How to Block Words on Threads

Tired of seeing spoilers, spam, or just plain negativity in the replies on your Threads posts? You can take back control of your conversations by telling the app exactly which words and phrases you don’t want to see. This guide breaks down exactly how to use the Hidden Words feature on Threads to filter your replies and keep your space positive and on-topic.

Why Block Words on Threads? Taking Control of Your Experience

Threads, like any public-facing social platform, is an open forum. While that encourages connection and conversation, it can also open the door to unwanted content in your replies. Muting or blocking specific words is a proactive way to manage your digital environment. It acts as a first line of defense, filtering out noise so you can focus on the conversations that matter.

Here are a few practical reasons why you might want to create a custom blocked words list:

• Avoiding Spoilers: A new episode of your favorite show just dropped, or a big movie just hit theaters. By temporarily blocking character names, show titles, and related keywords, you can browse your replies without stumbling upon a major plot twist.
• Filtering Out Spam and Scams: For brands and creators, replies are often targeted by spam bots promoting crypto schemes, fake giveaways, or “get rich quick” offers. Blocking common spammer phrases like "DM me," "promo," or "crypto" can clean up your comment section instantly, making your profile look more professional and protecting your followers from potentially harmful links.
• Protecting Your Mental Health: Sometimes you just don't want to see discussions about certain topics, whether it’s distressing news, political debates, or triggering words. Creating a list of personal keywords to hide allows you to engage with the platform on your own terms, without having to encounter content that negatively impacts your wellbeing.
• Managing Brand Reputation: As a business, you want to maintain a positive and constructive community space. Blocking hate speech, explicit language, competitor names (if they are being used for spam), and other off-brand terms helps you maintain a certain standard for conversation on your posts. It’s not about censoring honest criticism, but about removing unproductive noise, harassment, or outright abuse.

Understanding Threads' "Hidden Words" Feature

The feature that makes this all possible is called "Hidden Words." Hidden Words is an intelligent filter built into Threads (and Instagram). Instead of deleting comments containing your blocked words outright, it moves them into a separate, hidden folder. This gives you a middle ground–the comments are removed from public view, but you still have the option to review them later if you want to.

This is a powerful moderation tool. It works automatically in the background, cleaning up your replies based on the exact criteria you set. Think of it as your own personal conversation moderator that works 24/7. It applies only to the replies on your posts, so it won’t affect the content you see in your main feed from other accounts. The control is focused entirely on the conversations you start and host on your own profile.

How to Block Words on Threads: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to build your list? The process takes just a few clicks. Follow these steps to find the Hidden Words menu and start adding your keywords.

1. Navigate to Your Profile: Open the Threads app and tap the profile icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. Open the Settings Menu: On your profile page, tap the two-line menu icon (sometimes called the "hamburger" menu) located in the top-right corner.
3. Select "Privacy": In the Settings menu, find and tap on "Privacy." It's typically grouped with other account security options.
4. Tap on "Hidden Words": Inside the Privacy menu, you'll see an option for "Hidden Words." This is where you can manage all your content filters. Tap it to proceed.
5. Access Your Custom List: Scroll down until you find the section labeled "Custom words and phrases." Tap on "Manage custom words and phrases" to view and edit your personal block list.
6. Add Your Words and Phrases: Now you're at the main screen. Enter the words, phrases, numbers, or even emojis you want to block in the text box at the top. Important: Separate each entry with a comma. You don't need to add a space after the comma. For example: `spoiler,gameofthrones,dragon,lannister`.
7. Turn on "Hide Replies": Below the text box where you added your words, make sure the "Hide Replies" toggle is switched on. This is what activates the filter and moves matching replies into your hidden folder. Once you turn this on, your new filter is active immediately.

That’s it! The feature will now automatically screen all new replies to your posts and hide any that contain the words or phrases you just added.

Creating a Powerful Block List: Strategies and Best Practices

A basic word list is great, but a strategic one is even better. Just listing a few obvious curse words isn't enough to effectively curate your space. Here’s how to think about building a truly robust and effective list that adapts to your needs.

