Read The Rules

by MrTommyPickles

Purpose

• Read The Rules is designed to give moderators the power to require users to confirm they have Read The Rules in order to post or comment. The app makes it easy to Read The Rules by adding a link to every post, comment, and subreddit menu. There, users can Read The Rules easily and confirm they did so with a simple acknowledgement.

• There are many customization options that allow moderators to configure the app to suit the needs of their unique community. Mods have ultimate control over who is affected by the app. A variety of exemptions may be set up that allow mods to rest easy knowing that the content of their most trusted members will never be blocked, while still requiring less trusted members to Read The Rules.

Beta Features

• The next version of Read The Rules will make reading the rules easier than ever. By using a custom post, the app can render the ruleset interactively and guide users through the process. Users no longer have to search for the "Read The Rules" menu item, as the app can provide direct links to the post. This also enables powerful customization of the rules, including special Mod Messages, Markdown support, images, Auto Restore of removed content, and more. You can opt in or out of these features at any time in the app's configuration settings.

• When opting in to Beta Features for the first time, the following items will be created:

  • The Read The Rules Post - This is a Devvit Custom Experience Post that contains the enhanced rules list and acknowledgement form. By default it is pinned to the subreddit to put rules front and center, though it can also be left to appear naturally in the feed. This post is required to support the advanced features of the app, so the app will periodically check to make sure the post exists and is approved. By default it is locked, but you may unlock it to allow comments if desired. Several themes are available for the post to ensure it fits the styling of your community. This post also contains multiple mod-only buttons which are invisible to normal users.

    • Mod Only Buttons (Requires 'Everything' permission unless otherwise specified)

      • Settings - Navigates directly to the app's Configuration Settings. Mods with 'Everything' permission only.
      • User Management - Opens the User Management form in "Lookup Mode" so you can lookup the status of any username.
      • Image Uploads - Allows you to easily upload images to Reddit's image hosting and generates a markdown link so you can incorporate the image into your rules, posts, and comments.
      • Grace Period Mode Allows you to set a grace period where no content will be removed for a set time. Once the time has elapsed, enforcement will begin automatically. Users will be notified that the grace period is in effect to give them a chance to Read The Rules before it goes into effect.

      

  • Menu Items for Users - Normal users will see a new menu item in the overflow menu (three dot menu) that is located on the main subreddit feed and on every post and comment. Labeled "Read The Rules," clicking this will take the user to the Read The Rules post. This makes your community's rules easily accessible from every post or comment.

  

  • Menu Items for Mods - Mods will see the above menu item in the overflow menu (three dot menu), plus a new item in the moderator menu of every post and comment. Labeled "Read The Rules (User Management)," clicking this will open the app's user management form for the author of the post or comment. This form allows the moderator to view the age of the user's acknowledgement (if any), set or revoke said acknowledgement, and view any conditions that exempt the user from having to Read The Rules (e.g., "mod status," "whitelist," "karma value," etc.).

  

• The initial install represents a fully working configuration of the app, no configuration is required. The default settings require users to Read The Rules to post but not to comment. At this time, if a user attempts to post without Reading The Rules first, their post will be immediately removed and a comment will be left on the post with a direct link to the Read The Rules post. By default, if the user acknowledges that they Read The Rules within 60 minutes of the removal, their content will be automatically restored. No moderator action is required, and it is limited to one auto-restore per day. Most communities won't need to change any settings beyond these defaults.

Upgrading to Beta Features

• Read The Rules Beta Features represent a massive change from previous versions and include many new options and enhancements to improve the experience for users and moderators alike. There are no breaking changes, so the updated app is expected to remain fully functional no matter what settings you previously configured. However, if you have any instructional posts, wikis, or screenshots referencing the app in your community, you may need to update them for the Beta Features. Likewise, you may want to review the existing Custom Removal Message and Custom Acknowledgement Message settings to ensure the language used is consistent with the new version. Removal Notifications in Beta mode will append a direct link to the Read The Rules post so users can easily add their acknowledgement.

• Versions prior to the Beta used a Devvit Forms implementation to display the rule list and submit an acknowledgement. This resulted in a very limited experience prone to unexpected bugs. Read The Rules Beta Features fixes this by using a Devvit Custom Experience Post implementation, which opens up enormous opportunities for customization including Markdown and images in the rules, custom themes, and much easier-to-read acknowledgement forms.

