Witch Hat Atelier Gift Exchange General Info
WHA Exchange is a fandom gift exchange for all those who love the series! 2026 is our first year running, and we are excited to get started! This exchange is run through discord for communication, and AO3, including signups, matching, and tag nominations.
Schedule
Discord opens: Friday, June 26, 22:00 GMT
Tag nominations open: Saturday June 27, 00:00 GMT
Sign-ups open: Saturday July 4, 00:00 GMT
Tag nominations close: Friday July 10, 00:00 GMT
Sign-ups close: Sunday July 12, 00:00 GMT
Assignments out, creation period starts: Sunday July 19, 00:00 GMT
Check in: Thursday August 6, 00:00 GMT through Monday August 10, 00:00 GMT
Creation period ends: Sunday August 23, 10:00 GMT
Work reveals: Sunday August 24, 10:00 GMT
Creator reveals: Sunday August 30, 10:00 GMT
Links
Discord: [here]
AO3 tagset: [here]
AO3 collection: [here]
Resources
These were written for a different fandom's exchange, but the process is the same, as we are using the same processes.
Example of how to nominate tags to a tag set: [here] (note: this example is a multi-fandom exchange, we are a single fandom exchange)
How to sign up for an Ao3 gift exchange: [here]
A guide to your Sign-up, stage by stage: [here]
Apply for an Ao3 account: [here]
How to add a treat to an Ao3 Collection: [here]
How to image-describe your art: [here] [here]
Minimum requirements for participation + gifts
Participation:
Joining the discord
An AO3 account
You must be 13+ to join
Gifts:
Writers - 1k+ words, a complete work that stands alone
Artists - 1 artwork, created to a standard you would normally post as “finished”
At least one matching relationship tag to your assignment
Adhering to your giftee's DNW list
Rules and FAQ under the cut
Rules and Guidelines
Nominating tags:
Example of how to nominate tags: [here]
Tag nomination detailed breakdown: [here] (Note: the above two links were created for a multi-fandom exchange. The process is the same regardless)
For a tag to be used in signup, it must be part of the tag set, and thus, must be nominated and approved before it can be used.
Tag nomination is done through Ao3’s tag set nomination process. You can nominate up to 20 tags.
Please only nominate tags you intend to either offer or request, to help with matching.
All tags nominated must be relationship or solo character tags, entered into the 'relationships' field. Do not nominate additional tags such as Hurt/Comfort or Qifrey needs a hug
Please nominate tags with the standardised English names of characters. Canon tags may be used. If there is no canon tag for the tag you wish to nominate, list the characters in alphabetical order.
& denotes a platonic relationship, / denotes a romantic and/or sexual relationship. Olruggio & Qifrey (Tongari Boushi no Atelier) would be platonic, and Olruggio/Qifrey (Tongari Boushi no Atelier) would be romantic.
You can nominate up to 6 characters within a tag, as long as it fits within Ao3’s character limit (150 characters).
If you want a work that focuses on one character instead of a relationship, whether or not other characters are present, you can nominate a solo character as Solo: [Character Name], i.e. Solo: Olruggio (Tongari Boushi no Atelier).
This event does not allow Adult/Minor romantic relationships. Minor/Minor romantic shipping is allowed, such as Agott/Coco (Tongari Boushi no Atelier). Minors are defined by their age within the work. If the character has been aged down for a work (such as in a high school au) prohibitions about adult/minor shipping apply to them, even if both canon characters are adults.
Signing up:
Instructions for signing up: [here] (Note: the above link was created for a multi-fandom exchange. The process is much the same regardless.)
Must join our Discord for communication. If we cannot find you in the discord at the end of sign-ups, your signup will be deleted.
Must have an Ao3 account for sign-ups, as they happen on Ao3. If you do not have a Ao3 account and need help getting on, please contact the mods as soon as possible.
Because of Tumblr, Ao3 and Discord TOS, you must be 13 to participate.
Signups are divided into Requests (what you want to get as a gift) and Offers (what you’re offering to make). You must request and offer a minimum of three different relationships or solo character tags. Your requests do not need to be the same as your offers. You can offer or request a maximum of 10 offers/requests with 20 tags each.
