Setting up rules tailored to your server is one of the most important steps in creating a successful server. Just like real-life communities, Discord servers also require strong management to become a great server where people feel safe and belong.

Your server’s rules govern how your members interact with each other and the server itself. If you don’t put any rules against swearing on your server, people may use bad words a lot – and this isn’t good for other members, especially if it's an all-ages server. Your rules are going to determine an important chunk of your public image since they govern the content of your server. For example, if you own a gaming server, you wouldn’t want your members to talk about how to crack the latest game. Even though Discord’s Terms of Service prohibit that, your server’s rules and staff enforcing them are the first line of defense against unwanted behavior on Discord.

Of course, Discord rules aren’t just for your regular members. Sure, your server’s staff are the ones who decide what the rules are and enforce them – but they need their own rules as well. If you don’t set up rules for your staff, they might abuse their admin/moderator powers or damage your server’s image.

In this guide, discover why rules are important, and make use of our 5 free Discord rules templates for the most popular Discord types: gaming, anime and manga, music, technology and art. Plus, follow to the end to find a bonus rule template for your staff members!

5 Discord Rule Templates for Your Community

Okay, rules are important – but coming up with a set of rules might be daunting for some. Let’s list the things we want to pay attention to for your rules. They should be:

  • Simple and to the point
  • Understandable but inclusive
  • Not too strict but still authoritative

Following these guidelines, while trying to create a ruleset for your server isn’t that easy since you also have to incorporate the theme of your server as well. This is why we’ve created five rule templates for the most popular five Discord server types: gaming, anime and manga, music, technology, and art.

1. Rule Template for Gaming Discord Servers

Gaming servers are the most popular server type on Discord. Discord actually started out as gamer-focused but switched to “a place for everyone” when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This is why gaming servers are at the top of our list. So, without further ado, let’s see our rule template for gaming servers:

  • Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
    • We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
  • Do not spam, flood, self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
    • Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations – therefore, they’re prohibited.
  • Do not post offensive or harmful content
    • While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
  • Do not troll or harass others – don’t use excessive sarcasm
    • Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone – trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server.
  • Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
    • Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
  • Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
    • Piracy is illegal around the world, it’s also prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
  • Do not share spoilers from new games (up to 2 weeks)
    • No one likes spoilers. If a new piece of media has come out, please don’t share spoilers about it until two weeks pass.
  • Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to cheats or trainers
    • Cheating will ruin not only your but also others' enjoyment of games. Do not cheat, do not promote cheats, and do not talk about cheats.

You can copy this formatted Discord message for immediate use:

1. Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
-# We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
2. Do not spam, flood, self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
-# Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations - therefore, they’re prohibited.
3. Do not post offensive or harmful content
-# While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
4. Do not troll or harass others - don’t use excessive sarcasm
-# Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone - trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server.
5. Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
-# Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
6. Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
-# Piracy is illegal around the world, it’s also prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
7. Do not share spoilers from new games (up to 2 weeks)
-# No one likes spoilers. If a new piece of media has come out, please don’t share spoilers about it until two weeks pass.
8. Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to cheats or trainers
-# Cheating will ruin not only your but also others' enjoyment of games. Do not cheat, do not promote cheats, and do not talk about cheats.

2. Rule Template for Anime and Manga Discord Servers

Some anime fandoms are among the biggest in the world. Take Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, or Berserk, for example – they’re huge, just like Discord servers that focus on them (and other animes). Due to this kind of scale, it’s really important to set clear rules for your server:

  • Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
    • We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
  • Do not spam, flood, self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
    • Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations – therefore, they’re prohibited.
  • Do not post offensive or harmful content
    • While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
  • Do not troll or harass others – don’t use excessive sarcasm
    • Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone – trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server. Others might not like the anime or manga you do or vice versa – this isn’t a reason to get into arguments with them.
  • Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
    • Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
  • Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
    • Piracy is illegal around the world, it’s also prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
  • Do not share spoilers from new animes and mangas (up to 2 weeks)
    • No one likes spoilers. If a new piece of media has come out, please don’t share spoilers about it until two weeks pass.
  • Do not share harmful ideas about anime/mangas and their content
    • If you think sharing a specific idea might not be the best practice, don’t do it.

