Welcome to the discussion! Jump to this week’s questions.

The internet is like a giant delicious pie that’s filled with all kinds of cool junk, and you are building a community for a very specific slice of that sweet internet-pie. Pie metaphors aside, you probably are working to build a unique community filled with people who interact with each other in distinct ways. As a community leader, it is important for you to invest in your community and encourage these conversations and interactions on your site.

That’s where community guidelines come in. They’re one useful tool for strengthening your community by setting straightforward expectations and “rules of engagement” for your members. Check out these communities for some great examples:

The Dissolve links directly to their guidelines below the comments for better visibility.

Providing an accessible contact link can help community moderators do a better job.

If your community is still taking shape, we have some sample guidelines to get you started. But you’ll also want to think about type of community you want to build and the behavior you want to encourage. Maybe your members communicate primarily in cat-memes and puns, or perhaps you hope to generate in-depth conversations and civil debate. Think about the community that you want to build, and how your guidelines can help steer the discussions in that direction.

Logic may tell you that you should keep your site as “open” as possible, so that you don’t accidentally stifle discussion. However, if you want to encourage quality discussions, providing clear expectations for your community can help focus and curate great conversations.

Guidelines can set the groundwork for what is allowed, and what isn't. By setting expectations of what is acceptable on your site, you'll allow more people to feel welcome to engage.

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Please read our Community Guidelines.