#ao3 warnings

[angelofsmalldeath-codeine]

Hey, children. Auntie here with a quick beginners guide that this creator has put together on how to use AO3.

Again, fan fiction is a gifting economy. You are getting free content. Be kind.

Writers, please tag accordingly.

Readers, check the fucking tags before you pull out the pitchforks. We will ram it up your arse if you cry for censorship.

[aveimperator40k]

Ok. Now the ao3 bots are getting political.

They appear to be targeting a random user who writes Brooklyn 99 and Umbrella Academy fic.

WTF???

[buttercreampuff]

Hey want to know what drives me absolutely fucking insane????

This.

THIS.

Like...

None of those can be used together at all! They fucking cancel eachother out!!!!

"Creator chose not to use archive warnings" WELL YOU LITERALLY DID SO IDK WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO BE

"No archive warnings apply" but "graphic deceptions of violence" *IS* an archive warning!!!!!!

[charred-angel-ribs]

JUST FOUND OUT YOU CAN FILTER OUT WARNINGS ON AO3, THE WORLD IS GOOD /POS /GEN

[avengersnewb]

Major Character Death warning in AO3 applies when:

Only when the death of the character happens on-screen

The fic deals with MCD (mourning/coping/etc) but the death is not on-screen

Voting ended onFeb 29, 2024

The AO3 FAQ:

[a-non-ymouswriter]

okay so ao3 authors might want to look out and be aware of a spam message being commented on their stories. i didnt know this was a spam message, only suspected it because it was very shady and i am a paranoid soul. i have no idea what happens if you join this 'discord group' and frankly i dont care to know.

but please be wary and careful, i thought this was just me but a server im in set out a ping and apparently its popped up for a few other authors and looks to be confirmed spam.

so yea, tldr; ignore this comment and dont join the shady group or use the shady code.

stay safe out there guys

[avayarising]

I have seen so many fics lately tagged with some variant of ‘I don’t know if Major Character Death applied or not’, or with the Major Character Death warning applied when it doesn’t seem to need it. So here’s my thoughts on when to warn for Major Character Death:

It’s Major Character Death if a character who is major to either this story or the original source material dies during the course of the fic, either on- or off-page, and does not directly take part in the story in any form (other than flashbacks) for the whole of the rest of the fic.

If they die before the start of the story, that’s [Character] Is Dead or Dead [Character]. No need to warn for in-fic death.

If the story ends in such a way that the character’s immediate-future death is inevitable, that’s Implied/Referenced Character Death.

If they come back to life later, that’s not Major Character Death, it’s Temporary Character Death. (If you have both that tag and the Major Character Death warning, I’ll think that two characters die and only one comes back.)

If it’s a temporary character death that happens in canon, then it’s Canon Temporary Character Death, but only if it happens as part of the fic you’re tagging. Otherwise it’s Implied/Referenced Temporary Character Death. And that only needs added if the story actually deals with the temporary death (discussions, fallout, or reactions, for example). If the story just features a character who, in canon, has temporarily died, but it’s not directly relevant to the story, there’s no need to tag it.

If they die but return in some other form, that’s Character Turned Into A Ghost. It’s still not Major Character Death because the character is still alive in the sense that they are still able to take part in the story – death of the body is not death of the character.

If they are apotheosed… I was going to say that’s Character Turned Into A God, but doesn’t appear be a canonical AO3 tag. (I would tag as Character Turned Into A God (or Apotheosis) nevertheless. Maybe we can make it one.) In any case, Major Character Death may apply, but only if the apotheosed character leaves the story. Despite being alive to themselves, they are dead to the other characters if they are no longer around. If they still take actions that directly affect the story, or communicate with other characters, they are not dead as far as the story is concerned, and it’s not a Major Character Death: they are just changed.

If it’s a minor or background character we’re not supposed to be too invested in, that’s Minor Character Death. But if you’ve built up an OC or a minor canon character to be a big part of your fic, and the readers are supposed to have come to care about them, then Major Character Death applies.

And, of course, if you want to leave it ambiguous or unrevealed if someone is going to die in the course of the story, that’s what Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings is for.

So for me at least, the Major Character Death warning applies only to in-fic, permanent deaths of major characters, and is diluted if you use it in other circumstances.

[sovengardeswag]

A guide to AO3 warnings cause a bitch is tired

I’ve noticed a trend on AO3 recently of people who tag something on AO3 but do not use a warning tag. Not even the “Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings.” And quite frankly, it’s getting annoying. It seems to be done out of ignorance and not malice in most cases, so I’ll be writing a guide here on what they are and how to use them. Please don’t debate on if the archive should allow the content I’m describing, I’m only talking about how tags are meant to be used. Trigger warning for mentions of violence and sexual assault.

1. What are archive warnings

Much like the little content warnings on that pop up in the left hand corner on Netflix or the trigger warnings that you see before heavy discussions, archive warnings are specialized tags that warn about potentially triggering content, and here is what they look like within filters, pulled from the original works tag.

The numbers denote how many works have these archive warnings. Like any other tag on AO3, they can be filtered for or against.

And here’s what they look like on a fic, pulled from “The Pines Files” (my own work) You’ll note that the archive warning is bolded and is the first tag that appears. It’s like that so it catches your attention.

2. What do they mean?

In order of appearance in the original works tag, here are the meanings.

“No Archive Warnings Apply” means that there are no triggers or squicks that are covered under the archive warnings. Any squicks or triggers present won’t be hidden by applying any of the other filters. You’ll have to add them as a regular tag.

“Creator chose not to use archive warnings,” by contrast, means that it COULD contain squicks and triggers covered by the warnings, but that the author is actively choosing to not say if it does or which ones. I consider this one an “enter at your own risk,” situation.

“Graphic depictions of violence” means, well, acts of violence described in detail. For me this brings blood and gore to mind, but could potentially be used for any graphic violence.

“Rape/Noncon” is also mostly self explanatory. It’s for rape, sexual assault, and any kind of unwanted sexual contact.

“Major character death,” is for when a main character dies. It doesn’t need to be a particularly gruesome death, just one of a major character.

“Underage,” specifically refers to depictions of minors having sex or in sexual situations. AO3 is based in the US so this generally means under 18. You would use this for any depiction, not just graphic ones.

3. How is this different from any other tag?

Well, for one thing, it’s not only the first tag after the fandom and the second largest tag. It’s also, again, specialized. In the filter dropdown, it has it’s own section, so that instead of typing it out, a reader can click the checkbox. A writer can do the same thing in the tag editor.

4. How does this help me?

Beyond the convenience of using a checkbox instead of typing out warnings, it also standardizes warnings. You know how sometimes on tumblr you need to use several variations of a trigger warning? You don’t need to do that on AO3. You can just pick the relevant tags and go. This system also makes it easier to let your audience know what they’re in for. It’s much harder to miss a warning that’s bold right at the front than one that’s buried in the middle of trope tags.

5. Will I be penalized for using them?

No. AO3 has no algorithm or shadow banning or anything of the sort. You won’t be penalized for using the provided warning tags.

6. But I don’t want to use warnings

Ok, so, I don’t know you. I don’t have the magical ability to see who’s reading this. But I can say that I don’t like doing things the hard way, and I doubt that you like things the hard way either. And I sure as hell know that as a reader, I don’t like typing things out when I’ve already filtered for them. This is ultimately your decision, but I highly, HIGHLY, recommend using them from now on due to the convenience and in order to be nice to readers.