. competitors)
2. **Use CSV for bulk imports** - Upload large keyword lists via CSV instead of manual entry
3. **Combine list types** - Use keywords for exact matches + sentence similarity for variations
4. **Document your lists** - Add clear descriptions so team members understand each list's purpose

***

## Managing Lists

### Create List

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cometchat-22654f5b/60KLvpM3Vx0byZeU/images/b895ec4b-moderation_keywords_management_create-375677a20f929bdb0f91f628efb37fa3.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=60KLvpM3Vx0byZeU&q=85&s=c75151e14ea8d4c92c54ca3f361f0ade" width="1202" height="607" data-path="images/b895ec4b-moderation_keywords_management_create-375677a20f929bdb0f91f628efb37fa3.png" />
</Frame>

1. Click **Add** in the Lists tab
2. Configure:
   * **Name**: Descriptive name for the list
   * **ID**: Unique identifier
   * **Category**: Word, Pattern, or Sentence Similarity
   * **Description**: Purpose of the list
   * **Source**: Enter terms manually (comma-separated) or upload CSV
3. Click **Save**

### List All Lists

All configured lists are displayed in the Lists tab with their name, category, and item count.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cometchat-22654f5b/vk8kXY4T6hhH4l00/images/6a7a9ed4-moderation_keywords_management_list-f2f57307e982afa3859f2440d17c787b.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=vk8kXY4T6hhH4l00&q=85&s=7a38096fb93b8ef72ffc7912cafde12a" width="1839" height="900" data-path="images/6a7a9ed4-moderation_keywords_management_list-f2f57307e982afa3859f2440d17c787b.png" />
</Frame>

### Update List

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cometchat-22654f5b/Xbd1mrZiWe1Pd3HE/images/90c0a5b3-moderation_keywords_management_update-1818bc911738684af81f433eb7a9201f.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Xbd1mrZiWe1Pd3HE&q=85&s=963f22d7d0ae0caa39c0ce6ad8a95c6a" width="1202" height="607" data-path="images/90c0a5b3-moderation_keywords_management_update-1818bc911738684af81f433eb7a9201f.png" />
</Frame>

1. Click **Edit** in the action menu
2. Modify the list settings or add/remove terms
3. Click **Save**

### Delete List

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cometchat-22654f5b/L67V-UjCgqzL1qxp/images/71584011-moderation_keywords_management_delete-e5a8f09c787eff41331396079c69109f.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=L67V-UjCgqzL1qxp&q=85&s=1f1ae2283199767727226465a6c93749" width="1839" height="900" data-path="images/71584011-moderation_keywords_management_delete-e5a8f09c787eff41331396079c69109f.png" />
</Frame>

Click **Delete** in the action menu and confirm.

<Warning>
  Deleting a list will affect any rules using it. Check rule dependencies before deleting.
</Warning>

***

## Related Resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Rules Management" icon="shield-check" href="/moderation/rules-management">
    Create rules that use your lists
  </Card>

  <Card title="Blocked Messages" icon="ban" href="/moderation/blocked-messages">
    View content blocked by your lists
  </Card>

  <Card title="Flagged Messages" icon="flag" href="/moderation/flagged-messages">
    Review flagged content
  </Card>

  <Card title="Moderation Overview" icon="eye" href="/moderation/overview">
    Learn about the moderation system
  </Card>
</CardGroup>