Community Guidelines Enforcement FAQ
❓ What happens when I break the rules?
We monitor for abuse to keep the platform safe and high quality for everyone. Sometimes users accidentally violate our code of conduct. Here's how we handle things:
If we detect a potential violation, we may:
- Send a warning and ask you to adjust your behavior
- Temporarily restrict certain actions
- Suspend or ban your account if the violation is serious or repeated
We look at the pattern of behavior, not just one action. We also consider intent, user history, and context. If you believe we made a mistake, reach out to talent@wellfound.com.
❓ I got a warning, what happens next?
We send warnings directly to users via email. A warning means we’ve seen activity on your account that goes against our guidelines. It’s a chance for you to course-correct.
Unless the behavior continues or escalates, no further action will be taken. If the same issue happens again, your account may be restricted or permanently banned.
We encourage you to review our Community Guidelines to avoid future violations.
If you receive a warning and have questions after reading the message, feel free to reply to the email and ask for clarification.
❓ I got banned, what happens next?
A ban means your account has been restricted due to serious or continued violations of our rules. We understand this can be frustrating; if you believe this was a mistake, you can reach out to talent@wellfound.com with a brief explanation and any relevant context.
Not all bans are eligible for appeal. We prioritize platform safety and user trust, and in some cases we may not be able to reinstate access.
❓ How long will it take me to hear back from you?
We do our best to review reports and appeals as quickly as possible. You can usually expect a response within 1 business day. More complex cases, holidays, or periods of high volume may take a bit longer.
Thanks for your patience while we personally review every case to ensure fairness.
❓ What does spam mean?
On Wellfound, spam refers to repetitive, low-effort, or irrelevant activity that overwhelms other users. This includes:
- Mass-applying to jobs or messaging candidates without reviewing their fit
- Copy-paste or scripted outreach at scale
- Promoting unrelated services or content
Spam harms the experience for everyone and makes it harder for serious users to connect.
❓ What does “complaints” mean?
Complaints are reports submitted by other users (like candidates or companies) who feel your behavior or content violated our guidelines. These could relate to spam, misleading roles, unprofessional communication, or other issues.
One complaint on its own won’t get you banned but repeated or significant complaints are taken seriously and can lead to immediate limits against your account or recruiting privileges.
❓ Can I get banned without warning?
Yes, this can happen.
If a violation is severe (e.g., a scam, fake job, data harvesting, or impersonation), we may issue a permanent ban without warning. In less serious cases, we typically issue a warning first to give users a chance to correct the behavior.
We consider intent, history, and impact before taking action.
❓ Can I appeal a ban or get my account back?
In many cases, yes.
If you think your ban was in error or you’d like to appeal our decision and request a second look, you can contact our Trust & Safety team at talent@wellfound.com. Please include context and any relevant information.
Not all bans are reversible, but we do our best to review appeals fairly.
❓ Why wasn’t I told exactly what I did wrong?
We understand this can be frustrating. While we try to be as clear as possible, there are situations where we can’t share full details—especially when doing so could expose detection methods or affect other users' privacy.
That said, we aim to give helpful context when possible, and you’re welcome to contact us with questions.
❓ How many warnings can I get before I’m banned?
There’s no fixed number.
We look at patterns of behavior over time. One warning followed by corrective action may not lead to a ban. Repeated or escalating violations after a warning may result in restrictions.
The goal of a warning is to prevent further issues, not to act as a strike system.
❓ How many jobs can I apply to?
Each candidate has a maximum amount of active job applications they can have at one time within Wellfound.
The number can vary a bit depending on rates and speed. If you hit an application limit, please wait a few days while recruiters review your active applications (or they expire) and you should be able to apply to more jobs again.
❓Why are you banning me if I’m posting in-house roles?
We understand this can be confusing. Even if a role is in-house, we will still take action if your company is a third-party recruiting company because this is currently part of our platform rules.
Please note that since we are constantly improving and iterating on our rules and Trust & Safety processes these policies are always subject to change. We do encourage you to reach out to us with your specific use case for our product(s) and we will do our best to see if there's a solution available for you.