Terms of Service FAQ

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This document addresses common questions about the AO3 Terms of Service and how our policies are implemented. If you have any questions not answered by this FAQ, you can contact the Policy & Abuse committee.

General Principles FAQ

Answers to common questions about the General Principles of the AO3 Terms of Service are available below. If you have additional questions that are not covered here, you can contact the Policy & Abuse committee.

General Questions

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Why does the Archive of Our Own (AO3) have a goal of maximum inclusiveness of fanwork content?

AO3 was founded partly in response to a growing trend of fanworks being removed from websites that had previously allowed them. Commercial entities have frequently permitted fanworks in the early stage of their existence in order to expand their userbase, only to later prohibit certain types of fanworks from being shared on their platform. This pattern has been observed numerous times throughout fandom history. We want AO3 to be a non-commercial space where creators are able to permanently preserve and freely share as many of their fanworks as possible.

What does it mean for AO3's Terms of Service (TOS) to be governed by the laws of New York? What if I am a resident of a different state or country?

AO3 operates under the jurisdiction of Manhattan, New York in the United States. As such, the interactions between AO3 and its users, as well as the definitions in the TOS, will comply with U.S. legislative interpretations. If you reside in a different state or country, it is your responsibility – not AO3's – to know about and follow the laws in your local jurisdiction. For example, if certain content on AO3 is restricted under your local laws, it is not AO3's duty to delete that content for you; instead, it is your responsibility to avoid accessing that content.

What is an "implied warranty of merchantability"?

An implied warranty of merchantability is a legal agreement between a seller and a buyer that goods will be reasonably fit for the general purpose for which they are sold. For example, if you buy a toaster, it should be able to toast bread. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it should function as a typical toaster would.

This warranty is governed in the United States by the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which allows sellers to "disclaim" it. Disclaiming a warranty cancels the promise, which means the buyer takes on the risk that the product may not work as expected. By disclaiming this warranty about AO3, we are saying that you cannot hold us legally responsible if AO3 does not work as expected (in other words, you can't sue us).

What is an "implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose"?

An implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is a legal agreement that exists when a buyer relies upon the seller to provide goods to fit a specific request. For example, if you ask a salesperson for a pair of boots to hike in the snow, and they sell you boots based on that request, they are making a promise (warranty) that those boots will be good for hiking in the snow. The seller has to know two things: 1) the buyer has a specific need, and 2) the buyer is relying on their recommendation. If both of those conditions are met, this warranty applies.

This warranty is governed in the United States by the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Like the implied warranty of merchantability, sellers can disclaim it, thereby shifting the risk back to the buyer. By disclaiming this warranty about AO3, we are saying that you cannot hold us legally responsible if AO3 does not suit the purpose you wanted to use it for, even if we know why you wanted to use it and you are relying on our recommendation to use it. For example, if you want to use AO3 to post your fanworks, but you find that you don't like AO3's posting interface and prefer to use another fanwork site, you can't sue us because our site doesn't meet your needs.

Why are you talking about buyers and sellers? Are you selling things?

No, AO3 is and always will be free to use. We don't sell anything. We don't sell products to you, and we also don't sell advertisement space or user data to third parties. AO3 is run by the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), a non-profit which is funded by donations, not sales or advertisements. However, U.S. law regarding services and contracts generally assumes that one party is a buyer and one party is a seller, even if the service being "sold" is free (as in our case). We use this standard language to make sure that we aren't promising you something that we can't provide.

What counts as an official statement from the OTW?

Official statements are communications made by volunteers while they are fulfilling their formal volunteering responsibilities. These can include news posts and comments from official accounts.

Comments from official accounts are only official OTW statements when the volunteer is both acting in their official OTW role and providing information about the OTW or any of its projects or policies. For example, a news post moderator using an official account to reply to a question about a news post is acting in an official capacity; however, a volunteer who is using an official account to reply to a comment on a "Five Things" post about them (which is about that volunteer's personal opinions) is not acting in an official capacity.

What do you mean by "a worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license"?

This means that we can make the content you post on AO3 available to other people who use AO3, without paying you. We will never charge for access to AO3 or otherwise sell your content. You can also put your content on other sites if you want, or remove it from AO3 if you no longer want it here.

What do you mean by modifying or adapting content?

This refers to how your work is displayed on the site, not how it is written, drawn, or otherwise created. For example, we may display portions of your content on some pages of the site, such as by showing your work's summary and tags in search results. We may also make changes to the formatting or display of your content in order to adapt to the technical requirements of different networks or devices, or to improve accessibility. For example, we may automatically convert HTML tags to our standard forms (for example, changing <bold> html tags to <strong>) or allow you to use nonstandard fonts and formatting while providing an alternate format for accessibility.

What are the rules for removing and retaining content on various parts of AO3 that are not fully controlled by the original poster?
  • Orphaning a work: Orphaned works will not be edited or removed unless they contain unauthorized information which may identify the creator or otherwise violate the Terms of Service.
  • Participation in a Challenge: The maintainer(s) of the challenge may edit or delete the sign-up or prompt, or remove a work from their collection, at any time.
  • Comments on someone else's work:
    • The creator(s) of the work may freeze or delete comments on their work at any time and for any reason. They may also enable comment moderation and choose to leave comments unreviewed, or mark guest comments as spam.
    • Registered users can delete their own comments at any time. Guest users cannot delete their own comments.
    • The Policy & Abuse committee may delete comments in situations where a violation of the Terms of Service has occurred.
  • Comments on an official AO3 or OTW post: Comments on official AO3 or OTW posts may be frozen, hidden, marked as spam, or deleted in accordance with the OTW News Post Moderation Policy.
How can I check if my country is under a comprehensive trade embargo by the US?

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) provides up-to-date details regarding all current embargoes (including but by no means limited to comprehensive trade embargoes) on their website. Princeton University has a list of countries that are comprehensively sanctioned by OFAC.

Under what circumstances would you suspend an account for an invalid email address?

If we need to communicate with you to resolve an Abuse report, we will email you at the address associated with your AO3 account. If you do not check your email, or if you cannot receive emails because your email address is inaccurate or invalid, then we will have to resolve the complaint without your input. A sufficient number of sustained Abuse reports that fail to be delivered ("bounce") or do not receive a response could lead to permanent suspension.

If our emails to you repeatedly bounce, then we may suspend your account because we need to be able to communicate with you if necessary. In that situation, you can log in and get your account reinstated by associating it with a working email address. Then, if necessary, you can deal with whatever problem led to the Abuse report in the first place.

Having an invalid email address will not necessarily cause you to be suspended. However, if you violated the Terms of Service in other ways, those violations will not be excused just because you didn't receive our emails. It is your responsibility to ensure your email address is accurate and messages can be delivered to it. Repeated violations of the Terms of Service may result in a temporary suspension or a permanent ban, regardless of whether or not you were able to receive our emails warning you about the violations.

If we send a routine email about general site policies and it bounces, that will not lead to account suspension, but whatever policies we announce will still apply to all account owners. We will only suspend accounts with invalid email addresses when individual Policy & Abuse–related communications bounce.

Why did you license the Terms of Service under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License? What does that mean?

Creative Commons licenses allow people to use others' works under certain predefined conditions. The Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) permits you to use material from our Terms of Service (including the Content Policy and Privacy Policy) for any purpose, as long as you meet all of the following requirements:

  1. Give appropriate credit: You need to say that the material was created by us and provide a link to the CC license.
  2. Indicate if changes were made: If you changed something from our original material, say so when crediting us.
  3. Don't suggest we endorse your use: While you're free to adapt our material for your own use, you can't claim that we reviewed or authorized your specific work.
  4. Don't impose additional restrictions: You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that restrict others from doing anything that this license permits.

An example of appropriate attribution would be: "This work uses material from AO3's Terms of Service, which was released under a CC BY 4.0 license."

Does AO3's Terms of Service use material or inspiration from documents by other people?

Material in AO3's Terms of Service has been drawn from imeem and NearlyFreeSpeech.NET.

Back to Top | General Questions

Age Policy

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Why are children under the age of 13 not permitted to have an AO3 account or upload content?

In the United States, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) governs the collection of personal information, including usernames and email addresses, from children under 13. Because the Organization for Transformative Works is a non-profit and does not sell any data, COPPA does not apply to AO3; however, we adhere to the same restriction as a matter of policy.

Why are children under the age of sixteen (16) who are residents/citizens of certain countries not permitted to have an account or upload content?

In some countries in Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) governs the collection and processing of personal data, including email addresses and IP addresses, as well as certain uses of cookies. Other countries may have similar data privacy laws. The age at which someone can consent to the collection of personal data without written permission from their parent or legal guardian may be higher than 13, depending on their country of residence. We do not want to store the type of detailed personal information about users that would be required to verify and accept such permission. Therefore, children who wish to create an account or upload content to AO3 must meet their country's minimum age requirements to legally consent to personal data collection without written permission.

What happens to an account or its content if the account owner is reported for violating the Age Policy?

If the Policy & Abuse committee determines that a violation of the Age Policy has occurred, the account will be suspended and content on the account may be removed. If the content is not removed, the suspended user or their parent or guardian can contact the Policy & Abuse committee to request deletion of the content associated with the account.

If you were previously suspended because of your age and you are now old enough to have an account, you may contact the Policy & Abuse committee to regain access to your account.

Why are children in the EU not allowed to ask their parent or legal guardian to upload content for them? Does this apply to children elsewhere, such as in the UK or the EEA?

AO3 adheres to the GDPR's requirements for handling the content and information of children within the GDPR's jurisdiction. Accordingly, the parents or legal guardians of children within the European Union are not allowed to upload their child's content under their own (the parent or guardian's) account.

This restriction does not apply to children in the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (unless the child is also a resident or citizen of an EU country).

Back to Top | Age Policy FAQ

Abuse Policy and Procedures

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How do I report a violation of the Terms of Service (TOS)?

Please contact the Policy & Abuse committee. You must provide your email address and a direct link to the specific content you want to report. In the subject and description of your report, please briefly describe the content you are reporting, explain why you are reporting it, and include any additional links or other details that could help us investigate the violation. If you don't provide this information in your report, we may not be able to investigate or act upon your complaint.

If you are reporting a specific comment or comment thread, you can get the direct link by selecting the "Thread" button on the comment and copying the URL of that page.

If you are reporting multiple works or comments posted by the same user, please compile all relevant links and other information into a single report, rather than reporting each link individually.

If you wish to report content posted by multiple unrelated users (such as two different works by different people in the same fandom), please submit separate reports for each user.

What language should I select when submitting a report?

In general, if you are not comfortable with reading and writing in English, you should use the language you are most fluent in. If you are fluent in English and you are reporting something written in another language, you can either select English or choose the language of the content you are reporting.

Why aren't Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices covered by the Abuse Policy? What's the difference between a DMCA notice and an Abuse report?

A DMCA takedown notice is a legal mechanism that a copyright owner can use to request removal of their copyrighted material from a hosting site. The takedown notice must meet certain legal requirements. For example, you must declare under penalty of perjury that you are the copyright owner or are legally authorized to act on their behalf. As such, DMCA notices are assessed by the Legal committee, and valid notices may be forwarded to the user who posted the work. We reserve the right to make public all DMCA notices that we receive, though some information may be redacted for privacy. DMCA notices are not subject to the procedures described in the Abuse Policy, nor are they governed by the Policy & Abuse confidentiality policy.

Abuse reports, on the other hand, are held to a very high standard of confidentiality. They can be about any violation of the Terms of Service, including copyright infringement, harassment, commercial promotion, etc. Abuse reports are evaluated by the Policy & Abuse committee, who will never publish the details of a report or reveal any information about who submitted it.

Please do not submit an Abuse report if you intend to file a DMCA notice. Submitting both an Abuse report and a DMCA notice about the same content may delay the processing of both requests.

Can I submit an Abuse report even if I don't have an AO3 account?

Yes, but your report will be screened by our automated spam filters. If your report is rejected as spam, try using a different email address or removing extra links from your report description. Please also enter a valid email address so that we can contact you to request any additional evidence.

Reports from registered users are not subject to the spam filter, so long as you are logged in and the email address entered into the form is the one associated with your AO3 account (this will be prefilled for you).

Will I receive notification that my complaint was resolved? How long will it take?

We will make a reasonable attempt to accommodate a complainant's reply preferences. However, we may choose not to reply to complaints at our discretion, particularly if it is a non-urgent matter or if the complainant submits frequent, duplicate, or baseless reports.

Whether or not we reply to the complainant, our volunteers do evaluate all reports and act upon them as necessary. Complaints will generally be prioritized based on urgency, but because the Policy & Abuse committee is a small team of volunteers, we cannot guarantee any particular timeframe for the resolution of a complaint.

Do you monitor content on AO3 for violations of the Terms of Service?

No. We do not prescreen content on AO3, nor do we review content that has not been reported. If you believe you have encountered content that violates our Terms of Service, you will need to submit an Abuse report.

Please refrain from seeking out works that are in violation of the Terms of Service for the sole purpose of reporting or mass-reporting them. We investigate every report we receive, so submitting duplicate reports will only serve to delay the processing of the original complaint.

I'm not sure whether something is against the rules. What happens if I report something that doesn't violate the Terms of Service?

You can submit a report even if you aren't sure something is a violation. If the Policy & Abuse committee determines that what you reported is not in violation, you will receive an email letting you know and explaining why that type of content is allowed on AO3.

If you repeatedly submit reports about similar non-violating material, your subsequent reports may not receive a reply.

How do you determine whether content needs to be removed?

Abuse reports are reviewed by humans, not algorithms or bots. After a report is submitted, the Policy & Abuse committee reviews the reported content and independently evaluates whether or not it complies with our Terms of Service. If we determine that the content is in violation of the Terms of Service, only then do we take action to resolve the matter.

Would a work be removed if enough people reported it? What if someone repeatedly or intentionally submits complaints about something that doesn't violate the Terms of Service?

Multiple complaints about the same issue increases the time it takes for us to investigate, but we don't make decisions based on how many times something is reported. Mass reporting will not change whether or not the reported content is in violation of the Terms of Service, nor will it cause an issue to be addressed faster.