If you do not want shipping, simply only request & tags. If you do want shipping, request / tags. If you are open to either, request both tags.
You must either write down a DNW (things you Do Not Want) in your gift, or put down DNW: No Restrictions, for each fandom you sign up to.
You must write down at least one like, prompt, or have a letter with more information linked, to give your creator something to work with.
if you are requesting a Solo character tag, you must indicate if you are okay with shipping or not, and any romantic or platonic relationships you don’t want to see in the work, because your creator will be picking from all canon characters as the supporting cast.
Signing up gives mods access to your Ao3 email (it's how we send you your assignment), so make sure the email attached to your AO3 account is one that a) you check regularly, and b) are comfortable with exchange mods seeing. You can verify your email here: archiveofourown.org/users/[your ao3 name here]/change_email
This event does not allow Adult/Minor romantic relationships. Minor/Minor romantic shipping is allowed, such as Agott/Coco (Tongari Boushi no Atelier). Minors are defined by their age within the work. If the character has been aged down for a work (such as in a high school au) prohibitions about adult/minor shipping apply to them, even if both canon characters are adults.
Gift Creation:
Your gift doesn’t have to contain only requested relationships, but it does have to center on at least one requested relationship or character.
Respect your recipient’s use of / or & in their requested relationship. Ship work must be delivered for a / relationship, and platonic work must be delivered for a & relationship.
Respect your giftee's DNW. Any gift found to be in violation of a reasonable DNW is grounds for a ban from future iterations of the exchange.
Must check in at the half-way mark of creation to make sure everything is on-track.
Contact a mod ASAP if you don’t think you’ll get your gift out on time or at all, or you want to withdraw
Your gift must be created by you during the event as a gift for your recipient in response to your recipient's signup.
No AI-created content. This is a bannable offense.
Gifting:
You must post your work to the AO3 collection (including artwork gifts), and gift it to your giftee, BEFORE the end of creation period deadline. If you are unsure/struggling, contact a mod for assistance.
If you are posting a gift with a different AO3 account than you signed up with, you must inform mods so we can keep track of gifts.
You must remain anonymous for the extend of the anon period, until creator reveals. This includes on all social media.
Once anon period is up, you are free to post your work on your social media. If posting to tumblr, tag the exchange blog so we can reblog it.
Miscellaneous:
Your requests will be publicly available, to conform with normal exchange standards, and because of the mechanics of pinch hits and treating. If you have something you do not want to be public, do not request it. Your offers will remain private, and mods will work with you to give a gift on anon if necessary.
You will not necessarily be matched with someone who matches your “offer to create” exactly. If the algorithm can make a better match it will do that, but in cases where there are more obscure requests, you might be matched with someone who only has one ship in common between your Offer and their Request. In that case at least you know what to make pretty quickly!
You do not have to make a gift for every ship or character your recipient requested, even if you offered multiple ships they requested. You only have to pick one and make one gift.
Please ask in the discord if you need information. You could also send an ask here, or if it is something you do not feel comfortable sending in an ask, you can message the head mod, Teg, at @the-blaze-empress
Mods reserve the right to ban people for being assholes.
FAQ
-I changed my mind about my sign-up, I want to add something, what do I do? You can edit your sign-up right until the sign-ups close! As soon as the sign-ups close, everything locks and you’ll be unable to edit it any more.
-I added my fic to the Ao3 collection, but I can’t see it? The collection is currently set to ‘unrevealed’, so works can be added but won’t be visible before reveal day, so it’s all a surprise.
- I don’t have an Ao3 account, what do I do? Speak to the mods— we can help you sign up (there is a waiting list), or we might be able to give you an instant sign-up link (we have a limited number of these).
-I need to contact my recipient, but they have anon off! What do I do? Talk to us, we’ll contact them for you.
-I can’t finish my gift by the deadline, what do I do? You have two options. Option one is to consider if you can still finish it within a couple days, and ask the mods if you can get an extension. Option two is to drop entirely, in which case you tell a mod, and we will assign your gift to a pinch-hitter so your recipient still gets something. In both cases, the important thing is that you get in contact with a mod as soon as possible— discord is best, but head mod Teg @the-blaze-empress can be contacted here if discord is not an option— to figure out a plan.
