Welcome Statement/Purpose of Community

• Begin with a short welcome and a one- to two-sentence explanation of your community’s purpose. This sets the tone and helps new members understand why the space exists. For example, “Welcome to [Your Community Name]! This community is here to [e.g., connect small business owners, support users of our platform, share best practices in digital marketing].”

Tips:

• Speak directly to your members.
• Keep it friendly and mission-aligned.
• Reinforce the “why” behind your space.

Behavioral expectations

• List the core behaviors you expect from all members. Focus on clarity and tone—what kind of space are you creating? Some common expectations to include are treating everyone with kindness and respect, and assuming good intent.

Content and posting guidelines

• Give members guidance on what kinds of content are welcome—and what’s not.

Privacy and safety

• Remind members to protect their own privacy and that of others.

Intellectual property and attribution

• Explain your expectations around sharing content respectfully. You may want to include a short statement encouraging members to credit original creators when sharing ideas or content and avoiding plagiarism.

Encouraging contribution and collaboration

• Invite members to actively participate and support one another, such as through asking and answering questions, sharing experiences, and celebrating wins.

Reporting violations

• Make it easy to report concerns—and explain how you handle them. You may want to include information on how to report a post, comment, or message, what happens after something is reported, and remind members of your commitment to fair, prompt moderation

Acceptance of community guidelines

• Have a space where they can agree to your community guidelines, along the lines of: “By participating in [Your Community Name], you agree to follow these guidelines. Let’s work together to build a safe, respectful, and engaging space for all.”

Contact information

• Provide your brand’s contact information at the end of your guidelines