Banning with `delete_message_seconds` doesn't ensure there are no recent messages by user (still happens)

[RiskyMH]

Description

Basically #8243 isn't fully solved yet sadly. While it is better, it overall is actually worse because my double softbanning doesn't solve this new issue. I'm not sure on the reproduction steps this time as it doesn't work in isolation but there is a seemingly growing chance that it will leave a message behind.

This is across different bots and many servers that I've seen this reported. Sorry that I couldn't provide a more useful repo - but this has been reported to me many times and I think it would be best if discord could re look at the logic and improve it again!

Considering that the double banning option (even after some seconds) doesn't work anymore, it leads me to think it's a different kind of race condition but still a bad one.

Thanks again @brad-discord for fixing the main more often issue!

Steps to Reproduce

Ban member with delete_message_seconds

Expected Behavior

No messages left within that time

Current Behavior

A chance that the most recent message stays - albeit a small chance, still a significant one

Screenshots/Videos

No response

Client and System Information

n/a

[maukkis]

I’ve experienced this issue happen multiple times too. Seemingly the banned user can send a message even 5 seconds after the ban atleast from my logging. It definitely is better than what it was as it happens a lot less.

[Rodentman87]

Heyo, just to get some extra info to try to narrow down what might be happening here, does there seem to be any pattern when this happens? For instance does it tend to happen more often at a certain time of day, in certain channels or servers of a certain size, or is there anything else about it that happens with this but not other bans, like the other message deletions taking longer?

[almostSouji]

I've really only seen this happen (way less frequently than stated by OP) with spam bots.
Our spam detection bans the user and we still have 1 or 2 lingering messages that get additional mod pings for cleanup.

My (purely speculative) working theory was that the request was already accepted by the API but delayed or propagation through replicas took longer than usual, so the message fully "arrives" after the user was already banned and cleanup has already happened.

I have never seen this in any circumstance where spam wasn't the trigger so rapid requests at (or maybe even exceeding?) the rate of the enforced rate limit can be assumed.

[RiskyMH]

Yeah, I haven't had too many reports but from one server they have told me it is getting worse. For context ive done 80k bans overall, so it's still very minor. And haven't seen any correlation as of yet.

I don't think its due to server size because my small server has gotten this.

My theory is it could be due to discords own load and maybe things get delayed or skipped.

But as I said earlier, ive tried to manually reproduce this and haven't had any success. The original issue was really easy to repo and as a result see in usage, this is now just minorly annoying as the double ban doesnt appear to work unlike before the fix where i never had any issues with the double. Also it didnt take @maukkis to see this issue after that fix.

Overall, it's not the most important thing, but would be nice for you have a look again through the logic :)

[RiskyMH]

Hi, just checking in on this again.

I’ve been getting quite a few more reports lately and have also seen it happen a few times myself, so it doesn’t seem to be improving. Just wondering if there’s any update on this or if there’s anything I should adjust on my side in the meantime.

[maukkis]

The only update i have about this is that seemingly 3 different bots encountered the issue today (31.5.2026) at UTC 6am to 7am. Could this issue be tied to load or something similar?

[RiskyMH]

Hi @Rodentman87, sorry for ping but this does seem to be getting worse. I'm not sure if it's due to spam activity in discord servers or during a transition time of update, but in a few of my quieter servers I'e seen it fail with 1 left more than fully succeed now (in last few days). There also is many people telling me and other similar bot devs every day about it.

I do find it worthwhile to note that its only ever really one left, and wonder what that implies/suggests with the bug.

[RiskyMH]

I am still getting people mentioning this issue to me very often (and in servers I moderate I see first hand most times my bot is used). I feel like its only getting worse but its hard to say the specifics. I do redirect them here most times, but with the frequency it does seem to be a very reoccurring issue and off-putting side-effect for my bot. I'm assuming the big bots are "safe" from this due to using manual deletes in each channel instead (I heard somewhere ban delete used to be unreliable back in the day).

My current working theory is it's part due to overload or other issues at peak time. Considering these spams happen in decent waves and not spread out evenly in the day, I'm guessing that maybe its easy to be lost behind or this last fix didn't account for some stuff. I haven't found much correlations between the actual time of day or much else though. It's just weird that it tends to be one which suggests to me that it doesn't think there is anymore to delete somehow or that it wasn't properly added as a message in the database yet.

Another idea could be due to them spamming all their servers and channels at once, that maybe its a small LRU cache whereby that message simply is removed already. This doesn't really hold up with assumption of mainly one is left as I see it happen in all sorts of spam where some only did a few channels and others hit all - but generally one managed to remain.

As a last resort I'm considering to make a worker queue to recheck via discord search but it seems a little abusive to api (ie not made for it and could be often): RiskyMH/honeypot#8. It would be amazing to know if this is being worked on and can be fixed shortly so I don't have to go down this path 🙏

_{p.s. this option on timeout would be cool btw :)}