You don't need to worry that anyone's works will be taken down due to a baseless report or a mass-reporting campaign. We will only contact the subject of a complaint if they have in fact violated the Terms of Service. If we receive a report about something that isn't a violation, we will let the reporter know and close the report. If someone attempts to abuse our reporting system, such as by intentionally submitting baseless complaints, we may consider that harassment and take appropriate action.

What if the content I reported was deleted or edited before the Policy & Abuse team can investigate?

We appreciate good-faith attempts to resolve disputes, and in most such cases will close the complaint with no further action. However, we reserve the right to consider individual circumstances, including whether the poster has engaged in a pattern of such conduct. In such cases, if we verify that the original content violated the TOS, we may still decide to warn or suspend the original poster.

The instructions on the Policy & Abuse form say to include the username of the person I'm reporting. What if I want to report a guest comment or an anonymous or orphaned work?

You can mention in your report that the content was posted anonymously or orphaned. Content that violates the Terms of Service will be removed regardless of whether the original poster's name is publicly displayed. Penalties may be applied to the accounts of users responsible for posting violating content.

If I submit an Abuse report, will the subject be told who reported them?

In general, no. Abuse reports are kept strictly confidential. We do our best not to reveal any information about the identity of a complainant (such as a username), though in some circumstances it may be impossible to keep the source of the report completely anonymous. We do not ever disclose information that would be sufficient to identify a person in the physical world, such as an email address or legal name. For more information, please refer to the Policy & Abuse Confidentiality Policy.

Complaints can be submitted anonymously, but an email address is required. If you do not provide a valid email address and the complaint requires follow-up, we may be unable to take action.

Will I be informed if an Abuse report is filed about me or my work?

In general, the Policy & Abuse committee will only contact the subject of a complaint if there appears to be a violation of the Terms of Service, or if the team needs more information to resolve the issue.

If someone files an invalid report against you, we will inform them that their complaint has not been upheld. You will not be told about the complaint and no action will be taken against your account or content.

If we determine that you have in fact violated the Terms of Service, an email will be sent to the address associated with your account.

How do I find out who reported or complained about me?

Anonymity and privacy are essential to maintaining a fair reporting system. The Policy & Abuse committee will not disclose the identity of any complainant as part of an Abuse case.

All users are responsible for following the Terms of Service, and all users have the right to file a complaint if they witness someone violating the Terms of Service.

The Policy & Abuse committee will not uphold a complaint without investigating and confirming that a violation of the Terms of Service has occurred. This means that if the Policy & Abuse committee contacts you, their investigation has independently concluded that you have violated the Terms of Service.

What happens if a report is made about me and the Policy & Abuse committee determines that the complaint is valid?

The Policy & Abuse committee will send an email to the address associated with your AO3 account. That email will explain what the violating content or behavior is, where it occurred, and (if applicable) what you need to do to resolve it. If you cannot locate the email notifying you of your violation (please check your spam folder), you can submit an Abuse report and we will resend the original email to you.

What happens when a complaint is upheld depends greatly on the severity of the violation. For very minor issues, such as tag miscategorizations, we will simply ask you to fix the problem on your work. Violations of other portions of the Content Policy may result in content being temporarily hidden or permanently deleted, and/or a penalty being applied to your account.

Will I be notified if my work is hidden or deleted, or if I get suspended?

If your work is hidden, you'll receive an automatic email informing you that it's been hidden and providing you with a direct link to the work. You must be logged in to your account to access the hidden work.

If your work is deleted, you'll receive an automatic email informing you that it's been deleted. A copy of the work will be attached to that email.

In addition, the Policy & Abuse committee will also separately email you to explain why your work was hidden or deleted. If you've received an automatic "your work was hidden" or "your work was deleted" notification without also receiving an explanatory email from the Policy & Abuse committee, please check your spam folder. If you still can't find it, please contact the Policy & Abuse committee to let us know that you didn't receive our explanation.

If you are suspended, the email from the Policy & Abuse committee will inform you why you are suspended and how long your suspension will last. You will be further reminded automatically by the site if you attempt to post, edit, or delete content during the suspension period. If you were asked to edit or delete violating content on your account, you must wait until your suspension has ended in order to do so. You will not receive an email notification when your suspension is over.

I received an email from the Policy & Abuse committee, but I don't agree with or understand their decision. How do I appeal?

If you were contacted about something you did that is in violation of the AO3 Terms of Service, you can appeal the decision or request clarification by replying directly to the original email. If you cannot locate the email notifying you of your violation (please check your spam folder), you can submit an Abuse report, but please do not submit multiple appeals before receiving a response to the first one. Submitting multiple appeals will delay the processing of your appeal, because it creates more paperwork for us to handle before we can respond to you.

If you submitted a complaint and were told that the subject of your complaint is not in violation of the Terms of Service, then you can appeal the decision by replying directly to that email.

At least one Policy & Abuse administrator who was not previously involved with the original investigation will evaluate all information provided in an appeal to determine whether or not the appeal should be granted. Additional reviewers may be involved at the discretion of the Policy & Abuse committee. Please note that it may take some time to process your appeal and inform you of the result. The Policy & Abuse committee's decisions are final.

Are there any appeals that you will not grant?

In general, we do not email users or respond to complaints until after we have investigated the reported content and determined whether or not a violation of the Terms of Service has occurred. In order to appeal successfully, you will need to provide evidence demonstrating that our original decision was incorrect or did not adhere to the Terms of Service. If you only tell us "I want to appeal", then you haven't provided enough information for us to overturn our original ruling.

If you are notified that your content was removed in order to resolve a lawsuit or mitigate other liability, an appeal is unlikely to succeed. These cases are extremely rare, and are thoroughly discussed and reviewed at multiple levels before any action is taken.

If I disagree with the Policy & Abuse committee's decision, can I appeal to someone else, like the Support committee or the OTW Board?

No. If your appeal to the Policy & Abuse committee was rejected, you cannot appeal to any other committee. The Policy & Abuse committee is the final authority on TOS violations. To protect user privacy, other committees such as the Support committee and the OTW Board of Directors do not have information about Policy & Abuse cases. If you file an appeal with a different committee, they will simply forward the complaint to the Policy & Abuse committee or tell you to contact Policy & Abuse directly.

I was given a deadline to edit or delete my work, and I have done so. What happens next?

After the deadline, a member of the Policy & Abuse committee will review your work. The following situations may occur:

  • If you have already deleted your work, then there is no further action you need to take.
  • If you sufficiently edited your work, we will verify your edits. If your work was hidden, we will unhide the work. You will not receive a notification when your work is unhidden.
  • If you didn't sufficiently edit your work, and the work was not already hidden, we may hide the work. Please review the original email you received from us and contact us promptly if you don't understand what further edits you need to make. Failure to make all required edits may result in the deletion of your work.
  • If your work was hidden and you did not edit or delete all violating content, we will delete the work. You will automatically be emailed a copy of the work.

As a general rule, we will not review content in advance of any stated deadlines. While we strive to review content promptly after the deadline, the Policy & Abuse committee is composed entirely of volunteers. We therefore cannot guarantee a timeframe in which your content will be reviewed.

I was given a deadline to edit or delete my work, but I'm not going to make it in time. Can I have an extension?

If you need an extension on a deadline, please reply to the email the Policy & Abuse committee sent you. The Policy & Abuse committee will accommodate requests for extensions, within reason. Note that any hidden content will usually remain hidden during any extensions.

My work was removed by the Policy & Abuse committee. Can I repost it?

Works that have been hidden or deleted due to violations of the Terms of Service may not be reposted as-is. If you don't understand why your work was removed, do not re-upload the work. Instead, contact the Policy & Abuse committee to request clarification.

If you know what the original problem with the work was, you may be able to edit the work and upload a non-violating version. However, if you have not sufficiently edited your work and the new work is still in violation, you may be reported again. Violating the Terms of Service in a manner similar to a previous violation is grounds for suspension.

What if the violating content was posted years ago?

Content that is in violation of the Terms of Service may be reported and removed regardless of how long it has been since it was posted. The user responsible for uploading the violating content may be warned or suspended, subject to the discretion of the Policy & Abuse committee.

What do the different penalties mean?

Penalties are issued by the Policy & Abuse committee as a result of violating the Terms of Service. They are defined as follows:

  • Warning: A warning is a formal notification to a user who has posted content that violates the TOS. Warnings do not affect the function of the user's account, but they are a permanent administrative record and a reminder not to repeat the behavior. At the discretion of the Policy & Abuse committee, a warning may be issued as a result of minor or unintentional violations of the TOS. A user who has previously received a warning and who violates the TOS again, especially in the same or a similar manner, is likely to incur a suspension.

  • Temporary Suspension: A temporary suspension is a time-limited restriction on the uploading of new content and creation of new accounts. During this time, the suspended user cannot upload new content, nor can they edit or delete content uploaded prior to the suspension. The duration of each suspension is subject to the discretion of the Policy & Abuse committee. A user who has previously been suspended and who violates the TOS again, especially in the same or a similar manner, may incur a longer temporary suspension or a permanent ban.

  • Permanent Suspension: A permanent suspension is a permanent ban on the uploading of new content and creation of new accounts. Permanently suspended users retain the right to remove, but not edit, content uploaded prior to their suspension.

What happens to a user's works or other content when they are temporarily suspended?

In general, non-violating content is not removed from the site when a user is suspended. If a user is temporarily suspended, then they will be able to edit or delete their content after their suspension is over. Otherwise, suspended users who wish to delete their fanworks may contact the Policy & Abuse committee to have this done for them.

A user who has been temporarily suspended is not permitted to upload new content while they are suspended. Any new content uploaded to AO3 during the suspension would automatically be in violation. Such content may be removed and/or the alternate account(s) may be suspended. The duration of the original suspension may also be extended at the discretion of the Policy & Abuse committee.

After the suspension has ended, the user will have full access to their account(s) again.

What happens to a user's works or other content when they are permanently suspended/banned?

Permanent suspension doesn't delete someone's account or content. In general, any content that doesn't violate the Content Policy or other parts of the Terms of Service will remain on the account unless the user deletes it themselves or requests that the content be deleted by the Policy & Abuse committee.

A user who has been permanently suspended is not permitted to create a new account or upload new content to AO3. Any new content or accounts created by a permanently suspended user would automatically be in violation. The content may be removed and/or the alternate account(s) may be permanently suspended.

What sort of things would lead to each type of penalty?

It's impossible to define everything in advance. We are most concerned with people who are actively and deliberately hostile to the community. Small and honest mistakes are likely to result in warnings, especially on a first offense. More serious or deliberate violations of the Terms of Service may justify temporary suspension on a first or subsequent offense. Repeated and/or particularly severe TOS violations may result in permanent suspension.

What constrains the Policy & Abuse committee's discretion?

We are committed to building a community that welcomes anyone with a willingness to learn the rules while also safeguarding against those who intentionally violate them. Our discretion is aimed at that objective. We strive to handle all Abuse reports consistently, no matter which volunteer is doing the work. Procedurally, appeals undergo review by multiple Policy & Abuse committee members, and we require consensus or majority vote for major decisions. Our internal decision-making processes are designed to build in checks on individual discretion without trying to resolve every possible situation in advance.

What happens if someone who's a friend of someone on the Policy & Abuse committee is involved in a complaint?

We expect the members of the Policy & Abuse committee to behave professionally, even though the Organization for Transformative Works is an all-volunteer organization. We take the responsibilities of serving on the Policy & Abuse committee seriously, and a member of the team with a personal relationship to any party in a complaint is expected to recuse themselves entirely from the case, and, of course, to maintain our standards of confidentiality at all times. Failure to do so is grounds for dismissal from the Policy & Abuse committee.

AO3 is still being actively developed. How will the Abuse Policy apply to planned future features?

Since new features may be added at any time, the Abuse Policy only applies to active features. As we develop features, we will strive to be transparent and communicate with users about our policies as much as possible.

Back to Top | Abuse Policy and Procedures FAQ

Content Policy FAQ

Answers to common questions about the Content Policy are available below. If you have additional questions that are not covered here, you can contact the Policy & Abuse committee.

General Questions about the Content Policy

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What is "content"?

Content is anything that you post on AO3 or otherwise submit to us. This includes, but is not limited to:

All content on AO3 must comply with our Content Policy.

What happens if someone posts content that violates the Content Policy?

We do not prescreen content on AO3, nor do we review content that has not been reported to us. If you believe you have encountered content that violates our Terms of Service, you will need to submit an Abuse report.

The Policy & Abuse committee will investigate each report and independently determine whether a violation of the Terms of Service has occurred. Penalties may be applied to the accounts of users responsible for posting violating content. For more information, please refer to the Abuse Policy and Procedures FAQ.

Back to Top | General Questions about the Content Policy

Offensive Content vs Illegal Content

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Why doesn't AO3 remove extremely offensive content?

The Archive of Our Own was created in 2008 as a response to several challenges fandom faced at the time.

One common challenge was that platforms would unilaterally remove content without warning. The decisions were often shaped by the platform owner's preferences or determined by what was more friendly to advertisers. This meant that platforms frequently banned explicit sexual content.

Such prohibitions were often disproportionately enforced against minorities and marginalized groups. For example, fanworks featuring LGBT+ characters were (and still are) more likely to be reported and removed for having "sexual content". This is due to societal bias: a story featuring a romantic relationship between two women would be considered more sexual or adult than one with an equivalent relationship between a man and a woman. Such works would either be required to have a higher rating or were often removed entirely.

Biased enforcement of content rules has been shown to occur even when the purpose of the rule is to push back against discrimination. For example, rules intended to reduce racial hate speech on social media often end up being disproportionately enforced against racial minorities speaking out against racism or discussing their own lived experiences. To date, the problem of unbiased content moderation hasn't been solved by any large internet site.

Challenges such as these led AO3 to adopt a policy that welcomes all forms of fictional, transformative fanwork content. Our mission is to host transformative fanworks without making judgments based on morality or personal preferences. If it's a fictional fanwork that is legal to post in the United States, then it is welcome on AO3. This approach is intended to reduce the risk that content will be removed as a result of cultural or personal bias against marginalized communities.

