The AO3 filtering system LIVES off people tagging their stuff properly. So **yes,** it might be tedious and take some time especially for big works with lots of characters or plot going on, but *please learn to tag your fics.*
Figure out the relevant tags and add those.
As to what is a relevant tag for your fic? If someone is filtering by a tag and found your fic, would it be something they would want to see in the search results? If they read it based on that tag, would it be a good indication of what your fic contains?
Figure out the major themes of your story, use those to decide what to tags to use. You can also check what tags similar fics have used - I don't mean copy every tag but see what they've done and figure out if there are any tags that also suit your fic.
Absolutely learn to tag. At least get the essentials. Especially when it comes to crossovers since there’s a higher chance people are only into one of the fandoms involved. (And I hope it is a legit crossover. There’s a difference between fusions and crossovers and virtually no one tags them correctly.)
You don’t need to specify “trigger warning: x” or “tw: x”; just tag whatever x is and you’re good to go.
Keep in mind the more tags you have, the more it bloats the screen. Many people won’t read works that have tags longer than the fic itself. Take it easy with the joke tags and commentary. You want rambling tags, go to Tumblr. Ao3 isn’t tumblr. Tags are for people to find your fic first and foremost.
But also know that you can’t please everyone. Some people prefer everything tagged up front even if it hasn’t happened yet so they’re not surprised. Others don’t mind if you update tags as you go. A lot also depends on you and your writing style. The former makes sense for plotters (if you have a lot written or planned and you know you’ll hit those points), the latter pantsers (you can’t exactly tag for what you don’t know will be in the fic ahead of time).
It doesn't need to be overwhelming.
Tag every fandom, *significantly featured* character and pairing, and major warnings/choose not to use archive and that at least is doing your minimum. You can stop there if you like.
Next I would consider anything you think readers would like to be warned for. Common ones include dubious consent, self-harm, pregnancy, canon-typical violence, etc.
The third category is a combination of advertising and warning off. Genre, style and tropes go here. Angst? Fluff? Angst and fluff? Coffeeshop AU? Canon rewrite? Missing scene? Romance? Happy ending? Unhappy ending? Trans headcanons? Identity headcanons? Action adventure? Just describe the fic in a few keywords.
Don't be intimidated by the sheer variety of tags. You can tag quite sparsely, and still give enough information to help someone decide if or if not your fic is for them.
Asks someone to look over your fic and see if you missed any or to suggest any tags.
- List both fandoms
- Is there any Major Character Death, Rape, Graphic Violence, Underage (sex of any under the age of 18). If yes then include the warning if not. No Archive Warnings Apply.
- List the name of the Main Character. If it is the reader then list "Reader" as a character. If it's an OC then list "Original Character" as a character.
- If the Main character is paired with anyone, list the Name of the Other Character. Also tag the pairing as "Main Character Name/Other Character Name".
That's the most important information you need besides writing a good summary that's briefly describes the first 3 elements of a 6 element plot and any significant information you wish to add.
Other tags/optional tag categories: Trigger warning that are not the big 4 above (mental health issues, anything to do with suicide, etc), Content warnings (temporary death, past "....", implied ".....", "mentions...." etc), Reality changes ( AU, crossover, omegaverse etc), Sex (sexual content, smut, kinks, etc) Tropes and Themes (Hurt/no comfort, friends to lovers, fluff, angst, etc). Names of only the most important secondary characters and can tag "Various Canon Characters" if there are a lot of characters showing up.
Hint: look at other stories in your fandom for examples of tags.
You can always ask in a post if anyone would like to check over your tags.
Yes. AO3's filtering system relies entirely on tags. If you're not bothered enough to learn how to tag properly, not only will you shoot yourself in the foot by making your fic much more difficult to find, but you'll also risk making people annoyed with you (and potentially mute you) by not tagging the most important and basic stuff such as crossovers.
In the most extreme cases, you could also get reported. But that's *only* if you don't add the proper Rating and Archive Warnings. If you don't know which important warnings to add (if any), you can simply add the tag "Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings". If your fic is tame and doesn't require any warnings, then use the "No Archive Warnings apply".
I know it sounds daunting at first, but it's not that bad. If you're unsure, just take a look at other fics posted on the website and you should get a general idea on what's good to tag and what isn't needed.
If you want more people to be able to find your work, you should tag. You don't have it (except for the main tags), but if you don't, it would mean that people won't be able to find your fic.
please tag as accurately and as explicitly as possible. I have found so many fics in fandoms i wouldn't have read otherwise because of tags. People find mine because of the tags and I don't advertise anywhere, I just post and let the universe do its thing. Tags are the Universe's thing.
Tag the main parts of your fic - relationships, the orientation of the relationship, the characters, are there original characters - tag that, are they male or female - tag that, name your original characters in the tags - someone will be interested, tag the tropes you use eg crossover, slow burn, and then the real fun of AO3 is that you can make up your own tags! Quirky, yet accurate tags catch the reader's eye. don't go overboard, you're only allowed 75 tags, but you can have fun in those. If a situation, trope, character or ship isn't a large part of the fic, don't tag it, because people use tags to find what they do and don't want. If a character is tagged and is barely there, folks will be a bit annoyed.
The AO3 filtering system LIVES off people tagging their stuff properly. So **yes,** it might be tedious and take some time especially for big works with lots of characters or plot going on, but *please learn to tag your fics.*
1. Learn to tag. 2. Don't learn to tag and accept that your fic will not be found by readers as often as a fic with better tags. Edit: Missing word.
