nodebb-plugin-chat-perms

Provides tighter control over chats in NodeBB with privacy warnings and keyword monitoring.

Features

• Chat Permission Control: Restrict chat access based on reputation, post count, and group membership
• Admin Chat Viewing: Allow administrators to view any chat room
• Privacy Warning Display: Show configurable warnings to users that management can view chats
• Keyword Alerts: Monitor chat messages for sensitive keywords and notify administrators

Installation

npm install nodebb-plugin-chat-perms

Configuration

Configure the plugin via the CHAT_PERMS_PLUGIN_SETTINGS environment variable as a JSON string:

export CHAT_PERMS_PLUGIN_SETTINGS='{"ADMIN_UIDS":[1,2],"WARNING_ENABLED":true}'

Basic Settings

Setting	Type	Default	Description
ADMIN_UIDS	number[]	[1]	User IDs with admin access to view all chats
ALLOW_CHAT_GROUP	string	"allowChat"	Group name that bypasses chat restrictions
DENY_CHAT_GROUP	string	"denyChat"	Group name that denies chat access
MIN_REPUTATION	number	10	Minimum reputation required to chat
MIN_POSTS	number	5	Minimum posts required to chat
CHAT_NOT_YET_ALLOWED_MESSAGE	string	"CHAT_NOT_YET_ALLOWED_MESSAGE"	Message shown when user doesn't meet requirements
CHAT_DENIED_MESSAGE	string	"CHAT_DENIED_MESSAGE"	Message shown when user is in deny group

Privacy Warning Settings

Display a warning message to users that administrators can view their chat messages.

Setting	Type	Default	Description
WARNING_ENABLED	boolean	false	Enable/disable the privacy warning
WARNING_MESSAGE	string	Hebrew default	Custom warning message text
WARNING_DISPLAY_TYPE	string	"banner"	Display format: "banner", "popup", or "inline"

Example: Enable Privacy Warning

{
  "WARNING_ENABLED": true,
  "WARNING_MESSAGE": "Notice: Chat messages may be viewed by site administrators",
  "WARNING_DISPLAY_TYPE": "banner"
}

Keyword Alert Settings

Monitor chat messages for specific keywords and send notifications to administrators.

Setting	Type	Default	Description
KEYWORD_ALERTS_ENABLED	boolean	false	Enable/disable keyword scanning
KEYWORD_LIST	string[]	[]	List of keywords to monitor (case-insensitive)
ALERT_RECIPIENT_UIDS	number[]	[]	User IDs to receive keyword alerts

Example: Enable Keyword Alerts

{
  "KEYWORD_ALERTS_ENABLED": true,
  "KEYWORD_LIST": ["spam", "abuse", "inappropriate"],
  "ALERT_RECIPIENT_UIDS": [1, 2]
}

When a keyword is detected, administrators receive a notification containing:

• Message content
• Sender username
• Chat room identifier
• Timestamp
• All matched keywords

Full Configuration Example

{
  "ADMIN_UIDS": [1, 2],
  "ALLOW_CHAT_GROUP": "trustedUsers",
  "DENY_CHAT_GROUP": "bannedFromChat",
  "MIN_REPUTATION": 20,
  "MIN_POSTS": 10,
  "CHAT_NOT_YET_ALLOWED_MESSAGE": "You need more reputation to use chat",
  "CHAT_DENIED_MESSAGE": "Your chat access has been revoked",
  "WARNING_ENABLED": true,
  "WARNING_MESSAGE": "Chat messages may be monitored by staff",
  "WARNING_DISPLAY_TYPE": "banner",
  "KEYWORD_ALERTS_ENABLED": true,
  "KEYWORD_LIST": ["spam", "scam", "abuse"],
  "ALERT_RECIPIENT_UIDS": [1]
}

Compatibility

This plugin is compatible with NodeBB version 3.x. The plugin automatically checks compatibility on load and logs a warning if running on an unsupported version.

License

MIT