# Catch spam bots with a honeypot (/server/honeypot)















A honeypot is a bait channel your members are told never to write in. Spam bots and hacked accounts post in every channel they can see, so the first message in the bait channel gives them away, and Tickety acts on that account.

Make a new, empty channel for it. Tickety posts a warning notice in it, so real members know to stay out.

<Steps>
  <Step>
    ### Open Honeypot [#open-honeypot]

    Open your [dashboard](https://tickety.top/dashboard) and pick your server. In the sidebar, under **Server**, click **Honeypot**.

        <img alt="Honeypot in the sidebar" src="__img0" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Pick the bait channel and turn it on [#pick-the-bait-channel-and-turn-it-on]

    Go to **Bait Channels**.

        <img alt="Honeypot Enabled and Bait Channels" src="__img1" />

    1. Open **Bait Channels** and pick the channel.
    2. Turn on **Honeypot Enabled**. It needs a bait channel first.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Decide what happens to them [#decide-what-happens-to-them]

    Under **What Happens**, pick one in **What Happens to Them**:

    * **Nothing**: log it and count it, but leave the account alone.
    * **Timeout**: mute the account for a while. It keeps its roles.
    * **Kick**: remove the account. It can rejoin.
    * **Softban**: remove the account and wipe its recent messages. It can rejoin. This is the default.
    * **Ban**: wipe its recent messages and keep it out for good.

    **Delete Their Message**, further down, is on to start with.

        <img alt="What Happens to Them" src="__img2" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Keep your staff safe [#keep-your-staff-safe]

    Under **Who Is Exempt**, **Exempt Administrators** and **Exempt Admin Role** are on to start with. Add more roles in **Exempt Roles**. An exempt member who posts is still logged, but nothing is done to their account.

        <img alt="Exempt Roles under Who Is Exempt" src="__img3" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Save [#save]

    Press **Save Changes** in the bar at the bottom of the page. Tickety posts the warning notice in the bait channel:

        <img alt="The honeypot warning notice in the bait channel" src="__img4" />
  </Step>
</Steps>

Tickety needs a role above the account it acts on, plus the permission for the action: Moderate Members for **Timeout**, Kick Members for **Kick**, and Ban Members for **Softban** and **Ban**.

## More options [#more-options]

The rest of the page fine tunes the trap. All of it is optional.

* **Time Them Out First** mutes the account a moment before a kick, softban or ban, so it is still muted if it rejoins. **Timeout Length** sets how long, from 1 minute to 28 days.
* **Messages To Wipe** decides how much of the account's recent messages a softban or ban removes, from **Keep them all** to 7 days.
* **Wait Before Acting** 👑 holds the action for up to 5 minutes. **Audit Log Reason** is the reason Discord's audit log shows.
* Under **Camouflage**, **Keep the Channel Active** posts and deletes a silent message once a day, and **Rename the Channel Daily** gives the channel an ordinary name every day. Renaming needs Manage Channels. Both are off to start with.
* **Post the Warning** keeps the notice in the bait channel. **Counter Button** 👑 and **Hide What Is a Honeypot** 👑 change what that notice shows.
* **Send a Direct Message** tells the caught account what happened. **Offer a Way Back In** adds a rejoin button to that message, for hacked accounts that get cleaned up.
* **Add Them to the Blacklist** 👑 also blocks the account from the Tickety features you pick in **Blocked From**, for as long as **For How Long** says. **Quote the Message** 👑 puts the offending message in the log.

Turning the honeypot off keeps your channels and counts, and takes the notices down.

## It did not work? [#it-did-not-work]

<Accordions>
  <Accordion title="Please select a bait channel">
    Pick a channel in **Bait Channels** before turning the honeypot on.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The log says Honeypot Action Failed">
    Tickety's role is not above the account's highest role, or it lacks the permission for the action. Move its role up and check the permissions above.

        <img alt="A Honeypot Action Failed log entry" src="__img5" />
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="You tested it and nothing happened to you">
    Administrators and the admin role are exempt by default. Test with an account that has neither.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The log entries show up in the bait channel">
    No log channel is set. Pick one under **Log Channel** on this page, or set a **Logging Channel** in **Settings**.
  </Accordion>
</Accordions>

<Callout type="info" emoji="👑">
  Features marked with a crown (👑) need a [Premium Subscription](https://tickety.top/premium).
</Callout>