How To Blacklist Tags On Ao3

Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a popular website for fanfiction and other fanworks, where users can tag their works with various keywords to describe the content, genre, fandom, characters, relationships, warnings, and more. However, not everyone likes the same tags, and some tags may be triggering, annoying, or simply irrelevant to your preferences. If you want to avoid seeing works with certain tags on AO3, you have several options to blacklist them. In this article, we will explain how to use the built-in filtering system of AO3, as well as some third-party tools and extensions that can help you customize your browsing experience.

Using the built-in filtering system of AO3

The simplest way to blacklist tags on AO3 is to use the filtering system that is already available on the website. When you search for works on AO3, you can use the "Search within results" box to enter any tags that you want to exclude from your results. For example, if you want to search for Harry Potter fanfiction, but you don't want to see any works tagged with "Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter", you can type "-Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter" (without the quotation marks) in the box and press enter. This will remove any works with that tag from your results. You can also use the "Exclude" panel on the left side of the page to filter out works based on ratings, warnings, categories, crossovers, completion status, word count, date updated, language, and sorting order. For example, if you only want to see completed works in English that are rated Teen And Up Audiences or lower, you can check the corresponding boxes in the panel and press "Sort and Filter". This will update your results accordingly.

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However, there are some limitations to using the built-in filtering system of AO3. First of all, you have to manually enter the tags that you want to exclude every time you search for works, which can be tedious and time-consuming. Second, some tags may have multiple variations or synonyms that are not recognized by the filtering system. For example, if you want to exclude works tagged with "Major Character Death", you also have to exclude works tagged with "MCD", "Character Death", "Death", or any other variations that authors may use. Third, some tags may be too vague or broad to filter out effectively. For example, if you want to exclude works tagged with "Angst", you may also miss out on works that have a moderate or low level of angst that you can tolerate. Fourth, some tags may be spoilers for the plot or twist of a work, and by excluding them, you may inadvertently spoil yourself. For example, if you see a work tagged with "-Time Travel" in your results, you may guess that there is some time travel involved in the story.

Using third-party tools and extensions

If you want more control and convenience over blacklisting tags on AO3, you can use some third-party tools and extensions that are designed to enhance your browsing experience. These tools and extensions allow you to create a list of tags that you want to blacklist permanently or temporarily, and they will automatically hide or blur any works with those tags from your results. Some of them also allow you to whitelist tags that you want to see more of, or customize how the tags are displayed on the website. Here are some examples of third-party tools and extensions that you can use:

AO3 Savior: This is a browser extension that lets you blacklist or whitelist tags based on keywords or regular expressions. You can also set up rules for specific fandoms or users, and choose how to hide or blur the works with blacklisted tags. You can download AO3 Savior for [Chrome], [Firefox], or [Safari]. For more information on how to use AO3 Savior, you can read this [guide].

AO3rdr: This is another browser extension that lets you blacklist or whitelist tags based on keywords or regular expressions. You can also customize how the tags are displayed on the website, such as changing their color or font size. You can download AO3rdr for [Chrome] or [Firefox]. For more information on how to use AO3rdr, you can read this [guide].

AO3 Tag Blacklist: This is a web-based tool that lets you create a list of tags that you want to blacklist or whitelist, and generates a URL that you can bookmark or share with others. When you visit the URL, it will automatically filter out any works with blacklisted tags from your results. You can access AO3 Tag Blacklist [here]. For more information on how to use AO3 Tag Blacklist, you can read this [guide].

Conclusion

Blacklisting tags on AO3 can help you avoid seeing works that you don't like or don't want to see, and improve your browsing experience. You can use the built-in filtering system of AO3, or use some third-party tools and extensions that offer more features and flexibility. However, no system is perfect, and you may still encounter some works with tags that you don't want to see. In that case, you can always use the "back" button on your browser, or report the work to the AO3 moderators if it violates the site's terms of service. Remember to respect the authors and their choices of tags, and enjoy reading fanfiction on AO3!

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