Discord Fest Live Ops P0 Moderation Webhook Not Firing After Thread Rename - How to Fix

Problem: During February 2027 Steam Next Fest live week, facilitators post P0 keywords (refund, crash, chargeback) in #playtest or a renamed thread, fest_live_moderation_ok on BUILD_RECEIPT is true, but the #fest-ops webhook never delivers. AutoMod may alert; pager sees nothing in the ops channel within the 15-minute community→pager SLA from the moderation listicle.

Who is affected now: Construct and HTML5 teams running the Construct webhook preflight (Guide #39) beside Tuesday CSV jq ingest. Thread rename, archive, or webhook rotation mid-fest breaks routing without updating fest_moderation_webhook_receipt_v1.json. This is live ops webhook routing, not CSV encoding failure or GitHub 422 Whisper bodies.

Fastest safe fix: Confirm DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL env var resolves → run synthetic P0 curl test to #fest-ops → reconcile p0_keyword_map_v1.json AutoMod rule IDs → refresh fest_moderation_webhook_receipt_v1.json → crosswalk facilitator_roster_v1.json discord_oncall for current fest day → set fest_moderation_webhook_ok: true on BUILD_RECEIPT.

Direct answer

Silent webhook after thread rename almost always means the webhook URL or AutoMod rule binding drifted—not that moderators forgot templates. Discord does not auto-update third-party webhook targets when threads move. Re-lock the URL in env/secret (never git), re-map P0 keywords to current AutoMod rule IDs, send one preflight test ping, and file receipt fest_moderation_webhook_ok: true before the next pager handoff.

Why this issue spikes in February 2027 live week

1. Thread churn — Facilitators rename #playtest-feb-d2 → #playtest mid-fest; AutoMod rules still point at old channel IDs.
2. Webhook rotation — Discord invalidates tokens when webhook is deleted/recreated on wrong channel.
3. Roster handoffs — D2 discord_oncall changes but receipt still lists D1 on-call + old mention_role_id.
4. Receipt false GREEN — Pre-D1 fest_moderation_webhook_ok never re-tested after rename (M4 skipped).
5. CSV vs live lane confusion — Tuesday CSV ingest GREEN does not prove webhook GREEN—parallel gates.

Symptoms and search phrases

• P0 player message in thread; no embed in #fest-ops within 60 s.
• curl test returns 401 or 404 against stored webhook URL.
• AutoMod does flag keyword; webhook integration does not fire.
• fest_moderation_webhook_ok: true on BUILD_RECEIPT but last ping timestamp before thread rename.
• Bot missing Send Messages on archive or #fest-ops after permission reset.
• p0_keyword_map_v1.json rule IDs do not match Discord Server Settings → AutoMod.
• Facilitator roster shows green; discord_oncall empty for current fest day.

Root causes (check in order)

1. Webhook URL stale — token rotated, channel deleted, or URL copied from wrong server.
2. Thread/channel ID drift — AutoMod rule scoped to pre-rename channel.
3. p0_keyword_map_v1.json rule ID mismatch — rule recreated; map not updated.
4. Env var missing on handoff laptop — pager machine lacks DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL.
5. Roster crosswalk stale — mention_role_id points at role with zero members.
6. Webhook URL in git — rotated for security; CI/local env not updated.
7. Wrong cousin receipt — team fixed fest_live_moderation_receipt templates but not webhook receipt.

Beginner path (first 15 minutes)

Prerequisites: Discord Manage Webhooks on #fest-ops, moderation listicle M1–M3 done, access to release-evidence/ops/.

1. Open #fest-ops → confirm webhook integration exists (Integrations → Webhooks).
2. Copy fresh URL → set DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL in .env.local (never commit).
3. Run test ping (Step 2 below)—message must appear in #fest-ops.
4. Open AutoMod → verify P0 keywords still match p0_keyword_map_v1.json.
5. Update fest_moderation_webhook_receipt_v1.json → set fest_moderation_webhook_ok: true → bump BUILD_RECEIPT.

Common mistake: Renaming the thread only—AutoMod rules are channel-scoped, not thread-title-scoped.

Fastest safe fix path

Step 1 — Verify env lock (M2)

PowerShell:

if (-not $env:DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL) { throw "Webhook env missing — set DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL" }
$env:DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL -match '^https://discord\.com/api/webhooks/\d+/'

Pass: pattern matches. Fail: recreate webhook on #fest-ops → update secret ref in receipt "webhook_secret_ref": "env:DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL".

Step 2 — Synthetic P0 test ping (M4)

curl -sS -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "username": "Fest-P0-Escalation",
    "content": "[RECOVERY] P0 keyword map test after thread rename — build_label=fest-demo-2027-02-rc1",
    "allowed_mentions": { "parse": [] }
  }' \
  "$DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL"

Pass: HTTP 204 or 200; message visible in #fest-ops within 60 s.
Fail 401/404: rotate webhook (Discord → delete old → create on #fest-ops) → update env → retry.

