comparison.md

Mini-mods vs Moderators

This compares a mini-mod user (all plugin settings enabled) with a Discourse moderator.

Looking for the trust level 4 restrictions instead? They're a separate, optional concern bundled in this plugin — see trust-level-4.md.

Content organization

Ability	Moderator	Mini-mod	Notes
Create/edit/delete categories	All	All	Plugin feature
Create/edit/delete tags	All	All (not tag groups)	Plugin feature
Edit topics (title, content)	All	All visible	Core in moderated categories; plugin extends to all with manage-all
Bulk change topic category	All	All visible	Plugin feature
Reorder categories	Yes	Yes	Plugin feature

Topic moderation

Ability	Moderator	Mini-mod	Notes
Close topics	All	Moderated categories only	Core feature, not extended by plugin
Reopen closed topics	All	Blocked by default	Plugin revokes; opt in via mini_mod_can_reopen_topics
Reply on closed topics	All	Blocked by default	Plugin revokes; opt in via mini_mod_can_post_in_closed_topics
Archive topics	All	Moderated categories only	Core feature
Pin/unpin topics	All	Moderated categories only	Core feature
Unlist/relist topics	All	Moderated categories only	Core feature
Split/merge topics	All	Moderated categories only	Core feature
Move posts	All	Moderated categories only	Core feature
Delete topics/posts	Yes	No
Lock posts	Yes	No
Edit staff notes	All	Moderated categories only	Core feature
Convert topic to/from PM	Yes	No

manage_all_categories does not extend these core moderation abilities beyond moderated categories.

User management

Ability	Moderator	Mini-mod
Suspend users	Yes	No
Silence users	Yes	No
Send official warnings	Yes	No
Approve/reject users	Yes	No
Anonymize users	Yes	No
View user emails/IPs	Yes	No
View user activity in detail	Yes	No

Site administration

Ability	Moderator	Mini-mod
Access admin panel	Yes	No
Review queue / manage flags	Yes	No
View deleted content	Yes	No
Manage tag groups	Yes	No
View staff action logs	Yes	No
Manage site settings	No (admin only)	No

Summary

Mini-mods are content organizers — they can manage categories, tags, and move topics around. Moderators are rule enforcers — they can manage users, handle flags, and take disciplinary action. The plugin bridges the gap for teams that need people organizing content without giving them full moderation power.