Checklist
- Define the server purpose in one sentence
- Create only the channels needed for launch
- Write short public rules with examples
- Review every bot permission
- Assign moderation shifts for the first week
Steps
- Write the promise of the server and the audience it serves.
- Map categories to jobs: announcements, discussion, support, events, moderation.
- Create roles for function first and aesthetics second.
- Install bots only after writing down why each one is needed.
- Schedule the first two weeks of prompts, events, and check-ins.
Most new servers fail from ambiguity, not lack of channels. A smaller layout with clear purpose is easier to moderate and easier for members to understand.
A launch checklist gives moderators a shared source of truth during the most chaotic part of a community's life.
