7 Top-Tier Community Guidelines Examples for 2025

A thriving online community is the engine of a modern digital business, driving engagement, loyalty, and recurring revenue. But that engine needs a framework to run smoothly: clear, enforceable rules that protect your members and your brand. Weak or non-existent guidelines can lead to chaos, turning valuable spaces into toxic environments that repel your best customers. Without a solid foundation, even the most promising community-based products, like those built on all-in-one platforms such as Zanfia, can struggle to reach their full potential.

This guide breaks down 7 powerful community guidelines examples from successful platforms, both large and small. We will analyze precisely what makes their rules effective, from structure and tone to specific policies that foster a safe and productive atmosphere. Each example includes screenshots, direct links, and actionable takeaways you can immediately apply to build a more resilient community for your own online courses, memberships, or paid newsletters. Beyond simply drafting rules, the real value of community guidelines lies in their effective implementation through robust moderation. For a deeper dive into this topic, consider exploring guides on content moderation services, as consistent enforcement is what truly brings your guidelines to life and safeguards your community's long-term health and growth.

1. Zanfia Communities: The Integrated Business Approach

Zanfia Communities stands out by treating community management not as an isolated social feature, but as a core component of a creator's business engine. Designed for Polish creators, experts, and brands, it provides a private, white-label environment where engagement directly translates into measurable outcomes like revenue and member retention. This integrated approach solves a major pain point for entrepreneurs tired of juggling disparate tools, keeping their audience unified under their own brand instead of pushing them to external platforms like Discord or Facebook groups.

Unlike platforms that force your audience onto third-party social networks, Zanfia keeps every interaction under your brand and on your domain. This unified ecosystem allows you to build a secure, professional space that ties directly into your product offerings, such as online courses, paid newsletters, and membership plans. The result is a seamless member experience where content, conversation, and commerce coexist. For creators seeking strong community guidelines examples, Zanfia’s structure provides a powerful framework for implementation.

Strategic Analysis: How Zanfia Empowers Guideline Enforcement

Zanfia's entire architecture is built to support clear, enforceable rules. The platform moves beyond simply posting a list of rules and gives you the structural tools to maintain a healthy, productive environment.

• Controlled Access: By nature, Zanfia communities are private. Access can be tied to a specific purchase (like a course or membership), allowing you to set clear expectations from the moment a user joins. This pre-qualifies members and ensures they have a vested interest in upholding community standards.
• Structured Channels: You can create distinct channels for different topics, preventing conversation sprawl and off-topic discussions. Read-only announcement channels are perfect for broadcasting official updates and rules, ensuring critical information is never lost in the noise.
• Powerful Automations: The platform can automatically grant or revoke access, add buyers to the right channels, and trigger welcome emails based on purchases. These workflows save creators 5-10+ hours a month, letting them focus on content instead of manual admin tasks.

Key Takeaway: Zanfia's platform design inherently reinforces community guidelines. Its structure-first approach means that order and safety are built into the user experience, not just bolted on as an afterthought. This makes it a prime example for anyone looking to build a community where rules are respected and easily managed. You can see how they frame their own philosophy on community rules in their blog post about the essential rules for a thriving online community.

Unique Features and Business Impact

Zanfia distinguishes itself by seamlessly connecting community activity to business goals. This makes it an ideal choice for creators who need their community to be more than just a chatroom; it needs to be a growth asset.

2. YouTube

For any creator, marketer, or business owner looking to understand policy at a massive scale, YouTube’s Community Guidelines are a masterclass in comprehensive, evolving governance. They provide an exhaustive framework covering everything from harassment and dangerous content to misinformation and child safety. This makes them one of the most robust community guidelines examples available for public review.

Unlike guidelines for smaller niche communities, YouTube's policies must cater to a global audience with billions of users. This scale necessitates a highly structured, transparent, and educational approach that serves as a powerful model for others. The guidelines are freely and publicly accessible, constantly updated to reflect new challenges in the online space.