Step 3 — Refresh P0 keyword map (M3)

After thread rename, open Server Settings → AutoMod → Rules and copy current rule IDs into release-evidence/ops/p0_keyword_map_v1.json:

{
  "schema": "p0_keyword_map_v1",
  "terms": [
    { "keyword": "refund", "automod_rule_id": "NEW_RULE_ID", "severity": "P0" },
    { "keyword": "crash", "automod_rule_id": "NEW_RULE_ID", "severity": "P0" }
  ],
  "case_insensitive": true
}

Verify:

jq -e '.terms | length >= 5' release-evidence/ops/p0_keyword_map_v1.json

Step 4 — Crosswalk facilitator roster (M5)

ROSTER="release-evidence/ops/facilitator_roster_v1.json"
jq -e --arg day "D2" \
  '.facilitators[] | select(.fest_day == $day) | .discord_oncall != ""' "$ROSTER"

Update receipt roster_crosswalk.fest_day, discord_oncall, and mention_role_id for current fest day after handoff.

Step 5 — File recovery receipt (M6)

Refresh release-evidence/ops/FEST_MODERATION_WEBHOOK_RECEIPT.json:

{
  "schema": "fest_moderation_webhook_receipt_v1",
  "fest_window": "2027-02-next-fest-live",
  "webhook_secret_ref": "env:DISCORD_FEST_OPS_WEBHOOK_URL",
  "webhook_channel": "#fest-ops",
  "recovery_reason": "thread_rename_d2",
  "test_ping": { "http_status": 204, "sent_utc": "2027-02-23T09:15:00Z" },
  "gates": {
    "M2_webhook_url_lock": "pass",
    "M3_p0_keyword_map": "pass",
    "M4_test_ping": "pass",
    "M5_roster_crosswalk": "pass",
    "M6_receipt": "pass"
  },
  "fest_moderation_webhook_ok": true
}

BUILD_RECEIPT:

"fest_moderation_webhook_ok": true,
"fest_mod_webhook_last_ping_utc": "2027-02-23T09:15:00Z"

Run verify script from Guide #39 before closing incident.

Verification

Thursday row review — diff fest_mod_webhook_last_ping_utc beside fest_live_moderation_ok.

Alternative fixes (edge cases)

Branch A — AutoMod fires, webhook silent

AutoMod alert action may post to a different channel than your ops webhook. Align AutoMod send alert channel with #fest-ops or add Zapier bridge (listicle Tool 12)—then re-run M4.

Branch B — Thread rename only (forum channel)

For forum threads, AutoMod rules on the parent forum channel still apply—but webhook test must target #fest-ops, not the thread. Do not recreate webhook inside the thread unless that is your documented ops design.

Branch C — Bot permission loss after server boost change

Re-check bot role: View Channel, Send Messages, Embed Links on #fest-ops. Missing Manage Webhooks blocks URL rotation—use admin account for M2.

Branch D — Mid-fest roster swap

Follow listicle mid-fest roster change protocol: update roster JSON → bump fest_mod_webhook_roster_sha256 → re-run M5 only (skip full M1 if listicle cousin still GREEN).

Prevention

• Run Guide #39 preflight before D1 and after any thread rename.
• Pin fest_mod_webhook_last_ping_utc on BUILD_RECEIPT; nightly pager diff during 5-night challenge.
• Document “no rename without ops ping” in facilitator README.
• Keep webhook URL in env/secret only—never Construct export or public repo.
• Separate CSV jq checks from webhook checks on BUILD_RECEIPT—both columns required.

Comparison — three Discord fest lanes

Related GamineAI reads

• Construct Discord fest webhook preflight (Guide #39) — M1–M6 gates + fest_moderation_webhook_receipt_v1.json
• 14 free February fest live ops moderation tools — full M1–M6 stack + escalation ladder
• Tuesday Discord CSV ingest ritual — pre-live structured export cousin
• February live week timebox — community cap + handoff windows
• 5-night pager challenge — nightly BUILD_RECEIPT diffs
• Lesson 206 — facilitator contract
• Official: Discord webhook docs

FAQ

Is this the same as AutoMod not working?
AutoMod can flag while webhook stays silent—fix URL + map + channel, not templates alone.

Do we rerun the full moderation listicle?
If fest_live_moderation_ok still true, rerun webhook preflight M2–M6 only; if templates/roster broke too, rerun listicle M1–M6.

Can we use the same webhook for Steam pin mirrors?
Yes for Tool 12—but P0 escalation must hit #fest-ops with distinct username Fest-P0-Escalation for searchability.

Thread rename vs new channel?
New channel requires new webhook + AutoMod scope update. Rename usually keeps channel ID—check rule scope anyway.

What ships in Resource #36?
Tool bookmarks for bots/webhooks—this help owns recovery after rename; listicle owns policy.

Bookmark this fix before D2 handoff—silent P0 routing is how refund threads miss pager SLA.