Discord Server Rules Generator

The difference between rules that work and rules that do not is whether a moderator can apply them consistently at three in the morning without a judgement call. "Be respectful" is unenforceable, because every borderline case becomes an argument about interpretation. "No personal attacks, including about appearance, family or nationality" can be applied by anyone.

Short lists outperform long ones. Members read the first few rules and skim the rest, so the ones that matter most belong at the top. Ten specific rules are more effective than thirty that try to anticipate everything.

Stating consequences alongside rules removes most disputes. A rule with a defined escalation - warning, timeout, ban - tells both members and moderators what happens next, and stops each incident being negotiated from scratch.

Every server is bound by Discord's Terms of Service and Community Guidelines regardless of what its own rules say. A server cannot permit what Discord prohibits, and a rules channel that appears to allow it puts the server at risk.

The Rules Screening feature turns your rules into a gate members must accept before they can talk, which is worth enabling on any public server. Members who have not accepted are held in a pending state, and most bots can be configured to ignore them entirely.

Apply rules evenly. Having clear punishments per level (warning, mute, kick, ban) and announcing them beforehand prevents accusations of bias.