Event submission moderation

Review, accept, and decline community-submitted events with spam detection and auto-revalidation

The Event Submissions system allows event hosts to submit events for inclusion in OOOC Fête Finder. As an admin, you review, accept, or decline submissions with built-in spam detection.

Submissions overview

The Event Submissions Card in /admin/content provides:

• Pending, accepted, and declined submission queues
• Automatic spam signal detection
• One-click accept with auto-revalidation
• Decline with reason tracking
• Open/closed submission toggle
• Metrics for last 7 days

Submission status tabs

Submissions are organized by status:

Pending

Awaiting admin review and decision

Accepted

Approved and added to the live event sheet

Declined

Rejected with a recorded reason

Reviewing a submission

Each submission displays:

Primary fields

• Event Name: Title of the event
• Date and Time: Event date, start time, and optional end time
• Location: Venue or location name
• Host Email: Submitter’s contact email
• Proof Link: URL provided to verify event authenticity

Optional fields

Expand the “Optional details” section to view:

• End time
• Genre
• Price
• Age restrictions
• Indoor/Outdoor venue type
• Arrondissement
• Additional notes from the host

Spam signals

Spam detection flags suspicious submissions with badges:

Signal	Description
honeypot_filled	Hidden field was filled (bot detection)
completed_too_fast	Form completed in under 3 seconds

Submissions with spam signals should be reviewed carefully before accepting.

Spam signals are indicators, not automatic rejections. Legitimate submissions can occasionally trigger these flags. Always review the proof link and event details.

Accepting a submission

1. Verify event details

   Check the event name, date, location, and proof link for legitimacy

2. Review spam signals

   Confirm the submission doesn’t have suspicious spam flags

3. Click Accept

   The event is immediately added to the event sheet in Postgres

4. Automatic revalidation

   The homepage revalidates automatically, making the event live within seconds

Accepting a submission creates a new row in the Event Sheet Editor with the submitted data and generates an Event Key automatically.

Declining a submission

1. Select decline reason

   Choose a reason from the dropdown:

   • Not enough information
   • Duplicate submission
   • Event not relevant
   • Unable to verify
   • Spam signal
   • Other (requires custom reason)
2. Add custom reason (if Other)

   Type a specific reason in the text field that appears

3. Click Decline

   The submission moves to the Declined tab with the reason recorded

Decline reasons are stored with the submission for future reference.

Decline reason options

Reason	When to use
Not enough information	Missing critical details (date, location, proof link)
Duplicate submission	Event already in the sheet or previously submitted
Event not relevant	Outside OOOC’s coverage area or genre focus
Unable to verify	Proof link broken or event cannot be confirmed
Spam signal	Triggered spam detection flags and looks suspicious
Other	Custom reason (requires text input)

Submission metrics

The metrics grid shows:

Metric	Description
Pending	Current submissions awaiting review
Accepted (7d)	Approvals in the last 7 days
Declined (7d)	Rejections in the last 7 days
Total	All-time submission count

Opening and closing submissions

Toggle the submission endpoint using the Open/Closed switch:

• Open: The public submit form is accessible at /submit
• Closed: The submit endpoint is blocked, returning an error

Use this to:

• Prevent submissions during high-volume periods
• Close submissions for seasonal breaks
• Temporarily disable while handling a backlog

Closing submissions displays a warning banner to admins and blocks the /api/events/submit endpoint completely.

Submission data fields

Required fields

• Event name
• Date (YYYY-MM-DD format)
• Start time (HH:MM format)
• Location
• Host email
• Proof link

Optional fields

• End time
• Genre
• Price (free text)
• Age restrictions
• Indoor/Outdoor
• Arrondissement
• Notes (free text, max 500 characters)

Anti-spam measures

The submission form includes:

Honeypot field

A hidden field that humans shouldn’t fill. Bots often fill all fields, triggering this signal.

Timing check

Submissions completed in under 3 seconds are flagged as completed_too_fast. Legitimate users typically take 10+ seconds.

Fingerprinting

Each submission records:

• Source IP hash
• Email IP hash
• Browser fingerprint hash

This helps identify repeat spam attempts from the same source.

Reviewed submission history

Accepted and declined submissions show:

• Reviewed At: Timestamp of admin decision
• Reviewed By: Admin user who made the decision
• Review Reason: Decline reason (for declined submissions)
• Accepted Event Key: The generated Event Key (for accepted submissions)

Submission settings storage

The Open/Closed setting is stored in:

Store path: /var/data/event-submissions-settings.json

The settings status card shows:

• Provider (file / memory / postgres)
• Location path
• Last updated timestamp and admin user

Best practices

• Review pending submissions daily to provide timely responses to hosts
• Verify proof links by opening them in a new tab before accepting
• Check for duplicates by searching the event sheet for similar events
• Use clear decline reasons to help hosts improve future submissions
• Monitor spam signals but don’t auto-reject based on flags alone
• Close submissions temporarily during event sheet overhauls or migrations
• Respond to hosts directly via email if a submission needs clarification