Write the moderation rules before you need them

Write the moderation rules before you need them
Every moderation decision made in the middle of an argument looks like favouritism, because it is. You made it while annoyed.
Write down, in advance:
— What gets removed, specifically. Not "be respectful" — the actual categories, in plain language.
— What gets a warning and what gets an immediate removal.
— Whether removals are announced or silent. Pick one and stay consistent. Inconsistency is what people notice.
— Who has authority to remove, and who reviews it.
— How somebody appeals, and to whom.
— What you do with criticism aimed at you, which is the clause everyone conveniently forgets to write.
Then publish it somewhere findable. Not because people will read it — they will not — but because when you enforce it you can point at a rule that existed before the argument did.
The rules do not have to be liberal or strict. They have to be predictable.
Consistent and slightly wrong beats fair and unpredictable.