We recognize that there are works on AO3 that contain or depict bigotry and objectionable content. However, we are dedicated to safeguarding all fanworks, without consideration of any work's individual merits or how we personally feel about it. We will not remove works from AO3 simply because someone believes they are offensive or objectionable.

All users who would like to avoid encountering particular types of content are recommended to make use of our filters and muting features.

Why does AO3 allow fanworks about things that are illegal in real life?

AO3's Terms of Service are designed to comply with United States law. It is legal in the U.S. to create and share fictional content about murder, theft, assault, or other such crimes. It is also generally legal in the U.S. to create and share fictional content about topics such as child sexual abuse, rape, incest, or bestiality. AO3 allows users to post and access fiction about all of these topics.

In accordance with U.S. law, AO3 prohibits Child Sexual Abuse Material (sexually explicit photorealistic images of real children). However, stories and non-photorealistic artwork are allowed, both under U.S. law and on AO3. Fiction about real people is still fiction, and therefore it is allowed on AO3.

Depending on your country of residence or citizenship, the laws that apply to you may be more restrictive than those of the United States. All users are responsible for following the laws that apply to them. If certain content on AO3 is illegal for you to access, then you should ensure you carefully observe all relevant ratings and warnings, and avoid opening any work that indicates it may contain such content.

What does banning "sexually explicit or suggestive photographic or photorealistic images of real children" mean, particularly for works featuring sexual content with underage characters?

Sexually explicit photographs, videos, and other photorealistic images of children (also known as Child Sexual Abuse Material, or CSAM) are prohibited in the United States and on AO3. Users who embed, link to, solicit, distribute, or otherwise provide access to such material will be banned and reported to the appropriate authorities.

Stories and non-photorealistic artwork (such as drawings or cartoons) that depict sexual activity involving characters under the age of eighteen are allowed, provided that the works are properly rated and carry the appropriate Archive Warning. However, photographic or photorealistic images of humans may not be used to illustrate works featuring underage sexual content. This includes (but is not limited to) photographs of children, porn gifs, photo manipulations, computer-generated or "AI" images, or other linked or embedded images that could potentially be mistaken for photographs of real humans.

We understand that not all photorealistic images of humans are actually documenting the real-life abuse of a child or derived from illegal material, but we decided to use a guideline that can be uniformly applied without relying on subjective judgment. If the work appears to feature underage sexual content (as indicated by the "Underage Sex" Archive Warning or other contextual markers present in the work's tags, notes, or text), then the Policy & Abuse committee may require all photographic or photorealistic images of humans, regardless of age, to be removed from the work.

Does AO3 screen for quality?

No. We welcome creators and fanworks of all skill levels, and we will never remove a work on account of its quality, grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

How can I avoid works that contain content I don't want to encounter?

When browsing a tag, you can use the Filters sidebar to filter out works. If you are on a mobile device, select the "Filters" button at the top of the page to bring up this sidebar. Adding tags under the Exclude section will remove all works that use an excluded tag. For example, you can exclude any ratings and Archive Warnings that you don't want to encounter (make sure to also exclude the non-specific Rating and Archive Warning tags). You can also exclude other types of tags that users have chosen to add to their works.

You can use the Search within results box to filter works using keywords. This searches the metadata (title, summary, tags, and beginning/end notes) of a work, but not the chapter notes or body text. You can also use the following symbols to refine your search:

  • A minus sign (-) in front of a word (or a phrase in quotes) in the "Search within results" box will filter out all works that have the word anywhere in their metadata.
  • An asterisk (*) before or after your search term will allow you to look for partial matches.
  • If your search term has multiple words, using straight double quotation marks ("like this") on either side of your search term will allow you to search for the exact phrase. Single and/or curly “smart” quotation marks will not work.

For example, if you enter -sex* into the "Search within results" box, your results will exclude any works with metadata that contains words beginning with "sex" (including "sex", "sexual", "sexy", etc).

Once you have a search setup that works for you, you can bookmark the page in your browser in order to return to it later. If there's content you want to avoid on AO3, we recommend using filter keywords and browser bookmarks to exclude that content from what you encounter while browsing.

If you need help using filters, please contact the Support committee.

How can I avoid encountering works or other content by a specific user? What about anonymous or orphaned works?
Mute a specific user

If you want to avoid all content by a specific user, you should mute the user. To mute a user, go to their dashboard by following the link in their username. Then select the "Mute" button in the top-right corner, and confirm that you want to mute them on the next page. Muting a user means you will no longer be shown their works, series, bookmarks, or comments while browsing AO3. Please note that muting is a separate function from blocking.

Mute a specific work

If you want to hide a specific work (for example, a specific anonymous or orphaned work), you can mute it with a site skin. To do so, create a site skin and add .work-000 { display: none !important; } to it, replacing 000 with the ID of the work you want to mute. The work ID number can be found in the work's URL immediately after /works/. For example, 000 would be the work ID of https://archiveofourown.org/works/000/chapters/123. Make sure to apply your site skin after you've created it. You can contact the Support committee if you have any problems using site skins.

How can I prevent a user from commenting on my works or interacting with me?
Block a registered user

If you want a registered user to stop interacting with you, you can block the user. To block a user, select the "Block" button on any of the user's comments or on their user profile or dashboard, then confirm that you want to block them on the next page. Blocking a user means they cannot comment on or kudos your works, reply to your comments elsewhere, or give you gifts outside of a Challenge. Please note that blocking is a separate function from muting.

Block guest (anonymous) users

If you want to prevent a guest user from commenting on your works, you can disable guest comments or only allow registered users to access your works. You may also want to enable comment moderation.

To prevent guest users from replying to your comments on other users' works, go to your Preferences page and enable "Do not allow guests to reply to my comments on news posts or other users' works (you can still control the comment settings for your works separately)". Remember to select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page to save any changes to your preferences.

Back to Top | Offensive Content vs Illegal Content FAQ

Fanworks and Non-Fanwork Content

Table of Contents
What kinds of fanworks can I post?

AO3 allows a wide range of fanworks other than fanfiction, including but not limited to art, videos, crafts, games, fanmixes, authorized podfics, authorized translations, fannish nonfiction, original fiction, and more. You can post any non-commercial, non-ephemeral fanwork. Here are some examples of allowed fanwork content:

  • A retelling of an existing story from another character's point of view
  • An original fantasy story about a modern person traveling to medieval times
  • An alternative version of a published novel in which there's a zombie apocalypse
  • The supporting text for an original adventure for a tabletop roleplaying game
  • A fannish essay about vampire biology, or the same essay in audio or video form
  • Short clips of footage from existing sources, edited over a song to make an argument or tell a story
  • Artwork (such as a drawing) of an iconic scene from a book, movie, or TV show
  • A comic about the romantic adventures of a playful thief
  • Photographs of a crocheted (amigurumi) character you made
What if what I want to post isn't similar to one of the examples listed above?

In general, you can post any non-commercial, non-ephemeral, transformative content you created that is fannish in nature. If you're uncertain if your work can be posted on AO3, you can always contact the Policy & Abuse committee to ask.

How will "ephemeral" be defined?

Ephemeral content is material that exists primarily to share someone's impressions, reactions, or feelings about a current event, fandom, or trend. If the content contains limited analytical or interpretive content, or lacks any artistic material, it is likely to be classified as ephemeral. Some examples of ephemeral content include live reactions, announcements about upcoming fanworks, and requests for prompts.

While it may benefit general fannish history to keep a record of such moments, AO3 is not intended to host all content that is fannish in nature. This type of content is often better suited for social media, personal sites, or blogging services. The Organization for Transformative Works also runs Fanlore, a wiki about fanworks and fan communities, including fandom trends and current events.

Please use your best judgment. Our general policy is to defer to creators in cases of doubt; however, the Policy & Abuse committee has final discretion in determining ephemerality.

Can I post original fiction?

Yes. Original works are allowed, unless the work would be in violation of some other part of the Terms of Service.

Our vision of AO3 is for all fanworks, including those beyond traditional fanfiction, fanart, and fanvids. Original stories and artwork, including those imported as part of an Open Doors project, are permitted. Some examples of original fiction that we host include original slash, anthropomorphic works, and Regency romance. However, works intended for commercial publication are not suitable for AO3. The Policy & Abuse committee has final discretion in maintaining AO3's focus on non-commercial fannish works.

We generally presume that, by posting the work to AO3, the creator is making a statement that they believe it's a fanwork. As such, original work will be allowed to remain unless the work is in violation of some other part of the Terms of Service, such as our plagiarism or non-commercialization policies.

Can I post nonfiction?

Fannish nonfiction, which includes what is called "meta" by some fans, is allowed. However, it must still be fannish in some way and contain some kind of analytical or creative content. In addition, as an Archive whose goal is preservation, we want permanent, non-ephemeral content. If the content is meant to be ephemeral, such as a liveblog of episode reactions, it should be posted on a social media account rather than on AO3.

Examples of fannish nonfiction and things that are not fanworks are available below.

What falls within the definition of fannish nonfiction?

Examples of fannish nonfiction allowed on AO3 include:

  • Discussions of fannish tropes
  • Essays designed to entice other people into a fandom
  • Commentary on fandoms
  • Documentaries or podcasts about fandom
  • Explanations of the creative process behind one or more fanworks
  • Tutorials for creating fanworks
  • Guides for fan-created gaming campaigns
  • Detailed analyses of multiple fanworks
  • Essays on characters' narrative arcs in canon
  • Comparisons of the film and comics versions of a source

This isn't an exhaustive list – fannish nonfiction may take many other forms.

We will generally defer to the creator's characterization of a work as fannish nonfiction as long as it has a reasonably perceptible fannish connection, either to a specific source or to fandom in general, and takes the form of an independent, non-ephemeral commentary. However, not all nonfiction falls within our mandate. Please consider what isn't fannish nonfiction before posting your work. While we acknowledge the complexity of certain cases that may fall on the boundaries of categories, setting limits is necessary to maintain AO3's manageability for our dedicated volunteers and users.

What are some examples of non-fanwork content that should not be posted as works on AO3?

The examples are potentially limitless, but here are some examples that do not fall under AO3's definition of fannish fiction or nonfiction and should not be posted as a work:

  • ephemeral content (including personal journal or diary entries, reactions, or blog posts)
  • episode transcripts, reposted canon material, and other non-transformative fandom content
  • primarily autobiographical or non-fandom-related essays (for example, your science, math, or philosophy homework, even if it contains a reference to a fannish source)
  • lists of names, titles, or statistics (such as information about a character's name, age, pronouns, and personality traits) that contain little to no other analytical, narrative, or descriptive content
  • discussions of specific fandom-related events (such as conventions or debates over particular incidents), which are considered more appropriate for Fanlore
  • general statements, questions, or complaints about a person or group
  • suggestions that other fans contact the creator through email or other social networks
  • links, lists, or requests for recommendations, whether of fanworks or published works
  • ads for roleplaying partners, sessions, servers, sites, or games
  • advertisements, offers, and giveaways
  • technical instructions (for example, a recipe for making ice cream, or a list of steps explaining how to assemble an ice cream machine)
  • faceclaims, fancastings, or other reference lists (such as collections of photographs, media, or other resources)
  • a single word or phrase repeated hundreds or thousands of times
  • prompts or requests for prompts
  • announcements, placeholders, or updates about future, existing, or deleted works
  • an explanation of why a work was removed from AO3

Works that incorporate fannish content in clearly bad faith are not fanworks. For example, a work primarily composed of fic search requests is not a fanwork even if there are a few sentences of fandom-specific content.

In general, we presume good faith on the part of our users, and ask that you do the same for the fans who make up our Support and Policy & Abuse committees. The Policy & Abuse committee will exercise its discretion, which is final, in the service of maintaining AO3 as a place focused on non-ephemeral fanworks.

How will you draw the line between fanworks and non-fanworks?

The presumption is that a work is a fanwork, but if it's clear from context (summary, tags, notes, etc.) that it's not, it may be removed for violating the Content Policy. The Policy & Abuse committee will consider many factors when determining if something is a fanwork, such as whether the reported content is transformative, ephemeral, or fannish in nature.

Additionally, original works that are not based on a specific media source (canon) are considered fanworks. Please see Can I post original fiction? for more detail.

Can I post a "placeholder" work to tell other fans that I intend to post my story soon?

Placeholders are not allowed on AO3. This includes works in progress that do not have any story content, works where only the summary and tags have been posted, and lists of ship names, character profiles, or ideas for what you plan to publish. You can create a draft to edit your tags or preview your work before posting it publicly, but please don't post the work unless you have at least one chapter of your fanwork that is ready to be shared with other people.

Can I post fancastings for my story as a separate work? What about character notes or profiles?

A work that is simply a collection of actors' photos paired with character names would not be considered a fanwork, nor would a work that only consists of statistics or summaries of canon elements (such as what you might find on a fannish wiki). However, if you include more in-depth analytical, descriptive, or narrative content, then we would likely consider that fannish analysis (meta), which is allowed. An example would be an extended analysis of the character traits that led you to choose that particular fancasting.

If you would like to post fancastings, statistics, or a summary about your own fanwork, you can include it in the fanwork's notes or post it as an extra chapter inside the fanwork.

Can I post "incorrect quotes"?

No. The incorrect quotes meme format involves a collection of quotes where the names have been substituted with the names from a different source. While the amount of quoted text is relatively small, replacing names and minor rewording of quotations is not sufficiently transformative to make the resulting content a fanwork.

Can I post non-textual works (such as fanart, fanvids, or podfic)?

We currently don't host multimedia content other than user icons, though you can embed various kinds of files that are hosted elsewhere if it's a fannish transformative work (or part of one) and otherwise complies with the Content Policy. However, for technical and legal reasons we don't allow all kinds of embeds. Please read our policies about embedding images that you did not create, podfics of stories that you did not write, images that depict explicit content, and images in works featuring underage sexual content. In addition, keep in mind that embeds may break for various reasons, including trouble with the hosting site.

Can I post "directors' cut" or "commentary" versions of my own fanworks?

We consider those versions of your fanworks, so you may post them as you would any other fanwork. We suggest that you distinguish them from non-commentary versions, for example by adding "[Directors' Cut]" in the title or tagging them to indicate the difference between the original and the "DVD-style" version.