Old:

New:

• The Read The Rules menu option on the overflow menu (three dot menu) of the subreddit and on every post and comment will now open this post instead of displaying the old Read The Rules form.

• Under default settings, there are a few changes in the way the app behaves beyond the custom experience post:

  • Auto Restore - The most recent post or comment that was removed is automatically restored if the user Reads The Rules within 60 minutes of removal (limited to one auto-restore per day). The removal notification reply is also cleaned up (deleted) when this happens. This may be disabled in the app settings.
  • Removal Reason Replies - Due to Reddit moving to chat for PMs, the new version replies directly to posts and comments when they are removed. This is the only way to be sure users are notified of automatic removals and may be disabled in the app settings. Sending notifications via PM or Mod Mail is not supported since users may never even see these messages. You may turn off notifications individually for posts or comments in the app's Configuration Settings.
  • Mod Log Message - The new version simplifies the mod log message for removed content. Now it just says "Post/Comment Removed." You may also disable these mod entries entirely if desired.

• Beyond this, feel free to browse the many customization options the app offers, including whitelists, flair controls, and themes.

App Settings

• Read The Rules has several options to customize the way the app behaves and how it is presented to your community. If you prefer a simple experience, feel free to disregard all these options and allow the app to run under default settings. No changes need to be made for the app to function.

Main Options

These settings control the basic enforcement of rule acknowledgements.

• Enforce Posts - Removes posts automatically if the author has not Read The Rules. Default: On
• Enforce Comments - Removes comments automatically if the author has not Read The Rules. Default: Off

Enforcement Behavior

These settings manage how the app handles removals, restorations, notifications, and ongoing compliance.

• Acknowledgement Expiration (days) - Forces users to Read The Rules regularly to keep up with changes. Content authored by users with expired acknowledgements will be automatically removed. Allowed values are between 90-999, or the field may be left blank for unlimited. Default: Blank
• Silently Remove Content - Removes selected content types without notifying users. This is a multi-select setting with options for posts and comments. Default: None Selected
• Do Not Lock Replies - Allows users to leave comments on the app's removal notifications. Default: Off
• Do NOT Force Banned Users to Read The Rules Again - By default, banned users will have their acknowledgements revoked if their ban is lifted. Enable this setting if you do NOT want temporarily banned users to Read The Rules before posting again. Default: Off
• Disable Mod Log - Prevents the app from logging removals via mod log. Default: Off

User Exemptions

Use these settings to define which users do NOT have to Read The Rules. Exempt users can still submit acknowledgements if they choose. Mods and admins are always exempt.

• Exempt Approved Users - Exempts users on the subreddit's Approved Users list. Default: Off
• Sitewide Karma Exemption - Users with sitewide karma greater than or equal to the number entered will not have to Read The Rules. Leave blank to disable. Default: Blank
• Subreddit Karma Exemption - Users with subreddit karma greater than or equal to the number entered will not have to Read The Rules. Leave blank to disable. Default: Blank
• Account Age Exemption - Users with account age greater than or equal to the number of days entered will not have to Read The Rules. Leave blank to disable. Default: Blank
• Username Whitelist - Usernames on this list do NOT have to Read The Rules. Input usernames as a comma-separated list without the u/. 'AutoModerator' and '[Subreddit Name]-ModTeam' are automatically whitelisted. Default: Blank
• User Flair Whitelist - Users whose user flair text matches any value on this list will be exempt from content removal. Comma-separated values, quoted values ("|'|`), and backslash-escaped characters () are supported. Matching is case-sensitive. Removing a user's flair does not revoke their acknowledgement. Default: Blank

User Management

These settings automate user list updates and flair assignments based on acknowledgements.

• Add Users To Approved Users List Automatically - Useful for restricted communities. When enabled, the app will add users to the subreddit's Approved Users list after they Read The Rules. Users will automatically be removed from the Approved Users list if their acknowledgement is revoked (e.g., banned users when their ban is lifted). Default: Off
• Assign Custom User Flair - Assigns the defined user flair text to users after they Read The Rules. The user flair will automatically be removed if the user's acknowledgement is revoked (e.g., banned users when their ban is lifted). Leave blank for no assignment. Default: Blank
• Custom User Flair CSS Class - Optional CSS class to assign to the custom user flair above. For old Reddit. Default: Blank

Display and Interaction

These settings customize the user-facing presentation of rules, forms, and messages.

