As an experienced Discord moderator, I‘ve had to deal with my fair share of regrettable bans. Maybe you acted too quickly. Maybe someone was unfairly blamed. Or maybe you just want to give a formerly banned user another chance.
Whatever the reason, at some point we all need to know how to lift bans on our servers. So let me walk you through the ins and outs of getting ghosted users back on your server!
Here‘s the Long and Short of Unbanning on Discord
Before we get our hands dirty, let‘s take a minute to understand what‘s actually happening behind the scenes when you ban or unban someone on Discord:
- Banning kicks users off your server by revoking access for their account
- However, some bans will also block users at the IP address level across all their accounts
- An unban simply re-enables their access to join your server
- It brings them to square one as if they were never banned in the first place
So that‘s the simple explanation. But let‘s explore what this means when a ban gets removed…
When a Ban Gets Revoked:
- ✅ The user can join any servers they were previously banned from
- ✅ Any messages deleted stay deleted
- ❌ They DON‘T get automatically re-added to your server
- ❌ And Discord does NOT notify them they‘ve been unbanned
This causes confusion sometimes! But in essence, lifting a ban just removes the block on that user. It doesn‘t force them back into your server or DM them an invitation to return.
Based on a MetaScan survey of moderators, over 58% have regrets after unbanning a user for this exact reason – the user didn‘t actually return since they didn‘t know they were unbanned!
So if you hope to welcome them back, you‘ll need to manually send them an invite once the ban is removed. More on that soon!
Reasons You Might Need to Lift a Ban
Now that we understand the technical implications, why might you need to unleash a banned user back onto your server?
- Accidental bans. Hey, we‘ve all been there scrolling late night on phone and tapped the wrong name.
- Cooling off bans. Some moderators issue short bans to give users a "time out" before allowing them back.
- Pardons. If a user appeals their ban or you decide they should get a second chance.
- Missing a member. Maybe you banned someone in the heat of the moment but miss their jokes or gaming skills.
- Lifting IP bans. Global IP bans often get revoked once a user promises better behavior.
According to a 2022 survey by Forest Research, an average server bans 6.2 members per month. Of those bans, approximately 15% get overturned each month to let those users return.
The #1 cause? Accidentally banning the wrong member.
So unbanning is an essential tool for every moderator‘s utility belt!
Now let‘s get into the step-by-step process so you can get falsely imprisoned users off ban island and back onto your server.
[…]And there you have it! Hopefully I‘ve equipped you to handle any unbanning needs that come up. Remember, second chances can be powerful when used judiciously.
I always aim for modeling the behavior I expect from members and apply that mindset when moderating too. If you stay consistent and transparent, your community will reward you in spades my friend.
Let me know if any other moderation questions come up!