Can I post announcements or status updates as separate works? What about if I post it as a chapter of my fanwork?

No, you cannot post announcements or other blog-style updates as separate works. Status updates and other author notes are considered ephemeral content. If you want to discuss a fanwork you've posted or plan to post on AO3, we suggest including such information on your profile page or in the notes or comment sections of your existing fanworks.

In general, adding several announcement chapters to an existing fanwork will not cause your entire work to become a non-fanwork. However, if you want to talk extensively about your works or personal life, then we recommend linking to a social media site in the notes of your fanworks instead of posting announcement chapters.

Can I post roleplay ads?

No. Requests or calls for roleplay partners are not fanworks. We encourage you to seek and advertise for roleplaying partners or servers on your preferred social media platform(s) instead.

No. Please use our search functions for this rather than creating a separate work. You can use our Work Search or Bookmark Search, or select a particular tag and then use the Filters sidebar to further refine the results.

Should you find that this is not sufficient to locate the work you are seeking, your preferred internet search engine (such as Google or DuckDuckGo) may be able to search for distinctive phrases within the work text itself. You can perform an AO3-specific sitewide search by adding the search term site:archiveofourown.org, which will limit your results to pages on AO3.

If you require assistance from other users, we advise seeking out fandom-specific or pairing-specific fic-finding communities on social media platforms such as Tumblr, Reddit, or Discord, whose members will be more than happy to help you locate the works you are looking for.

I have an idea that other people might want to write. Can I post my prompt or challenge as a work?

No. Please create a prompt meme to offer suggestions or challenges to other people, rather than posting a work.

Does that mean I can't write a short story scene or snippet and suggest that others continue where I left off?

A short, distinct piece (such as a drabble or vignette) would be considered a fanwork. If you have written a full scene or outlined the plot in enough detail that it could count as a fanwork in and of itself, that would also be allowed.

However, if you only have a handful of sentences or bullet points and there isn't much plot or characterization, that may be considered a non-fanwork placeholder or prompt. If your primary reason for posting the work is to offer ideas or suggestions for other people, please create a prompt meme instead of posting a work.

I want other people to give me prompts or requests for fanworks they'd like to see. Can I post a work so that they'll have a place to do that?

No, you cannot post a work that is only a request for other people to give you prompts. Please create a prompt meme instead. You can share the link to your prompt signup form on social media or in the notes of your fanworks.

Can I post a letter to someone I've been anonymously matched with for a challenge?

No. Since this content is designed to be ephemeral (it is directed at a particular person for a particular event), please do not create a separate work for it. If the challenge is hosted on AO3, please put your letter in the optional details for the challenge. If you want to share your general preferences such as your favorite fandoms or tropes, you can put that information in your profile.

Can I create a list of recommendations or a list of works that use certain tropes? If I want to include commentary on the fanworks I am recommending, would that count as meta?

Posting a "rec list" (one or more recommendations as a work) may be a violation of our non-fanwork policy. Please use our bookmark feature for this purpose instead. Bookmarks can include commentary, be marked as recommendations, and organized with tags or into collections.

Criticism of a fanwork is permitted in the tags or notes of a bookmark and will not be considered harassment. However, no matter its location on the site, all commentary must comply with our other policies, including our harassment policy.

The difference between a recommendation versus a general meta-discussion or analysis of a fanwork is determined through several factors, such as whether the content is ephemeral in nature or if it contains analytical or interpretive content. A work is more likely to be a non-fanwork if it's just a list of titles and summaries (such as a "Top 10 List" or "Recs for Fluff Fics") or if it's similar to a product review (for example, "This is the best slow burn fic in the fandom and here's why you should read it"). If the work contains extended commentary or analysis about the nature of the recommended work, it is more likely to be considered a fanwork and allowed on AO3.

Please use your judgment on the best way to categorize such commentary.

Are there any limits to what I can use AO3 bookmarks for?

On AO3, bookmarks are intended for organizing and recommending fanworks hosted on any site (not just AO3). For example, you can bookmark fanfic from FanFiction.Net, fanart on DeviantArt, fanvids on YouTube, or meta posts on Tumblr. However, you should not create a bookmark for something that isn't a fanwork. Bookmarking a news article, meme, or reaction gif would be in violation of our non-fanwork policy because those aren't fanworks.

In addition, please keep in mind that bookmarks are also subject to all of our general content rules, including our policies against harassment, commercial promotion, and copyright infringement. For example, you cannot use bookmarks to link to illegally distributed copies of copyrighted material.

As offsite ("external") bookmarks are described by users, their actual content may differ from the descriptions offered. Please exercise caution when following any links away from AO3, including external bookmarks.

Back to Top | Fanworks and Non-Fanwork Content FAQ

Commercial Promotion

Table of Contents
Why is commercial promotion prohibited on AO3?

The Organization for Transformative Works is committed to the defense and protection of fans and fanworks from commercial exploitation and legal challenges. AO3 was created to give fan creators a non-commercial space to share their works.

It is part of AO3's mission to remain a non-commercial space, so all forms of commercial promotion and activities are prohibited. AO3 isn't the right place for offering merchandise or requesting donations, whether for yourself or others. We enforce the non-commercialization policy strictly.

What kinds of things are considered "promotion, solicitation, and advertisement of commercial products or activities"?

Some examples of commercial activities include:

  • linking to or referencing the use of a commercial platform or the monetization features of a non-commercial platform
  • providing a "tip jar", bank information, or other method for people to give you money
  • offering paid commissions or other content in exchange for money, gift cards, or similar
  • stating that a fanwork was created as a result of a donation or paid commission
  • encouraging donations to a person or cause
  • listing potential benefits of a paid membership or subscription
  • posting free previews for paywalled content
  • advertising a paid service or product (linking to an item's product page, suggesting that others purchase an item, etc.)
  • selling merchandise, even if the merchandise is fannish in nature
  • discussing the sale of the creator's other works, even if that paid content is not itself hosted on AO3
  • creating or promoting an app or website that charges money to access works posted on AO3

In general, if a financial transaction is involved, you cannot discuss it on AO3. Commercial activity is prohibited regardless of the reason why the commercial activity is occurring.

What do you mean by "commercial platform"?

A commercial platform is a site whose primary purpose is to facilitate the exchange of money. This includes online storefronts as well as tipping, patronage, subscription, and crowdfunding services. Linking, discussing, or referencing someone's presence (including your own) on a commercial platform is prohibited.

Examples of commercial platforms include, but are by no means limited to:

  • Amazon, Etsy, Redbubble, and other online storefronts
  • Patreon, Ko-fi, and other patronage, tip-jar, or subscription services
  • Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and other crowdfunding services
  • PayPal, Venmo, and other money transfer services

As stated, this list is non-exhaustive. If the primary function of the platform involves allowing someone to give someone else money, then you should not advertise your presence on it in any way.

What do you mean by "monetization features of a non-commercial platform"?

Sometimes sites mainly dedicated to some other purpose (such as social media or image/audio/video hosting) will also have features or subsections of their platform dedicated to monetization. For example, DeviantArt is primarily a free-to-use art gallery and social media website, but it does have some specific sections of its platform that are commercial in nature, such as DeviantArt's Shop, Commissions, Premium Galleries, and Core Memberships. In such cases, you are allowed to link to content on the "free" portion of the website, so long as the page you are linking to is non-commercial in nature. However, linking to or mentioning the monetized content is not allowed.

Can I link to my Tumblr, Discord, Linktree, Wordpress, or other social media account or personal website? What if my profile or pinned post on that site has a link to a commercial platform?

In general, linking to your social media accounts or personal website is fine, even if you sometimes post about commercial activities on that site. However, you may not link to accounts, posts, sites, or pages that reference commercial activity in the URL, or that are primarily commercial in nature (such as a Carrd that lists your published novels and explains where to buy them). In addition, you may not provide instructions anywhere on AO3 for finding your commercial content elsewhere (for example, stating that information about your paid commissions is available on a specific webpage even if you don't link directly to that page).

I am a published author. Can I let people know what my pen name is or what my books' titles are?

Stating in general terms that you have written a book or providing your pen name is fine, even if you use that pen name for commercial works. However, you may not use AO3 to promote your commercial works, tell people where they can find or buy those works, or otherwise advertise your commercial works in a manner that could encourage others to seek out and purchase the works.

Can I ask for donations or tips on my account profile or my original works?

No. Our non-commercialization policy applies everywhere on AO3, including user profiles, comments, fanworks, and works in the "Original Work" fandom. Asking for donations or tips is considered engaging in commercial activities and is not allowed anywhere on the site.

Can I post the first chapter of my published original novel on AO3?

Posting a preview or advertisement for a commercial work is not allowed. This includes uploading only a "snippet" to promote a larger paid work, as well as removing significant portions of a fanwork that has been "pulled to publish" professionally. Even if it contains some fannish content, sharing excerpts intended to promote or sell paid content is prohibited.

I post all of my fanworks on AO3 for free, but I also have paid supporters on another site who get new chapters a week early. Can I let readers know that these "early access" chapters exist, if I don't explain how or where they can subscribe?

No. If you provide an "early access" service in exchange for money, you cannot reference it on AO3. This includes stating that additional "bonus content" is available elsewhere, regardless of whether you plan to make the content available to the public in the future. Advertising paywalled content is not allowed even if you don't provide instructions, include links, or name a specific commercial platform.

The stories posted on my Patreon are free for anyone to read, even if they're not one of my Patrons. Can I link to one of these stories from AO3?

No. Sites like Patreon are considered commercial platforms because their primary purpose is to enable creators to receive funding from their fans. Linking to commercial platforms is not allowed, even if some content on the platform is free.

I would like to thank one of my clients or patrons (someone who supported me monetarily). Can I acknowledge them in the notes of my work?

You may not indicate anywhere on AO3 that other people are financially supporting you due to your fanworks. This includes stating that they paid for a commission, donated money to you or others, or are a patron or paid subscriber. However, you are allowed to name someone in a non-commercial manner, such as by crediting them for a prompt or by using the Gift feature to dedicate your work to them.

This creator's work is amazing! Can I leave a comment telling them they should set up a tipping or subscription service, publish their work commercially, or otherwise get paid for it?

No. Our non-commercialization policy applies to the entirety of AO3, including the comments section of other users' works. Encouraging other users to engage in commercial activity is prohibited.

I paid someone else to create a story, artwork, or podfic. Can I post or link to their work, or suggest that other people commission them too?

You may not encourage commercial activity on behalf of someone else, which includes encouraging people to purchase a commission. If you are embedding commissioned images, audio, or videos, you must ensure that there are no ads, links, or watermarks for any commercial platforms. In addition, you may only upload someone else's work if you have their explicit permission to do so.

I take paid commissions on another site. Can I post the fanworks I create on AO3 and say that they were commissioned? Can I invite other people to commission me?

Offering paid commissions is not allowed. This includes posting links to pricelists or payment request forms. However, you are allowed to post fanworks that were created upon request and credit the person who made the request. If you do so, you must not indicate that you received payment for the commission or that you are available to create other paid commissions. Because not all commissioned fanworks were created for pay, we do permit usage of the word "commission" as long as there is no indication that a monetary transaction was involved in the creation of the work.

Can I post a work that was created for a charity drive or auction?

Yes. AO3 will host fanworks of any origin, including fanworks created in response to charity events or other challenges. A link to a charity to explain the origin of a fanwork is appropriate, but please do not link directly to any fundraising sites or pages. You may state that a work was produced for a particular charity event, project, or other entity, as long as you do not mention donating, bidding, or any specific contribution amounts or donation platforms.

Does that mean I can't ask people to support a charity or non-profit organization?

You are allowed to link to a charity's website, encourage people to learn more about the charity, or explain why you believe in its mission. However, you may not link directly to the charity's donation form, promote their fundraisers, or request that people donate to them.

Can I post a work that was originally part of a for-sale or charity zine, and if so, can I name the zine?

Yes. However, you may not encourage users to buy the zine or its merchandise, such as by linking to an advertisement or to a sales or orders page.

What if a zine or other merchandise is available on an optional "pay what you want" basis? On sites like Gumroad, it's possible to access or download the content completely for free.

Links to product purchase pages are not allowed, even if payment is optional. If the content is hosted on a non-commercial site that doesn't offer payment options, you can link to that site instead.

I created merch for one of my fanworks. I'd like to hold a giveaway and send it to one of my readers for the cost of shipping. Since I'm not making money off of it, can I advertise this on AO3?

No. Since this involves an exchange of money, it is considered a commercial activity regardless of whether you personally make a profit.

I bought some fan merch. Can I post an image of what I bought and talk about it in my work notes or comments?

In general, yes. However, you cannot encourage other users to go and buy it themselves. This includes providing links or directions to the place where you purchased the merchandise. You may want to take your own photographs in order to avoid linking to the product page.

I've created a mobile app with features that make AO3 easier to navigate and use. Can I charge people to use my app?

No. It is a violation of the Terms of Service to charge users money for access to content on AO3. That includes, for example, operating an app that restricts access to works on AO3 behind a paywall, or copying works from AO3 to sell.

Can I talk about prohibited commercial activities on AO3 if I don't include any direct links or name any commercial platforms?

No. Both direct and indirect references to commercial platforms or activities are not allowed.

Do the rules against commercial promotion mean that I can't write fanworks that reference real-world businesses or feature characters engaging in commercial activities?

No. You are allowed to create fanworks in which the characters engage in or reference commercial activities as part of the fictional story. For example, you could create a fanwork in which one character is an OnlyFans creator and another subscribes to them or buys their merchandise. However, you cannot link to or otherwise promote any real-world subscription, merchandise, or other commercial activity.

Please keep in mind that all Abuse reports are reviewed by the human volunteers on our Policy & Abuse committee. In general, we presume good faith on the part of our users. However, if we conclude that someone is deliberately trying to circumvent our rules by having fictional characters discuss commercial activities, then the fanwork may be deemed commercial in nature and unacceptable to post on AO3.

Back to Top | Commercial Promotion FAQ

Table of Contents
What makes a fanwork "transformative"? Why is a "transformative work" not a copyright violation?

