DaySandBox: Antispam Bot

A newcomer joins your chat, and a minute later an ad with a link hangs there. Sound familiar? DaySandBox closes exactly that hole: it deletes such messages from anyone who joined the group less than a day ago. 🧹

One rule that works

The bot does not try to be a combine harvester. It watches three things in newcomers' messages: a link, an at-mention and a forward from elsewhere. If the user has been in the group under 24 hours, the message is deleted.

The bot has about 384 thousand users, and it describes itself as a bot to manage chat groups.

Why it bans nobody

This is a deliberate choice. Spammers blast the same text to many chats and get blocked within a day elsewhere. The bot's job is not to punish but to stop an ad from hanging in your chat until the newcomer has proven themselves.

An honest newcomer loses nothing: after a day they can post links like everyone else. 😊

Setting it up in three steps

1. Add the bot to your group.
2. Open the group settings, go to the member list and promote the bot to admin.
3. Enable only the right to delete messages and save.

No other rights are needed, and you should not grant them. The fewer powers, the lower the risk.

What it will not do

• No bans. It only deletes messages and never removes people.
• No warnings or rules. Penalties and greetings need another kind of bot.
• Newcomers only. Spam from old accounts is left alone.
• No fine tuning. It is a simple tool with one job.

If you need captchas, limits and complex filters, add a separate moderator next to it. It is good when two bots do not duplicate each other.

What to check after connecting

Post a link from a test account that just joined. If the message disappears, the bot works. If not, make sure it has the right to delete messages.

Tell members that links from newcomers are removed for the first day. Nobody will then think a message vanished because of a glitch. 🔍

Who needs it

Admins of open groups and chats with a big inflow of people. Those who want protection from ads through one simple rule and no wading through dozens of settings.

If the group is closed and joining is by invitation only, the bot is rarely needed: spammers do not get in.

Do not add the bot to a chat where newcomers often share legitimate links, such as a work group that accepts requests. Think about how they will pass on what is needed: you can give them access manually later.

Check the group's admin list from time to time and confirm the bot has no extra rights. A couple of minutes a month protects a chat better than any complex filter. 🛡️