Archive FAQ
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The FAQs are currently being updated and translated by our volunteers. This is a work in progress and not all information will be up to date or available in languages other than English at this time. If your language doesn't list all FAQs yet, please consult the English list and check back later for updates.
Some commonly asked questions about the Archive are answered here. Questions and answers about our Terms of Service can be found in the TOS FAQ. You may also like to check out our Known Issues. If you need more help, please contact Support.
Available Categories
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About the Archive
- What is the Archive of Our Own?
- What is the Organization for Transformative Works?
- Who created the Archive?
- How is the Archive funded? Can I donate money?
- Is the Archive available in languages other than English?
- What are you doing to make the Archive accessible?
- Are you going to make an app for mobile devices?
- How was the logo designed, and what does it mean?
- What are the relationship category icons? How did you choose them?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Contacting the Staff
- How can I get help or technical support on the Archive?
- How can I tell you what I think about the Archive?
- How do I report a violation of the Archive's Terms of Service?
- How do I find out whether specific content is allowed on the Archive?
- Can I contact Archive staff anonymously?
- Who do I contact if an answer in the FAQ is wrong or overly confusing?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Invitations
- What is an invitation?
- Why can't I create an account without an invitation?
- How do I get an invitation?
- How long will it take for me to get an invitation?
- Can I make a donation to get an invitation faster?
- I've received an invitation link. How do I use it to create an account?
- How do I use an invitation that is not a link?
- How do I request invitations for a challenge that I'm running?
- I already have an account. How do I give an invitation to someone else?
- I'm an AO3 user. How do I manage my invitations?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Your Account
- How do I create an account?
- Will my username be publicly displayed?
- What characters can I have in my account username?
- How do I verify my account?
- What should I do if I think my account has been hacked?
- How can I change the email associated with my account?
- How do I change my password?
- How can I change my username?
- How does changing my username affect my account?
- How can I recover my lost username or password?
- How do I delete my account?
- How do I refuse a gift?
- Is there any way to accept a gift after refusing it?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Profile
- What information does my profile contain?
- How do I edit my profile?
- Who can access the information on my profile?
- What is an icon?
- How many icons can I have?
- What restrictions are there on icons?
- How do I upload or change my icon?
- How do I delete my icon?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Pseuds
- What is a pseud?
- How do I add a new pseud?
- What characters can I have in my pseud name?
- What is a default pseud?
- How do I set a default pseud?
- How do I choose which pseud to post under?
- How do I edit a pseud?
- Someone else has the same pseud as me! How did this happen?
- Why does my user name display in parentheses next to my pseud?
- How do I delete a pseud?
- What happens if I delete a pseud?
- What is a pseud description?
- Can I make an anonymous pseud?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn’t answered here?
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Preferences
- Where can I find the Preferences options?
- How can I change what personal information is listed on my profile?
- How can I hide my works from non-Archive users?
- How can I turn off the confirmation to access adult content?
- How can I load entire works rather than going chapter by chapter?
- How can I change the way works and tags are displayed?
- How can I change the information in the site's title bar?
- How do I set the site to my own time zone?
- How do I change the way I receive comment notifications?
- How can I allow others to add me as a co-creator to a work or series?
- How can I allow others to add my works to a collection without having to confirm every time?
- How can I turn off/on my History?
- How can I turn off/on the banners at the top of each page?
- What else is accessible from the Preferences page?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Accessing Fanworks
- What browsers is the Archive compatible with?
- Do I need any plugins, extensions, or other tools to browse the Archive?
- How do I access works on the Archive?
- How do I access works in a series? How do I navigate between multiple works in a series?
- Can I access multi-chapter works as one long document?
- Can I access multi-part works chapter-by-chapter?
- Can I disable custom formatting (work skins) on works?
- How do I keep track of works I want to access later?
- Can I print from the Archive?
- Can I download works to access on a portable device?
- How can I find works in languages other than English on the Archive?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn’t answered here?
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Downloading Fanworks
- Can I download works from the Archive to access later?
- What formats can I download fanworks in?
- How do I download works onto my computer or mobile device?
- How can I download works to access on the iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone?
- Can I save works from the Archive via an external bookmarking service?
- Will CSS styling ("work skin") show up in downloaded works?
- Can I create a skin to change the way the downloaded work looks?
- Will images/audio/video show up in downloaded works?
- Can I disable downloads on my works?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn’t answered here?