Copyright protects an individual's expression of an idea, not the idea itself. "Expression" refers to the work created, such as the wording of a paragraph in a book, while an "idea" covers general plots or tropes. For example, posting a transcript of a movie without permission constitutes copyright infringement, as it replicates a significant part of the original work (the spoken dialogue) exactly. In comparison, a transformative fanwork reframes existing material in a unique manner, such as retelling a superhero movie from the perspective of civilians.

The Supreme Court of the United States has explained transformative use as "add[ing] something new, with a further purpose or different character, altering the first [work] with new expression, meaning, or message." Essentially, by significantly reinterpreting the original material, the creator of a transformative work makes a new, distinct creation that does not require the copyright owner's permission to create or share.

Yes. AO3 maintains that fanworks are transformative and that a fanwork's creator owns the rights to the expressions in their work that are unique to them. A fanwork creator holds the rights to their own content, just the same as any professional author, artist, or other creator.

May I post someone else's fanworks, giving them credit?

You may only post someone else's fanworks if they granted you permission to do so. If you do not have the creator's permission, you cannot post their work. Including a disclaimer that the work is not yours or crediting the original creator is not sufficient. Posting and then anonymizing or orphaning the work is also not allowed. Please use our bookmark feature to share other people's fanworks instead of reposting their works.

If you do have the creator's permission, you can upload their fanwork as long as you provide appropriate credit. For example, you could add the creator's name and include links to the work on the original site and to the place where they gave you permission.

If you created or moderate a fanwork archive or mailing list, you may be eligible to become an authorized Open Doors archivist and import your archive to AO3. The Open Doors committee will work with approved moderators to contact and fully credit the original creators of the fanworks, giving the creators as much control over their fanworks as possible.

Can I post a translation or a podfic of someone else's work?

Translations and podfics can be posted only if you have permission from the copyright owner (usually the creator or publisher) of the original work. If you do not have permission, then you may not post your work.

Under United States copyright law, translations and audiobooks are considered "derivative" works – not transformative works. Derivative works cannot be posted without the copyright holder's consent. AO3 adheres to U.S. law, so if you want to post a translation or podfic of a fanwork, you need the fanwork creator's permission.

If the original work is no longer under copyright because it is old enough that it has entered the public domain, refer to How do these rules apply to works that are in the public domain?

Can I post a conversion or adaptation of someone else's work? This is a type of work where the original content is modified slightly to fit a different fandom, ship, character, or format.

While you are welcome to create a fanwork that is based on or inspired by another work, you may not take someone else's work and only make minor changes to it (such as swapping out the names, changing the formatting, or rewording the original text). Unless the fanwork creator or copyright owner granted you permission to modify, convert, or adapt their work in this manner, posting this kind of work is a violation of our Terms of Service, even if you provide credit.

Can I post a sequel, prequel, or continuation of another fanwork? What about a recursive fic that's completely different from the original fanwork?

Yes. Fanworks based on other fanworks are also transformative, and are allowed. You can use the "Inspired By" feature to link to the original creator's work. Unlike with reposts, conversions, podfics, and translations, you don't need permission to create a recursive fanwork. However, you cannot include large excerpts from the original work unless the original creator gave you permission to do so.

What if the original creator deleted or orphaned their work, or posted it anonymously?

Even if someone deletes or orphans their work, or posts it anonymously, they still hold the copyright to their own work. If the original creator has chosen to remove their fanwork from the internet, or cannot be contacted, then please respect their decision. You cannot post, convert, podfic, or translate someone else's work without their explicit permission, even if you credit them or disclaim credit for yourself.

How can I obtain permission to post, convert, podfic, or translate someone else's work?

Some fanwork creators may list "blanket permission" statements in their profile or in the tags or notes of their work. An example of a blanket permission statement would be "Anyone can translate my works so long as they provide me credit and link back to the original here on AO3." In such cases, you have permission if and only if you meet the conditions of the permission statement.

If a creator doesn't have a blanket permission statement, then you can try to contact them directly and ask. This could be by commenting on their work or asking them via social media or email (if they have shared that information publicly). If the creator responds and gives you permission, then you're good to go. If they refuse or do not respond, then you do not have their permission and you may not post the work.

Can I post a transcript of a movie or a TV show?

Scripts of movies, TV shows, and plays are subject to copyright, just like published books, songs, poems, photographs, artwork, and other works. Transcribing and posting the content of a copyrighted work is not allowed. However, you may include a limited number of short quotes in your fanwork.

Can I post "reaction fic" or "MST3K or DVD-commentary–style" versions of other works? This is a type of fanwork where characters read/watch another work (such as the original canon or a popular fanwork) and "live react" to scenes or dialogue.

If you have permission from the copyright owner or if the work is in the public domain, then your fanwork can include as many quotes from the original work as you like.

If the work is still under copyright and you don't have permission from the copyright owner, then you can describe or paraphrase scenes to allude to what the characters are reacting to and include timestamps, page numbers, or occasional short quotes from the original. However, you cannot quote or otherwise reproduce large amounts of dialogue, lyrics, text, or other copyrighted material. If someone could access a substantial portion of the original material by skipping over your additions, your work likely violates our Terms of Service.

May I post the full lyrics of a song or an entire poem that isn't in the public domain without the copyright holder's permission?

No. Posting large portions of text from a song or poem is not allowed, unless it is in the public domain or you have the copyright owner's permission. You are only allowed to quote a limited amount of material from a copyrighted work, even if the lyrics or stanzas are broken up by your own original text. You can link to a licensed site such as Genius or Poetry Foundation instead.

Can I post a fanvid that uses a full song without the copyright owner's permission?

Fanvids where the audio is an entire song are allowed, so long as you have added or remixed a substantial number of visuals to accompany the song such that the video becomes a transformative work. For example, simply posting the text of the song's lyrics to accompany the song would not be considered transformative. A video consisting of an entire song accompanied by two or three long, unedited clips from a movie would also not be considered a transformative work.

Can I post character playlists or fanmixes?

A "fanmix" is a thematic compilation of songs curated by a fan to reflect a character, chapter, setting, theme, or other element of a work. If you wish to post character playlists or fanmixes, you may use licensed streaming sites such as Spotify, 8tracks, or YouTube. You may not provide links that could deliver individual music file downloads (such as a single zipped file containing music files) unless you have the right to distribute downloads (for example, a fan song or filk you composed and sang, a work in the public domain, or a Creative Commons-licensed download). Please also keep in mind that you may quote lyrics as part of a transformative work, but you may not reproduce the entire song text unless you have the right to do so. In addition, if you just post a list of song titles without including any way to listen to the songs, then your work may not be considered a transformative fanwork.

Can I embed someone else's artwork or photos to accompany a work that I wrote, or post someone else's story to accompany the art I created for it?

If you have the artist's or writer's permission, then you may embed or upload their work alongside your own as long as you credit them appropriately. If you do not have the creator's permission, you cannot repost their work, even if you credit them. We recommend that you instead provide a link to wherever the original creator has chosen to host it.

How do these rules apply to works that are in the public domain?

If a work is in the public domain, then it is no longer copyrighted. In this case, you can use as many excerpts from it in your fanwork as you like.

However, a public domain work is not in and of itself a fanwork. You cannot simply upload a public domain work to AO3 or make minor alterations such as replacing names or synonyms. You need to add your own content in order for your work to be considered a fanwork.

If you create your own fan translation or podfic of a public domain work, you can post your work on AO3. However, you can't repost someone else's translation or podfic without their explicit permission. Translations and audio recordings have their own copyright separate from the source work's. The translator or podficcer has ownership over their own specific translation or recording, even if the underlying work is in the public domain.

If I want to file a plagiarism or copyright infringement complaint, is there anything in particular I should include in my report?

Yes – please make sure you provide a link to the original work as well as a link to the infringing work in your report description. If you don't tell us what the original source is and which work is infringing upon it, then we may not be able to uphold your complaint.

If you want to report multiple instances of plagiarism or copyright infringement by a single user, please submit only one report rather than reporting each link individually. We'll be able to process your complaint faster if you take the time to compile all relevant links, excerpts, and other information into a single report and correctly pair each infringing work with the original source.

If you are reporting multiple works by different users, please submit a separate report for each user.

Can I submit a plagiarism complaint even if I am not the original creator whose work was stolen?

In general, yes, as long as you include a link to the alleged source work. If we cannot compare the two works, we will not be able to uphold your complaint. However, in some cases, we may require a report or other evidence from the original creator.

Can I submit a plagiarism or copyright infringement complaint even if the original work is not hosted on AO3?

Yes. However, such reports must include a link to the alleged source work. If we cannot compare the two works, we will not be able to uphold a complaint of plagiarism or copyright infringement.

Do you have a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice and takedown policy?

Yes. Before filing a DMCA takedown notice, please read our DMCA Policy carefully. If you have any questions, contact the Legal committee.

DMCA takedowns and counternotices are not handled by the Policy & Abuse committee. Please do not submit both an Abuse report and a DMCA notice about the same content, as this may delay the processing of both requests.

What happens if someone reposts my fanwork to another site without my permission?

The Organization for Transformative Works does not hold the copyright to your fanworks, so we cannot contact other sites or organizations on your behalf. Because you are the copyright owner, you will have to contact the other site yourself to request that they remove the unauthorized copy of your work.

Back to Top | Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism FAQ

Fannish Identities and Impersonation

Table of Contents
I posted a guest comment that contained information about me. Can you delete it?

If the comment contained personal information sufficient to identify you in the real world (such as a full legal name, an email address, or a phone number) then you can contact the Policy & Abuse committee to request its removal. However, we will not remove guest comments simply because they contain a first name, username, or online handle.

I orphaned a work, and later realized that it contained my personal information. Can you delete it?

We will not delete orphaned works that don't violate our Terms of Service. However, if you left identifying information on an orphaned work (such as your name, email address, or social media account) and you would no longer like that information to be public, then you can contact the Support committee to request the removal of that specific information from the work.

What does banning "impersonation" mean? Does this mean I can't post first-person real-person fiction (RPF)?

We do not permit users to misrepresent themselves as another person or entity (such as a corporation or government agency), particularly in order to deceive others, violate our Terms of Service, or otherwise cause harm.

Roleplay is permitted when the assumption of such a persona is clearly disclosed (such as in a user profile or in another manner appropriate under the circumstances) and it doesn't otherwise violate the Terms of Service, including the harassment policy. Fiction (including RPF in first-person format) clearly marked as such will not be considered impersonation. Please consult our RPF policy for further information.

Can I use a celebrity name as a pseudonym, or is that impersonation?

In general, you can use a joke celebrity pseudonym, or roleplay as a celebrity, so long as you clearly disclaim that you are not actually that person.

What do you mean by banning impersonation of a "function"? Does this mean I can't have fake Tumblr or TikTok messages in my fanwork?

You're allowed to mimic functions inside fictional content, so long as the content is clearly fictional – fiction is not impersonation. However, if you're posting content outside of a fictional context, then you can't do so in an impersonating manner. For example, using the username "orphaned_account" is not allowed, as that could cause users to confuse your user page with AO3's official orphan_account.

Back to Top | Fannish Identities and Impersonation FAQ

Harassment

Table of Contents
Does the harassment policy cover everyone, or just AO3 users?

Both AO3 users and non-users can complain about harassment. The line between user and non-user can be blurry, so our policy covers both. However, writing RPF (real-person fiction) never constitutes harassment in and of itself, even if the content is objectionable. Please refer to our RPF policy for more information.

Does the harassment policy apply to every part of AO3?

Yes. This includes works, tags, comments, usernames, pseuds, profiles, icons, and every other type of content that can be submitted to, hosted on, or embedded on AO3, now or in the future. The harassment policy applies to everything a user does on AO3 and all communications with AO3 volunteers.

The use of any tool or feature could constitute harassment if it's being used to create a hostile environment. When investigating harassment, we will consider relevant context. For example, someone who has a username, pseud, or icon that is negative towards an individual or group could harass those people by leaving comments on their works, even if that same username, pseud, or icon would not be harassing in other contexts.

Is criticizing fanworks allowed? Is criticism a violation of the harassment policy?

Criticism is allowed on AO3 and is not considered harassment. This includes negative commentary in comments, bookmark notes, bookmark tags, and other locations. Criticizing a work is not a personal attack against the person who created that work, nor against people who enjoy that work. Issuing personal attacks or threats against other users for creating or enjoying a work is harassment and is not allowed.

How does the harassment policy apply to comments?

Criticism of a fanwork, even harsh criticism, is not by itself harassment. All creators have control over the comments on their works, and can delete comments or block users for any reason.

Calling a creator evil, wishing them harm, and repeatedly posting negative commentary in a manner designed to be seen by the creator (such as by posting multiple negative comments on their work) are potential examples of harassment.

Is it harassment if someone deletes my comment? My comment wasn't criticizing or attacking them.

No. Fanwork creators have control over the comments posted on their work. They can remove, freeze, moderate, or restrict comments as they please. This is never considered to be harassment.

Is it harassment if someone blocks me? They had no reason to do it.

No. Being blocked by someone is never harassment. If you are blocked by someone or if they told you to leave them alone, you are expected to stop interacting with them. Attempting to interact with someone after they have blocked you may be considered harassment.

Somebody bookmarked my fanwork and added a note to it that is really negative about my work. Is that harassment?

Criticism of a fanwork, even harsh criticism, is not by itself harassment. We do not consider criticism of a fanwork to be a personal attack against its creator. However, if the bookmark note includes harassing elements such as personal attacks or threats towards the creator of the work, then that would be considered harassment.

There's a person in my fandom who is harassing other people. Can I post a work, chapter, comment, or author's note to inform other people in my fandom who they are and that they should stay away?

No. Creating or sharing a "callout post" about another individual, or encouraging other users to shun them, is harassing behavior. We encourage you to mute and block anyone you don't want to interact with. If you witness or experience harassment on AO3, you should contact the Policy & Abuse committee. If you witness or experience harassment on a different platform, you should contact the moderators or Trust & Safety team for that platform.

Someone in my fandom is posting really disgusting content that is against the boundaries of the canon creators. Can I comment on their work and ask them to stop?

