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Getting Started for Admins

Welcome to the BookWish admin guide. This document covers the essential tasks and features available to platform administrators.

Admin Access​

Admin accounts have elevated privileges to manage the BookWish platform. Admin access is granted by the platform owners and cannot be self-assigned.

Identifying Admin Access​

When logged in with an admin account:

  • Your account tier shows as "BookWish Admin"
  • You have access to admin-only features in Settings
  • You can see moderation and verification tools

Admin Dashboard Overview​

Admin functionality is integrated throughout the BookWish app, with most admin tools accessible through the Settings overlay.

Accessing Admin Tools​

  1. Tap your profile avatar (top-right)
  2. Tap Settings
  3. Admin-specific sections appear in the settings menu

Key Admin Sections​

The main admin areas you'll work with:

  • Moderation Queue: Review reported content
  • Store Verification: Approve bookstore accounts and custom domains
  • User Management: Manage user accounts and permissions
  • Platform Analytics: View system-wide statistics and health metrics

Content Moderation​

As an admin, you're responsible for reviewing reported content and maintaining community standards.

Moderation Queue​

Access the moderation queue to review flagged content:

Types of Content to Moderate:

  • Lines: User posts about books
  • Reviews: Full book reviews with ratings
  • User Profiles: Reported usernames, avatars, or profile information
  • Store Profiles: Reported store information or images

Reviewing Reported Content​

When viewing reported content:

  1. Read the Report: See why the content was flagged
  2. Review the Content: Assess if it violates community guidelines
  3. Check User History: See if this is a repeat offender
  4. Take Action:
    • Dismiss: No action needed, report was unfounded
    • Remove Content: Delete the offending post/review
    • Warn User: Send a warning without removing content
    • Suspend User: Temporarily restrict account access
    • Ban User: Permanently ban the account

Moderation Guidelines​

When moderating content, consider:

  • Relevance: Is the content about books and reading?
  • Civility: Does it maintain respectful discourse?
  • Accuracy: Are store details and book information accurate?
  • Safety: Does it contain harmful, dangerous, or illegal content?
  • Spam: Is it promotional spam or bot-generated?

Taking Moderation Actions​

To moderate content:

  1. Navigate to the reported item
  2. Tap the Admin Actions button
  3. Select the appropriate action
  4. Add a note explaining your decision (required for user-facing actions)
  5. Confirm the action

Users receive notifications of moderation actions taken against their content.

Store Verification​

Admins verify bookstore accounts to ensure they're legitimate businesses.

Store Verification Process​

New bookstore accounts require verification:

  1. Review Store Details:

    • Verify store name matches a real bookstore
    • Check address is valid
    • Review contact information
    • Assess store description and photos

  2. External Verification:

    • Search for the store online
    • Verify business exists at the provided address
    • Check for online presence (website, social media)

  3. Approve or Reject:

    • Approve: Store account is activated
    • Reject: Request more information or deny if illegitimate
    • Request Changes: Ask store owner to update information

Custom Domain Verification​

Bookstores can request custom domains (e.g., www.theirbookstore.com):

  1. Review Domain Request:

    • Check domain matches store name/brand
    • Verify DNS records are configured correctly
    • Ensure domain is not already in use

  2. Verify DNS Configuration:

    • Review the CNAME or A records
    • Confirm they point to BookWish infrastructure
    • Test domain resolution

  3. Approve or Reject:

    • Approve: Domain goes live
    • Reject: Provide reason and next steps

Store Verification Queue​

Access pending verifications:

  1. Go to Settings (admin account)
  2. Tap Store Verification
  3. Review pending stores and domains
  4. Take appropriate action on each item

User Management​

Admins can manage user accounts across the platform.

User Account Actions​

Available actions on user accounts:

  • View Full Profile: See all user activity and history
  • Reset Password: Force password reset on next login
  • Change Tier: Upgrade/downgrade account tier
  • Suspend Account: Temporarily disable account access
  • Delete Account: Permanently remove account (use with extreme caution)
  • Review Activity: See user's posts, reviews, and interactions

Managing Problematic Users​

For users with multiple violations:

  1. Review Violation History: Check past moderation actions
  2. Escalate Appropriately:
    • First offense: Warning
    • Second offense: 7-day suspension
    • Third offense: 30-day suspension
    • Continued violations: Permanent ban
  3. Document Decisions: Add notes to user account

Account Upgrades and Downgrades​

To change a user's account tier:

  1. Find the user's profile
  2. Tap Admin Actions
  3. Select Change Account Tier
  4. Choose new tier:
    • Free
    • Premium
    • Bookstore
    • Admin
  5. Add reason for change
  6. Confirm

Platform Monitoring​

Admins should regularly monitor platform health and activity.

