When you are being harassed online, the natural instinct is to block and delete. But messages that disappear can’t be reported, and a report without evidence is easy to dismiss. Good documentation is what turns “someone is bothering me” into a case a platform or the police can act on.

What to capture

For every incident, try to save:

  • a screenshot of the message, comment or post, showing the account name and the date and time,
  • the link to the post, comment or profile (screenshots alone can be disputed),
  • the account’s profile page, because usernames and photos change,
  • context, such as the post the comment was left on, or earlier messages in the thread.

If something is posted as a video or story that will expire, record it with your phone’s screen recorder.

How to store it

  • Keep everything in one folder, with file names that start with the date (for example 2026-11-02-instagram-dm.png).
  • Keep a simple log: date, platform, account, what happened, what you reported, and the reply you got.
  • Back the folder up somewhere other than the device you use for social media.
  • Don’t edit or crop screenshots beyond hiding details of uninvolved people. Original images are more credible.
Ask someone you trust to help. Reading and saving abuse is draining. A friend can do the capturing and logging for you, so you don’t have to look at it all.

Reporting to the platform

Report each piece of content as harassment or bullying, and report the account too. When a platform form lets you add details, refer to your log: “This account has sent 14 messages since 2 October, including threats on 5 and 9 October.” A pattern is taken more seriously than a single message.

If the harasser keeps creating new accounts after being blocked, say so in the report and include the links to each account. That is often treated as ban evasion.

When to involve the police or a lawyer

Contact the police if there are threats of violence, sharing of intimate images, stalking, or demands for money. Bring your log and folder. In many countries, cyber-harassment and the sharing of intimate images without consent are specific offences, and your documentation is what makes a complaint workable.

Protect yourself in the meantime

  • Use the platform’s restrict, limit or hidden words features to reduce what reaches you, rather than only blocking. Restricting keeps the evidence visible to you if you choose to look.
  • Make your accounts private for a while if you need to.
  • Check that your accounts are secure; harassers sometimes attempt takeovers.

Our Impersonation & Harassment service helps people build a clean evidence record and file reports on each platform. If the harasser is also impersonating you, see what to do when someone pretends to be you.

Frequently asked questions

Are screenshots valid evidence?

They are useful, especially together with links, dates and a consistent log. Keep the original files and avoid editing them.

Should I block the harasser?

Save the evidence first. Then blocking, restricting or limiting interactions is fine; restricting can keep messages visible to you for documentation.