Using /ignore to manage unwanted messages

Even on well-moderated networks, you may occasionally encounter disruptive users, repetitive spam, or unwanted private messages. Most IRC clients include a built-in /ignore command that allows you to locally filter out messages from specific users or entire hostmasks so they no longer appear in your chat windows.

1. Adding a User or Hostmask to Your Ignore List

You can ignore individuals based on their current nickname or use wildcard matching to block an entire hostmask pattern.

1. Ignoring by Nickname:
2. If someone is spamming you in a private query or channel, you can ignore their current nickname using:

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1. Ignoring by Hostmask (Recommended for Spammers):
2. Because users can easily change their nicknames to evade simple ignores, it is often more effective to ignore their full hostmask pattern using wildcards (*):

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1. or pattern matching like *!*@bad-domain.com.

2. Viewing Your Current Ignore List

If you want to review who or what patterns you currently have silenced, you can list your active filters.

1. How to view it: Type the base ignore command without arguments:

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1. This will print out the active filters currently stored in your client's local configuration.

3. Removing an Ignore

Once a situation has passed or if you added someone by mistake, you can remove the filter to restore their messages.

1. How to remove it: Use the unignore or remove flag depending on your client's syntax (commonly by prefixing with a minus sign or using an explicit remove command):

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1. or

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