Catch marketplace scams before your buyers do
On a marketplace the dangerous content is rarely profanity. It is the gift card lure in a private message, the seller steering buyers off-platform, the paid review ring. The marketplace policy focuses on commerce abuse and leaves ordinary selling alone.
500 free requests every month · No card to start
Commerce abuse is its own category of problem
A scam costs you twice
A scammed buyer files a chargeback and never comes back. Payment lures and phishing in messages get blocked before money moves.
Off-platform steering kills protections
"Pay me directly and skip the fees" removes buyer protection along with your revenue. The policy treats steering as commerce abuse and routes it to your review queue, not as normal negotiation.
Promotion is not spam
On a marketplace, selling is the point. Spam means manipulative or repetitive promotion, so sellers doing normal commerce are not punished for it.
What a verdict looks like
The marketplace policy watches listings, reviews, and buyer-seller messages for the abuse patterns that actually cost you money.
“Congratulations, you won our iPhone giveaway! To claim it, just cover the $20 shipping with an Apple gift card and message me the code.”
A prize-lure scam asking for payment in untraceable gift card codes.
“I can do $40 if we skip the app and its fees. PayPal friends and family only, message me your number.”
Steers the transaction off-platform to a payment method without buyer protection, a common marketplace scam tactic.
Flagged rather than auto-blocked: borderline commerce abuse goes to your review queue, and your team makes the final call.
“Brand new in box, $40 or best offer. Check my other listings if you want a bundle deal.”
Straightforward commerce: a seller listing an item and cross-promoting other listings is normal and expected on a marketplace.
The whole integration
Send a POST with your API key, the content, and optional context. You get structured JSON back with the verdict, categories, and a reason. That is the entire integration.
$ curl https://api.moderatehq.com/v1/moderate/text \
-H "x-api-key: $MODERATEHQ_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"content": "I can do $40 if we skip the app and its fees. PayPal friends and family only.",
"policy": "marketplace",
"context": {
"platform": "my-marketplace",
"channelType": "buyer-seller message"
}
}'What the marketplace policy covers
For e-commerce listings, product reviews, and buyer-seller messaging. Focus on commerce abuse: scams, payment lures, steering off-platform to avoid protections, counterfeit or illegal goods, and review manipulation. Ordinary commercial promotion is expected on a marketplace: spam means manipulative or repetitive promotion, not selling.
The full catalog, including the platform safety floor enforced on every request, is on the policies page and available programmatically without a key.
Frequently asked questions
Which surfaces should I moderate?
Listings, reviews, and buyer-seller messages are the usual three. Each is one request; pass the surface in the context (for example a channelType of "product review") so the same words are judged for where they appear.
Will sellers get punished for promoting their products?
No. The policy is explicit that ordinary commercial promotion is expected on a marketplace. Spam means manipulative or repetitive promotion, review manipulation, and engagement bait, not selling.
Can it help with review manipulation?
Incentivised-review offers and review-swap solicitations fall under commerce abuse. Send the review text or the message making the offer and act on the verdict; anything borderline is flagged for your team to review.
Make the scammers work somewhere else
Create an account, grab your API key, and send your first listing or message with the marketplace policy. The free tier needs no card.
Get started free