Strategic Analysis & Key Takeaways

YouTube’s strategy is built on three pillars: clear policy, transparent enforcement, and creator remediation. This integrated system doesn't just punish rule-breakers; it aims to educate them, reducing repeat offenses and fostering a healthier ecosystem.

• Integrated Policy Structure: The guidelines don't exist in a vacuum. They are directly linked to monetization policies (the "Advertiser-Friendly Content Guidelines"), creating a powerful incentive for creators to comply. This is a critical lesson for any platform looking to build a sustainable creator economy.
• Transparent Enforcement Tiers: YouTube clearly outlines its "strikes" system. A first-time, unintentional violation often results in a warning and a mandatory policy training course. This educational step empowers creators to understand their mistake without immediate, severe penalties, giving them a chance to correct their behavior.
• Detailed, Granular Rules: Instead of vague statements like "be nice," YouTube provides specific examples of prohibited content within each category. This includes nuanced edge cases for spam, impersonation, and harmful content, leaving less room for misinterpretation.

Actionable Insight: Tie your community guidelines directly to privileges within your community. For example, access to monetization features, special channels, or posting permissions could be contingent on maintaining a good standing, just as YouTube links its rules to its Partner Program.

What Makes This a Standout Example

The most unique feature is the Creator Education component. When a creator receives their first Community Guidelines warning, they can take a short, in-platform training course specific to the policy they violated. Upon successful completion, the warning is removed from their channel after 90 days. This shifts the dynamic from purely punitive to rehabilitative. By educating creators, YouTube helps prevent future violations and clarifies complex policies, which is essential when creating online communities that value both safety and creator freedom.

Website: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/policies/community-guidelines/

3. Discord

Discord's Community Guidelines are a prime example of how to create clear, actionable rules for real-time, chat-based communities. They ditch corporate jargon for plain language, making policies accessible to everyone from casual users to seasoned server administrators. This focus on clarity and structure provides a solid foundation for governing the millions of micro-communities thriving on the platform.

Unlike platforms focused on broadcast-style content, Discord's guidelines are tailored to the dynamic, conversational nature of its servers. They address behaviors specific to chat environments, such as spam, server raiding, and malicious file sharing. The guidelines are publicly available and regularly updated with effective dates shown, ensuring transparency as the platform evolves.

Strategic Analysis & Key Takeaways

Discord’s strategy is to empower server owners by providing a clear, top-level framework that they can build upon. This two-tiered approach, combining platform-wide rules with server-specific ones, creates a scalable and adaptable governance model.

• Tiered Governance Model: Discord provides both platform-wide Community Guidelines and a separate set of "Community Server Guidelines." The latter are specific rules that servers must follow to be eligible for public discovery on the platform, creating a strong incentive for owners to maintain healthy environments.
• Plain-Language and Action-Oriented Rules: The guidelines avoid ambiguity. Instead of "don't be mean," they explicitly prohibit "harassment," "hateful conduct," and "sharing content that glorifies or promotes suicide," with detailed explainers for each. This makes rules easier to understand and enforce.
• Emphasis on Server Owner Responsibility: The model places significant trust and responsibility on server administrators to enforce rules locally. This decentralized moderation is key to managing millions of individual communities, a valuable lesson for any platform using community management software to scale its ecosystem.

Actionable Insight: Create a "two-tier" guideline system. Establish your core, non-negotiable platform rules, then provide a secondary set of recommended or required guidelines for sub-communities (like groups, forums, or channels) to adopt if they want special privileges, like being featured or promoted.

What Makes This a Standout Example

The most distinctive feature is the symbiotic relationship between platform-wide enforcement and server-level autonomy. Discord provides the foundational rules for safety and legality, but it empowers community owners to create and enforce their own unique culture and standards on top of that. This layered approach is one of the most effective community guidelines examples for platforms that host user-generated communities. It allows for massive scale without sacrificing the unique character of individual spaces, providing a blueprint for balancing freedom with safety.

Website: https://discord.com/guidelines/

4. Reddit

Reddit’s Content Policy is an excellent model for any community aiming for a balance between comprehensive governance and simplicity. Instead of an exhaustive list of micro-rules, Reddit provides a concise, principle-driven framework that is easy for users to understand and for moderators to apply. This makes it one of the most adaptable community guidelines examples for platforms of any size.