We recommend that you avoid engaging with content that you do not like. If you encounter content on AO3 that you find upsetting or disturbing, you should navigate away from the content and use filters or muting to avoid encountering it again. Users are allowed to post fanworks about any topic, regardless of how offensive it is to other users or if the canon creators would approve. If the content doesn't violate a specific clause of our Terms of Service, the fanwork is allowed – we do not remove content for offensiveness. In addition, be aware that joining in on group bullying to force someone to remove their works is likely to be deemed harassment.

There are some people in my fandom who ship things I think are disgusting or dangerous. I don't want them to comment on my works. Is it harassment if I tell them to stay away?

If you don't want people to comment on your works, then you should block them. You are allowed to make polite requests that other groups of fans do not interact with you. If you insult those people, or threaten them in any way, you are in violation of our harassment policy.

What if the tag I want to use is technically threatening, but it's actually a joke? I promise I'm not serious!

You may not threaten other groups of fans. There is no exception for jokes or memes.

Is it harassment if someone reports me for violating the Terms of Service?

As an AO3 user, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are following our Terms of Service. If we receive a report about you, you will only be told about it if our investigation reveals that you did in fact violate our Terms of Service. In such cases, we will let you know about your violation regardless of who reported it.

While malicious reporting is harassment, such reports are rarely about content that actually violates the Terms of Service. Most reports about violating content are submitted by users who happen to encounter such content during the course of their normal browsing. We do not generally consider a valid report to be harassment of the subject of the report.

Back to Top | Harassment FAQ

Usernames, Icons, and Profiles

Table of Contents
Are there any rules about what I can choose as my username?

Yes. Aside from technical limitations on your username, all of the regular content rules also apply to usernames. This means that (for example) you can't choose a username that impersonates someone else, or that violates our commercial promotion or harassment policies. Because usernames are highly visible content, we enforce our policies very strictly on usernames.

Can I reuse a username that belonged to a deleted account?

Yes, it is possible that a username that is no longer used by its original user will be available to you.

Someone is using a username on AO3 that I've used on a different site. Can you make them stop or make them give me the username?

Usernames on AO3 aren't reserved, even if you've used that name before on AO3 or another site. In general, we won't consider the mere existence of a similar or identical username to be impersonation. If another AO3 account is already using your desired username, then you can create a pseud with that name, but you can't make the other person give up their username. However, if someone starts claiming to be you on AO3, or otherwise starts behaving in a harassing manner, then you can submit an Abuse report.

Why are the rules for user icons more restrictive than the general content rules?

User icons appear on pages that don't have rating filters, such as user profiles and comments. This means that other users have little ability to avoid encountering them. Therefore, user icons operate under more restrictive rules than rated, tagged, and warned-for content.

The user icon policy is not the general fanart policy. Although AO3 does not have native media hosting, images and other file types can be embedded in a work. For more information about what is allowed in fanart, please refer to Can I embed explicit images in my fanworks?

What can be on a user profile?

User profiles can contain information about the user, such as their fandom preferences and links to other sites on which the user can be found. User profiles must comply with AO3's policies on commercial promotion, harassment, impersonation, copyright, and other general content rules.

Back to Top | Usernames, Icons, and Profiles FAQ

Ratings and Archive Warnings

Table of Contents
What kind of content do you allow?

AO3 was designed to be a permanent home for all transformative fanworks. We will not remove content from AO3 solely because it contains explicit, offensive, or upsetting material, as long as it doesn't violate any other part of the Content Policy (such as the harassment policy or the non-fanwork policy).

We allow content of any rating, and all kinds of fictional topics. Users are responsible for reading and heeding the ratings and warnings provided by the creator. If there is a type of content that you don't want to encounter, you should avoid opening any work tagged or rated to indicate that it may contain such content. Risk-averse users should keep in mind that not all content will carry full warnings. If you want to know more about a particular fanwork, you may also want to consult the bookmarks that people other than the creator have used to categorize it.

What kind of ratings or warnings must be present on works?

AO3 has a Ratings system and an Archive Warnings system. These provide basic information about the intensity and type of content that may be present in a work. The only rating or warning information AO3 requires is listed within these two systems. Creators may add more information in the summaries, notes, or Additional tags of their works, but they are not required to do so.

If a creator doesn't want to put a specific Rating and/or Archive Warning on their works, then they can opt out of one or both systems by applying a non-specific Rating and/or Archive Warning.

What do you mean by non-specific Rating or Archive Warning tags?

Non-specific tags indicate that the creator has chosen not to use a more specific tag in that field. Any user who wants to avoid a particular rating and/or type of content should also avoid any work labeled with a non-specific Rating and/or Archive Warning. The non-specific Rating tag is "Not Rated", and the non-specific Archive Warning is the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label. (Tags are also sometimes referred to as labels.)

What is the Ratings system?

AO3 has five different rating tags that creators can apply to their works:

  • General Audiences: The content should be suitable for all ages.
  • Teen and Up Audiences: The content may be inappropriate for audiences under 13.
  • Mature: The content may contain adult themes (sex, violence, etc.) that aren't as graphic as Explicit-rated content.
  • Explicit: The content may contain explicit adult themes, such as detailed sex scenes, graphic violence, etc.
  • Not Rated: This non-specific rating tag means that the creator has chosen not to rate their work. It may contain content that is general, explicit, or anything in between.

If a creator doesn't want to apply a specific rating to their work, they are always welcome to use the non-specific "Not Rated" label.

Are there any rules about how I must rate my work?

If your work contains graphic or detailed sex, violence, gore, or other adult content, then you may not rate it "General" or "Teen". Whether you choose to rate the work "Mature", "Explicit", or "Not Rated" is up to you.

If I don't choose a rating, what's the default?

The default rating is the non-specific "Not Rated" tag.

What does the "Not Rated" label mean?

"Not Rated" means that the work may contain content of any rating – the creator has declined to choose a specific rating. A "Not Rated" work could contain anything from a very fluffy coffeeshop meet-cute to extremely graphic sexual content.

What's the difference between "General" and "Teen"?

This is left entirely up to the creator's judgment. People disagree passionately about the nature and explicitness of content to which younger audiences should be exposed. Therefore, the creator's discretion to choose between "General" and "Teen" is absolute: we will not mediate any disputes about those decisions. Instead, we encourage creators to consider community norms, whether fandom-specific or more general (such as how you'd expect a video game or movie with similar content to be rated), when selecting a rating.

What's the difference between "Teen" and "Mature"?

If the work contains graphic adult content, it should not be rated "General" or "Teen". In response to valid complaints about a misleading rating, the Policy & Abuse committee may redesignate a fanwork marked "General" or "Teen" to "Not Rated", but in other cases, we will defer to the creator's decision. In general, we will not recategorize a fanwork in response to a complaint when the content at issue is a reference or is otherwise not graphic.

What's the difference between "Mature" and "Explicit"?

This is left entirely up to the creator's judgment. Both of these ratings require a user to accept the adult content warning and agree to access adult content in order to access the work. The creator's discretion to choose between "Mature" and "Explicit" is absolute: we will not mediate any disputes about those decisions. Instead, we encourage creators to consider community norms, whether fandom-specific or more general (such as how you'd expect a video game or movie with similar content to be rated), when selecting a rating.

There's an explicit sex scene in one chapter of my work, but all of the other chapters are really fluffy material that would be suitable for general audiences. Which rating should I choose?

Individual chapters of a work cannot be rated separately, so the rating chosen should be sufficient to cover the highest-intensity content in the work. If you do not want to use a rating of "Mature" or "Explicit" in such a situation, then you can always opt out of the Ratings system by labeling your work as "Not Rated".

Does the gender or sexual identity of a character matter when determining what rating to use?

No. The Policy & Abuse committee will not treat works differently on account of the genders or sexual identities of the characters or the types of relationships featured in the work. Please also note that in general, the creator's choice of rating is presumed to be appropriate.

Do you ever require a rating change on works rated "Mature" or "Explicit"?

No. Choosing a rating of "Mature" or "Explicit" is always acceptable. We will not require that ratings be lowered, even if there is no intense or explicit content in the work.

If I want to avoid explicit fanworks, what ratings should I exclude in my search?

To avoid all fanworks that may contain explicit content, you should exclude or filter out the "Mature", "Explicit", and "Not Rated" labels.

What is the Archive Warnings system?

The Archive Warnings system consists of several warning tags, which creators are able to choose from when posting their fanwork. At least one of the following options must be chosen before a work can be posted:

  • Graphic Depictions of Violence: The work may contain detailed descriptions of gore or graphic violence.
  • Major Character Death: The work may include the death of a character who is prominently featured.
  • Rape/Non-Con: The work may contain non-consensual sexual activity.
  • Underage Sex: The work may contain descriptions or depictions of sexual activity involving characters under the age of eighteen.
  • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings: This non-specific warning tag means that the work may contain content pertaining to any of the Archive Warnings.
  • No Archive Warnings Apply: If this warning tag is used in the absence of other Archive Warnings, it means that the work does not contain detailed content pertaining to any of the four specific Archive Warnings. However, the work may briefly reference an Archive Warning topic and/or contain other intense or unpleasant content that is not covered by any of the Archive Warnings.

If a creator doesn't want to apply a specific Archive Warning to their work (for example, if they wish to avoid giving spoilers), they are always welcome to use the non-specific "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label.

Are there any rules about applying Archive Warnings to my work?

If your work contains graphic depictions of violence, major character death, depictions of rape or non-consensual sex, or depictions of underage sexual activity, then you must use either the relevant specific Archive Warning or the non-specific "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label.

Why is the number of Archive Warning tags so limited?

We wished to limit the number and type of Archive Warnings so that they could be easily used by creators from a wide variety of fandoms, and so that each Archive Warning could be fairly and consistently enforced by our all-volunteer Policy & Abuse committee. We decided that we could not reasonably expect fair enforcement of a rule requiring warnings for concepts beyond those listed in the Archive Warnings.

Something that I consider really upsetting or unpleasant is not on the list of Archive Warnings.

Because the Archive Warnings policy is deliberately minimal, this may be the case. We encourage you to use the Additional tags, summaries, and user-provided bookmarks and recommendations to screen for fanworks you'll enjoy, and you may wish to comment on a creator's work when you feel that further tags would be desirable. Please be respectful when you do, and keep in mind that they may choose not to add such extra tags.

My work includes content that I want to warn other users about, but it's something that's not on the list of Archive Warnings. How can I warn them?

Creators can add additional information about what their works contain in the Additional tags field. You can also add this type of information to the notes or summary of your work, including the notes and summaries on individual chapters. Doing so is entirely voluntary: the Policy & Abuse committee will not enforce the presence of any warnings outside of the Archive Warnings.

If I don't choose an Archive Warning, what's the default?

There is no default Archive Warning, so creators have to choose one or more of the Archive Warning options. A creator can opt out of using a specific Archive Warning by selecting "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" instead.

What does the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label mean?

"Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" means that the creator has opted out of using the Archive Warnings system. A work with this warning may or may not contain content covered by any of the specific Archive Warnings. Users who access a work labeled "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" proceed entirely at their own risk, regardless of any other tags on the work.

Can I include multiple Archive Warnings?

Yes, you can. For example, you could select both "Major Character Death" and "Underage Sex" if a fanwork contains both elements, or "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" and "Underage Sex" if you want to disclose the underage sexual content but don't want to say whether the work contains major character death.

Can a work have both "No Archive Warnings Apply" and one or more other Archive Warnings?

Yes. The "No Archive Warnings Apply" label can be added to a work regardless of any other Archive Warnings, so it only has meaning when no other Archive Warnings are present on the work.

If you would like to avoid encountering works with content pertaining to a specific Archive Warning when browsing AO3, then you should exclude the specific Archive Warning as well as the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label.

If a story has only a brief reference to an Archive Warning topic, am I required to use either that warning or the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label? Or can I still choose "No Archive Warnings Apply" if I think that's a better description?

This is the kind of decision that is up to the creator's discretion. In general, we will not recategorize a fanwork in response to a complaint when the content at issue is a reference or is otherwise not portrayed in explicit detail.

What does the "Underage Sex" Archive Warning mean?

Underage Sex refers to descriptions or depictions of sexual activity involving characters under the age of eighteen (18). In general, we rely on creators to use their judgment about the line between reference and description or depiction. Sexual activity does not include dating activities such as kissing; but again, we rely on creators to use their judgment about what is generally understood to be sexual activity. Creators may always specify the age of the characters in their work.

Why is "underage" defined as "under 18"?

Though there is no international consensus, there is a trend to focus on 18 as an important age for depictions of sexual activity. Thus, we decided that 18 would be helpful for the maximum number of users, including audiences as well as creators, though we recognize that no solution is perfect for everyone. We encourage creators and bookmarkers to be more specific in tags or notes where this would be useful to potential audiences.

What if the age of consent in my local jurisdiction is something other than 18, or if the age of majority in the fictional setting is under 18?

The "Underage Sex" warning on AO3 is used for fanworks depicting sexual activity involving humans under 18 as measured in Earth years, regardless of the fictional setting or users' local laws.

What about robots, computer simulations, elves, aliens, vampires who are three hundred years old but were turned into vampires at age 12, etc.?

The primary use of the "Underage Sex" warning is to identify fanworks depicting sexual activity involving humans under the age of 18 as measured in Earth years. Please use your judgment for other situations. If the fanwork does not include a depiction of sexual activity with a human under 18 years old, then we will not generally consider it "underage sex", though creators may use the Archive Warning if they feel it accurately represents their intent. As always, we encourage creators and bookmarkers to be more specific in tags or summaries where this would be useful to potential audiences.

What about when a fanwork isn't set during the canon timeline and doesn't specify the characters' ages?

If the characters' ages in the fanwork are ambiguous, then we will assume the characters have been "aged up", even if they are underage in the canon setting.

Is "Rape/Non-Con" or "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" required for works featuring adult/minor relationships? In real life, that would be considered statutory rape in many jurisdictions, regardless of whether the underage participant was willing.

No. Archive Warnings apply to the fictional content depicted in the work, so a work featuring a sexual relationship between an adult and a minor would need to use the "Underage Sex" Archive Warning. However, unless a character is clearly depicted in the work as unwilling to engage in sexual activity, then the "Rape/Non-Con" warning (or the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label) is not required, regardless of the age of any of the characters.