Copy this formatted Discord message for immediate use:

1. Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
-# We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
2. Do not spam, flood, self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
-# Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations - therefore, they’re prohibited.
3. Do not post offensive or harmful content
-# While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
4. Do not troll or harass others - don’t use excessive sarcasm
-# Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone - trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server. Others might not like the anime or manga you do or vice versa - this isn’t a reason to get into arguments with them.
5. Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
-# Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
6. Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
-# Piracy is illegal around the world, it’s also prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
7. Do not share spoilers from new animes and mangas (up to 2 weeks)
-# No one likes spoilers. If a new piece of media has come out, please don’t share spoilers about it until two weeks pass.
8. Do not share harmful ideas about anime/mangas and their content
-# If you think sharing a specific idea might not be the best practice, don’t do it.

3. Rule Template for Music Discord Servers

While it doesn't sound like a popular choice, there are actually a lot of servers that focus solely on music. So, let’s take a look at a template for music servers:

  • Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
    • We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
  • Do not spam, flood, self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
    • Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations – therefore, they’re prohibited. If you want to promote your own music, please get in touch with our staff.
  • Do not post offensive or harmful content
    • While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
  • Do not troll or harass others – don’t use excessive sarcasm
    • Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone – trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server. Not everyone has the same music taste – don’t argue with others because of their taste.
  • Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
    • Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
  • Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
    • Piracy hurts artists and is illegal around the world. It’s also prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
  • Be respectful when giving feedback
    • Asking for feedback doesn’t mean asking to be put down. Make sure to give constructive feedback to others.

You can copy this formatted Discord message for immediate use:

1. Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
-# We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
2. Do not spam, flood, self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
-# Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations - therefore, they’re prohibited. If you want to promote your own music, please get in touch with our staff.
3. Do not post offensive or harmful content
-# While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
4. Do not troll or harass others - don’t use excessive sarcasm
-# Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone - trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server. Not everyone has the same music taste - don’t argue with others because of their taste.
5. Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
-# Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
6. Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
-# Piracy hurts artists and is illegal around the world. It’s also prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
7. Be respectful when giving feedback
-# Asking for feedback doesn’t mean asking to be put down. Make sure to give constructive feedback to others.

4. Rule Template for Technology Discord Servers

There’s a huge interest in technology-focused servers on Discord since the app has a bigger tech-savvy audience than some other platforms. If you’re running a technology server, here’s a template that you can use:

  • Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
    • We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
  • Do not spam, flood, self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
    • Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations – therefore, they’re prohibited. If you want to promote your own projects, please get in touch with our staff.
  • Do not post offensive or harmful content
    • While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
  • Do not troll or harass others – don’t use excessive sarcasm
    • Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone – trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server.
  • Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
    • Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
  • Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
    • Piracy is illegal around the world, and it’s prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
  • Be respectful when giving feedback
    • Asking for feedback doesn’t mean asking to be put down. Make sure to give constructive feedback to others.

Copy this formatted Discord message for immediate use:

1. Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
-# We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
2. Do not spam, flood, self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
-# Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations - therefore, they’re prohibited. If you want to promote your own projects, please get in touch with our staff.
3. Do not post offensive or harmful content
-# While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
4. Do not troll or harass others - don’t use excessive sarcasm
-# Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone - trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server.
5. Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
-# Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
6. Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
-# Piracy is illegal around the world, and it’s prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
7. Be respectful when giving feedback
-# Asking for feedback doesn’t mean asking to be put down. Make sure to give constructive feedback to others.

