The girl code is a set of unspoken rules that females are expected to follow. It’s basically the Dos and Don’ts of friendships. Although the list of girl code rules goes on and on, I’ll be sharing the 23 most important girl code rules that you definitely shouldn’t break.

Girl code is the unwritten and often unspoken set of rules/ethics that exist between a girl and her best friends.

These are the unofficial rules and friendship commandments of girl code:

1. Sisters before misters!

No guy is worth ruining your friendship over. So, stay away from your friend’s boyfriend, her ex-boyfriend, or any other man that might harm your friendship.

The bond and relationship you have with your BFF are so much stronger than the bond between you and a man who just wanted to hook up with you. Actually, there is no bond there at all because it probably won’t last long.

2. Be honest without being rude.

When your friend tries to be cool but actually becomes the butt of a joke unknowingly… don’t laugh pretentiously along with others.

Pull her away and tell her what the issue is. But never say that aloud in public. Remember: You wanna protect her dignity.

3. No sexual history judgment.

One of the major girl code rules about guys is don’t judge a girl based on her sexual activity. Don’t slut shame her if she slept with more than one guy. Don’t think she’s undesirable or boring if she’s a virgin. Stop judging her based on men.

4. Let her rule her life.

If she likes a man but he pisses you off, don’t try to break them off. Her relationship is her business until you have surefire evidence that he isn’t worth it.

You may still tell her about something being off. But, you can’t make her break up for sisterhood.

5. Don’t hate girls you don’t know.

There’s nothing more annoying than hearing something some girl said about you. It’s extra annoying when you’ve never talked to this person before. Don’t be that girl!

6. Embrace your differences.

You and your friends will probably have some differences, but that’s perfectly okay because those differences could actually bring you closer.

Don’t ever think that just because someone has different interests, it’s impossible to maintain a friendly relationship with that person. Opposites attract, right? And also, the more different you are, the more you will have to learn from each other.

7. Be the wing woman she needs.

So, your girl found a man she likes at your birthday party? If you know that man, take responsibility to arrange a date with him. Tell the man about her best qualities and make him fall head over heels for her.

8. Your best friend’s crush is totally off-limits.

This is a pretty clear one, right? Flirting with your bestie’s crush is totally forbidden. If you do it, that means you’re violating the rules of the girl code. Trust me — it definitely won’t end well.

9. Never talk behind her.

Despite how much your girl gets on your nerves and how much you can’t stand her, don’t talk about it to others. This is equivalent to backstabbing. Instead, talk it out between you two, and never involve a third party in your beef.

10. Save her from makeup embarrassment.

If you see lipstick stuck on her teeth, mascara on her eyelid, smudged eyeliner, or if you can tell she made out, let her know. She’ll thank you later for being such a darling. And if the time comes, she’ll return the favor.

11. Exes and close relatives are out of bounds unless you have your BFF’s approval.

I know that falling in love is a spontaneous act, and we can’t change that too much. However, if you find yourself in a situation where you like your friend’s ex or a close relative of hers, you must admit this to your friend first and see what she thinks about it.

If she’s okay with it and gives you her approval, you can consider it as a green light to date the man you like.

12. Always check in on your BFF while they’re on a first date.

When your bestie is on a first date, you should be there with her too. I don’t mean literally, but you should check in on the situation constantly, just like you’re really there.

13. Share the juicy bits.

When you get to know gossip from anywhere, don’t just have fun all on your own, share it with the squad. Everyone deserves a bite of spicy news. However, if only you know the gossip, don’t spread it.

14. Get her home safely.

If she’s tipsy and it’s late, don’t let her go home alone. Get a cab and drop her at her house. You never know what might happen if she returns like that. Be a superwoman every drunk girl needs.

15. Give honest opinions on outfits.

Tell her if she looks bad in her outfit before she goes out. Never let her be the laughing stock just because you don’t have the courage to say the truth. If you won’t say it, she’ll never learn until someone else does… and that’s the moment she’ll lose faith in you.