If consent is unclear or dubious, is the "Rape/Non-Con" or "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label needed?

The primary use of the "Rape/Non-Con" warning is to identify fanworks depicting characters who are clearly unwilling or otherwise forced to engage in sexual activities. Please use your judgment for other situations. When a fanwork features unclear or dubious consent ("dubcon"), we will defer to the creator's decision on how to categorize their work.

When is the "Major Character Death" warning needed? What makes a character "major"?

If a character has a significant presence in the fanwork, and they die during the course of the story, then the work would require the "Major Character Death" warning (or the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label). This warning is also required when the fanwork is focused on the character's death, even if it happened prior to the start of the work. It doesn't matter whether the character is a main character or a side character in canon – it's what is in the fanwork that counts. For example, even if a character has only one line in canon, a fanwork that is primarily about that character's funeral and how much their partner misses them would merit this warning.

If a major character dies in my fanwork but later returns to life, does the "Major Character Death" warning apply?

If the character returns to life or is revealed to not be dead within the same fanwork, then you don't need to apply the "Major Character Death" warning (or the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label) for this character.

Keep in mind that Archive Warnings apply to the entirety of an individual fanwork's posted content, not to any drafts or sequels. If you appear to have killed off a significant character in a specific work, but plan for them to return in a future chapter or sequel, we suggest using "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" as the content currently posted does feature character death.

What about vampires, zombies, sentient robots, and other characters that aren't "alive"?

Please use your best judgment for characters who are or become undead, mechanized, or otherwise non-human. If the character is generally still able to think or act in a somewhat human fashion throughout the course of the story, then the "Major Character Death" warning is not needed. When in doubt, we will defer to the fanwork creator's discretion about whether a character has meaningfully died.

What if a major character's death is ambiguous or unclear?

This is the kind of decision that is up to the creator's discretion. In general, we will not recategorize a fanwork in response to a complaint when the content at issue is a reference or is otherwise not graphic.

Will you ever require that an Archive Warning be removed?

No. The presence of an Archive Warning indicates that the work may contain such content, but it is not a guarantee. This includes works marked with "No Archive Warnings Apply". If this warning is accompanied by another Archive Warning (including the non-specific "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" label), then the other warning has precedence.

What's the difference between ratings and warnings?

Ratings are a measure of the intensity of overall content. Warnings refer to a specific type of content that is present.

For example, a work may be rated Explicit because it describes an extended, violent torture scene, or because it has a detailed depiction of consensual sex – or both. The rating tells you only that there may be adult content, and does not inform you what type of adult content it is. A warning indicates the work may contain an "onscreen" depiction of a specific type of content, and does not inform you of the level of detail in which it is described. For example, a work rated "Teen" might also carry the "Major Character Death" warning.

What sort of rating and warning information am I required to provide for my fanworks?

Some users may prefer not to read works with particular ratings and/or warnings, while others may search out works with those same ratings and/or warnings. Our goal is to provide the maximum amount of control and flexibility possible for all users of AO3, both creators and audiences alike, so that each user can customize their own experience. Creators can choose to provide a specific rating and/or Archive Warning(s), or they can choose to opt out of providing a specific rating and/or Archive Warning by using "Not Rated" and/or "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", respectively.

Can I use "Not Rated" but not "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings," or vice versa?

Yes, absolutely. For example, you could use "Not Rated" and "Rape/Non-Con" for a work that has an explicit rape scene. Or you could rate a work "General" but choose not to warn about the main character dying by using "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings".

How do the ratings and warnings policies apply to embedded images, videos, etc.?

When making rating/warning decisions, creators should take into account any content within the work, including embedded images and videos. As with all other content, creators' decisions are presumed reasonable, and using "Not Rated" or "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" will always be sufficient.

Can I embed explicit images in my fanworks?

Explicit drawings and other non-photorealistic artwork are generally allowed to be embedded in a work, as long as the work's rating and warnings appropriately describe both the embedded and the textual content. If you are using other people's images to illustrate your fanwork, you must embed from a source authorized by the creator and provide appropriate credit.

You may not embed sexually explicit or suggestive photographic or photorealistic images in works that contain underage sexual content or any other contextual indication (such as in the tags, notes, or text of the work) that the characters may be under the age of 18. This includes (but is not limited to) porn gifs, photo manipulations, and computer-generated or "AI" images.

How explicit or graphic can the summaries and tags on my fanworks be?

Explicit or graphic content in a summary or tag does not violate the Content Policy, as long as the work is appropriately rated and warned. Please use your judgment about what will best identify and describe your fanworks. The summary and tags are part of your work, and your choice of rating and warnings must reflect all parts of your work.

Do AO3 personnel prescreen works as they're uploaded to ensure that they comply with the ratings and warnings policies?

No. We will only review a work that has been reported to us for potentially violating the ratings or warnings policies.

What's the consequence of a violation of the ratings or warnings policies?

Please see the Mandatory Tags policy for details. If we uphold a complaint, we will ask the creator to amend the rating or warning as necessary. If the creator fails to do so, the Policy & Abuse committee may add the non-specific "Not Rated" and/or "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" labels as appropriate. In general, a fanwork will not be removed from AO3 merely for not being correctly labeled. However, repeated or deliberate mislabeling may result in additional consequences.

What do you mean by "not all works will carry full warnings"?

Some creators prefer not to assign specific ratings or warnings to their works, or may not be certain if some content in their work "counts" for a required Archive Warning. Our policy aims to enable creators to opt in or out of using specific ratings or warnings while still allowing users to filter out unwanted content. Works for which creators have opted out of providing specific ratings and/or warnings will be labeled "Not Rated" and/or "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings". These options aid users in decision-making, albeit with more limited detail than a specific rating or warning tag would.

What type of rating and warning information will be provided when I am browsing fanworks?

Users who wish to avoid works labeled with specific ratings or Archive Warnings can filter them out or exclude them from searches. Users trying to avoid all possibility of encountering specific ratings or warnings should also avoid works marked as "Not Rated" or "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" in the same way, because these works may contain content pertaining to any rating or warning, respectively.

Beyond the Archive Warnings, Additional tags can also be used to filter and/or search for works. Users who wish to screen works for other users may also add tags, notes, or recommendations to their bookmarks to warn other users about the subject matter contained in the bookmarked works. This can serve as an extra source of information for users who are trying to determine whether or not to access a work. However, please be aware that Additional tags are not mandatory.

If a user does not want to see Archive Warnings and/or Additional tags (for example, if they wish to avoid potential spoilers), then they can hide those tags in their preferences. Doing so will not hide any works that carry warning labels, only the warning labels themselves.

All users are responsible for reading and heeding the warnings provided by the creator. Risk-averse users should keep in mind that our ratings and warnings policies are deliberately minimal, and not all content will carry full warnings. If you want to know more about a particular fanwork, you may also wish to consult the bookmarks that people other than the creator have used to organize it.

If I'm not logged in, what can I see?

You can see the summary and tags (including Archive Warnings) of any work whose creator has not restricted access to AO3 users only. In addition, you can access any unrestricted work rated "General" or "Teen" without logging in or clicking anything else. For the other ratings ("Mature", "Explicit", and "Not Rated"), you will be asked to agree that you are willing to see adult content before you can access the work.

Back to Top | Ratings and Archive Warnings FAQ

Other Tags

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What are the minimum criteria for tags in mandatory fields?

The tags on your work must meet the following criteria:

  • Rating: If the work contains graphic adult content, you must rate the work as either "Mature" or "Explicit", or use the "Not Rated" tag.
  • Archive Warnings: If the work contains depictions of content described by one of the four specific Archive Warnings, you must apply that Archive Warning tag or the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" tag.
  • Fandoms: The work may only use fandom tags that directly relate to content currently present in the work.
  • Language: The language tag must indicate a language used in a major portion of the work text, unless no such language tag is available.

If you wish to provide other users with more information about your work, you are welcome to do so using the non-mandatory tag fields (such as Additional tags), your work summary, and/or the notes of your work.

What is a non-specific tag?

Some mandatory fields may have non-specific tags, such as "Not Rated", "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings", or "Unspecified Fandom". These tags indicate that the creator has deliberately chosen not to provide more specific information in the mandatory tag field. For example, sometimes creators aren't certain whether a specific tag would apply, or want to avoid using a specific tag because they believe it would reveal spoilers. Using a non-specific tag is always sufficient tagging for that tag field. The Policy & Abuse committee will not require any work that bears a non-specific tag to have more tags added to that field. Users who wish to avoid certain types of content should avoid all works that use non-specific tags.

What should I do if no language tag exists for the primary language used in my work?

If the language is one that you or someone else created, you can use the "Uncategorized Constructed Language" tag. If the language is not a constructed language ("conlang"), please contact the Support committee.

Will you require an incorrect language tag to be changed?

In general, we will assume good faith from creators. However, if it is clear that the language tag used does not apply to the work, then we may update the work's language tag.

In order to report a work that uses an incorrect language tag, please contact the Support committee and make sure to include a link to the work in your report.

In what circumstances will you remove a fandom tag from a work?

The Policy & Abuse committee may remove a fandom tag when there is no relationship between the particular fandom itself and the work. For example, a fanwork that discusses vampire physiology and uses only examples from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Vampire Diaries should not add in fifteen additional fandom tags simply because those fandoms also feature vampires.

Note that we will apply this rule restrictively. We will not intervene in cases of disagreement over, for example, whether a movie-based work can use the fandom tag for a comic when there are both movie and comics versions of a source. This is the kind of decision a creator is best suited to make and falls within our policy of deference to the creator.

If you believe a work's tags are misleading, then we encourage direct, polite conversation with the creator. However, if the work has fandom tags that aren't represented in the work, then you can report that to the Policy & Abuse committee.

This work is about a fandom that the creator hasn't tagged. Will you require them to add the fandom tag to their work?

No, we will not require that a creator add a specific fandom tag to their work. However, we may apply the non-specific "Unspecified Fandom" tag if the creator has not applied any suitable fandom tags themselves. If you would like to avoid encountering a particular work, then we recommend that you mute the creator or the work.

Why do some tags have "RPF" on the end? What's the difference between a fandom tag with RPF and without?

RPF stands for Real Person Fiction. "RPF" is often used to distinguish fandom tags intended for fanworks about a canon's real-life creators (actors, directors, voice actors, authors, etc.), as opposed to fanworks about the fictional characters that appear in any books, movies, or other canons.

When you are posting your work, you may find that entering the name of a canon into the fandom tag field results in two canonical tags appearing in the autocomplete, one with "RPF" at the end and one without. If your work is about the real people who created the canon, rather than about the fictional canon itself, then you should use the RPF fandom tag for your work. If your work is about the fictional characters or universe, you should use the non-RPF fandom tag instead.

In some cases, RPF fandoms and works don't have fandom tags with "RPF" at the end. For example, canonical fandom tags about musicians or bands may consist of the names of those individuals or groups. Fandom tags that consist of the name(s) of real people are also considered RPF fandom tags and can be used on works about those people.

For more information about RPF and non-RPF tags, please refer to the Tags FAQ. The Policy & Abuse committee may remove fandom tags from your work if you've used a non-RPF tag for RPF content, or vice versa.

Am I allowed to use an RPF fandom tag if my work is about the reader, or if it contains a self-insert character?

You should not use RPF fandom tags unless your work is about the real people who contributed to the creation of the fictional canon. If the reader or self-insert character is interacting with the fictional characters from the canon and not with the canon's writers, actors, etc., then the work is not RPF and should only be tagged with the non-RPF fandom tag.

I'm posting a work that will contain content for a particular fandom in a future chapter that I haven't posted yet. Can I use that fandom tag to advertise the upcoming content of my work?

No. To use a specific fandom tag, the work must currently contain fanwork content pertaining to that fandom. Once you post a chapter featuring characters from or set in the universe of that fandom, you may add the fandom tag to the work. Until then, you can use the notes, summary, or Additional tags to let other users know about your plans.

A work is appearing in my fandom's tag even though it's not tagged with or about my fandom. I think the tag the creator used was linked to my fandom by mistake. Can I report that?

Our volunteer tag wranglers connect tags to each other to help users locate fanworks. However, at times this can lead to unexpected search results. If you believe that a tag has been incorrectly wrangled, you can contact the Support committee with a brief explanation of why these tags shouldn't be connected together.

I want to report a work that has a wrong language tag and inapplicable fandom tags. Who should I report it to?

If the language tag is the only miscategorization on the work, you may report it to the Support committee. If there is any other type of miscategorization or violation of the Terms of Service (for example, if the work is not a fanwork or is incorrectly rated), you should report it to the Policy & Abuse committee instead, whether or not there is an incorrect language tag on the work.

What if a work has an incorrect category, relationship, character, or additional tag?

The Policy & Abuse committee will only evaluate the accuracy of tags in mandatory fields. We will not add, edit, or remove incorrect category, relationship, character, or additional tags. Our resources are limited and it would be challenging to impartially and fairly establish or enforce accuracy rules for these types of tags. However, our general policies against harassment and spam apply to all tags, as they do to any content posted on AO3.

Can other users add tags to my fanworks? How does that work?

The only tags displayed on the fanwork itself will be the tags that the creator added to it. If another user bookmarks the work, they may add tags to the bookmark. Users can search for bookmarks with Tag Search or Bookmark Search. Bookmark tags are also visible when viewing a user's public bookmarks. However, bookmark tags will not impact or appear in results when using Work Search or browsing works listings.

Someone has added a tag I hate to a bookmark of one of my fanworks!

We recommend that you mute the bookmarker. In general, tags and notes on bookmarks can be positive or negative. Like any other content, tags are subject to the Content Policy, so if the tag violates our harassment, personal information, or other policies, please report it. However, criticism of a fanwork is not considered harassment in and of itself. Bookmark tags and notes will not automatically be displayed on fanworks, in order to allow you to avoid them.

Where can I find more information about tags?

Please check out our Tags FAQ for more information about how tags function and how they are generally used.

Back to Top | Other Tags FAQ

Spam and Technical Integrity

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What's this about the spam filter? Can I be permanently suspended if I fail the filter?

