Good Discord Server Rules (Copy And Paste Template, + 65 Extra Ideas!)

Establishing a set of rules is important for any Discord server, and it’s one of the first things that you should do.

A list of rules will dictate what behavior is allowed, and what isn’t. It’s a major step to not only keeping your server running smoothly, but making it appear professional to others.

In this article, we’ll provide a list of standard rules that you can quickly copy and paste. We’ll also show you how to set up a rules channel, and make people agree to the rules before they can message.

Finally, we’ll share 65+ other rule ideas that you may consider adding to your list.

Let’s get to it!

Discord Rules To Copy And Paste

Below, you’ll find a list of standard rules that you’re welcome to copy and paste into your own Discord server. These general rules will cover the vast majority of situations, and can be applied to almost every server.

If you need more ideas, scroll down as we share over 65+ of them!

1. Be Respectful

Show respect to all members of the Discord server. Harassment and bullying are not allowed in any form and may result in being muted or kicked.

2. Follow Discord’s Rules

Don’t do anything that would get yourself or this server banned from Discord. You can find the full list of Discord’s community guidelines here: https://discord.com/guidelines

3. Follow Real-World Laws

We do not allow discussion of anything that relates to breaking real-world laws. This includes topics like hacking or doxing.

4. No Adult Content

This is a community server. We do not allow discussion of adult or NSFW content, and images / video containing NSFW material are prohibited.

5. No Offensive Profiles

Profile names or pictures containing adult or offensive material will asked to be changed.

6. No Spamming

Please do not send a large volume of small messages in the server repeatedly. This makes it difficult for other people to follow and engage in discussions.

7. Do Not Raid Other Servers

Discussing raids or participating in the raids of other servers will not be tolerated here. Raiding another server may result in a permanent ban from this one.

8. No Advertising

We do not allow users to advertise their own products, services or servers, including in private messages. Do not use our server to spam or advertise to other Discord users.

9. Contact Staff For Questions

If you have questions about what is and isn’t allowed to be posted, contact staff before proceeding. If you are unsure if something breaks server rules, wait for a moderator to tell you that it’s okay. If you are unsure, err on the side of caution and avoid posting it.

10. Abide By The Decisions Of Moderators

Moderators reserve the right to kick, ban or mute server members at their discretion, even if a rule on this list was not violated. If you believe that you have been treated unfairly by a moderator, please contact the administrator.

—

There you have it!

The last one is very important, as it essentially gives you an ‘out’ if someone complains that they were banned or muted unfairly. Sometimes, moderators will need to use their best judgement and take action against a server member even if they can’t pinpoint a specific rule that was broken. By including a ‘catch-all’ clause like this one, you give moderators and administrators the freedom to make judgement calls if the situation ever arises.

Tip: We recommend keeping the rules list numbered when you copy and paste it into your own server. This way, you can refer to ‘Rule 6’ for example if somebody is breaking it in your server.

Create A Rules Channel

It’s always a good idea to create a rules channel within your Discord server, for people to refer back to.

This will make it easy for them to review the rules regularly to ensure that they’re not breaking any. In order to make it easy to find, you should ensure the rules channel is up towards the top of all the channels within your Discord server, and lock other people from posting in that channel in order to prevent it from becoming cluttered.

In order to create a new rules channel, follow these steps:

1. Create a new text channel and call it something obvious, like ‘Rules’ or ‘Server-Rules’
2. Drag it up near the top so its easily visible.
3. Right-click on the channel name and select ‘Edit channel.’
4. Click on the ‘Permissions’ tab.
5. Under ‘Text Channel Permissions’, turn ‘Send Messages’ and ‘Send Messages in Threads’ to off.

You can then go back and paste in the rules template provided earlier.

How To Force People To Agree To Your Discord Server Rules

Did you know that you can force people to review and agree to your rules before being able to send messages in your server?

This can prevent people from claiming they simply didn’t see your rules, after they broke one.

To do this, you need to set up something called membership screening, which can be done in just a few steps:

1. Right-click on your server name and hover over ‘Server Settings.’
2. Click ‘Community Settings.’
3. Click on ‘Get Started’ to create a community server if you haven’t already. Otherwise, continue to step 4.
4. Under the ‘Community’ tab, click on ‘Membership Screening.’
5. Click on ‘Set up Membership Screening.’
6. Click on ‘Server Rules’, and follow the on-screen instructions to add your rules.

Note that adding each rule here can be a bit tedious. Therefore, you may simply state that your rules are available in the rules channel, and request people agree to read and abide by them.

65+ Other Discord Server Rule Ideas

Finally, below is a giant list of other rules you may consider adding to your Discord server. These will cover other specialty situations that be applicable to your own unique server.

Note that some of the same rules have been rephrased in different ways. You are welcome to copy any of these for use in your own server.