The platform’s approach is unique because it separates universal, sitewide rules from the more specific, niche rules of its individual communities ("subreddits"). This tiered system allows for a baseline of safety and civility across the entire platform while empowering individual community leaders to tailor guidelines to their specific audience. The policies are publicly accessible and supported by transparency reports detailing enforcement actions.

Strategic Analysis & Key Takeaways

Reddit’s strategy is built on simplicity, adaptability, and transparency. Its eight core rules, such as "Remember the human" and "Keep it legal," are memorable principles rather than rigid prescriptions. This approach is highly effective for fostering a sense of shared responsibility among users and moderators.

• Principle-Driven Rules: The guidelines are founded on broad principles that are easy to remember and apply universally. This approach empowers moderators to interpret rules in context, which is far more scalable than trying to write a rule for every possible scenario.
• Layered Governance Model: Reddit successfully separates its high-level platform policy from the granular rules of individual subreddits. This federated model is a powerful lesson in how to build an online community that allows for diverse cultures to thrive under one shared umbrella of safety.
• Enforcement Transparency: Reddit regularly publishes Transparency Reports that detail actions taken, such as content removals and account bans. This builds trust by showing the community that the rules are not just words on a page but are actively enforced.

Actionable Insight: Start your guidelines with a few core, memorable principles before diving into specifics. A "Remember the Human" or "Contribute to the Community" rule sets a positive, collaborative tone and serves as a simple gut-check for users before they post.

What Makes This a Standout Example

The most unique feature is the dual-governance structure. By providing a simple, universal Content Policy as a non-negotiable baseline, Reddit empowers individual subreddit moderators to add their own specific rules on top. This creates a flexible system where a community about academic history can enforce strict sourcing rules, while a meme community can have more relaxed standards, yet both must adhere to the core sitewide policies against harassment and illegal content. This balance between centralized control and delegated autonomy is a masterful approach to scaling community management.

Website: https://redditinc.com/policies/content-policy

5. GitHub

For organizations building professional or technical communities, GitHub's documentation provides one of the most practical and reusable community guidelines examples available. Instead of a single monolithic policy, they offer a clear, actionable Community Code of Conduct and distinct Community Guidelines. This dual approach is tailored for collaborative environments where clear expectations for professional interaction are paramount.

What makes GitHub’s approach particularly powerful is its focus on utility and reuse. The documents are not just rules; they are open-source resources designed to be adapted. This philosophy is ideal for developer forums, open-source projects, and other technical spaces where establishing a baseline for constructive behavior is essential for productivity and collaboration. All resources are free, publicly accessible, and designed for easy implementation.

Strategic Analysis & Key Takeaways

GitHub's strategy centers on empowering community moderators with clear, enforceable rules and transparent processes. The guidelines are designed to be a functional tool, not just a legal document. They balance the need for safety with the open, collaborative spirit that defines the platform.

• Action-Oriented Language: The guidelines avoid legalese and focus on specific, observable behaviors. Rules against doxxing, harassment, and spam are defined with concrete examples, giving moderators a clear framework for making decisions.
• Permissive Licensing for Reuse: GitHub publishes its Community Code of Conduct with a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) dedication. This explicitly allows anyone to copy, modify, and distribute the document without restriction, encouraging the adoption of best practices across the web.
• Clear Moderation and Appeals Process: The guidelines detail the moderation tools available (e.g., locking conversations, blocking users) and outline a clear path for users to appeal decisions. This transparency builds trust and demonstrates a commitment to fairness.

Actionable Insight: Adopt an open-source approach to your own guidelines. By using a permissive license like CC0, you not only make it easier for others to benefit from your work but also signal a commitment to transparency and community collaboration that can strengthen your own project.

