Our Rules

Kickstarter is a community of people committed to bringing creative projects to life.

We welcome and support projects from a variety of categories: Art, Comics, Crafts, Dance, Design, Fashion, Film & Video, Food, Games, Journalism, Music, Photography, Publishing, Technology, and Theater. Here are five rules every Kickstarter project must follow.

  1. Projects must create something to share with others.

    Kickstarter can be used to create all sorts of things: art and gadgets, events and spaces, ideas and experiences. But every project needs a plan for creating something and sharing it with the world. At some point, the creator should be able to say: “It’s finished. Here’s what we created. Enjoy!”

  2. Projects must be honest and clearly presented.

    Our community is built on trust and communication. Projects can’t mislead people or misrepresent facts, and creators should be candid about what they plan to accomplish. When a project involves manufacturing and distributing something complex, like a gadget, we require projects to show backers a prototype of what they’re making, and we prohibit photorealistic renderings.

  3. Projects can’t fundraise for charity.

    While nonprofits are welcome to launch projects on Kickstarter, projects can't promise to raise funds to donate to a charity or cause. Funds raised on Kickstarter must go towards facilitating the project outlined by the creator on the project page.

  4. Projects can't offer equity.

    Investment is not permitted on Kickstarter. Projects can't offer incentives like equity, revenue sharing, or investment opportunities.

  5. Projects can't involve prohibited items.

    We do not allow any of these things.

These rules don’t cover every possible use of Kickstarter, but they explain our purpose and perspective.

We value community. View our policies for etiquette on Kickstarter.

Community guidelines

Have a question about starting a project? We're here to help.

Help center

We're all capable of making incredible things. A few tips to get started.

Creator handbook
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