Anonymous comparison
Privacy‑Friendly Inactivity Bots vs Message‑Reading Bots
Some bots analyze message content to measure activity. CleanerBot focuses on privacy‑friendly signals (like reactions and threads) without ever reading your chat logs.
Two approaches to “activity”
| Dimension | Message‑reading activity bots | Privacy‑friendly inactivity cleanup |
|---|---|---|
| What’s measured | Message content, keywords, sentiment, frequency. | Inactivity over time via signals (no content). |
| Privacy impact | High sensitivity. Requires trust regarding data usage. | Low sensitivity. No message content is touched. |
| Intent requirements | Often requires privileged Message Content intent. | Operates without privileged intents. |
| Fairness | May bias toward "chatty" users vs listeners. | Fairness-first: warnings, grace windows, exemptions. |
| Best use cases | High-engagement analytics, sentiment analysis. | Roster health, transparent cleanup, privacy trust. |
How to choose
- Choose message‑reading bots if you explicitly want content-based insights and have the governance to justify it.
- Choose privacy‑friendly cleanup if you want predictable, explainable cleanups with minimal data access.
Why we built CleanerBot this way
- Least privilege: Core functions work without privileged intents.
- Explainable: Decay Score + clear thresholds reduce “mod drama”.
- Fairness: Warnings, grace periods, and manual review queues.
Market Landscape (Anonymous)
Based on publicly available documentation as of Jan 2026.
Tool Categories
- Content-based tools: Analyze keywords & sentiment.
- Gamification tools: Award XP for chatting (can encourage spam).
- Prune-like tools: Simple "active/inactive" binary status.
- Privacy-minimizing tools: Signal-based activity tracking.
Evaluation Criteria
- Access scope: Message content vs. metadata only.
- Transparency: Can members understand why they were warned?
- Automation: Auto-kick vs. human review queues.
If privacy and member trust matter, start with CleanerBot in Ghost mode.
Need a clear rules post? Use the Inactivity Policy Template.
Want a practical starting point? See the Use Case Guides.