• Only Show Rule Names - Removes the long description from the rule list to create a simpler list of rules. Default: Off
• Omit Rule Numbers - Prevents duplicate numbering if your rule titles already include the rule number. Default: Off
• Require Users To Acknowledge Each Individual Rule - Requires users to toggle a checkbox for each individual rule. This slows down the user, making it more likely they will Read The Rules, but it is annoying. Default: Off
• Custom Acknowledgement Message - Overrides the message users see when they are asked to confirm that they have Read The Rules. They must check a box next to this message to submit. Leave blank to use the app's default message. The message may be customized with the following placeholders: {username}, {subreddit_name}. Default: Blank
• Custom Removal Message - Overrides the default removal message notifying users that their content was removed. The app will always append "Please click here to acknowledge that you have Read The Rules." with a link to the rules. Leave blank to use the app's default message. The message may be customized with the following placeholders: {username}, {subreddit_name}, {content_type}, {permalink}. Default: Blank

Beta Features

These features are in development for the next version of Read The Rules. They use a custom post to display the rules in an interactive format, which allows for a less confusing experience for users and more powerful customization options for mods.

• Opt In To Beta Features - Must be enabled to use any of the beta features. Default: Off
• Pin The Rules - Pins the app to the top of the subreddit to ensure the rules are front and center. Leave this disabled to allow the post to be buried in the feed. Default: On
• Message From The Mods - Adds a section before the rule list customizable up to 2048 characters. Markdown and images are supported. Default: Blank
• Do Not Auto-Restore Content - Prevents the app from restoring content if the user Reads The Rules within one hour of removal. Users will have to manually repost their content after they Read The Rules. Default: Off
• Extend Mod-Only Features To Less Privileged Mods - Mods with 'Everything' permission always have access to the app's mod-only features such as User Management and Image Uploads. Enable access for other mods by selecting the appropriate permissions below. Multiple permissions may be selected, and mods must have all of the selected permissions to be granted access. Default: None Selected
  • Wiki
  • Posts
  • Access
  • Mail
  • Config
  • Flair
  • Chat Operator
  • Chat Config
  • Channels
  • Community Chat
• Custom Title for Read The Rules Post - Default title is "Please Read The Rules" or you may customize it here. Default: Blank
• Display Height For Read The Rules Post - Controls the height of the app as it is displayed in the subreddit feed. Options are Regular and Tall. Default: Regular
• Do Not Inform Users Of Revoked Acknowledgements - Prevents users from being informed when their acknowledgement was revoked. Default: Off

Additional Controls

• Enable Read The Rules App - Disabling this setting prevents users from submitting new acknowledgements. Enforcement and Grace Period Mode will also be disabled. A read-only view of the Read The Rules app will still be visible so users can view the rule list. Default: On

• App Update Reminders - The app will periodically check whether a newer version of the app is available. If one is detected, it will send a modmail to the subreddit to remind mods to install the new update. Updates will include bug fixes and/or new features, so disabling reminders is NOT recommended. Default: On

Themes

• The app offers a theme system with 30 color schemes to choose from. The default color scheme is dynamically selected to be similar to values chosen in the Look and Feel section of Mod Tools. If mods set a theme as the Preferred Community Theme, then users will be presented with the preferred theme unless they change it themselves. Preferences are saved on a per-user, per-subreddit basis. Available themes include the following:
  • Default
  • Amber Glow
  • Aqua Breeze
  • Astral Sky
  • Banana Blast
  • Berry Bliss
  • Bubblegum Pop
  • Charcoal Ash
  • Citrus Splash
  • Cobalt Porcelain
  • Crimson Dusk
  • Cyber Lime
  • Desert Sage
  • Emerald Mist
  • Forest Canopy
  • Frozen River
  • Indigo Ice
  • Mossy Glen
  • Neon Nights
  • Peach Dream
  • Prism Parade
  • Retro Wave
  • Rose Ember
  • Rusted Steel
  • Saffron Sunset
  • Serene Pond
  • Slate Stone
  • Tangerine Twist
  • Violet Haze
  • Warm Savanna