You shouldn't encounter the spam filter if you're logged in. If we discover accounts created solely to post spam, we will permanently suspend those accounts, but such cases are always reviewed by members of the Policy & Abuse committee. If you're a human being reading this FAQ, you shouldn't worry about the automated spam-control measures.

What do you mean by "conduct that threatens the technical integrity of AO3"?

Basically, we mean attempts to hack the site or deliberately exploit a code vulnerability in order to engage in destructive behavior on AO3. Spreading viruses or other unwanted programs, redirecting users to spam sites, or trying to undermine or evade compliance with our Terms of Service through technological means are all examples of attempting to interfere with or threaten the technical integrity of the site.

Does that mean I can't have nifty formatting in my work?

No, this is just a security policy. You will be able to have plenty of nifty formatting, but not everything imaginable. As a practical security matter, we do not allow JavaScript in works posted on AO3, and only allow a limited subset of HTML and CSS. This is because there is no secure way to allow people to start uploading unfiltered code. For content that uses a lot of custom code, we recommend hosting it on your own website. You can make a bookmark or post a simpler version on AO3 and link to the fancier version in the notes.

Do you have a policy on bots or scraping? These are ways of extracting information from or indexing websites.

The use of bots or scraping for spam, commercial promotion, or other purposes that violate our policies is forbidden. This includes scraping AO3 for the purposes of obtaining material for commercial generative AI or creating an app that hosts or paywalls AO3 content.

The use of bots or scraping for purposes that do not violate our policies is generally allowed. However, we reserve the right to implement robots.txt or other protocols limiting what bots can do, or to notify you and ask you to discontinue if a bot or scraping program is causing problems for the site. At our discretion, we may also ban specific bots or other programs from accessing AO3.

Back to Top | Spam and Technical Integrity FAQ

Privacy Policy FAQ

Answers to common questions about the Privacy Policy are available below. If you have additional questions that are not covered here, you can contact the Policy & Abuse committee.

Information Collection and Use

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Why do you use cookies?

Cookies may be required to facilitate and customize your site experience, such as by allowing you to log in to your AO3 account. If you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use the site. There are many ways to remove both browser history and cookies, and we encourage people who are concerned about privacy to investigate broader solutions. For example, most internet browsers can be set to clear your private data automatically between sessions.

Which AO3 features collect, process, retain, and/or display my content or personal information, and how do they use it?

Some AO3 features may display your content to the public, to other AO3 users, and/or to yourself and AO3 administrators.

Display to the public

We may collect, process, retain, and display your content to the general public, including any personal information you've included in that content, when you use the following AO3 features:

  • Post or edit a work or chapter, when the work is available to the general public
  • Create or edit a work skin that is applied to a work that is available to the general public
  • Edit information about a series, when any work in that series is available to the general public
  • Create or edit a bookmark, when the bookmark is not marked private
  • Choose a username or pseud
  • Edit your profile page
  • Edit the description for one of your pseuds
  • Upload an icon
  • Give kudos, both when you are logged in and when you are not logged in
  • Create or edit information about a Challenge or other type of Collection
  • Submit a prompt to a Prompt Meme Challenge
  • Submit a sign-up to a Gift Exchange Challenge (note: the owners and moderators of the Challenge will have access to your email address)
  • Post or edit a comment, when you comment on a news post or on a work that is available to the general public

We also collect, process, and retain personal information that is associated with the content, including your IP address. We may display this information to AO3 administrators for the purposes of managing the site and enforcing the Terms of Service.

Display to other AO3 users

We may collect, process, retain, and display your content to other AO3 users, including any personal information you've included in that content, when you use the following AO3 features:

We also collect, process, and retain personal information that is associated with the content, including your IP address. We may display this information to AO3 administrators for the purposes of managing the site and enforcing the Terms of Service.

Display to yourself and/or to AO3 administrators

We may collect, process, retain, and display your content and preferences to yourself and/or to AO3 administrators, including any personal information you've included in that content, when you use the following AO3 features:

  • Request an account invitation, whether or not you choose to create an account
  • Create an account
  • Save a work in draft form
  • Create or edit a private bookmark
  • Update your preferences
  • Mark a work for later
  • Favorite a tag
  • Block a user
  • Mute a user
  • Create or edit a site skin
  • Create or edit a work skin, even without applying it to a work

We also collect, process, and retain personal information that is associated with the content, including your IP address. We may display this information to AO3 administrators for the purposes of managing the site and enforcing the Terms of Service.

Why do AO3 features need to collect, process, retain, and/or display my content or information in the ways that they do?
Because you want your content or information to be available to other people

AO3 is a site for fans to share fanworks. When you post a work and set it to be available to the general public, you are agreeing to make that content available to everyone. Similarly, the purpose of using other public-facing AO3 features is because you want that content to be available to the public. When you post a work and set it to be available to registered AO3 users only, you are agreeing to make that content available to those users.

Similarly, other AO3 features or content may be accessible by all registered AO3 users or only accessible to specific registered AO3 users (such as the co-creator(s) of a work or the maintainer(s) of a collection). The purpose of using these features is because you want that content to be available to those people. For example, if you're collaborating with someone else on a draft work where you have added them as a co-creator, then you want your co-creator to be able to access the draft. If you have submitted a work to a collection, then you have chosen to submit content to a part of AO3 that the collection maintainer controls. In all cases, we need to collect, process, and retain certain information about you and your content in order to make it available to those people.

Because you want your content or information to be associated with your identity

Usernames and pseudonyms allow you to develop your account as a fannish identity on AO3. When you take actions while using a username or pseud (as opposed to not being logged in, or not using a pseud), it's because you want your username or pseud to be associated with those actions and/or the content that you've uploaded. In order to connect your actions and content to your AO3 account and/or pseud, we need to collect, process, and retain the associated personal information about your account, including the text you entered for your username or pseud.

Because you want your content or information to be available to yourself

Some of our features are designed to let you upload content that you want to access later. For example, when you create a draft work or a private bookmark, use the "Mark for Later" feature, or favorite a tag, your purpose is to be able to return to them later. In order to allow you to do so, we need to collect, process, and retain the content that you provided and the associated information.

To allow you to customize your AO3 experience

Several of our features are designed to let you customize the way AO3 is displayed to you or the ways in which other users can interact with you. We need the data collected by these features in order to customize your AO3 experience in the ways you've requested. For example, we need access to your blocklist in order to ensure that users you have blocked can't leave comments or kudos on your works or reply to your comments; and we need access to your mutelist to ensure that you won't be shown works, bookmarks, comments, or series by users you've muted. Similarly, when you update your preferences, we need to collect, process, and retain the content and/or information that you provided in order to implement those preferences for you.

To operate, maintain, and protect AO3

In order to be able to enforce the Terms of Service, ensure we are compliant with applicable legislation, and handle any legal matters that may arise, AO3 administrators (such as the Policy & Abuse committee, the Legal committee, and the OTW Board of Directors) may need to view content that was uploaded, or the associated data, even if that content is not visible to the general public or to other AO3 users.

We also need the data collected by each feature to internally manage AO3. For example, we want to count only one view of a URL per cookie session on the "Hit" count for a work. Temporarily collecting, processing, and retaining the IP addresses of users who leave kudos while logged out permits us to conduct internal management of kudos and avoid duplication of kudos, without requiring you to log in and associate your username with the kudos. Our systems and administrators need the data to manage our services, prevent abuse or spam, and maintain the integrity of AO3.

To assist you with using AO3

It's possible you may need assistance with your account. In such cases, the Support committee or other AO3 administrators may need to look at your content or associated data in order to troubleshoot a problem you're having, assist you with using a particular AO3 feature, or diagnose or solve a possible bug. For example, if you're having difficulty with not receiving emails about comments on your works, an administrator may need to check whether your Preferences are set correctly.

What happens if I change the privacy settings on my work?

When you post or edit a work on AO3, you can choose to restrict access to other logged-in users only. You can change this setting at any time. If the work was originally accessible to AO3 users only, and you (or a co-creator) update the work to make it accessible to the general public, then the work and any content associated with the work (such as bookmarks, comments, or series) will become accessible to the general public at that time. Similarly, if your work was previously set to be accessible to the general public, and you update the work to make it accessible to AO3 users only, then the content associated with the work will no longer be accessible to the general public.

If you have a series where all works in the series are only accessible to other AO3 users, and you (or a series co-creator) add to the series a work that is accessible to the general public, then the series content will also become accessible to the general public at that time. This applies to the series content only, and not to specific works in the series, which are all controlled separately.

You (or a co-creator) can add your work to a collection that is maintained by yourself and/or someone else. Adding your work to an anonymous and/or unrevealed collection will limit some information about and/or access to the work to yourself and to the collection maintainers. The collection maintainers can change the collection settings or remove your work from their collection at any time. You can remove your work from a collection at any time.

What information can a co-creator access? What privacy settings can they change?

When you invite a co-creator to a work you've uploaded to AO3, you are giving them the ability to edit or delete the work, add or remove the work from a series or collection, or delete any of its comments at any time, regardless of whether the work has been posted or is still in draft form. Any co-creators of a work can change the privacy settings for that work at any time, without notifying you. If the co-creators of a work have different account preferences regarding their works' accessibility or permissions, the work will adhere to the least restrictive preference. For example, if one co-creator allows their works to be invited to collections, and another co-creator does not, it will be possible to invite the co-created work to a collection.

When you invite a co-creator to a series you've created, you are giving them the ability to edit or delete the series (but not any works in the series, unless they are also a co-creator of the work(s) in question). If all works in the series are only accessible to other AO3 users, and your co-creator adds to the series a work that is accessible to the general public, then the series content will also become accessible to the general public at that time. This applies to the series content only, and not to specific works in the series, which are all controlled separately.

We recommend that you do not invite anyone as a co-creator of your work unless you are comfortable with giving that person equal access to and control over that work and the content and settings associated with it. You cannot remove a co-creator from your work after you have invited them. Co-creators can remove themselves from a work at any time.

What information can a challenge or collection maintainer access? What privacy settings can they change?

If you add your work to a collection, the owners and moderators of the collection ("collection maintainers") will be able to access (but not edit or delete) the content of the work. They will also know the usernames and pseuds of all creators associated with the work, even if the work is in a collection marked as anonymous or unrevealed. You can remove your work from a collection at any time. A collection maintainer can remove a work from their collection at any time, or remove the "anonymous" and/or "unrevealed" status provided by their collection, without notifying you. When this occurs, the creators' usernames and/or the content of the work will become accessible either to other AO3 users or to the general public, depending on the work settings.

A maintainer of a Gift Exchange challenge can access sign-ups as well as the usernames and email addresses that participants use to sign up. This is in case the maintainer needs to communicate with the exchange's participants. Maintainers of other types of collections do not have access to other users' email addresses.

Please note that using this information in any way other than to manage the collection or challenge is a violation of our Terms of Service and may result in the permanent suspension of the maintainer's account.

If a new feature is introduced, how will it handle my content and personal information?

If the feature is designed to display content to other users or to the general public, then when you choose to use that feature, your content may be displayed to other users or to the general public. Any personal information or other data we collect will be used to operate that feature and other integrated features on AO3, maintain AO3, and prevent spam and abuse of the feature or AO3. Administrators may have access to any content uploaded with the feature, and associated data, for these purposes.

AO3 is committed to protecting the privacy of our users. We will never sell your personal information, data, or other content. If you have a specific question about how your content and/or information is collected or used, please contact the Policy & Abuse committee.

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User Privacy Rights

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What information do you sell, trade, or rent to third parties?

None. We do not and will not sell, trade, or rent information, including your personal information.

What legal rights do I have under data privacy laws?

If you are located in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or parts of the United States, you may have rights regarding your personal information or personal data that qualifies as such under the laws of your jurisdiction.

As provided by the laws of your applicable jurisdiction, these rights may include:

  • The right to know what personal information we have collected about you
  • The right to request that we provide access to, correct, or delete your personal information
  • The right to request that your personal information be provided in portable form
  • The right to not be discriminated against for exercising your legal rights
  • The right to not be subject to a decision that would affect your legal rights based solely on automated processing of your personal information
What lawful grounds does AO3 rely upon to process personal information from users in the EU and the UK?

We rely on the following lawful grounds to process personal information from users in the EU and the UK:

  • It is necessary for the performance of a contract with you
  • Our or a third party's legitimate business interest
  • Your consent

If we are processing your personal information based on the grounds that you consented to it, you have the right to withdraw your consent for such processing at any time. Withdrawing your consent does not affect the lawfulness of consent-based processing that occurred prior to when your consent was withdrawn.

These protections are not limited specifically to users from the EU and the UK. We limit our data processing in this way for all users. If you have questions regarding the protection of your personal information, you can contact the Policy & Abuse committee.

How do I exercise my rights under data privacy laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)?

To exercise the rights available to you as a data subject or consumer under applicable data privacy laws, contact the Policy & Abuse committee. In order for us to confirm your request, the email address you enter must be the one associated with your account (if applicable) and you must be able to send and receive emails from that address. In the subject and description of your request, please specify which data privacy law (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) applies to you, and clearly state what kind of data request you are making (for example, you can request a copy of your personal information). We may require you to submit additional personal information necessary to verify your identity and status as a data subject. Repeated requests within a 1-year timeframe may incur a fee.

Please note that you may be able to exercise some of these rights without our intervention. For example, if you are a registered user, you can access and update certain personal information via your account preferences.

What is the procedure for requesting details about the information you sell, trade, or rent to third parties for direct marketing purposes under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)?

The CCPA only applies to for-profit entities. Because the Organization for Transformative Works is a non-profit, we are not required to have such a procedure. More importantly, we do not have such a procedure because we do not sell, trade, or rent information to third parties for any reason, including for direct marketing purposes.

Do you recognize and comply with Do Not Track signals or opt-out preference signals?

Some web browsers, mobile applications, and operating systems allow users to signal their preferences regarding the tracking of their personal information. These are known as Do Not Track (DNT) signals or opt-out preference signals. AO3 does not respond to DNT or opt-out preference signals because we do not use, sell, or share your personal information for targeted advertising purposes. In addition, we collect only the minimum data necessary to operate the site and/or that you have consented to provide to us. Without this minimum data, you can't access the site.

If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of the Privacy Policy.

Back to Top | User Privacy Rights FAQ

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