- My recipient requested 10 different relationships, do I have to make a gift for each of them? You only have to make one gift! Just pick one ship that you like and focus on that one.
-If I want to make more than one gift, can I? You can make as many gifts as you'd like! If you really enjoy making gifts, we suggest signing up as a Pinch Hitter in the discord, and there is also Treating, if you want to look for signups that really catch your eye!
-I'm only an anime watcher, can I sign up? Absolutely! Just be aware the discord server does not require spoilers for anything but the most recent chapter.
-Is NSFW allowed? In the 2026 run of the exchange, no. Discussion is allowed in the discord server in the relevant channels, but NSFW content is not permitted to be requested, offered, or delivered, as this is an all-ages exchange.
-Are major archive warnings (noncon/graphic depictions of violence/MCD) allowed? Aside from the content rules preventing NSFW, major archive warnings are allowed. Major Archive Warnings must be explicitly opted into by your recipient in their signup, and gifters are free to not include major archive warnings that their recipient has permitted. Delivering un-asked for major archive warnings is grounds for a ban from this event.
-My person requested characters I don't want to write, and one of them is a ship I don't like. What do I do? You are only expected to create a gift for the characters you matched on. If you offered to create for Agott & Coco (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), Olruggio/Qifrey (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), and Alaira & Euini (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), and you matched to someone requesting Agott/Coco (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), Olruggio/Qifrey (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), and Alaira/Luluci (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), you are only expected to make a gift with the characters and relationships you matched on, in this case, Orufrey. If you are entirely uncomfortable with your match, you can tell a mod, and we can take it off your hands and get it pinch-hit. You will still receive a gift.
-What is a Pinch Hitter? A pinch hitter is a person who saves the day and steps in when the original creator is unable to deliver their work for whatever reason, making a new work on an accelerated timeline. You can sign up to be a Pinch Hitter in the discord.
-What is a DNW? All participants will have the opportunity to fill out a DNW, which stands for Do Not Want. This is anything that has the potential to ruin a gift for you. DNWs must be phrased politely, (so no "No high school aus because they suck and you suck if you like them"), and they must be reasonable, (so no attempting to box someone into a specific gift, i.e. "DNW anything that isn't a werewolf au where Richeh is a human and Euini is a werewolf and they rampage through a city to escape Euini's werewolf pack because they want to turn Richeh into a werewolf too"), and they must be clear and defined (so no “no dark content”— that is too subjective for someone to try and interpret), but they can be as petty (disliking specific art styles) or as broad-reaching (no modern aus, no specific ships, no crossovers with specific servers) as you like. Deliberately breaking someone's DNW is grounds for a ban from the exchange.
-When do I have to join the discord? You have the option to join the discord and hang out as soon as tag nominations start, and you must join the discord so we can communicate with you by the end of sign-ups. Anyone not in the discord once we start matching will have their sign-ups deleted.
-Is the discord a social server? Can I expect game nights? The discord is primarily an event server, we are not going to be hosting events.
-What are Treats? Treats are optional bonus gifts that people give once they are done with their original gift! All of the sign-ups are available for people to browse through, and they can find prompts they like and make an extra gift for that person! They are completely optional for someone to make and you cannot ask for treats.
-What's a check-in and how do they work? Check-ins are there to make sure everyone is on track to finish their piece in time, and to communicate any issues with the mods! They take place through a google form and will require a short list of information— your name and if you think you will make the deadline, mostly. If you know that you won’t be able to check in on a specific date (lack of internet, etc), please contact the mods in advance.
-What if I need to drop out? It is your responsibility to communicate with us if you need to drop out of the event for any reason, and we do need that communication. We know that life is no respecter of fic and art deadlines, so no hard feelings if something happens. However, we would hate for anyone to end up having no gift, so please think about this if you are thinking of dropping out close to reveals. Please inform us in advance if you must drop out or think you will not be able to complete your gift on time. Dropping out after the last check-in without informing the mods may result in not being permitted to take part in further events run by this mod team.
I have a question not answered here? Ask us in the discord, send us an ask on tumblr, or contact head mod Teg @the-blaze-empress on tumblr or discord!
