Where can I find the Preferences options?
When you're logged in, select the greeting ("Hi, [user name]!") and choose "My Preferences" from the menu. If you're on your Dashboard, you can also reach it by choosing "Preferences" in the navigation sidebar (found at the top of the page when you're using a mobile device).
How can I change what personal information is listed on my profile?
You'll find the privacy options in the Privacy section of your Preferences page.
Show my email address to other people
When this option is enabled, the email address associated with your account will be publicly available on your user profile page. Publicly available means someone doesn't need to be logged in to access this information.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
Note that this may make your email address visible to spammers and bots.
Show my date of birth to other people
When this option is enabled, the date of birth associated with your account will be publicly available on your user profile page. Publicly available means a user doesn't need to be logged in to access this information.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
How can I hide my works from non-Archive users?
Please refer to How do I control who can access my works? for information on how to limit access to your works to those with an Archive account.
Hide my work from search engines when possible
Enabling this option will tell search engines not to index your user page or your works. Note that not all search engines respect this setting so it's impossible to guarantee the results. Pages which list your works—for example, the main works page—may also still be indexed.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
If you wish to avoid your works being indexed under any circumstances, we recommend that you restrict your works to Archive users only.
Hide the share buttons on my work
Enabling this option will hide the "Share" button which provides other users with a quick way to post details of your works on external sites like Twitter and Tumblr.
Disabling the "Share" button on co-authored works requires all authors to select this setting.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
Note that once you've posted a work online, it's always possible for others to link to your work from other sites. If you want to restrict access to your works, your best bet is to restrict your works to Archive users only.
How can I turn off the confirmation to access adult content?
You'll find the option "Show me adult content without checking" in the Display section of your Preferences page.
When this option is enabled, you won't be asked to confirm that you wish to access works rated Mature, Explicit or Not Rated before works are displayed.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
For more information, please go to the Age Policy section of the Terms of Service FAQ.
How can I load entire works rather than going chapter by chapter?
You'll find the option "Show the whole work by default" in the Display section of your Preferences page.
When this option is enabled, works with multiple chapters will load as a single page. You can select "View chapter by chapter" on individual works if you wish.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
How can I change the way works and tags are displayed?
You'll find the following options in the Display section of your Preferences page.
Hide warnings (you can still choose to show them)
When this option is enabled, Archive warning tags on works will be hidden by default. You can select "Show Warnings" to display the warnings for any individual work.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
Hide additional tags (you can still choose to show them)
When this option is enabled, additional tags on works will be hidden by default. You can select "Show Additional Tags" to display the tags for any individual work.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
For more information on additional tags, please go to What are the different types of tags?
Hide Work Skins (you can still choose to show them)
When this option is enabled, the custom skin another user has specified for their work will not be displayed. Your normal site skin will be applied instead.
You can select the "Show Creator's Style" button to overwrite this option on an individual work.
To enable this option, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
For further information on skins, go to the Skins and Archive Interface FAQ.
How can I change the information in the site's title bar?
You'll find the "Browser page title format" option at the bottom of the Display section of your Preferences page.
Here you can change a work page's title information as shown in your browser. There are three set variables; you can use any or all of them in whichever order is most helpful to you. Note that the name of the site ("[Archive of Our Own]") will always appear at the end.
The variables are (in all capital letters):
- TITLE
- The title of the work.
- AUTHOR
- The pseud (and user name) of the creator of the work
- FANDOM
- The name of the fandom to which the work belongs. If more than one fandom is listed, this may read "Multifandom".
Work title format can only contain letters, numbers, spaces, and some limited punctuation (comma, period, dash, underscore). Some examples:
TITLE - AUTHOR - FANDOM
This is the default format.
TITLE - AUTHOR
Don't include the fandom.
FANDOM_AUTHOR_TITLE
Start with fandom, then with creator, then title, with underscores.
How do I set the site to my own time zone?
In the Display section of your Preferences page, there is a menu where you can select your own time zone.
Selecting your time zone allows the site to display localized time and date information.
The default time zone is GMT -05:00 (Eastern Time US & Canada).
How do I change the way I receive comment notifications?
The following options can be found in the Comment section of your Preferences page.
- Turn off emails about comments
- Enable this option if you'd prefer not to receive email alerts when someone comments on your works or replies to a comment you've made. Comment notifications will still be delivered to your Archive inbox unless you've chosen to disable them.
- Turn off messages to your inbox about comments
- Enable this option if you'd prefer not to receive notifications in your Archive inbox when someone comments on your works or replies to a comment you've made. Comment notifications will still be emailed to you unless you've chosen to disable them.
- Turn off copies of your own comments
- Enable this option if you'd prefer not to receive emails for your own comments (for example, when you reply to comments on your own works).
- This option is enabled by default.
- Turn off emails about kudos
- Enable this option if you'd prefer not to receive email notifications when someone leaves kudos on your work.
The following options can be found in the Collections, Challenges and Gifts section of your Preferences page.
