What browsers is the Archive compatible with?
We aim to keep the Archive of Our Own (AO3) compatible with the current releases of commonly-used desktop and mobile browsers, e-readers, and screen readers.
Due to necessary updates in the site's security, some older devices may be unable to access the site and will get a message stating that the device "could not establish a secure connection to the server." If upgrading to a newer device isn't an option, we maintain an insecure version of the site which you can access. However, downloading works from the insecure site may not be available. Please be aware that using an insecure site can put personal information such as your AO3 password at risk.
If you find the site isn't behaving as expected in your browser, please check our Known Issues page. If the issue you're experiencing is not already documented, contact Support.
What URLs can I use to access the Archive?
AO3 is hosted at archiveofourown.org and other official URLs are archiveofourown.com, archiveofourown.net, archiveofourown.gay, ao3.org, archive.transformativeworks.org, and insecure.archiveofourown.org.
If you find the site isn't behaving as expected in your browser, please check our Known Issues page. If the issue you're experiencing is not already documented, contact Support.
Additionally, there are proxy sites which permit access to AO3 through unofficial URLs. AO3 is not associated with and does not control proxy sites. Please be cautious when using these sites, as the owner of the proxy site can see anything you submit through it. If you log in through the proxy site, this includes the password to your account.
Our policies require proxies to use a banner at the top of the page to alert you that you're not on the official site. If you encounter a proxy that doesn't use this banner, please report it to us.
Do I need any plugins, extensions, or other tools to browse the Archive?
No, you don't need any plugins, extensions, or other tools to browse the Archive of Our Own (AO3). If you want to customize your experience on the site, there are user-created scripts and other tools available. Some examples are listed in the Unofficial Browser Tools FAQ.
Can I use the Archive without JavaScript?
One of our top priorities is ensuring that people without JavaScript still have access to essential features, such as filtering, searching, or downloading. However, please be aware that some secondary features—like the Rich Text editor and Chapter Index—rely on JavaScript and may not be available or may work differently.
If JavaScript is enabled and you find that these features of the site aren't behaving as expected in your browser, please check our Known Issues page. If the issue you are experiencing is not already documented, contact Support.
How do I access works on the Archive?
Works on Archive of Our Own (AO3) are sorted by fandom. To find works from a specific fandom:
- Select "Fandoms" from the menu at the top of the page in the default site skin (below the site logo).
- Select a media type. This will take you to an alphabetical listing of all fandoms that fall under the type you've chosen.
- Select your fandom from the available alphabetical list. This will take you to that fandom's Works page.
- Please note that fandoms which begin with "a," "the," and other language equivalents will be placed by their second word. For example, works for the podcast "The Magnus Archives" will be placed with fandoms beginning with M, not with fandoms beginning with T.
Once you've reached the fandom's Works page, you use the Sort and Filter form to find works that you're interested in. You can find this on the right side of the screen in the default site skin on larger screens, or by selecting the "Filters" button located beneath the fandom name heading on a mobile device. You can also do a quick search for specific works using the search box located in the header in the default site skin, under the greeting "Hi, [username]!" For more information on how to search, filter, and browse works on AO3, check out the Search and Browse FAQ.
When you find a work that you're interested in, you can access it by selecting the work's title, which is a link that will bring you to the work's page. If the work is rated M or E, or is not rated, you may see a screen warning that the work may contain adult content. Select "Proceed" toward the right of the page to access the work. If you want to set your preferences so this warning doesn't appear, check out How can I turn off the confirmation to access adult content? in the Preferences FAQ.
You can access works directly in your web browser or, once you've accessed them, you can download works for later. For instructions on how to download works from AO3, check out the Downloading Fanworks FAQ.
How do I access works in a series? How do I navigate between multiple works in a series?
A series is a set of works that a creator has linked together on the Archive of Our Own (AO3), usually because they are intended to be read in a specific order or share a common theme. You can access a series work in the same way you access a non-series work (visit How do I access works on the Archive? for more information).
Each work in a series will also contain a link to the series page, as well as links to the previous and/or next work in that series. For further information on navigating between the works in a series, check out How do I find other works in a series? in our Series FAQ.
Can I access multi-chapter works as one long work?
Yes. If a work is displayed chapter by chapter, you can select the "Entire Work" button to display all chapters of that work on one page. In the default site skin, the "Entire Work" button is located at the top of the work. You can also set "Entire Work" as the default setting for all works. To do so:
- When you're logged in, select the greeting "Hi, [username]!" and choose "My Preferences" from the menu.
- On the Preferences page, go to the "Display" section. Check the "Show the whole work by default" box.
- Select the "Update" button, located toward the bottom right of the page.
For more information on finding your Preferences, go to Where can I find the Preferences options? in the Preferences FAQ.
Can I access multi-chapter works one chapter at a time?