16. Respect their privacy.

You should always respect your friend’s personal space and their wish for privacy. So, for example, if your friend isn’t a fan of social media and doesn’t want to post pics on social media platforms, just don’t freaking do it.

17. Head to her right away on bad days.

When your friend called you after a bad incident, call the squad and head to her place with her favorite food, drinks, and desserts. Stay over with her for the night, and be her adviser and cheerleader. If she needs to, take her on a road trip.

18. Give her a reality check.

When you think she’s deluded or hurts herself with the wrong decisions, don’t keep it down because it’s her business. You can’t let her sink to the pit of the abyss and not do anything. Protect her from potential danger even if she doesn’t agree.

19. Take your bestie’s phone when she’s about to do something stupid.

Whether we like to admit it or not, women have that tendency of sending a text to an ex when we’re drunk, or at least it’s when we start thinking about it. So, the next time your girlfriend starts drinking and grabs her phone to drunk text her ex, take it from her before she hits the send button. Stop her from doing something she would definitely regret the next day when she sobers up.

20. Don’t spill her secrets.

When a girl tells you her secrets, she trusts you with her life. Despite how small it seems, respect the secrets. Don’t share it with another soul… even your mom or if you have a common bestie. Unless she tells them on their own, her secrets must dive deep inside to never resurface again.

21. Solve your issues in a healthy way.

Don’t be afraid to confront each other about things that are bothering you in your friendship. It won’t harm your friendship; on the contrary, it can actually only make it stronger. And remember, the only way you’ll solve your issues is by communicating.

22. Don’t try to outshine her.

A good friend never ever tries to look better than her friend. If it’s her special day like a birthday, engagement, wedding, anniversary, or getting promoted, never steal her limelight. If you swear to love her and be her true friend, let her bask in her glory.

23. Don’t fight when he steals her from you.

If your girl gets hitched and busy with her relationship or marriage, don’t blow out. Her relationship is also an equal commitment to her and so will be yours. However, if you really need her and she doesn’t respond, talk to her calmly.

Is girl code still a thing?

Whether the girl code matters or not depends on the people involved, their feelings, and their situation because human beings create rules and not vice versa.

Suppose, Girl A and Girl B are BFFs. Girl A dated Boy X but they broke up ages ago and she’s with boy Z right now. Your question might be can Girl B date Boy X? Do they need to follow the girl code or should they ditch it?

Well, if the four can hang out together and enjoy themselves without bitter feelings for anyone, they can move past the girl code. However, if the hangout turns dramatic, makes someone cry, or girl A and boy X still have unresolved issues, think again.

My Take: It depends on what you both believe, your thoughts about the girl code, and of course the context of the situation. If breaking the girl code will hurt any of you, it’s still on. But if it doesn’t harm anyone, don’t restrict yourself to rules.

When Can You Break Girl Code?

Actually, the better question is, is it ever okay to break the girl code? Are there some special circumstances when you’re allowed to break some of the girl code rules?

Well, you should try to stick to these rules and live your life by them, but if you ever feel like the other side doesn’t do the same, you’re allowed to break the rules. Actually, in those situations, breaking the rules is a must-do.

You can’t hold on to someone and consider them your best friend if they don’t think the same of you. Yes, you should put sisterhood and your friendship at the very top of your priority list. However, the first place on that list belongs to you and only you.

The girl code rules are important because they can make or break a friendship. The bottom line is that if both sides follow all of these unspoken rules, they’ll stay best friends forever.

However, if you don’t stick to them, you’ll make your friend question your loyalty, and that’s when your friendship will start falling apart.

The Take-Away.

When it comes to dating, girl code rules are cool only if you don’t obstruct your lady’s happiness. You and your female friends must uplift one another and not restrict them.

As far as general life is concerned, these rules build badass women of this era. It’s a serious part of feminism and women's empowerment, i.e., a woman supporting, protecting, and cherishing another woman.

In this cruel world where women get eaten by cannibalistic animals (no shade to men), the girl code shows you how to survive, thrive, and nurture stronger women for generations to come.