What Makes This a Standout Example

The most unique feature is the explicit CC0 dedication on its Code of Conduct. While many platforms have public guidelines, few actively encourage and legally permit others to reuse and adapt their work. This positions GitHub as a leader in community standards, providing a vetted, professional-grade template that significantly lowers the barrier for new projects needing to establish a safe and productive environment. This is a critical asset when forming a community where establishing trust and clear norms from day one is essential for long-term success.

Website: https://docs.github.com/site-policy/github-terms/github-community-guidelines

6. Mozilla (Community Participation Guidelines)

For organizations building global, diverse communities that span both online and offline interactions, Mozilla’s Community Participation Guidelines (CPG) are a foundational text. It provides a mature, values-driven framework that covers expected behaviors, reporting protocols, and enforcement procedures. This makes it one of the most comprehensive community guidelines examples for any group prioritizing inclusivity and safety.

Unlike platform-specific rules, Mozilla's CPG is designed as an adaptable policy for a wide range of contexts, including open-source projects, corporate events, and online forums. It is published under a Creative Commons license, explicitly encouraging others to adapt it. This open-source approach to governance provides a powerful, freely available template for organizations that need a robust starting point.

Strategic Analysis & Key Takeaways

Mozilla's strategy centers on three core principles: explicit scope, clear behavioral standards, and a transparent enforcement process. This structure is designed not just to set rules but to build a culture of respect and accountability from the ground up, making safety a shared responsibility.

• Explicit Scope and Applicability: The guidelines clearly define where and to whom they apply, covering everything from online forums and code repositories to in-person events. This removes ambiguity and ensures consistent standards across all community touchpoints.
• Clear Reporting and Enforcement Pathways: Mozilla provides a step-by-step guide on "How to Report" violations, including who to contact and what information to provide. This clarity empowers community members to act when they witness or experience unacceptable behavior, which is vital for effective self-governance.
• Values-Driven Language: The CPG is rooted in Mozilla's core values of inclusivity, respect, and collaboration. It explains why certain behaviors are expected, connecting the rules back to the community's shared mission rather than presenting them as arbitrary restrictions.

Actionable Insight: Adopt an open-source model for your guidelines. Publish them under a Creative Commons license to signal a commitment to transparency and invite community feedback. This not only builds trust but also allows other emerging communities to benefit from your work.

What Makes This a Standout Example

The most unique aspect is its adaptability and open licensing. By offering the CPG under a Creative Commons license, Mozilla positions its guidelines as a public good for the entire internet community. This turns a simple policy document into a shareable, foundational resource. For any organization, especially non-profits or open-source projects, this provides a professionally vetted, legally sound template that can be customized. This focus on creating a reusable framework is a powerful lesson for anyone looking to build safe, scalable, and inclusive online spaces, particularly when you need a policy that extends beyond a single digital platform to events and real-world interactions.

Website: https://www.mozilla.org/en/about/governance/policies/participation/

7. Discourse (Meta)

For community builders seeking a battle-tested and open-source foundation, the guidelines provided by Discourse are an invaluable starting point. As a platform built for civilized discussion, its default template offers a plug-and-play framework that models constructive, human-friendly behavior. This makes it one of the most practical community guidelines examples for new forums or platforms.

Unlike bespoke rules for massive social networks, Discourse's guidelines are designed for easy adaptation. They are freely available on its meta-forum and come with documentation on how to implement them. The focus is on creating a baseline for positive interaction that any community manager can quickly deploy and customize, saving significant time during setup.

Strategic Analysis & Key Takeaways

Discourse's strategy is to empower community admins with a sensible, pre-built foundation, lowering the barrier to establishing a well-governed space. The emphasis is on proactive guidance rather than a long list of prohibitions, encouraging users to contribute positively from day one. This approach is ideal for communities built around learning, support, and collaboration.

• Action-Oriented Language: The guidelines use positive and encouraging phrasing like "Improve the Discussion" and "Be Agreeable, Even When You Disagree." This frames participation as a collective responsibility to add value, rather than just a set of rules to avoid breaking.
• Built-in and Editable: For anyone using the Discourse software, these guidelines are a built-in topic that can be edited and published with minimal effort. The platform provides clear instructions for making the /guidelines page a prominent, first-class citizen of the community.
• Focus on Principles, Not Exhaustive Rules: The template avoids getting bogged down in overly specific edge cases. Instead, it establishes broad principles of civility, contribution, and respect, giving moderators the flexibility to interpret them based on context while still having a strong, official policy to reference.