Yes. This option is enabled by default. If the entire work is displayed on a single page, select the "Chapter by Chapter" button to enable the chapter by chapter option for that work only. In the default site skin, the "Chapter by Chapter" button is located at the top of the work. Please note that selecting the "Chapter by Chapter" button in an individual work will automatically take you to the first chapter of that work. If you'd like to set your default view to chapter by chapter for all works, check out How can I load entire works rather than going chapter by chapter? in the Preferences FAQ.
You can view a specific chapter when accessing a multi-chapter work as an entire work. When displayed like this, individual chapters will be separated by centered text with the chapter number and title, if the chapter has been titled. This text is a link which, if selected, will take you to that chapter only.
When accessing a multi-chapter work, you can also navigate to the last chapter from the work's blurb on any page of listed works. Select the underlined number in the "Chapters" count, located toward the bottom of the blurb in the default site skin. This will take you to the last chapter of the work. For more information on navigating multi-chapter works, refer to How do I navigate between chapters?
How do I navigate between chapters?
If you are accessing a work chapter by chapter, there are a few extra options to control navigation: "Previous Chapter," "Next Chapter," and "Chapter Index." In the default site skin, "Previous Chapter" and "Next Chapter" buttons are found at both the top and bottom of the work, and "Chapter Index" is found at the top of the work.
The Chapter Index is a list of the chapters currently available in the work. In the default site skin with JavaScript enabled, the Chapter Index will appear as a menu. It's also possible to get a list of chapters on a separate web page using the full-page index option. To access the full-page index, select the "Chapter Index" button, then select the "Full-page index" button beside the Chapter Index menu.
Please note that the Chapter Index menu and the "Full-page index" button are only accessible if you are in chapter by chapter mode and you have JavaScript enabled. If you're on Show Entire Work, there will be no "Chapter Index" button. If you're using the site without JavaScript, the "Chapter Index'' button will automatically bring you to the full-page index instead of displaying a menu.
You can also access multi-chapter works as one long work. Refer to Can I access multi-chapter works as one long work? for more information.
Can I disable custom formatting (work skins) on works?
Yes! If a work has a custom skin enabled, you can disable it by selecting the "Hide Creator's Style" button, which reverts to the site site skin set in your preferences. In the default site skin, you'll find this button at the top of the work. To show the work skin again, select the "Show Creator's Style" button.
You can disable all custom work skins in your Preferences. Check out How can I change the way works and tags are displayed? in the Preferences FAQ for more information.
If you set your preferences to hide work skins by default, you can still enable and disable custom work skins on individual works. Please note that this won't disable formatting options done with HTML, only formatting done with CSS using a work skin.
Can I access all works without an account?
No. Creators have the option to restrict access to a work to registered users only. Works that have been restricted won't show up in searches if you're not logged in to your account. For more information about how to do this with your works, check out How do I control who can access my works? in the Posting and Editing FAQ.
For more information on how to obtain an Archive of our Own (AO3) account, refer to our Invitations FAQ.
How do I keep track of works I want to access later?
If you're logged in to your Archive of Our Own (AO3) account, you can add works to a list for later access by using the "Mark for Later" button found the top of each work's page. Check out the History and Mark for Later FAQ to find more information on this feature.
You can also use bookmarks to mark works for later access. Refer to the Bookmarks FAQ for more information on this feature. For more information on how to obtain an AO3 account so you can access these features, refer to the Invitations FAQ.
Can I print from the Archive?
Yes, you can! Archive of Our Own (AO3) automatically formats the work page for printing. Please note that printer-friendly formatting will remove both the default site skin and any custom skins. Different devices and browsers may have different steps for printing from a web page. Please reference the help documentation for your device or browser for more detailed instructions.
Can I download works to access them offline?
Yes! The "Download" button is located at the top of the work page. For more information on how to download a work, check out the Downloading Fanworks FAQ.
How can I find works in languages other than English on the Archive?
You can filter works by language on the Works page for a particular fandom or a particular canonical tag. To do so:
- Go to the Sort and Filter form, located on the right side of the screen in the default site skin on larger screens, or by selecting the "Filters" button located beneath the fandom name heading on a mobile device.
- Select the "Language" menu at the bottom of the form to select a language to filter for.
- Select the "Sort and Filter" button. This will return only works published in your chosen language.
You can also use languages as a search criteria on the Work Search page. To do so:
- Select "Search" and then "Works" on the menu at the top of the page in the default site skin (below the site logo).
- Under the "Work Info" section, select the "Language" menu and choose the language you want from the list.
- Select the "Search" button located at the bottom right of the page. This will take you to the list of works in your chosen language.
Where can I get more information if my question isn’t answered here?
Some frequently asked questions about the Archive are answered in other sections of the Archive FAQ, and some common terminology is defined in our Glossary. Questions and answers about our Terms of Service can be found in the Terms of Service FAQ. You may also like to check out our Known Issues. If you need more help, please submit a Support request.