1. Please do not discuss sensitive topics like politics or religion, as these only result in arguments.
2. Do not give spoilers for any games, television shows or movies that you’ve watched.
3. We are an English only server. Do not use languages other than English. An exception is made for common words or phrases that are commonly used by English speakers.
4. Do not deliberately start arguments with other server users.
5. Do not try to bypass any word filters put in place. Banned words are banned for a reason.
6. Do not tag multiple people in a message in attempt to annoy them.
7. Do not abuse @everyone and @here if you’ve been given permission to use these tools.
8. Do not post lengthy copypastas.
9. Do not scream or act obnoxious in voice chat.
10. Keep the conversation civil. This goes hand-in-hand with the first rule. debating is fine, but name-calling and personal attacks are not. If you can’t disagree without being disagreeable, take it to private message or find another server.
11. Follow the channel guidelines. Each channel on the server has its own purpose, so be sure you’re keeping posts in the proper channel.
12. Don’t ask for staff roles. We’ll give them to you when we feel you deserve them.
13. Be patient when waiting for a response from a staff member. We all have real life responsibilities outside moderating this server.
14. If you have an issue with another user, please take it to private message instead of air it out in public. The staff team will be more than happy to help you mediate any problems you’re having.
15. Have fun! This is a server for (your server’s topic), so make sure you’re taking the time to enjoy yourself.
16. Do not use bot commands outside of the channels in which they’re designed for.
17. Do not beg other users for items, games, money, etc.
18. Do not ask for personal information from other users, such as addresses or phone numbers.
19. Do not use soundboards or other prerecorded clips inside of voice chat.
20. Do not use our server to engage in unethical or illegal behavior – even if this behavior takes place somewhere else.
21. Don’t be a spammer. This includes, but is not limited to: posting excessively in channels, sending multiple messages in quick succession (aka “flooding”), using excessive caps lock or emojis, and creating Posts that are mostly just tags (@everyone or otherwise).
22. Do not take credit for other people’s work or accomplishments.
23. Do not use Discord stickers excessively.
24. Do not encourage other people to break our server rules. If caught, you will receive the same punishment.
25. Do not join other people’s voice channels without permission.
26. Do not ping staff members unless you have a legitimate reason to.
27. Do not stream movies or copyrighted materials that could get us in trouble.
28. Do not request the music bot to play the same song over and over again.
29. Do not use streaming bots to stream media that is excessive in length, and would prevent other people from enjoying it as well.
30. Do not play music, game audio or video audio through your microphone.
31. Do not make your nickname ‘Everyone’.
32. Do not attempt to impersonate staff members in any form. This includes making your username similar to a moderator’s.
33. Do not impersonate others, including other server members or celebrities.
34. Do not distribute copyrighted materials, such as videos, games, or cracked software.
35. Do not use voice changers to modify the sound of your voice.
36. Do not send media or use GIFs that have strobe or flashing effects.
37. Do not link to scam websites, IP grabbers, or any malicious content.
38. Do not make alternate accounts in attempt to circumvent any bans or mutes.
39. Do not roleplay. Roleplaying is not allowed here.
40. Do not share invite links to this server unless this has been authorized by a staff member.
41. While couples are allowed, this is not a dating server. Do not use this server to try and find people to date.
42. Harassing, stalking or breaking server rules with another server member may result in a mute or ban, even if it happens in private messages.
43. All forms of hate speech are banned. We do not tolerate any racist, sexist or derogatory language.
44. No back-seat moderating. If you believe someone is breaking rules, report it privately to a moderator so they can handle it.
45. You must be at least 13 years old to use Discord. If you are found to be under the age of 13, you will be kicked.
46. Do not create your own servers branched off of this one. If you are found to be deliberately luring our members to your own server, you will be permanently banned.
47. Allow people to share and express their opinions freely, even if you disagree with them. Only report messages that break server rules, not those you simply disagree with.
48. Do not falsely report other members unless they have actually broken the rules.
49. If sharing links, please write a brief description saying what the link is for (unless it’s obvious, or you’re linking to a popular website.)
50. While you aren’t required to share your real name, please avoid impersonating others. This includes public figures, streamers, and celebrities.
51. Do not share screenshots of our Discord conversations outside of our server.
52. Follow the golden rule – treat others how you would like to be treated.
53. Do not share your Discord account with other people while you’re a member of our server.
54. Do not participate in or share chain letters / chain mail.
55. Do not post information about yourself that you wouldn’t want other people seeing or finding out.
56. Server staff are people just like you, and deserve to be treated with the same level of respect and empathy as any other server member.
57. Do not share anything that would invade anybody’s sense of privacy. This includes personal information, screenshots of private conversations, or anything else they wouldn’t want made public.
58. Do not be afraid to share feedback or ideas with the staff team. We are always looking for ideas to improve our server.
59. Do not put down other members based on age. We have a diverse community composed of people from many different generations.
60. Do not use our server to conduct in any sort of real world trades – either for physical or digital items.
61. We are not responsible for anything that may happen to you as a result of being a member of our server.
62. Phrases that encourage self-harm in any form will result in an immediate ban.
63. Disagreements with other members should be handled in PM, rather than public channels. However, server rules still apply.
64. Do not do anything that would cause other people’s PCs or Discord apps to crash.
65. Be respectful to new members.
66. Use common sense. If you have to wonder whether or not something should be posted, don’t post it.
67. Rules can change at any time. It is your responsibility to ensure you are following all of our current rules.

Conclusion

Establishing a rules list is an important step for any Discord server owner.

While we certainly recommend you add your own or reword our template to match your unique voice, you are welcome to copy and paste any of the rules listed on this page.

We hope that you’ve found this Discord server rules list helpful. If you have any questions or there’s any others you think server owners should add, please mention them using the comment form below.

Wishing you the best with your server,

– James McAllister