Actionable Insight: Start your guidelines with a "TL;DR" or a simple, positive summary of core principles. Discourse models this well with its opening "The quick version: Be cool." This makes the rules feel more approachable and less intimidating for new members.

What Makes This a Standout Example

The most compelling feature is its open-source, template-driven nature. It is not just a document; it's a functional, integrated part of the Discourse software platform. You can take the default text, which has been refined by a community of experts over years, and adapt it to your specific needs in minutes. This dramatically accelerates the process of launching a new community with strong, clear behavioral standards. By providing this robust starting point, Discourse helps admins focus on community building rather than drafting legalistic policies from scratch. It perfectly balances clarity with flexibility.

Website: https://meta.discourse.org/guidelines

Community Guidelines Comparison — 7 Communities

From Examples to Action: Building Your Community on a Solid Foundation

Throughout this deep dive into diverse community guidelines examples, a clear pattern emerges. The most effective guidelines, whether from a massive platform like YouTube or a focused professional space like GitHub, are not merely lists of prohibitions. They are foundational charters that articulate a community's core purpose, values, and vision for positive interaction. They are living documents, designed to be clear, fair, and consistently enforced.

Studying these real-world examples reveals that structure and tone are just as critical as the rules themselves. A conversational, welcoming tone, like the one used by Discord, can lower barriers for new members. A highly structured, principle-based approach, as seen with Mozilla, provides a robust framework for handling complex moderation issues. The key is to move beyond generic templates and craft a document that genuinely reflects your brand's unique identity and the specific culture you want to cultivate.

Key Takeaways for Building Your Framework

As you transition from analysis to application, keep these core principles at the forefront of your strategy:

• Clarity is Kindness: Vague rules lead to inconsistent enforcement and member frustration. Use simple, direct language. Define key terms and provide specific examples of both desired and prohibited behaviors.
• Align with Purpose: Your guidelines must support your community's "why." A developer community on GitHub has different needs than a creative hobbyist group on Reddit. Your rules should protect and enhance the primary reason members are there.
• Establish Clear Consequences: Outline a transparent, tiered system for handling violations. This builds trust and shows that moderation is fair and predictable, not arbitrary. Members should know what to expect if they cross a line.
• Empower Your Members: The best guidelines make members feel like stakeholders. Explain why the rules exist, focusing on the collective benefit of creating a safe, valuable, and engaging space for everyone.

Putting Your Guidelines into Action with the Right Tools

Now, it’s your turn to act. Whether you're a seasoned "Business Architect" scaling your digital enterprise or a "Potential Explorer" preparing to launch your very first product, a solid set of guidelines is non-negotiable. However, even the best rules are ineffective without the right infrastructure to implement and enforce them.

This is where a purpose-built platform becomes a game-changer. For Polish creators looking to build a thriving community directly connected to their content, a tool like Zanfia offers a powerful, all-in-one solution. It allows you to host your community under your own custom domain, seamlessly integrating it with your online courses, paid newsletters, and digital products. This unified environment makes enforcing your guidelines incredibly efficient. You can automate member access based on purchases, manage discussions in dedicated channels, and maintain complete control over the user experience.

By centralizing everything, you eliminate the fragmentation that occurs when using separate tools like Discord or Facebook Groups. This not only strengthens your brand but also gives you the power to manage your community, content, and commerce from a single dashboard. When establishing your own community, remember that formal user agreements and terms of service are just as crucial as the guidelines themselves for building a solid foundation. These legal documents work hand-in-hand with your community rules to protect both you and your members.

Ready to build a thriving community on a platform that puts you in control? Zanfia provides all the tools you need to launch, manage, and scale your digital products and community under one roof. Create your guidelines with confidence, knowing you have a powerful, integrated system to back them up, all while keeping 100% of your revenue with a 0% platform fee model.