- Turn off emails from collections
- Enable this option if you'd prefer not to receive email alerts from collections, such as the notifications when hidden works are revealed. Notifications will still be delivered to your Archive inbox unless you have chosen to disable them.
- Turn off inbox messages from collections
- Enable this option if you'd prefer not to receive notifications in your Archive inbox from collections, such as the notifications when hidden works are revealed. Notifications will still be emailed to you unless you have chosen to disable them.
- Turn off emails about gift works
- Enable this option if you'd prefer not to receive email alerts when someone gifts a work to you. Notifications will still be displayed on your Gifts page.
To enable any of these options, check the checkbox beside it, then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
How can I allow others to add me as a co-creator to a work or series?
By default, users aren't able to add you as a co-creator to a new work or series. To allow other users to add you as a co-creator, follow these steps:
- When you're logged in, select "My Preferences" from the "Hi, [username]!" menu at the top of the page. If you're on your Dashboard, you can also choose "Preferences" in the navigation sidebar (found at the top of the page when you're using a mobile device).
- Navigate to the Privacy section.
- Check the box beside "Allow others to invite me to be a co-creator".
- Select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. Updating your preferences will return you to your Dashboard.
When the preference is enabled, you'll receive an email notification any time someone invites you to be listed as a co-creator on a new work or series. You can also find all co-creator invitations on your Dashboard under "Creator Invitations".
If you no longer wish to allow users to invite you to be a co-creator, follow the steps above and uncheck the box beside "Allow others to invite me to be a co-creator", then select the "Update" button. Disabling this preference will automatically disallow listing you as a co-creator on any new work or chapter, and you won't be notified of the invitation. This doesn't remove you from any previously co-created items nor does it affect any other co-creators. New chapters your co-creator(s) add on existing shared works will still credit you, and you or your co-creator(s) will still be able to add shared works to series.
This preference setting won't prevent Open Doors archivists from adding your account as a creator when importing at-risk archives. You'll still receive an email notification if you're added to a work in this way.
If you want to credit a co-creator who doesn't have this preference enabled and whom you can't contact, you may want to use the Notes field. Check out How do I add a link using HTML markup? if you'd like to link to their Archive of Our Own (AO3) page when crediting them.
How can I allow others to add my works to a collection without having to confirm every time?
By default, if another user requests to add your work to a collection, you'll be asked to confirm or deny that request. If you'd like people to be able to add your works to collections without waiting for confirmation from you, check the checkbox beside "Automatically agree to your work being collected by others in the Archive" in the Collections, Challenges and Gifts section of your Preferences page and then select the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. To disable, uncheck the checkbox and then select the "Update" button.
For more information please refer to Who can add a work to a collection? in the Collections FAQ.
How can I turn off/on my History?
The History is enabled by default. It can be disabled in the Miscellaneous section of your Preferences page by unchecking the checkbox beside it and selecting the "Update" button at the bottom of the page.
Your History keeps a log of every work you access on the Archive while logged in. You can delete individual works from your History or clear the whole History. If you enable this option and subsequently disable it, works accessed while the option was enabled will still be saved (but you'll have to enable the History again to find them).
Please note if you disable your History, you will also disable the Mark for Later features.
More info: History and Mark for Later FAQ.
How can I turn off/on the banners at the top of each page?
There are two types of banners: the "help" banner shown to new users, and the notification banner. Options to enable or disable them are in the Miscellaneous section of your Preferences page.
Turn the new user help banner back on
This is enabled by default. You can disable it by unchecking the checkbox beside it and selecting the "Update" button at the bottom of the page.
Disabling this option will turn off the banner offering information and hints on getting started with the Archive.
Turn off the banner showing on every page
Occasionally, Archive staff may notify users of important events or site changes by posting a banner across all pages on the site. If you want to dismiss the banner while you're logged in, enable this option by checking the checkbox beside it and selecting the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. Note that this only hides the banner that was active at the time you enabled the option. If the banner is changed, the new banner will be displayed until you enable this option again.
What else is accessible from the Preferences page?
In the default skin, there are several buttons just below the Set My Preferences title. These buttons allow you to access other profile and preferences pages as outlined below.
Edit My Profile
This redirects to the Edit Profile page, where you can change the information that is available when users navigate to your user profile page. For more information, please go to the Profile FAQ.
Manage My Pseuds
This redirects to the Pseuds page where you can access and edit your existing Pseuds or add a new Pseud. For more information, please go to the Pseud FAQ.
Change My User Name
This redirects to the Change My User Name page.
Please use this feature with caution. Unless all you are changing is capitalization, we won't redirect your old user name to your new one. Bookmarks and external links to your old user page, including pseuds associated with your old user name, will no longer work. The old name may also be used by someone else in which case old links will direct to the new user.
For more information, please go to the Your Account FAQ.
Orphan My Works
This button redirects to the Orphan Works page.
Orphaning is permanent. It cannot be undone.
We cannot emphasize this enough. By orphaning your works you are permanently giving up all control over them, including the ability to edit or delete them.
If in doubt, don't!
For more information, please visit the Orphaning FAQ.
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.