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Search and Browse
- How can I search the Archive?
- How do I search for particular tags?
- How can I find works or bookmarks by a particular user?
- How do I find works or bookmarks for a particular fandom?
- What do the little boxes next to each work represent?
- How can I avoid certain types of works on the Archive?
- How can I avoid seeing warnings or tags for works?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Tags
- What is a tag?
- How are tags organized?
- How are tags that aren't in English organized?
- Why can't I find a tag I want to use?
- What are the different types of tags?
- How do canonical tags work?
- What format can tags have?
- What is a "Favorite Tag" and how can I use it?
- How do I tag my works to make them easy to find?
- How do I tag my bookmarks?
- How do I tag crossovers and fusions?
- How do I tag Real Person Fiction (RPF)?
- How do I tag a romantic or platonic relationship?
- Why did the capitalization or diacritics on my tag change when I saved my work?
- Why does my work appear in listings for tags I didn't use?
- Why isn't my fandom tag in the right media category?
- What do "- Ambiguous Fandom" and "- All Media Types" mean?
- Why do some tags appear with "- Freeform" or "- Character" after them?
- Can my tags be changed by someone other than me?
- I think a user has tagged their work wrong. Can you fix it?
- I think a tag has a mistake, what can I do?
- I'm running a challenge, and I need tags that don't exist yet.
- I have another question about how to tag my works.
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Bookmarks
- What is an AO3 bookmark?
- What can I bookmark?
- How do I bookmark a work on the Archive?
- How do I bookmark a work not posted on the Archive?
- What is the External Bookmarks Bookmarklet and how does it work?
- How do I edit a bookmark?
- How do I delete a bookmark?
- How can I access my bookmarks?
- How can I find other users' bookmarks?
- What is the difference between bookmarks, "Mark for Later", and subscriptions?
- What is the difference between a bookmark and a Rec (Recommendation)?
- How do I search for Recs?
- How do I manage who can access my bookmarks?
- How do I make a collection of bookmarks?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Comments and Kudos
- What are comments?
- How do I post a comment?
- Where does a comment show on a work?
- How do I identify myself when I comment?
- Can I post comments anonymously, or if I don't have an Archive account?
- Can I disable anonymous comments on my works?
- What happens to comments I've left when I delete my account?
- What happens to comments and/or kudos I've left when I change my username?
- What is a comment thread? How does comment threading work?
- How can I reveal all the replies to my comment?
- What does "Comments: #" represent?
- How long can my comment be?
- How do I style text in my comments?
- Can I edit or delete my comment?
- Can I edit or delete a comment someone else left on one of my works?
- Can I have comments sent to my email?
- What is a spam comment? What can I do about spam?
- What can I do if I receive spam/harassing/offensive comments from an Archive user?
- How do I moderate comments on my works?
- Can I enable or disable comment moderation for several works at the same time?
- What happens to comments if I turn off moderation?
- What happens to existing comments when moderation is turned on?
- What are kudos?
- Why can't I access all the kudos left on my works?
- Can I disable kudos on my works?
- How will I know if someone leaves kudos on one of my works?
- Can I hide or delete kudos I have sent or received?
- What happens to kudos I've left when I delete my account?
- Can I leave kudos on each chapter of a multi-chaptered work?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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History and Mark for Later
- What is my History?
- Where can I find my History?
- How can I edit my History?
- How do I delete only certain works without clearing my complete History?
- Can I search within my History?
- What does the "Mark for Later" button do?
- Who can access my History or Mark for Later list?
- How do I access works I've marked for later?
- Why is there no "Mark for Later" button on a work?
- Why is a work I just marked for later not in my list?
- How do I remove a work from my Marked for Later list?
- How do I clear my History, but keep my Marked for Later list?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Subscriptions and Feeds
- What is a Subscription and what does it track?
- How can I manage my subscriptions?
- How do I subscribe to, or unsubscribe from, a user?
- How do I subscribe to, or unsubscribe from, a work or series?
- Can I subscribe to Collections or Challenges?
- Can I keep track of subscriptions without getting emails?
- How do email notifications get sent out for subscriptions?
- What is a feed and what does it track?
- How do I set up a feed reader?
- How do I subscribe to, or unsubscribe from, a feed?
- How do I set up a syndicated feed if one doesn't exist for my fandom?
- Can I subscribe to or create a feed using metatags?
- Can I subscribe to or create a feed using relationship tags?
