---
title: /lockdown
description: Lock or unlock channels.
---
## Overview

`/lockdown` locks specific channels or the entire server by denying **Send Messages** and **Add Reactions** to @everyone. Locks stay in place until you unlock them, there's no automatic expiry.

## Required Permissions

- **Administrator**

## Subcommands

### channel

| Option | Required | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| `channel` | Yes | Channel to lock |
| `reason` | No | Reason for lockdown |
| `announce` | No | Post a public announcement in the locked channel |

Locks a single channel and adds it to the server's list of BetterAntiSpam-locked channels.

### server

| Option | Required | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| `reason` | No | Reason for lockdown |
| `exceptions` | No | Channel IDs to exclude, comma-separated |
| `announce` | No | Post a public announcement in every newly locked channel |

Locks every text channel except those in `exceptions`. Replaces the server's tracked lock list with the channels just locked.

### unlock

| Option | Required | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| `channel` | Yes | Channel to unlock |
| `announce_unlock` | No | Post a public unlock announcement in the channel |

Unlocks a single channel. If the channel isn't in BetterAntiSpam's tracked lock list, it replies with the list of locked channels instead of making a change.

### unlockall

| Option | Required | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| `announce_unlock` | No | Post a public unlock announcement in every unlocked channel |

Unlocks every channel in the tracked lock list and clears it.

## Behavior

- `channel` adds to the server's existing lock list; `server` replaces it, so running `server` after locking individual channels resets which channels BetterAntiSpam considers locked.
- Announcements post an embed in the affected channel and are logged to the server log category.