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Sometimes a channel needs to go quiet — fast. Whether you’re defusing a heated argument, setting up an announcement, or just giving your community a breather, /lock puts the brakes on member messages with a single command.

Description

The /lock command restricts the Send Messages permission for the @everyone role in the target channel, preventing regular members from posting. Moderators and other roles with explicit permission overrides are unaffected and can continue to communicate in the channel. The lock and any provided reason are logged by Burger Bot. Use /unlock to restore normal messaging when you’re ready.

Usage

/lock #general Cooling down after heated discussion

Parameters

channel
channel
The channel you want to lock. Accepts a #channel mention. Defaults to the channel where the command is run if not specified.
reason
string
A brief explanation for why the channel is being locked. Saved to Burger Bot’s moderation log. Consider also posting the reason as a message in the channel so members understand what’s happening.

Permissions Required

RoleAccess
Moderator or higher✅ Can lock channels
Regular members❌ No access

Example Usage

Lock the current channel:
/lock
Lock the current channel with a reason:
/lock Cooling down after a heated discussion
Lock a specific channel:
/lock #general Maintenance — back shortly
Lock a specific channel with a reason:
/lock #off-topic Locking while we update the channel rules
Before locking a channel, consider sending a brief message explaining why — members are far less likely to push back when they understand the reason. Something as simple as “Locking this channel briefly while moderators review a situation” goes a long way toward keeping trust high.
/lock modifies permission overwrites for @everyone in the target channel. If your server has custom roles with explicit Send Messages permissions in that channel, those members will still be able to post. Review your channel’s permission overrides if you need a full lock-down.