- Can I subscribe to or create a feed using character tags?
- Can I subscribe to or create a feed using additional (freeform) tags?
- Can I subscribe to or create a filtered feed?
- Will I get emails or feed notifications for unrevealed or anonymous works?
- Will I get emails or feed notifications for restricted works?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Formatting content on AO3 with HTML
- Can I use HTML on the Archive?
- I don't know anything about HTML. Where do I start?
- I don't know anything about HTML. Can I format my text without it?
- How do I make text bold or italicized using HTML markup?
- How do I add a link using HTML markup?
- How do I post images on the Archive?
- How do I make my text a heading using HTML markup?
- How do I link a user to somewhere else on the same page they are already on?
- How do I format bulleted or numbered lists using HTML markup?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Posting and Editing
- What kind of fanworks can I post to the Archive?
- How do I post a new work?
- How do I add a new chapter to a work?
- How do I indicate that a work will have more than one chapter?
- How do I save a work/chapter as a draft?
- How do I post a series?
- How do I edit or post a draft I've saved?
- How do I edit a work?
- How do I edit the tags on a work?
- How do I delete a work?
- How do I edit a chapter of a multi-chaptered work?
- How do I delete a chapter?
- How can I change the order of my chapters?
- How do I edit multiple works at the same time?
- How do I control who can access my works?
- Can I disable anonymous comments on my work?
- What happens if my work is marked as spam?
- Why is the word count on my work different on AO3 than in Microsoft Word (or Google Docs or any other writing platform)?
- My work was inspired by another work, or is a translation. How can I give credit?
- How do I add or remove co-creators?
- How do I remove myself as a creator of a work?
- Can I post works in languages other than English?
- Why is the word count on AO3 wrong for works in Chinese, Japanese, and some other languages?
- What is the HTML editor?
- What HTML can be used in works?
- What is the Rich Text editor?
- Can I use CSS formatting?
- How do I import works from another website?
- What websites can I import from?
- How do I import a multi-chaptered work?
- How do I import multiple works at one time?
- What sites can I use for hosting multimedia files?
- How do I post an image?
- How do I post a video?
- How do I post an audio file?
- How do I post a podfic?
- How do I post a playlist?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Tutorial: Posting a Work on AO3
- Introduction
- About the New Work Page
- Entering Tag Information
- Rating (required)
- Archive Warnings (required)
- Fandoms (required)
- Category
- Relationships
- Characters
- Additional Tags
- Work Title (required)
- Add co-authors?
- Summary
- Notes
- Does this fulfill a challenge assignment?
- Post to Collections / Challenges
- Gift this work to
- This work is a remix, a translation, a podfic, or was inspired by another work
- This work is part of a series
- This work has multiple chapters
- Set a different publication date
- Choose a language
- Select Work Skin
- Privacy
- Input the Work
- Using HTML
- Using the Rich Text Editor
- Posting the Work
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
- Tutorial: Importing Text-based Works
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Series
- What is a series?
- How do I find other works in a series?
- How are warnings, tags, and ratings determined for a series?
- Who shows up as a creator of a series?
- How do I create a new series?
- How do I add works to a series?
- Can I add a work to multiple series?
- Can I post an incomplete series?
- How do I remove a work from a series?
- How do I edit a series?
- How do I add or remove series co-creators/co-authors?
- How do I mark a series complete?
- How do I delete a series?
- How do I change the order of the works in a series?
- How do I orphan a series?
- How do I remove myself as a creator of a series?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn’t answered here?
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Statistics
- What kind of statistics does the Archive track?
- Where do I find Statistics?
- What do Statistics track?
- What is a User Subscription?
- What are Kudos?
- What is a Comment Thread? How are Comment Threads tracked?
- What is a Bookmark? How are Bookmarks tracked?
- What is a Subscription?
- What is a word count?
- What is a hit?
- Can I find out who subscribes to me?
- Can I find out who has bookmarked my work(s)?
- Why is the bookmark count different on the Statistics page than on the work blurb?
- How can I sort statistics?
- How do I group my statistics according to fandom?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Orphaning
- What is orphaning?
- What information is removed when a work is orphaned?
- How do I orphan my work(s)?
- How do I orphan a work which I have co-authored/co-created with someone else?
- How do I orphan a single work in a series?
- How can I get my work(s) back if I change my mind after orphaning a work?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn’t answered here?
