r/AO3

Flairs Required

Every post has to have a correct flair. Report posts with incorrect flairs and we’ll fix the flair. Correct flair helps with searching/sorting/only seeing the kinds of posts you are interested in.

Use the Megathreads

We have megathreads for Self-promotion/Recommendations, Invite requests, and sometimes other special topics or events. Please keep these topics to their respective megathreads. We won't be allowing individual posts on these topics.

Personally Identifiable Information

Please do not include personally identifying information (usernames (including orphan account and non-generic guest names), titles, photos of a person's face, etc) in your posts or comments outside of a work finding request or recommendation. This goes for every site, not just AO3.

Also, please refrain from sharing identifying information about yourself or others—email addresses, phone numbers, and ages (if you’re a minor) will also be removed.

Don't search for works from here

Please do not try to find works mentioned in the subreddit (outside of work search posts of course) using the limited details in the posts. This is a form of brigading and keeps causing harassment issues and/or mass reporting problems. If someone breaks this rule by commenting on the work on AO3, please report it via modmail, not by reporting the post that lead to it with the report system. (We won't ask how you found out about said comment) Obviously doesn't apply to promo/exchange threads.

Commercial Promotion/Solicitation Rule

It's generally not allowed but some kinds of discussions are. See this post for the actual details.

Fic/Work Search rule

Please make your own post to look for a fic/work. Do not comment to ask people to help you find a fic/work on another person’s post. It clutters things and makes it harder for everyone.

Spam Comment/Webnovel Posts Moratorium

We are imposing a ban on making posts sharing that you got one of the common spam, scam, or webnovel comments. We are not banning posts asking about them, though. This is just a ban on the posts where the OP clearly knows about the issue already and is just posting that they got one.

Moratorium on AI posts/comments

Only posts about actual updates related to AI (either affecting AO3 or things like copyright law) and posts about novel subjects that we haven't seen in the subreddit before will be allowed for the time being. Please search the subreddit before posting anything related to AI.

Have you checked the pinned posts?

If you can't make a post, check the pinned posts before sending us modmail.

We aren't going to enforce this 'rule', it's just informational to help direct people to the likely relevant information without having to go through modmail and wait for one of us to respond.

Don't fake report things that should be modmail

Don't report something to make a suggestion or a complaint about the sub on a sub-wide scale. Don't report something to ask us to change things.

The correct thing to do in those situations is to send us modmail. If you don't know how to do that, please check this mod post for instructions.

Research Studies are allowed

Research Studies are allowed to be posted here and you don't have to ask prior to posting. All posts are still subject to normal sub rules. Please use the 'Research Studies' flair for all studies and/or results. Studies must be related to something fandom, literature, or sexuality/gender, etc. in some way. If you have questions feel free to send modmail.

No Linking to Twitter/X

Posts or comments containing links to Twitter/X will be removed. The only exceptions are if the official AO3 account posts something there, and it is not crossposted elsewhere.

Screenshots are allowed.

Israel/Palestine Conflict Moratorium

This mod team is generally not equipped to handle moderating this topic. Please keep these discussions to more relevant spaces like r/politics, r/Israel_Palestine, r/IsraelPalestine, r/Global_News_Hub, r/InternationalNews, or other related subreddits. Exceptions for if it is directly related to AO3 or the OTW in some way.

No meta posts about the subreddit

We no longer allow meta posts about the subreddit. We have seen time and again how these posts just add to the repetitive post problem, and they tend to spiral out of control very quickly before the mod team can react appropriately. From now on, if you have any comments about the subreddit itself, you will need to send us a modmail. And we will never get mad at you for sending a modmail in good faith--if you have concerns, questions, suggestions, or other feedback, feel free to do so!

Moderator Discretion

We’re very open about what can be posted here but we leave most things up to moderator discretion. The mod team discuss most moderating decisions and ultimately take everything on a case by case basis.