Writing community guidelines people actually read

Why write them down

Every community has norms. Writing them down does three things: newcomers learn the culture faster, moderators make consistent decisions, and when you do have to remove a post or suspend someone, you’re pointing to a rule everyone could read, not making a personal judgement. That makes moderation far less contentious.

What makes guidelines work

• Say what you want, not just what you don’t. “Search before asking, and give your question a descriptive title” helps more than “No duplicate topics”.
• Be specific to your forum. A buying-and-selling board, spoilers, safety advice or photos of children each need their own rule if they apply.
• Use your community’s voice. Friendly and plain beats legalistic.
• Explain the consequences. Members should know that there’s a warning first, and what leads to a ban.
• Give a way to raise concerns. How to report a post, and how to appeal a decision.

What to include

1. What the forum is for, in one sentence.
2. How to treat each other: disagree with ideas, not people.
3. What isn’t allowed: harassment, hate, illegal content, spam and self-promotion beyond what you allow.
4. Posting in the right place: boards, titles, searching first.
5. Subject-specific rules: safety, spoilers, trading, copyright on photos.
6. Privacy: no posting other people’s personal information.
7. Accounts: one per person; don’t share logins.
8. How moderation works: reports, warnings, suspensions, bans and appeals.

A template to copy and edit

Replace the parts in square brackets and delete anything that doesn’t fit.

Welcome to [forum name]
[Forum name] is a forum for [who] to [do what]. These guidelines keep it
a place people want to post. By posting here you agree to follow them.

1. Be decent. Disagree with ideas, not people. No insults, harassment,
   or hateful content about anyone's identity.
2. Keep it legal. Nothing illegal, and nothing that helps anyone break
   the law. [No pirated material or links to it.]
3. Post in the right place. Use a clear title, pick the board that fits,
   and search before asking. Off-topic chat goes in [board name].
4. No spam or unwanted advertising. [Members with [X] posts may mention
   their own projects in [board name].]
5. Respect privacy. Don't post anyone's personal details, private
   messages or photos of them without their permission.
6. One account each. Don't share your login or create extra accounts.
7. [Subject-specific rule, e.g. "Mark spoilers", "Safety first: say when
   a technique carries risk", or "Trading happens at your own risk".]

How moderation works
If you see something that breaks these guidelines, please use the Report
button rather than replying to it. Moderators usually start with a
friendly note, then a formal warning. Repeated or serious problems can
lead to a suspension or ban. Spam and illegal content are removed
without warning.

Think a decision was wrong? Message [name/role] or email [address]
and we'll look at it again once things have calmed down.

These guidelines may change as the forum grows; changes will be announced
in [announcements board]. Last updated: [date].

Putting them to work

• Pin them in your announcements board and link them from the registration page.
• Point to a specific rule when you moderate: “moved: see rule 3”.
• Apply them to everyone, including long-standing members and friends. Inconsistency does more damage than any single decision.
• Review them once a year, or when the same argument keeps recurring. A new rule is often the answer to a recurring argument.

In the UK, the Online Safety Act may also apply to forums; see the note in moderating a forum. This page isn’t legal advice.