Key Metrics to Track​

Check these metrics regularly:

  • Active Users: Daily and monthly active user counts
  • Content Volume: Lines, reviews, and other content posted
  • Store Activity: Number of active bookstores, sales volume
  • Reports: Number and types of content reports
  • System Health: API performance, error rates

Analytics Access​

View platform analytics:

  1. Settings → Platform Analytics (admin only)
  2. Review dashboards for:
    • User growth trends
    • Content engagement
    • Store performance
    • Geographic distribution
    • Popular books and genres

Responding to Issues​

If you notice concerning patterns:

  • Spike in Reports: May indicate coordinated abuse or system issue
  • Drop in Activity: Could signal technical problems or user experience issues
  • Store Complaints: May need to review store verification process
  • Performance Issues: Escalate to technical team

Best Practices​

Daily Admin Tasks​

  • Check moderation queue (aim for less than 24 hour response time)
  • Review store verification requests
  • Monitor high-priority reports
  • Check platform health metrics

Weekly Admin Tasks​

  • Review user management actions
  • Analyze moderation trends
  • Verify custom domain requests
  • Review platform analytics

Communication​

  • Be Clear: When taking moderation actions, explain why
  • Be Consistent: Apply rules uniformly across all users
  • Be Responsive: Address reports and verification requests promptly
  • Be Professional: Maintain neutral, professional tone in all communications

Documentation​

Always document:

  • Reasons for moderation actions
  • Verification decisions
  • User management changes
  • Pattern observations

Good documentation helps with:

  • Appeals process
  • Consistency across admin team
  • Pattern identification
  • Legal compliance

Admin Permissions​

Different admin roles may have different permissions:

Super Admin​

  • Full platform access
  • Can manage other admins
  • Access to all tools and features
  • Can make irreversible changes

Content Moderator​

  • Access to moderation queue
  • Can remove content and warn users
  • Cannot ban users or delete accounts
  • Limited user management

Store Verifier​

  • Access to store verification queue
  • Can approve/reject stores and domains
  • Cannot moderate user content
  • Limited to store-related tasks

Analytics Viewer​

  • Read-only access to platform analytics
  • Cannot take moderation actions
  • Cannot manage users
  • View-only permissions

Emergency Procedures​

Coordinated Abuse​

If you detect coordinated abuse (spam bots, harassment campaigns):

  1. Identify affected content/users
  2. Use bulk moderation tools if available
  3. Temporarily increase reporting threshold
  4. Escalate to platform owner
  5. Document the incident

Store Fraud​

If a bookstore appears to be fraudulent:

  1. Immediately suspend the store account
  2. Review all recent transactions
  3. Contact affected customers
  4. Document evidence
  5. Report to appropriate authorities if needed

Data Breach Reports​

If a user reports a data breach:

  1. Do not dismiss - treat seriously
  2. Immediately escalate to technical team
  3. Document the report
  4. Follow company security protocols
  5. Maintain communication with reporter

Support and Escalation​

When to Escalate​

Escalate issues to the platform owner when:

  • Legal concerns arise
  • Decisions exceed your permission level
  • Technical issues require engineering intervention
  • Policy decisions are needed
  • High-profile accounts are involved

Getting Help​

  • Admin Documentation: This guide and related admin docs
  • Admin Slack/Discord: Real-time support from other admins
  • Platform Owner: For escalations and policy questions
  • Technical Team: For system issues and bugs

Next Steps​

As a new admin:

  1. Familiarize with Community Guidelines: Understand what content is acceptable
  2. Review Moderation Examples: Learn from past moderation decisions
  3. Start with Low-Priority Items: Build experience before tackling complex cases
  4. Ask Questions: Don't hesitate to escalate or ask for guidance
  5. Monitor Daily: Check the queues regularly to stay on top of issues

Need Help?​

  • View the FAQ for common questions
  • Contact other admins through your admin communication channel
  • Escalate to platform owner for policy questions
  • Review the full Admin Guide for detailed procedures