Archive of Our Own

Archive of Our Own: Fanfiction and Fanart Repository

Non-profit open source repository for fanfiction, fanart, and other fanworks, allowing users to share their creative works based on books, movies, TV shows, video games, and more.

What is Archive of Our Own?

Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a non-profit open source repository for fanfiction, fanart, and other fanworks. It was created in 2008 by the Organization for Transformative Works, with the goal of providing a free and open platform for fans to publish and access fan-created content.

AO3 allows users to post their creative works based on books, movies, TV shows, video games, celebrities, bands, and more. This includes fanfiction stories, fanart illustrations, vids (fan videos), meta essays, podfics (audio recordings), and other formats. Users can tag their works with information about the source material, characters, relationships, ratings, warnings, and more. This allows readers to easily search and filter for content they are interested in.

As an open platform, AO3 emphasizes accessibility, diversity in fandom culture, and creative freedom. Works do not have to be in English, and auto-translation is available for many languages. There are also accessibility features for vision-impaired readers. Moderators ensure content follows the site's policies and U.S. laws, but do not judge what fans create. The site is primarily funded through donations and run by volunteers.

AO3 has a large user base with over 5 million registered users as of 2022. It hosts over 10 million fanworks spanning over 35,000 fandoms. The site has won multiple Hugo Awards and is highly regarded in fan communities for its organization, features, inclusiveness, and integrity in preserving fandom history and culture for future generations.

Archive of Our Own Features

Official Links