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Collections and Challenges
- What is a collection?
- Where do I find collections?
- Who can add a work to a collection?
- What does it mean that a collection is Open or Closed, Moderated or Unmoderated, Unrevealed, or Anonymous?
- How do I add a work to a collection?
- How do I browse within a collection?
- How do I create a collection?
- What settings are available for collections?
- What membership levels are available for collections?
- How do I manage members of a collection?
- How do I manage works in a collection I own?
- How do I reveal works or lift their anonymity in a collection I own?
- I'm running a challenge, and I need tags that don't exist yet. What do I do?
- What is a subcollection?
- How do I create a subcollection?
- What types of challenge can be run on the Archive?
- How do I set a collection or subcollection to be a gift exchange or a prompt meme challenge?
- How do I run a gift exchange?
- How do I sign up to participate in a gift exchange?
- How do I specify the recipient of a work I've written for a gift exchange?
- How do I find a work that has been written for me as part of a gift exchange?
- How do I run a prompt meme?
- How do I sign up to participate in a prompt meme?
- How do I specify the recipient of a work I’ve written for a prompt meme?
- How do I find a work that has been written for me as part of a prompt meme?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Tag Sets
- What is a tag set?
- How do I find tag sets created by others?
- How do I find tag sets I own or moderate?
- How do I create a new tag set?
- How do I delete a tag set?
- How do I change whether my tag set is available for public use?
- How do I change whether the tags in my tag set are hidden or visible?
- How do I open nominations?
- How do I set limits on nominations?
- How do I fix a mistake I made in the number of tag options for nominations?
- How do I approve or reject nominations?
- Why are nominated tags formatted differently?
- Can I approve or reject tags while nominations are open?
- How do I correct a nominated tag if I want to accept it in a different form?
- How and when do I close nominations?
- How do I clear nominations?
- How do I add tags to the set myself?
- How do I add multiple tags at once?
- How do I add associations to tags?
- How do I delete a tag from my tag set?
- How do I add a tag set to my challenge for people to use?
- What is the difference between a co-owner and a moderator?
- How do I add or remove someone as a co-owner or moderator of my tag set?
- What does it mean if fandom tags are in Uncategorized Media?
- What do I do if fandom tags are in the wrong media category?
- What do I do if tags are associated with the wrong fandom?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Skins and Archive Interface
- Can I change the Archive interface?
- What is a skin?
- How do I create a site skin?
- How do I apply a site skin?
- What is the Skin Wizard?
- Where can I find a list of available site skins?
- How do I create a work skin?
- How do I apply a work skin to a new work?
- How do I apply a work skin to a work that already exists?
- Where can I find a list of available work skins?
- Can I change the fonts the Archive is displayed in?
- What CSS properties and values can I use in custom skins?
- Can I get rid of styling other users have on their works?
- What are you doing to make the Archive more accessible?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Tutorial: Creating a Work Skin
- Introduction
- Navigating to the Create New Skin Form
- Setting Up a New Work Skin
- Using CSS
- Inputting Your CSS
- Saving Your New Work Skin
- Editing Your Work Skin
- Applying Your Work Skin
- Using the CSS Selectors in Your Work's HTML
- Saving and Previewing Your Work
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
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Unofficial Browser Tools
- How can I use userscripts with the Archive?
- How can I change the appearance of the Archive?
- Is there a search engine plugin for AO3?
- What tools can let me sort, filter, or modify my search results?
- What tools can let me filter out triggering, offensive, or unwanted content?
- What tools can help me when posting to the Archive?
- What tools can help with accessing and downloading works?
- What tools allow me to download my stats and other information from AO3?
- What tools can help me manage my collections and challenges?
- What tools can make it easier to share AO3 works on other sites?
- How can I tell you about a cool tool I found that you haven't listed here?
- Where can I get more information if my question isn't answered here?
- Tutorials
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Glossary
- Abuse
- ADT or AD&T
- AO3
- Archive, The Archive
- Blurb
- Bookmark
- Challenge
- Closed Collection
- Co-Author | Co-Creator
- Creator's Style
- Dashboard
- DMCA
- FAQ
- Freeform Tag | Additional Tag
- Gift Exchange
- Hits
- Kudos
- Marked for Later
- Moderated Collection
- Orphaning
- OTW
- Prompt Meme
- Pseud & Default Pseud
- Skin
- Tag
- Tag Wrangler
- ToS