Writing community guidelines people actually read

Most community guidelines are written to protect the host, not to help members. They're long, legal-sounding and nobody reads them until they're in trouble. This lesson is about writing a short version people actually remember.

Keep it to one screen

If your guidelines don't fit on a phone screen without scrolling, they're too long. Five to seven points is plenty. You can always link to a longer document for edge cases.

Say what you want, not only what you ban

"Be kind" is vague. "Reply to the post, not the person" is something members can actually do. Lead with the behaviour you want to see, and keep the list of bans short and specific.

Explain the why

One short reason per rule makes a big difference. "No selling in the main feed, because members told us it buried their questions" lands far better than "No selling."

Say what happens when rules are broken

A line like "first a friendly note, then a temporary mute, then removal" makes moderation feel fair and predictable, for members and for your moderators.

Before the next lesson

Draft your guidelines in five to seven lines, each with a short reason. Share them in the comments if you'd like feedback from the rest of the course.