Building Community Guidelines With Members

Community guidelines should describe how people want to participate together. When members help shape them, the result is more likely to reflect real situations rather than assumptions made by a small group.

Start by identifying common moments. Ask how the community wants to handle disagreement, personal information, promotion, accessibility, newcomer questions, and moderation.

Use plain language. Members should be able to understand the expectation without needing to interpret formal or vague wording. Examples can show what a principle looks like in practice.

Separate values from procedures. Values explain why respect or privacy matters, while procedures explain where to report a problem or how an appeal works.

Invite feedback from different participants. New members may notice confusing language, while experienced members may identify situations that happen repeatedly.

Review guidelines after real events. A difficult conversation or successful project can reveal where expectations need to be clearer.

Guidelines work when they support judgment rather than replace it. They give members a shared foundation for making careful decisions together.