5. Rule Template for Art Discord Servers

While not as popular as other server types in our list, there are a significant number of art servers on Discord. Since art is generally something people are interested in and feedback is super important for artists, art servers gather large amounts of experienced and aspiring artists. Of course, like all servers, they need rules, too:

  • Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
    • We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
  • Do not spam, flood, excessively self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
    • Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations – therefore, they’re prohibited. Since our server is focused on art, everyone is free to share their creations, but doing so excessively will only disturb the channels.
  • Do not post offensive or harmful content
    • While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something we don’t want in the server.
  • Do not troll or harass others – don’t use excessive sarcasm
    • Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone – trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server. Trolling others about their work or likes will result in punishment.
  • Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
    • Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
  • Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
    • Piracy is illegal around the world, and it hurts artists. It’s also prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
  • Be respectful when giving feedback
    • Asking for feedback doesn’t mean asking to be put down – it’s a means of gathering information on how to improve your work based on experienced artists’ comments. Make sure to give constructive feedback to others.

Copy this formatted Discord message for immediate use:

1. Approach others with respect, and don’t start drama
-# We aim to create a place for everyone that they can feel safe in. In order to achieve this, we ask everyone to respect others.
2. Do not spam, flood, excessively self-promote, or anything that can disturb chats
-# Spam, floods, and self-promotions will disturb other people’s conversations - therefore, they’re prohibited. Since our server is focused on art, everyone is free to share their creations, but doing so excessively will only disturb the channels.
3. Do not post offensive or harmful content
-# While offensive content largely falls under violation of Discord ToS, it’s also something that we don’t want in the server.
4. Do not troll or harass others - don’t use excessive sarcasm
-# Again, we’re trying to create a safe space for everyone - trolling and harassing other members isn’t something we want on the server. Trolling others about their work or likes will result in punishment.
5. Comply with Discord’s Terms of Service
-# Our members are subject to not just our rules, but Discord’s Terms of Service as well.
6. Do not talk about, promote, or share anything related to piracy
-# Piracy is illegal around the world, and it hurts artists. It’s also prohibited by Discord’s Terms of Service.
7. Be respectful when giving feedback
-# Asking for feedback doesn’t mean asking to be put down - it’s a means of gathering information on how to improve your work based on experienced artists’ comments. Make sure to give constructive feedback to others.

Bonus: Rule Template for Your Server Staff

Almost all Discord servers have rules for their members - it’s a very common practice. But when it comes to great Discord servers, these have rules for their staff members as well. Imagine you’re the project manager at a company. Even though you have power, you’re subject to a set of rules. If you let your Discord admins do anything they want, your server might turn chaotic.

Here's how to create your own community guidelines for your server.

In order to prevent your staff members from damaging the image of your server or abusing their power over regular members, it’s important to create rules and guidelines for them, too. This might be harder than creating a regular set of rules for regular members, Luckily for you, we’re here to give you a template that you can start out with:

  • Don’t make big decisions by yourself – ask other staff members. Communication is key in running this server.
  • Don’t bring your personal issues into the server. If you don’t like a member because they side-eyed you in school, you shouldn’t ban them from the server
  • Do not abuse your power. You’re a part of our staff – you have power over regular members, but that doesn’t mean you can mute, kick, or ban them at your will. Only punish people who violate rules.
  • You’re not a member – you’re staff. People might get angry with you, curse at you, or even offend you on sensitive topics. Being a staff member, you shouldn’t curse or offend others just because they treat you badly. If they’re doing so, just mute, kick, or ban them since it’s against our rules to treat other users with disrespect.

You can copy this formatted Discord message for your staff and use it immediately:

1. Don’t make big decisions by yourself - ask other staff members. Communication is key in running this server.
2. Don’t bring your personal issues into the server - if you don’t like a member because they side-eyed you in school, you shouldn’t ban them from the server
3. Do not abuse your power. You’re a part of our staff - you have power over regular members, but that doesn’t mean you can mute, kick, or ban them at your will. Only punish people who violate rules.
4. You’re not a member - you’re staff. People might get angry with you, curse at you, or even offend you on sensitive topics. Being a staff member, you shouldn’t curse or offend others just because they treat you badly. If they’re doing so, just mute, kick, or ban them since it’s against our rules to treat other users with disrespect.

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