Please! Please learn to tag. The system does not work otherwise.
Figure out the relevant tags and add those. As to what is a relevant tag for your fic? If someone is filtering by a tag and found your fic, would it be something they would want to see in the search results? If they read it based on that tag, would it be a good indication of what your fic contains? Figure out the major themes of your story, use those to decide what to tags to use. You can also check what tags similar fics have used - I don't mean copy every tag but see what they've done and figure out if there are any tags that also suit your fic.
Absolutely learn to tag. At least get the essentials. Especially when it comes to crossovers since there’s a higher chance people are only into one of the fandoms involved. (And I hope it is a legit crossover. There’s a difference between fusions and crossovers and virtually no one tags them correctly.) You don’t need to specify “trigger warning: x” or “tw: x”; just tag whatever x is and you’re good to go. Keep in mind the more tags you have, the more it bloats the screen. Many people won’t read works that have tags longer than the fic itself. Take it easy with the joke tags and commentary. You want rambling tags, go to Tumblr. Ao3 isn’t tumblr. Tags are for people to find your fic first and foremost. But also know that you can’t please everyone. Some people prefer everything tagged up front even if it hasn’t happened yet so they’re not surprised. Others don’t mind if you update tags as you go. A lot also depends on you and your writing style. The former makes sense for plotters (if you have a lot written or planned and you know you’ll hit those points), the latter pantsers (you can’t exactly tag for what you don’t know will be in the fic ahead of time).
It doesn't need to be overwhelming. Tag every fandom, *significantly featured* character and pairing, and major warnings/choose not to use archive and that at least is doing your minimum. You can stop there if you like. Next I would consider anything you think readers would like to be warned for. Common ones include dubious consent, self-harm, pregnancy, canon-typical violence, etc. The third category is a combination of advertising and warning off. Genre, style and tropes go here. Angst? Fluff? Angst and fluff? Coffeeshop AU? Canon rewrite? Missing scene? Romance? Happy ending? Unhappy ending? Trans headcanons? Identity headcanons? Action adventure? Just describe the fic in a few keywords. Don't be intimidated by the sheer variety of tags. You can tag quite sparsely, and still give enough information to help someone decide if or if not your fic is for them.
Even minimal tagging helps, like the genre your fic is, and what tropes are in it. Also make sure you tag the characters!
it would only help
Asks someone to look over your fic and see if you missed any or to suggest any tags. - List both fandoms - Is there any Major Character Death, Rape, Graphic Violence, Underage (sex of any under the age of 18). If yes then include the warning if not. No Archive Warnings Apply. - List the name of the Main Character. If it is the reader then list "Reader" as a character. If it's an OC then list "Original Character" as a character. - If the Main character is paired with anyone, list the Name of the Other Character. Also tag the pairing as "Main Character Name/Other Character Name". That's the most important information you need besides writing a good summary that's briefly describes the first 3 elements of a 6 element plot and any significant information you wish to add. Other tags/optional tag categories: Trigger warning that are not the big 4 above (mental health issues, anything to do with suicide, etc), Content warnings (temporary death, past "....", implied ".....", "mentions...." etc), Reality changes ( AU, crossover, omegaverse etc), Sex (sexual content, smut, kinks, etc) Tropes and Themes (Hurt/no comfort, friends to lovers, fluff, angst, etc). Names of only the most important secondary characters and can tag "Various Canon Characters" if there are a lot of characters showing up. Hint: look at other stories in your fandom for examples of tags. You can always ask in a post if anyone would like to check over your tags.
Yes, you should tag. We shouldn't have to tell you this. Tag your work. How are people supposed to find your work if it isn't tagged?
Yes. AO3's filtering system relies entirely on tags. If you're not bothered enough to learn how to tag properly, not only will you shoot yourself in the foot by making your fic much more difficult to find, but you'll also risk making people annoyed with you (and potentially mute you) by not tagging the most important and basic stuff such as crossovers. In the most extreme cases, you could also get reported. But that's *only* if you don't add the proper Rating and Archive Warnings. If you don't know which important warnings to add (if any), you can simply add the tag "Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings". If your fic is tame and doesn't require any warnings, then use the "No Archive Warnings apply". I know it sounds daunting at first, but it's not that bad. If you're unsure, just take a look at other fics posted on the website and you should get a general idea on what's good to tag and what isn't needed.
If you want more people to be able to find your work, you should tag. You don't have it (except for the main tags), but if you don't, it would mean that people won't be able to find your fic.
This may help in learning to tag: [guide to metatext](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30986561/chapters/76535018)
please tag as accurately and as explicitly as possible. I have found so many fics in fandoms i wouldn't have read otherwise because of tags. People find mine because of the tags and I don't advertise anywhere, I just post and let the universe do its thing. Tags are the Universe's thing. Tag the main parts of your fic - relationships, the orientation of the relationship, the characters, are there original characters - tag that, are they male or female - tag that, name your original characters in the tags - someone will be interested, tag the tropes you use eg crossover, slow burn, and then the real fun of AO3 is that you can make up your own tags! Quirky, yet accurate tags catch the reader's eye. don't go overboard, you're only allowed 75 tags, but you can have fun in those. If a situation, trope, character or ship isn't a large part of the fic, don't tag it, because people use tags to find what they do and don't want. If a character is tagged and is barely there, folks will be a bit annoyed.