What to Include in Your List

Think about building your list in categories based on your goals.

• Spam and Scams: This is a must for any public account. Spammers are relentless, but their language is often predictable.
  • Examples: `crypto, DM for promo, investment, forex, NFT, giveaway, click the link in my bio, free followers`
• Trolls and Harassment: This category should include common slurs, personal insults, derogatory terms, and phrases designed purely to incite anger.
  • Tips: Don't just block the obvious words, also include clever misspellings or variations that people use to get around basic filters. For example, if you want to block "hate," also consider adding "h8" or similar variations.
• Brand-Specific Negativity: If you are managing a brand, consider blocking phrases that are unhelpful, rude, or off-topic, as well as the names of competitors who spam your comments. This isn’t about erasing all negative feedback, but about removing low-quality, hateful, or repetitive trolling.
  • Examples: `scam company, overpriced, this product sucks` (Note: Use your judgment. Legitimate criticism can be valuable, so be selective here).
• Spoilers: This is usually a temporary list you build around specific media releases. Be thorough to avoid ruining the experience.
  • Examples: `[Show Name] finale, [Character Name] dies, [Villain's true identity], ending explained`

Best Practices for an Effective List

• Include Variations and Misspellings: People trying to get around filters will get creative. When you add a word, think about its variations. If you block "scam," also add "scammy," "scammer," "#scam," and common replacement misspellings like "sc@m."
• Block Full Phrases: Threads allows you to block entire phrases, not just single words. This is extremely useful for a phrase like "link in my profile," which is almost always used for self-promotion or spam. Blocking the full phrase is more targeted than just blocking the word "link."
• Add Emojis: Spam and troll comments often use specific emojis. Don't forget that you can add single emojis (or a common sequence of them) to your list just like you would a word. The 💰,, 🚀,, and 🔚, emojis are frequently used by bots.
• Review and Update Regularly: Your hidden word list shouldn't be a "set it and forget it" tool. It’s a living document. Language and slang evolve, spammers find new phrases, and new TV shows come out. Plan to check in on your list once a month or so to add new terms and remove ones that are no longer relevant (like old spoilers).

Beyond Blocking Words: Other Tools for a Healthier Feed

The Hidden Words feature is one of your most powerful tools for curating replies, and works best when combined with other native moderation tools available on Threads:

• Mute an Account: Muting someone removes their content (both posts and replies) from your view without them knowing. You won't see their activity in your feed or notifications. This is perfect for when you just don't want to see someone's content anymore but don't feel the need to block them.
• Restrict an Account: Restricting is a step between muting and blocking. When you restrict someone, their comments on your posts will only be visible to them and to you - unless you approve them. Their DMs will be moved to Message Requests. It’s a subtle way to limit unwelcome interactions.
• Block an Account: Blocking is your most direct tool for cutting off all interaction. When you block someone, they can no longer see your profile, your posts, or interact with you in any way. They will not be notified that you’ve blocked them. Use this for accounts that are persistently abusive, harassing, or spamming you.

By using these features together - a strong hidden words list to filter conversations automatically, and muting, restricting, or blocking for specific problematic accounts - you can create a much more positive and productive experience on the platform.

Final Thoughts

Using the Hidden Words feature on Threads is an easy and effective way to customize your social media experience. By setting up a custom list of words and phrases, you reclaim control over your comment section, making it a safer and more enjoyable space for you and your audience.

Of course, filtering out the noise is just one part of building a great online community. Once the unwanted replies are hidden, you’re left with the valuable conversations - the legitimate questions, the positive feedback, and the genuine engagement. For that, we built Postbase to streamline how you handle all that good stuff. Our unified inbox brings your comments and DMs from Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and more into one clean place. It helps you quickly and efficiently respond to the people who matter, turning what used to be a chaotic chore into a manageable and meaningful part of an overall content strategy.