# Lightweight User Moderation with Slack and AWS Cognito

DevFeed: [Lightweight User Moderation with Slack and AWS Cognito](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/lightweight-user-moderation-with-slack-and-aws-cognito-35069.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://medium.com/gumgum-tech/lightweight-user-moderation-with-slack-and-aws-cognito-7b3bd185d25d?source=rss----d4c1dee0f87b---4>)

Author: Mauricio Massaia

Published: 2025-05-20T23:39:54Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [GumGum](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/gumgum.md>)

Topics: [Slack](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/slack.md>), [web applications](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/web-applications.md>), [Users](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/users.md>)

Tags: [account](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/account.md>), [application](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/application.md>), [aws](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/aws.md>), [email](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/email.md>), [management](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/management.md>), [onboarding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/onboarding.md>), [real-time](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/real-time.md>), [slack](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/slack.md>), [test](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/test.md>), [testing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/testing.md>), [users](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/users.md>), [web](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/web.md>), [web-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/web-development.md>), [workflow](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/workflow.md>)

## AI overview

This article describes how Creative Studio replaced email-based user approval with Slack integration during its closed alpha testing phase. The system used a private Slack channel and interactive components to give authorized moderators real-time visibility and control over approving, rejecting, and updating user access.

## Source excerpt

We are building a web application to make a single and consistent way for our designers to build ad creatives with a seamless workflow from Photoshop to animated HTML, accounting for cropping, uploading, applying effects and making their lives easier. As we prepared to launch Creative Studio in a closed alpha testing phase -- where access was limited to a select group of users -- we recognized the importance of having a reliable user moderation process in place. In this invite-only environment, every new user account had to be reviewed and approved to maintain control over who could access and test the platform. In our previous tool, this moderation process was handled via email. When someone signed up, an email would be sent to a small group of administrators. These team members had to manually review each request and decide whether to approve it. This workflow quickly proved to be inefficient, especially with users signing up across different time zones. The responsible admin might miss the email, and days could pass without any feedback reaching the user. Often, frustrated users had to send follow-up emails to report the issue, which would then escalate and require IT support to resolve. Learning from that experience, we knew Creative Studio needed a more efficient and transparent system. Slack integration offered a smarter and more streamlined solution, giving us real-time visibility and control over the user onboarding process without building a full-scale user management system. User Moderation Challenges Previously, user moderation faced several critical issues due to the reliance on manual email checks: Manual Approval Process: Only a few team members had access to the moderation email. User approvals were frequently overlooked, causing significant delays. No Rejection Mechanism: There was no clear method for explicitly rejecting users, leaving many uncertain about their status. Difficulty Managing Approvals: Adjusting user statuses once set was cumbersome and