#ao3 tutorial

first find an ao3 skin css. this is the code you will input into ao3.

then go into your ao3 and tap "my dashboard" (you will have to have an account to do any of this)

okay censoring my url is pointless bc i have my tumblr in my ao3 bio but whatever

now go to skins

next tap create site skin

so it's gonna look like this

make sure it says site skin in the first one.

put a unique title like poopydoopy33 or something.

put a super cool description like "the skin with the stars" or "i have now swallowed every platypus on the face of this earth"

i highly recommend not trying to give it an icon it's just ragebait

apply to make public was disabled on ao3 so don't check that box

and then paste in the css you have into the css box.

now scroll down and tap submit at the bottom

ok so on the new page you just scroll to the very bottom and tap use or preview!

How To Block Works & Authors (from showing up in your search)

Ao3 has a block/mute function built in to the site, but that only stops the blocked party from being able to interact with your fics. That may work fine for some people such as those spamming your works with unwanted comments, or someone being mean. But many times when you block someone it is because you just don't want to see anything to do with that person i.e any of their works, and therefore the built in block is not much help. There is a way to properly block a user or a particular work from showing up in your searches though, using site skins as always! 

How To Block A User:

To block a user simply go into the 'Custom CSS' box of your site skin, and paste this piece of code:

.user-000 { display: none !important; }

This will do nothing if left as is, the '000' is a placeholder for the user ID of the person you want to block. I will use mine as a demonstration of how it works (please don't block me, I'm your friend).

My user ID is:5135567

e.x.

.user-5135567 { display: none !important; }

How To Block Works:

Sometimes there is a particular work, maybe for a fandom or ship you're into, that for whatever reason you have no interest in reading but it shows up every time you look for fics. Whatever reason you want to block a work, be it a fic that's triggering for you, one you dislike that's continually updating to the top of the tag, or just an annoying fic with waaaaaaaaay too many tags, to block a work simply go into the 'Custom CSS' box of your site skin, and paste this piece of code:

.work-000 { display: none !important; }

Again the '000' is a placeholder for the work no. which is a set of numbers unique to every work on ao3. I will use this work no. to demonstrate (this work no is no longer a part of ao3, but the example servs it's purpose).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58275322

e.x.

.work-58275322 { display: none !important; }

Tired of scrolling back and forth to quote your favorite lines in a 10k word chapter? Stop the madness. ✋

The AO3 Quoted Comment Tool is a Chrome extension that lets you leave "inline" style comments (think Wattpad style) that automatically format into a beautiful blockquote comment at the end. Here’s how to set it up!

🛠️ Step 1: Installation

Head over to the Chrome Web Store and search for AO3 Quoted Comment Tool.

Or click HERE.🔗

Click Add to Chrome.

Pro-Tip: If you’re on Firefox, look for the "AO3 Inline Comment Companion"—it’s a similar vibe!

⚙️ Step 2: The Best Setting

For the smoothest experience, you’ll want to make sure your AO3 preferences are set to "Chapter by Chapter" rather than "Entire Work." This keeps the extension from getting overwhelmed on those 200k-word behemoths.

✍🏻Step 3: How to Comment While Reading

Once the extension is active, you’ll notice a new quote icon 💬 next to every paragraph on AO3.

Find a line that makes you scream/cry/throw your phone.

Click the icon 💬 next to that paragraph.

Type your reaction in the little box that pops up.

Hit Save. Your comment is now stored locally in your browser—it won't disappear if you refresh!

⭐ Step 4: Generating the Mega-Comment

Finished the chapter? Now for the magic.

Scroll to the bottom of the page to the standard AO3 comment box.

You’ll see a new button: "Insert and clear saved comments."

Click it. The extension will automatically dump all your quotes into the box, perfectly formatted with tags, followed by your reactions.

Add any closing thoughts and hit Comment!

Pro-Tip: If you quoted a long paragraph, but you only meant a word or a line that just hit. You can edit the quote to reflect that before sending the comment.

📢 Disclaimer

Just a heads up: I am not the developer of this extension! I’m just a chronic fic reader who found this tool and realised it changed my life, so I had to share. Important Tech Stuff: > * 💻 This is a Desktop/PC-only extension (Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium browsers).

📱 Sadly, it won't work on the mobile AO3 site or any apps because mobile browsers don't support Chrome extensions.

Greetings fellow fanfic authors! It has come to my attention that some people don't know how to grant podficcers permission to record audio versions of their fics, or even that they need to do so. So heres a quick guide!

If you don't know what a podfic is, it's basically just a fanfiction audiobook. Created under the same fandom community spirit as fanfiction, it's a unique type of transformative work that relies on the existence of a prior transformative work.

To preserve fandom etiquette, podficcers cannot create a podfic without express permission from the author. This can either be "blanket permission" (or BP), where you do not have to request any prior permission and often only need to notify the author when you post, or it can be a statement requesting that the podficcer reach out through tumblr/email/twitter/comments/pigeon/whatever.

Ok! Now you know what podfic permissions are, but where do they go?

Two places!

Your profile (the easiest and quickest place for podficcers to check)

Your pseud descriptions (the only place that shows up when using keyword search)

Those places can be a bit hard to find so I'll tell you how to navigate there and then include pictures.

To Edit Your Profile:

Log on to Ao3 and click your name at the top of the screen for the drop down menu. Then click my dashboard, then profile. Scroll all the way to the bottom and select edit my profile. Put whatever you want in the About Me box, and save.

Voila! Permissions set!

To Edit Your Pseuds:

Go back to your profile. Select Manage My Pseuds. Click edit on the pseud you want to describe and fill out the description box. Save and you're done.

That's it!

Permissions can be as long or as short as you like, but this small step can really help make fanfiction even more accessible by allowing podficcers to make even more audio versions of the fics we all know and love.

I MADE A WORK SKIN YOU CAN USE:

it looks like this:

My AO3 is so pretty 😍

- First, log in to your AO3 account

- Click on this link or paste this in your browser bar

https://archiveofourown.org/skins/new?skin_type=Skin

- Set "Type" to "Site Skin"

- Set "Title" to whatever you want (Something like “No AI” so you'll know what Skin you just made)

- Then click into the large "CSS" box and paste all of the bolded text below - hit the "Submit" button

.blurb:has(a[href*="/tags/Created%20Using%20Generative%20AI/works" i]), .blurb:has(a[href*="/tags/AI-Generated%20Text/works" i]), .blurb:has(a[href*="/tags/AI%20Generated%20Text/works" i]), .blurb:has(a[href*="/tags/AI%20Generated%20Fic/works" i]), .blurb:has(a[href*="/tags/AI-Generated%20Images/works" i]) { display: none !important; }

- Hit "Use"

Presto!

No more AI fics or art in your results! (assuming everyone tagged properly and your browser has the flags enabled)

A blocklist to be used with the Permablocking Specific Tags - Site Skin tutorial by Eli0t

dashboard, then skins

Create site skin

you can make a custom code or use wizard (which is easier)

then some cool stuff here. Boom, yay :3

I hope this is simple but easy to understand <3