Moderating discussions and approving messages

If a topic requires message approval, posted messages are only visible to users with permission to approve messages. To make these messages visible to all users, you must manually approve them. (Messages posted by users with permission to approve messages are automatically approved.)

You can turn message approval on or off from the Properties tab when creating or editing a Forum or Topic. Once you turn message approval on, a Message Requires Approval icon appears beside the forum or topic name indicating that all messages must be approved before they are displayed in that forum or topic.

If a message is not appropriate for the topic and you do not want to approve it, you can do any of the following:

• Leave the message unapproved
• Edit the message before approving it
• Delete the message

Table of contents

1. Approving messages
2. Finding messages that require approval
3. Editing other users' discussion messages
4. Viewing a discussion message’s history

Approving messages

Approve a message

Ensure that you have message approval activated by clicking Edit beside the forum or topic, selecting the Properties tab, and checking off the Messages must be approved before being displayed field.

If you are using the Grid Style message list, do one of the following:

• Open the message and click Approve in the message.
• Select the check boxes beside the messages you want to approve from the message message list, click Approve at the top of the list.

If you are using the Reading Style message list, click Approve beneath the message header.

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Unapprove a previously approved message

Do one of the following:

• In the Grid Style message list, open the message and click Unapprove in the message.
• In the Reading Style message list, click More actions beneath the message header, then click Unapprove in the message.

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Finding messages that require approval

You can find unapproved messages in the following ways:

• On the Discussions List page, the number of unapproved messages is displayed beneath each topic’s name. To see only topics that contain unapproved messages, select “Topics with Unapproved” from the Display drop-down list at the top of the page.
• Inside a topic, if you have the Discussions List sidebar turned on, the number of unapproved messages is the second number displayed in parentheses beside each topic. E.g. a topic that reads “First Test Questions (5) (3)” has three unapproved messages.
• In the message list inside a topic, unapproved messages are indicated by the Message Requires Approval icon. To see only messages that require approval, select “Unapproved Only” from the View drop-down list at the top of the page.

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Editing other users' discussion messages

Editing a message allows you to change the subject or message text, add or remove attachments, or change whether the message is pinned. You cannot make a message anonymous or change the name of the message author—the original author’s name remains even after a message has been edited. Users who have edited a message are listed in the message’s history.

Edited messages are indicated by the Last Edited icon in the message header.

Edit a message

1. Do one of the following:
   • If you are using the Grid Style message list, click on the message and click Edit Message.
   • If you are using the Reading Style message list, click More Actions beneath the message header, then click Edit at the top of the message.
2. Make your changes.
3. Click Save.

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Viewing a discussion message’s history

If a message has been edited, the message history records all previous versions of the message, who edited it, and when it was approved. Edited messages are indicated by the Last Edited icon in the message header.

View a message’s history

Do one of the following:

• If you are using the Grid Style message list, click on the message, then click History from the message's More Actions button.
• If you are using the Reading Style message list, click the More actions link below the message header, then click History at the top of the message.

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