A friendly PSA for everyone migrating from Wattpad to AO3!
Commenting Etiquette
- No Unsolicited Concrit: Authors post fanworks for free as a hobby. Unless an author explicitly asks for constructive criticism in their notes, keep comments positive and critique-free.
- Don't Like, Don't Read (DLDR): If a story, relationship, or trope bothers you, hit the back button. Leaving negative comments over subjective preferences breaks core fandom norms.
- Phrase Update Requests Politely: Demanding "Update soon!" can feel transactional. Pair your excitement with appreciation for the current chapter (e.g., "Loved this chapter, can't wait to see where the story goes!").
- Short Comments & Emojis Are Welcomed: You don't need to write an essay! Leaving a kudos or a single heart emoji in the comment section is a totally valid and appreciated form of comment.
Tagging & Relationships
- Accurate Warning Tags: Always select the appropriate Major Archive Warnings or explicitly mark "Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings."
- Distinguish / vs &: Use / strictly for romantic or sexual pairings (Character A/Character B). Use & exclusively for platonic or familial relationships (Character A & Character B).
Site Rules & Features
- No Monetization: AO3 is a non-profit archive run entirely on donations. Selling physical copies anywhere on your profile or story text violates TOS and risks account suspension.
- Public vs. Private Bookmarks: Bookmarks are public by default, and authors can see everything written in them. If you use bookmarks for personal ratings, critical notes, or reading progress, remember to check the Private box.
AND DON´T USE AI.
no, you cannot report the most disgusting and shockingly vile fanfic on ao3. ao3 will not do anything about the fic, because ao3 explicitly allows it to exist on their platform.
being completely and utterly against censorship is the main core principle of ao3.
ao3 was created specifically to host and give a platform to fics that were banned on other platforms.
therefore the most disgusting and shockingly vile fanfic you find is the exact reason why ao3 was created in the first place.
All I'm gonna say ab the discourse for people migrating from Wattpad over to Ao3 is this:
If you don't like the way the website is set up then don't use it.
Stop complaining about how it's set up and the content on Ao3. Ao3 is an ARCHIVE and a non profit. It stays up because people donate to keep it running and uncensored.
It isn't going to get an app because the AppStore doesn't like adult content (just look at tumblr and Wattpad as examples)
If you don't like something then filter it out of your searches.
Don't report and author just because they write with a trope you don't like.
Most people learned to use Ao3 by messing with it over time, just because something isn't shoved in your face all the time doesn't mean it's not there.
Ao3 is not Wattpad so lets not treat it as such
Lastly (once again) if you don't like Ao3 just don't use it.
Welcome and enjoy 🫶🏻
I get that racism isn't supposed to make any sort of logical sense to people who aren't fucked in the head, but I cannot emphasize enough just how embarrassingly stupid some of the humans within the marvel universe are. like you're telling me you're perfectly okay with people who became mutated due to an accident (i.e. spider-man, the fantastic four) but absolutely detest people who just so happen to be born with the x-gene?
"Google AI Overview court loss in Germany could spell doom for AI search industry."
It fucking better.
Like to charge, reblog to cast?
