Block, mute, or report a user
Block, mute, and report are three different tools — here's what each one does and when to reach for it.
Reviewed regularly to match the current app.
Overview
GS Poetry gives you three separate tools for shaping who can reach you and for keeping the community safe. It helps to know which one to reach for:
- Block — a hard cut. The other person loses access to your profile and can no longer interact with you, and the two of you stop seeing each other around the site.
- Mute — a quiet filter. Someone simply stops appearing in your stream for a while, without losing any access and without ever being told.
- Report — a flag to our team. You send a piece of content or an account to GS Poetry for review when it breaks the rules.
You can use any of them on their own or together — for example, block someone and report a poem they posted. Here’s how each one works.
Blocking someone
Blocking is the strongest boundary. Open the person’s profile, click the ··· menu next to the Follow and Message buttons, and choose Block. You’ll be asked to confirm, since it’s a bigger step than a mute.
Once you block someone, all of the following happen at once:
- They can no longer see your profile or interact with you.
- Any follows between you are removed in both directions, and any pending follow request either of you sent is canceled.
- You stop seeing each other’s poems and comments as you move around the site.
- Your direct-message conversation is hidden for both of you.
The person is never notified that you blocked them — from their side it simply looks like you’re no longer around. To keep the tool from being abused, there’s a limit of 10 blocks per day.
Managing and undoing blocks
Everyone you’ve blocked is listed under Settings → Blocked Users, each with the date you blocked them and an Unblock button. Unblocking restores access going forward, but it does not re-create any old follow connection — if you want to follow each other again, you’ll both need to re-follow.
Muting (snoozing) someone
Muting is the gentle option for when you’d rather just not see someone’s activity for a while — no confrontation, no severed connection. From any post in your stream, open the card’s dismiss menu and choose Mute for 30 days.
While someone is muted, their activity stops surfacing in your stream for 30 days. They keep full access to the site and to your content, they’re never told, and you stay connected — muting doesn’t unfollow anyone or touch your messages. Muting the same person again simply starts a fresh 30-day window.
Use Mute when you like someone fine but want a quieter stream, or need a break from a lot of posting. Use Block when you want a real boundary — to cut off contact and remove someone’s access to you entirely.
Reporting content or a user
When something breaks the rules — harassment, hate speech, spam, plagiarism, or other inappropriate content — report it so our team can act. You can report a poem, comment, photo, video, post, direct message, or an entire profile.
- Open the ··· (or dismiss) menu on the poem, comment, or profile and choose Report.
- Pick the reason that fits best — the options are tailored to what you’re reporting (a comment, for example, offers Spam, Harassment, Hate speech, and Misinformation).
- Add anything useful in the optional Additional Details field, then click Submit Report.
Every report is anonymous — the person you report is never told who filed it — and our team reviews each one. You can report up to 10 items a day, and you can’t report the same thing twice.
Some situations have their own dedicated, higher-priority routes. To have a private intimate image or video of you taken down, use Requesting removal of an intimate image. To report child sexual abuse material or a child in danger, see Reporting child sexual abuse material or child endangerment. If someone is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency number first.
Where to go next
To control who can see your work in the first place, see Controlling who can see your poems. To turn off the green dot that shows when you’re around, see Hiding your online status. Still need a hand? Contact support.