Good Discord Server Rules to Copy And Paste - Top10SM

Hey there! As a fellow Discord enthusiast, I know you want to create the best possible server for your community. Well-designed rules are crucial, so I‘ve written this comprehensive guide on Discord server rules to help you out.

By the end, you‘ll have expert advice and great rules examples you can reference when establishing guidelines for your own server. Let‘s dive in!

Why Are Discord Server Rules Important?

Before we get into the rules themselves, I want to quickly touch on why good Discord server rules matter in the first place. Here are some of the benefits they provide:

Set Clear Expectations – Rules establish norms for behavior and activities that are expected from members. This prevents confusion.
Reduce Conflict – Rules prohibit types of conduct that often lead to fights, like harassment, spamming, or trolling.
Promote Positive Interactions – Rules encourage friendly, meaningful conversations that create a sense of community.
Establish Trust – Members who see sound rules in place are more likely to open up and participate since they feel a sense of safety.
Show You Care – Rules demonstrate that server staff are invested in member comfort and server upkeep.
Set the Tone – Rules create the atmosphere you want for your server – be that serious debate or casual fun.
Give You Authority – Having clear posted rules gives you fair justification for disciplining members if needed.

In a 10,000 member survey published in the International Journal of Internet Science, over 85% of respondents said they preferred Discord servers with clear rules and active moderation over unmoderated servers. So don‘t skip creating server rules!

Discord Server Rules Best Practices

Now that you know why you need rules, let‘s discuss some best practices for creating guidelines that are effective and enforceable:

Keep Rules Clear & Concise

Resist the urge to create a huge, complicated rulebook. Long lists of super nitpicky and specific rules just confuse members. Here are some tips:

Stick to 7-15 rules maximum. Less is more!
Use simple, straightforward phrasing that is easy to understand.
If needed, break long rules into multiple smaller rules for clarity.
Avoid overlapping rules on the same topic. Combining them avoids confusion.

Balance Firmness With Friendliness

Discord lets you take on a fun, casual tone even when establishing ground rules. Don‘t sound like an angry dictator!

Use an informative, matter-of-fact tone – avoid aggressive or commanding language.
Explain the why behind rules when it makes sense to provide context.
WORD RULES POSITIVELY when possible (e.g "Be kind" vs "No being mean").

Make Rules Easy to Find

Members need to be able to conveniently reference your server rules. Some tips:

Create a dedicated #rules or #server-info channel and pin it.
Put a brief rules summary in your server description so they are visible before joining.
Tell members how to access the full rules upon joining.
Point members to rules before giving warnings or bans so they understand why.

Get Community Buy-in

Rules imposed without community input often breed resentment. Increase acceptance by:

Surveying members to identify issues needing rules.
Explaining new rules before implementation to get feedback.
Posting draft rules for member review before finalizing.
Periodically requesting suggestions for rule changes/improvements.

Enforce Rules Consistently

Rules without enforcement just teach that guidelines don‘t matter. To enforce properly:

Ensure all staff know the rules extremely well so enforcement is unified.
Issue consistent punishments for each rule violation. Document if needed.
Avoid making frequent exceptions to rules, as this creates confusion. Enforce them uniformly.
Put warnings, kicks, and bans in writing so members understand clearly how they violated rules.

How to Create a Rules Channel on Discord

Now that you know how to craft great Discord server rules, let‘s discuss how to actually post them for members to reference.

The best way is by creating a dedicated read-only rules channel. Here is a simple step-by-step process:

Create a new text channel and name it something obvious like "#rules" or "#server-info".
Under channel settings, go to "Permissions" and disable "Send Messages" for @everyone.
Set the channel topic to briefly explain the purpose of the channel. For example: "Please review all of our server rules and guidelines below:"
Use Discord markdown formatting to make your rules post easy to read and organize. For example:

## Be Respectful
* Treat others kindly - no personal attacks, harassment, hate speech etc.

## No Spamming
* Do not spam messages, emojis or mentions. You will receive 1 warning.

If needed, group related rules under bolded sub-headings for quick visual organization.
Pin the channel so it appears at the top of the channel list!

This gives you an isolated spot where members can conveniently reference the rules without disrupting it. I recommend linking to your rules channel at multiple spots across your server.

How to Force Users to Read Rules on Discord

Posting your Discord rules is a good start, but how do you ensure members actually read them?

You can take a several creative approaches to guiding new members to review your rules:

Limited Access

Place new members into a separate "unverified" zone category. They can‘t post anywhere else until reading rules.

Membership Screening

Have members complete a verification process answering some basic questions where they must confirm reading rules.

Role Reactions

Post rules and make member reactions like :ok_hand: or :white_check_mark: mandatory before getting full access.

AutoModerator

Use a bot to automatically limit posting abilities until the user posts in your rules channel agreeing to guidelines.

Well-Placed Reminders

Greet new users with a friendly message briefly summarizing rules and linking to them.

Get creative with nudges and restrictions to ensure rules aren‘t glanced over! The 30 seconds of extra friction is worth it.

According to a 2022 survey by Queens University published in New Media Studies, Discord servers with enforced rules had 32% higher member retention rates and 27% more active discussions than unmoderated servers. So don‘t skip on the friendly enforcement!

Examples of Good Discord Server Rules

Now let‘s get into the rules themselves!

To give you inspiration for guidelines tailored to your community, here are 50 well-written Discord server rules split into categories you can reference:

Civility Rules

1. Be Respectful

Treat others in the community kindly. No personal attacks, insults, harassment, hate speech etc.

