# community-building

Designs and structures developer communities across Discord, Slack, and forums. It lays out channel trees, member onboarding flows, and moderation rules.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 87
- Author: jonathimer
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/jonathimer/devmarketing-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/community-building/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-03-03
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/community-building

## What it does

This skill structures developer communities on platforms like Discord, Slack, Discourse, and GitHub Discussions. It matches community platforms to audience needs, such as picking Slack for enterprise teams or Discord for open-source tools. You get channel layouts separated by topics, support, and administrative rules.

The skill includes ready-to-use welcome messages and role permission tiers. It outlines weekly discussion schedules, from goal-setting prompts to project demos, alongside retention metrics such as DAU/MAU. For community safety, it supplies a four-tier enforcement ladder covering warnings, temporary mutes, and permanent bans.

Without `.agents/developer-audience-context.md`, the skill lacks audience details. Generate that file with `developer-audience-context` before proceeding.

## Requirements
- Works with: Slack

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jonathimer/devmarketing-skills --skill community-building -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/community-building/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/community-building/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jonathimer/devmarketing-skills --skill community-building -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/community-building/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jonathimer/devmarketing-skills --skill community-building -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/community-building/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install jonathimer/devmarketing-skills community-building
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/community-building/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jonathimer/devmarketing-skills --skill community-building -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/jonathimer/devmarketing-skills --path skills/community-building
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/community-building/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jonathimer/devmarketing-skills --skill community-building -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/jonathimer/devmarketing-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/community-building/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- select the right platform between Discord, Slack, or GitHub Discussions
- map out Discord and Slack channel structures with posting permissions
- write onboarding journeys and automated welcome messages
- establish a code of conduct with structured penalty tiers
- schedule weekly community prompts and show-and-tell routines

## Example prompts
- Design a Discord channel layout and welcome message for an open-source dev tool
- Create an onboarding flow and role hierarchy for our B2B Slack community
- Draft a code of conduct with enforcement steps and weekly engagement prompts

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 1b386a22cedc842c.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 1b386a22cedc842c
````text
---
name: community-building
description: When the user wants to build, grow, or improve a developer community on Discord, Slack, or forums. Trigger phrases include "developer community," "Discord server," "Slack community," "community strategy," "community engagement," "community moderation," "community growth," or "community management."
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
---

# Community Building

This skill helps you build and manage developer communities on Discord, Slack, forums, and other platforms. Covers channel structure, onboarding, engagement programs, handling toxicity, and community-led growth.

---

## Before You Start

**Load your audience context first.** Read `.agents/developer-audience-context.md` to understand:

- Who your developers are (role, seniority, interests)
- Where they already hang out (to avoid competing platforms)
- What problems they discuss (community topic focus)
- How they communicate (formal vs. casual tone)

If the context file doesn't exist, run the `developer-audience-context` skill first.

---

## Platform Selection

### Comparison Matrix

| Platform | Best For | Pros | Cons |
|----------|----------|------|------|
| **Discord** | Developer tools, gaming, OSS | Real-time, rich features, free | Can be chaotic, less enterprise |
| **Slack** | Enterprise, B2B SaaS | Professional, familiar | Expensive at scale, message limits |
| **GitHub Discussions** | OSS projects | Integrated, async, searchable | Less community feel |
| **Discourse** | Long-form, searchable | SEO, threading, ownership | Maintenance, hosting costs |
| **Circle** | Courses, paid communities | Courses integration, clean | Paid, less developer-native |

### Decision Framework

| If your audience is... | Consider |
|------------------------|----------|
| Individual developers, OSS | Discord |
| Enterprise teams | Slack |
| Technical, async-preferred | GitHub Discussions |
| Mixed, need searchability | Discourse |
| Course/education based | Circle |

---

## Channel Structure

### Discord Channel Template

```
📢 INFORMATION
├── #welcome — First landing, rules, links
├── #announcements — Official updates (admin-only posting)
├── #rules — Code of conduct
└── #introductions — New member intros

💬 GENERAL
├── #general — Main discussion
├── #off-topic — Non-project chat
└── #show-what-you-built — Share projects

❓ SUPPORT
├── #help — General questions
├── #troubleshooting — Bug help
└── #feature-requests — Suggestions

🔧 TECHNICAL
├── #backend — Backend discussions
├── #frontend — Frontend discussions
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 1b386a22cedc842c

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---
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