Be helpful, not hurtful
The heart and soul of Nextdoor are the helpful conversations that happen between neighbors. When conversations turn disagreeable, everyone on Nextdoor suffers. For this reason, we may remove posts and comments that discriminate against, attack, shame, insult, bully, or belittle Nextdoor members. Personal disputes may also be removed.
Disagreements and conflict
We encourage members to have conversations about the issues that matter to them in a way that is constructive, civil, and builds community.
Don’t attack, berate, bully, belittle, insult, harass, threaten, troll, or swear at others or their views even if you really, really disagree with them. This includes communication within a group or via private message.
When conversations become heated, remember our overarching principle: "Everyone here is your neighbor. Please treat each other with respect."
You can, of course, think what you like, but on Nextdoor, conversations must remain civil. This is not always easy because we care passionately about the places we call home – our neighborhoods.
As one Nextdoor member has written, "If I can move past my knee-jerk, visceral reactions to statements I disagree with, I have a better chance to engage in dialogues that are meaningful." So, if you are angry about something a neighbor has said or done, take a deep breath, count to ten, and then come back to post something thoughtful and constructive.
If you have concerns about community moderation, for example, about why your content was reported or removed, do not post about it in the main newsfeed. Instead, see this article about Nextdoor’s Moderation systems to learn about your options.
Related: please see our guideline on profanity.
Public shaming
Nextdoor is not a platform for publicly shaming your neighbors. If you see a neighbor doing something that concerns you, ask yourself, "Do I know who this person is, and could I contact them privately to resolve the issue?" If the answer is yes, then you should contact them directly and not post about it on Nextdoor.
Safety concerns:
- If you are concerned about a safety issue in your neighborhood and do not know the person involved or how to contact them, you may post about it. Remember to do so in a civil and respectful way.
- If you are concerned about a house, vehicle, or individual engaging in illegal activity, you should call 911. Before posting, consider how your post might be received by the people you are posting about, who may also be members of Nextdoor.
- If the people involved request that the post be removed, we may remove it.
- If you are merely bothered or annoyed by your neighbor’s behavior, do not post about it. This is considered a personal dispute. Contact the person directly to work it out.
- If a parent or guardian requests that a photo of a minor be removed from Nextdoor, we may remove it.
Please note: Criticizing a service provider because of a bad commercial interaction does not constitute public shaming (even if a specific person is identified) as long as the post is civil, describes the person's experience, and does not include libel or name calling.
Personal disputes and grievances
Nextdoor is not a place for publicly resolving personal disputes and grievances. Use private messages to resolve personal disputes, or better yet, get together in person to resolve the matter amicably.
Discrimination and hate speech
Ensure that all neighbors feel welcome, safe, and respected. Hate speech is not allowed.
Do not make posts or comments that discriminate against, threaten, or insult groups, based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, age, veteran status or disability.
Do not promote the events or activities of hate groups or terrorist organizations.
Do not promote the events or activities of hate groups or terrorist organizations.
Do not use derogatory racial terms or code words that insult or reduce one’s humanity. For example, do not use "AA" when referring to African-Americans or other terms such as "Oriental" when referring to Asian-Americans.
Also, when describing people who are homeless or who have committed crimes, avoid inflammatory language (e.g. "scum" or "animals"). Keep in mind that everyone is someone’s son or daughter or sister or brother.
Also, when describing people who are homeless or who have committed crimes, avoid inflammatory language (e.g. "scum" or "animals"). Keep in mind that everyone is someone’s son or daughter or sister or brother.
Note that you may be asked to edit your remarks to remove language that neighbors may reasonably find offensive. Again, we want everyone to feel welcome on Nextdoor.
Crime or suspicious activity
Responsible Crime & Safety posting
Keeping the neighborhood safe is important to our members. You should always call 911 first to report a safety concern.
Nextdoor takes a strong stand against racial profiling. We expressly prohibit posts that assume someone is suspicious because of their race or ethnicity. We also prohibit messages that give descriptions of individuals that are so vague as to cast suspicion over an entire race or ethnicity. Such messages are ineffective and harm rather than help communities. You can learn more about the root causes of racial profiling, what Nextdoor is doing to prevent it, and how you can help in our Preventing Racial Profiling Resource Center.
Nextdoor takes a strong stand against racial profiling. We expressly prohibit posts that assume someone is suspicious because of their race or ethnicity. We also prohibit messages that give descriptions of individuals that are so vague as to cast suspicion over an entire race or ethnicity. Such messages are ineffective and harm rather than help communities. You can learn more about the root causes of racial profiling, what Nextdoor is doing to prevent it, and how you can help in our Preventing Racial Profiling Resource Center.
When you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood, please do speak up. However, we require that you follow two very important rules when doing so:
- Make sure that what you are reporting is actually suspicious.
Don’t assume someone is suspicious because of their race or ethnicity. This is called racial profiling and it is expressly prohibited on Nextdoor. Ask yourself, “Would I be suspicious of this person’s behavior if I took race or ethnicity out of the equation? Learn more about what behaviors police consider consistent with criminal activity. You may be surprised!
- Describe the person using specific details.
We require Crime and Safety posts to be responsible and helpful. Whether you are posting about a crime you observed or about suspicious activity, include multiple, distinctive characteristics that your neighbors or law enforcement can use to identify a person. Describe clothing from head to toe. Do not identify a suspect by race and sex alone (including in subject lines). This helps keep all of your neighbors safe and avoids casting a wide net of suspicion over innocent people of similar race or ethnicity. Learn why full descriptions are so important.
Note: Do not post about crime or suspicious activity in a category other than Crime & Safety (or if it is an emergency, using an "urgent alert"). If you repeatedly post about such issues outside of the Crime & Safety category, your posts may be removed.
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