Code of Conduct Template

Overview

A code of conduct sets expectations for participant behavior within a project community. It creates a welcoming environment and provides procedures for addressing violations.

When to Use

• You manage an open-source project with external contributors
• You want to build an inclusive community
• Your organization requires explicit behavioral standards

Template

# Code of Conduct

## Our Pledge

We as members, contributors, and leaders pledge to make participation in our
community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body
size, visible or invisible disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender
identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status,
nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

## Our Standards

### Positive Behavior
- Using welcoming and inclusive language
- Being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences
- Gracefully accepting constructive criticism
- Focusing on what is best for the community
- Showing empathy towards other community members

### Unacceptable Behavior
- The use of sexualized language or imagery
- Trolling, insulting/derogatory comments, and personal attacks
- Public or private harassment
- Publishing others' private information without permission
- Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate

## Enforcement Responsibilities

Community leaders are responsible for clarifying and enforcing standards of
acceptable behavior and will take appropriate and fair corrective action in
response to any behavior deemed inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful.

## Scope

This Code of Conduct applies within all community spaces and also applies when
an individual is officially representing the community in public spaces.

## Enforcement

Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be
reported to the community leaders responsible for enforcement at [email].
All complaints will be reviewed and investigated promptly and fairly.

## Attribution

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the [Contributor Covenant](https://www.contributor-covenant.org),
version 2.1.

Key Sections

Section	Purpose
Pledge	Community commitment to inclusivity
Standards	Explicit positive and negative behaviors
Enforcement	Who handles violations and how
Scope	Where the code applies
Reporting	How to report violations

Best Practices

• Adapt, don’t copy: Customize the template to your community’s needs
• Make it visible: Link prominently in README and repository
• Enforce consistently: A code without enforcement is meaningless
• Review annually: Update as your community evolves