Discord Community Guidelines Explained (Plain English)
Discord's Community Guidelines set the rules for how everyone on the platform should behave. This guide breaks them down in plain English so you know exactly what's allowed and what isn't.
What Are the Community Guidelines?
The Community Guidelines are Discord's rulebook. They apply to every user, server, and bot on the platform. Violating them can result in warnings, account suspensions, or permanent bans.
The full guidelines are at discord.com/guidelines.
What Discord Prohibits
Harassment and Bullying
- Targeting, threatening, or intimidating individuals
- Coordinating harassment campaigns against specific people
- Hate speech based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability
Dangerous and Illegal Content
- Content that sexualizes minors (CSAM) — results in immediate permanent ban and report to authorities
- Sharing or promoting illegal drugs, weapons, or illegal services
- Facilitating real-world violence or terrorism
Misinformation and Fraud
- Spreading health misinformation that can cause real-world harm
- Impersonating Discord staff or other users
- Phishing links, scam servers, and fake giveaways
Platform Abuse
- Spamming, raiding, or coordinated inauthentic behavior
- Selling or buying Discord accounts
- Using self-bots or unauthorized automation
What Discord Allows (with Context)
- Adult (NSFW) content — only in age-gated channels on servers that apply for this permission
- Controversial topics — discussion is allowed; hate speech is not
- Roleplay — permitted as long as it doesn't cross into prohibited content
How Discord Enforces the Guidelines
- User reports — any member can report a message, user, or server
- Automated systems — Discord scans for known illegal content
- Trust & Safety team review — humans investigate serious reports
- Penalties: warning → temporary suspension → permanent ban
Server Owner Responsibilities
If you run a server, you're responsible for ensuring it follows the Community Guidelines. This means:
- Setting clear server rules
- Moderating content actively
- Not hosting prohibited content even if you didn't post it yourself
For help building compliant communities, explore resources on Discords.ai, where you can find well-run servers as examples of best practices.