In light of the latest AI bull to affect AO3; here is a brief guide on how to change the settings on all your works at once!!
The End Goal: All works are simultaneously changed so that only registered users can view and comment on them. This is the best bot protection currently.
Click on the photos to view the whole thing if you are on mobile. They did not scale.
Step 1: Log in and find the edit works button on your dashboard. Click it.
This will take you to a screen that lets you edit multiple works at once.
Step 2: There will be a select all button called ‘All’ next to a ‘none’ button. Click the All button. (This section also lets you select individual works to edit, or all stories in a fandom. Quite neat! In this case we want to protect everything.
Step 3: Right below the All button there is a choice of edit, orphan, or delete the selected works. Click edit. This will take you to a screen telling you you are now editing multiple works. At first it will not look like there are options. Don’t panic. Scroll down.
Step 4: Did you scroll down?? Yes?? Good. You should be seeing some boxes with the options to mass change ratings and warnings as well as visibility options.
Step 4.5: Go to the bottom box. Under work skin there is a section called visibility. Click “only show to registered users”.
Step 5: Underneath that and comment moderation is who can comment on these works. Click “only registered users can comment”.
Finally, click update all works!!