Community Guidelines and Rules: How to Write Clear and Engaging Policies

Community guidelines and rules set clear expectations, protect members, and shape culture. This guide will show you how to define behavior standards, link them to your community’s mission, align them with privacy policies, and make them part of your onboarding. Let’s start with the basics.

Why Clear Standards Make or Break a Community?

Rules are not about control - they are about creating a safe space where trust can grow. When people have a clear knowledge of what’s allowed, they are more likely to engage, contribute and help others.

Why it matters:

Trust: Members feel secure and know what to expect.
Clarity: New members onboard smoothly, long-time members stay aligned.
Growth: A healthy community draws new members organically.

How to Write Community Guidelines that Actually Work?

Effective community guidelines and rules are simple, direct and tied to your purpose. Here’s how to draft them right:

1. Start with Your Mission

Ask: What is this community for?

If your mission is “help indie game developers learn”, then your rules should foster learning and sharing - not just chit-chat.

2. Define Core Rules

Keep it right. Use plain language and explain why each rule matters.

Example:

No hate speech or harassment
We are here to help each other, not hurt. Respect different opinions and backgrounds

3. Provide Examples

Help members visualize right vs. wrong

+----------------+--------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Rule           | Good                                       | Bad                                     |
+----------------+--------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| No spam        | "Check out this useful tutorial I wrote"   | "Buy followers here 👉 link"            |
| Stay on topic  | "What game engine do you use?"             | "Anyone here like pizza?"               |
+----------------+--------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+

Link Guidelines to Legal and Privacy Policies

Don’t forget: your community exists with a broader legal and ethical framework.

What to include:

Link to your Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Declare how user data is collected and stored
Add a clause: By participating, you agree to these guidelines and our platform terms.

This alignment ensures your community is not only safe, but also legally sound.

Important: Make Guidelines a Part of Member Onboarding

A great community starts with a clear welcome. Your guidelines should be part of the very first experience.

Ways to integrate:

Checkbox at sign-up: “I agree to follow the community rules.”
Welcome email: Highlight top 3 expectations.
First-post reminder: Before someone clicks “Publish,” show a short reminder about respectful communication.

This small touch prevents future issues and reduces moderation effort.

Recommended Reading: Community Moderation Guide.

Moderate Fairly and Transparently

Even with clear rules, issues will come up. The key is consistent, fair enforcement.

Your 4-step moderation flow:

Report: Let members flag content in one click
Review: Moderators assess in context, using a shared playbook
Respond: Choose from warning, mute, or removal
Appeal: Members can challenge a decision within 48 hours

Tip: Keep an internal moderation log so you can spot patterns, avoid bias, and track repeat offenders.

Recommended Reading: Permanent Vs. Temporary User Ban

Build an Inclusive, Accessible Environment

Your guidelines should make space for everyone - not just the loudest members.

What to include:

A clear anti-discrimination rule (e.g., “We welcome all backgrounds, genders, and cultures”)
Encourage inclusive language (“Say ‘folks’ instead of ‘guys’”)
Require alt-text for images and captions for videos
Offer translations or summaries if your audience is global

Bonus: Appoint community ambassadors from underrepresented groups.

Where and How to Share Your Code of Conduct

It’s not enough to write your rules. You need to put them where people will see them.

Places to share your community standards:

Sidebar of your forum
Pinned post in your main channel
Dedicated “Rules” or “Start Here” page
Welcome email or onboarding message
Mentioned during events, webinars, or AMAs

Moderation hack: When warning users, quote the specific rule they broke. It builds fairness and reinforces the standards.

Example Template for Community Guidelines

Here’s a ready-to-copy community rulebook. Customize as needed.

Welcome to [Community Name]

We’re here to share ideas, support each other, and grow together. Please follow these simple rules:

Be respectful
Disagree with ideas, not people. Avoid hate, harassment, or bullying.
Stay on topic
Keep conversations relevant to our focus.
No spam or self-promo
Share only when it's helpful and allowed.
Respect privacy
Don’t share personal details—yours or others’.
Use inclusive language
Everyone should feel welcome.

Enforcement:
We may issue warnings, temporary mutes, or bans. You can appeal any action within 48 hours via [email/contact].

Last updated: [Date]

Handling Edge Cases and Common Sense Violations

No ruleset covers everything. That’s why it’s smart to include a catch-all rule:

Use good judgment. If you’re not sure something is okay, ask a moderator first.

This lets you handle gray areas without adding complexity to your main list.

Keep Evolving: Measure and Improve Your Guidelines

Your community changes. Your rules should too. Review your guidelines and rules at least once every year.

What to track:

Number of reports
Feedback from new users
Successful vs. failed appeals
Participation and post quality before/after updates

Each community is different. If you need help reviewing your community guidelines, we are happy to help. Comment below or contact us through our contact us page.