Nextdoor's Community Guidelines articulate the values of the community you are helping to build, and set expectations for what is and is not acceptable behavior on Nextdoor. Every neighbor agrees to abide by the guidelines when they join the platform.
The guidelines ensure Nextdoor remains a safe and welcoming place for everyone, in every neighborhood around the world. While you may not agree with an opinion, the community needs your fair, unbiased vote to reduce harmful or hurtful conversations. It truly matters.
It's important to review the guidelines thoroughly, and understand what is and isn't allowed. Though we hate to do it, Nextdoor will remove moderation privileges if there is a pattern of voting against the guidelines.
The community guidelines are always available in Nextdoor's Help Center. We recommend referring back to them often.
There are 5 core guidelines that every neighbor agrees to upon joining Nextdoor. Below is a quick overview, and we’ll dive into each one a bit deeper in this module.
Let's dive into each guideline in more detail to better understand the nuances.
The essence of this guideline is for neighbors to treat each other the way they would want to be treated. We’re all passionate about the places that we live, but we still need to have conversations in a civil and respectful manner.
It is ok for neighbors to disagree. Folks can state their own viewpoints and opinions, as well as disagree with someone else so long as it’s done in a civil and respectful manner. It’s not ok for neighbors to attack, berate, bully, belittle, harass, threaten, troll, or swear at others.
A general rule of thumb we recommend: If a comment wouldn’t be made to someone face to face on the street, then it likely doesn’t belong on Nextdoor.
Public shaming is deeply disrespectful, and has no place in our neighborhoods. Whether it's directly or indirectly targeting a neighbor, a public figure, or the victim of a crime, shaming others is harmful to the overall health and safety of a neighborhood. It's a direct violation of our "Be Respectful" guideline.
What's allowed
Posts, images, videos, and other media published with legitimate concerns for the purposes of educating the broader community. These posts must follow all other community guidelines. Examples include, but are not limited to:
What's not allowed
Posts, images, videos, and other media published with the clear intent to shame another person, or group of people. Examples include, but are not limited to:
In addition: If a parent or guardian of a minor reaches out to Nextdoor to request a photo of their child be removed, we may remove it.
A note about neighbors experiencing homelessness
Housing insecurity and homelessness is a growing problem in the United States. It is a deeply vulnerable, and sometimes humiliating, experience for someone who may have found themselves without a permanent roof over their heads. Homelessness is rooted in a wide variety of societal issues. According to Lending Club, 60% of adults in the United States live paycheck-to-paycheck, which means folks could find themselves experiencing homelessness quite suddenly and unexpectedly.
Though it's ok to share photos and videos of what's happening in a community, and express concern for local policy or safety of an area, neighbors should use caution and good judgment to not shame, or otherwise attempt to humiliate, the people who may be living on the street or in encampments. Posts and comments about people experiencing homelessness that are viewed as shaming may be removed by local moderators and/ or Nextdoor Support.
For more on public shaming, please watch this video beginning at 04:26.
Nextdoor’s Help Center is the single source of truth for all of our policies and terms. Though we’ve addressed the major points in this module, please take time to read the policy in its entirety: Be respectful to your neighbors
Racism, hate speech, and/ or discrimination of any kind is expressly prohibited on Nextdoor, regardless of if it is committed consciously or unconsciously. Nextdoor should be used to bring people together, not push people further apart.
We stand in solidarity with neighbors advocating for racial justice, civil rights, and with those speaking out against hate. These issues are relevant in neighborhoods everywhere—that’s why we allow conversations in support of Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, the LGBTQIA+ community, and other movements that advocate for racial equality and civil rights.
Content posted in opposition to, or as a rebuttal to support for equity & equality for historically marginalized groups is counterproductive and harmful. Neighbors are free to disagree in civil ways about the policies or tactics advocated by equality movement organizers and supporters, but posts and comments intended to undermine their core messages of equality are prohibited. Specifically:
Racial profiling happens when race or ethnicity is used as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense, either consciously or unconsciously. It is a form of discrimination, and can result in harmful consequences for innocent people, up to, and including, loss of life.
Watch this video to learn more about how to identify racial profiling, and prevent it from taking place in your neighborhood. In the event you see a post that seems to be racial profiling please report it, or vote to remove it.
Nextdoor’s Help Center is the single source of truth for all of our policies and terms. Though we’ve addressed the major points in this module, please take time to read the policy in its entirety: Do not discriminate
Real-world impact often begins in a local community, and Nextdoor is the place where neighbors can discuss these topics in a kind and respectful way.
In order to keep conversations local in the main newsfeed, conversations about non-local topics without a local or personal connection, like national partisan politics or international geopolitical issues, may only be discussed in a neighbor-created group.
It's OK for neighbors to discuss national and internationally-oriented conversations in the main newsfeed if there is a direct local connection, or if the neighbor is sharing a direct personal experience. These discussions must adhere to all other community guidelines.
Religion is an important part of many people’s lives that they wish to share with like-minded neighbors, however, some people are not interested in their neighbor’s religious beliefs. To accommodate both perspectives, discussions about religion must take place in neighbor-created groups. Any posts or comments referencing religion in the main newsfeed are subject to removal.
Nextdoor’s Help Center is the single source of truth for all of our policies and terms. Though we’ve addressed the major points in this module, please take time to read the policy in its entirety: Discuss important topics in the right place
Nextdoor's Member Agreement requires that every neighbor use their real name when using Nextdoor, and also asks that each neighbor confirm their address upon sign-up. Accounts that do not appear to be using a neighbor’s real name should be reported to Nextdoor Support for review, using the in-app flow.
Note: Neighborhood moderators do not have the ability to view neighbor profile reports, or take action against (i.e.: ban or suspend) any neighbor’s account.
Nextdoor’s Help Center is the single source of truth for all of our policies and terms. Though we’ve addressed the major points in this module, please take time to read the policy in its entirety: Use your true identity
Any activity that could hurt someone—from physical harm to scams—is expressly prohibited.
Even if made in jest, threatening harm towards another neighbor or group of people (e.g.: thieves, people experiencing homelessness, etc.) is simply not ok. Please report any neighbor to Nextdoor Support if they are threatening others with violence, using the in-app reporting flow.
It is against our Member Agreement to use Nextdoor to sell weapons or ammunition. In addition, threatening gun violence towards others—even in jest, or out of frustration—is not appropriate for our platform. Please report any neighbor to Nextdoor Support if they are threatening others with gun violence, and then subsequently report the offending post or comment.
Nextdoor’s Help Center is the single source of truth for all of our policies and terms. Though we’ve addressed the major points in this module, please take time to read the policy in its entirety: Do not engage in harmful activity
With a solid understanding of the Community Guidelines in place, you're now ready to learn how to prevent and spot any bias that may appear in your neighborhood. Next module: Understanding Bias & Discrimination