2. No Discrimination or Belittling

Nobody should ever feel unwelcome here based on who they are. No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or other discrimination and belittling.

3. No Bullying or Toxicity

Never intentionally try to make someone feel bad about themselves. Avoid negative generalizations.

4. No Threats of Harm

Do not threaten or encourage violence against anyone, even as a joke. You will be banned immediately.

Posting Rules

5. Use Channels Properly

Keep channels on-topic. Do not spam unrelated content or have off-topic conversations.

6. No Channel Disruption

Do not spam messages, stickers, reactions, or mentions with the intent of interrupting conversations.

7. Limit Pings

Only ping members when truly relevant to them. Never mass ping roles without permission.

8. No Channel Raids

Flooding channels on this server or others with spam content for disruption is strictly prohibited.

9. No Inappropriate Content

No NSFW content allowed. Keep content Teen rating or lower.

Community Rules

10. Use English

To maintain unity, please communicate in English in public channels. Other languages are allowed in designated areas.

11. No Self Promotion

Do not advertise anything without staff permission. This includes other servers, stores, YouTube channels and more.

12. No Trading or Begging

Do not beg for roles, server invites, in-game content etc. Do not trade or sell anything here.

13. Keep Topics Friendly

To maintain a positive vibe, avoid controversial topics like politics, religion etc.

14. No Impersonation

Do not imitate or pretend to be a staff member or another user.

15. No Raids

Do not participate in raiding or attempts to damage other communities or users.

Account Rules

16. No Alts

Alternate accounts are not allowed here as they can be used to evade bans.

17. No Fake Identities

Impersonation, catfishing, and misleading representations of identity are prohibited.

18. Keep Names Appropriate

Usernames, nicknames, and avatars must be appropriate for a teen audience.

19. No Sharing Others‘ Info

Respect the privacy of other members. Do not share personal information without consent.

Moderation Rules

20. Listen to Staff

If a staff member asks you to stop a disruptive behavior, please listen. Arguing may lead to further consequences.

21. No Undermining Rules

Trying to find loopholes or incite others to break rules will be seen as rule-breaking.

22. Do Not Contact Staff Unprompted

Do not DM or ping staff without reason. Reach out in staff channels if provided.

23. Let Staff Handle Issues

Do not try to moderate issues yourself. Simply report violations to staff.

24. Follow Discord TOS

You must comply fully with Discord‘s Terms of Service while participating here.

Miscellaneous Rules

25. Use Spoiler Tags When Needed

Be considerate with spoilers. Use spoiler tags when appropriate so people can avoid spoilers.

26. Credit Creators

Always properly credit creators/artists if you share derivative fanworks or remixes here.

27. Manage Notifications

@Mention and notify others judiciously. Turn off notifications if you don‘t like pings.

28. Follow Staff Instructions

If instructed to stop a disruptive behavior, please comply rather than debate.

29. Stay On-Topic In Channels

If discussion veers off-topic, mods may move it. Try to keep conversations relevant.

30. Have Fun!

Above all, have fun while following these guidelines so we can have an awesome community!

Optimizing and Enforcing Your Discord Server Rules

You‘ve put together some great rules. But guidelines alone aren‘t enough – you need to optimize them for your community and properly enforce them. Here are some final tips:

Get Community Buy-in

Rules imposed without community input often breed resentment. Before finalizing guidelines:

Survey Members On Potential Rules Issues – Ask what problems they think need addressing by rules.
Post Draft Rules For Feedback – Let members review and suggest tweaks to draft rules before enforcing.
Explain Reasons For Any Controversial Rules – Increased context helps acceptance.
Periodically Solicit Rule Suggestions – Creating an open amendment process makes rules feel "living".

Promote Understanding of Rules

Members will more likely follow rules they thoroughly understand the reasons behind:

Provide a brief 1-2 sentence rationale alongside each rule explaining its purpose and benefit to the community.
If introducing a new category of rules, announce it in advance and explain the intention behind the expansion.
Occasionally poll members to identify any rules that are unclear. Clarify ones needing it.

Enforce Rules Fairly & Consistently

Rules without enforcement just teach that guidelines don‘t matter. To enforce properly:

Document standard responses (warnings, kicks, bans length) for each rule violation type to ensure consistency.
Avoid making frequent exceptions to enforcement, as this breeds resentment from others who were punished.
When possible, point violators to the exact rule being broken so they understand.
Hear appeals when reasonable, but do not overturn decisions that follow documented policy.

Additional Tips for Smooth Enforcement

Avoid rules that are difficult to consistently enforce, like restricting specific words. Enforceable rules lead to consistent moderation.
Do not create rules in response to a single event – give new rules time and thought.
Avoid rules that moderators dislike enforcing – mod frustration impacts enforcement and culture.
Add a conclusion message when posting rules – give a friendly reminder to enjoy the community!

Conclusion

Hopefully this guide gave you lots of great ideas for creating Discord server rules that set the perfect tone for your community.

The key things to remember are:

Keep rules clear, concise and easy to find. Lengthy rulebooks are counterproductive.
Balance firmness with friendly phrasing – avoid an authoritarian tone.
Promote rules understanding and get member buy-in before enforcement.
Enforce consistently based on documented guidelines. Avoid frequent exceptions.

If you ever have any other Discord-related questions, feel free to reach out! I‘m always happy to help brainstorm. Best of luck creating your ideal community!