Archive of Our Own

What Archive of Our Own is

Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a nonprofit hosting site for transformative fanworks such as fanfiction. It is a project of the Organization for Transformative Works, a nonprofit established by fans, and runs on donations; users do not pay, and the site has no advertisements. Work Search can find works by tag, title, author, word count, hits, kudos, publication date, and language. Filters cover rating, warning, category, fandom, character, relationship, and freeform tags. Works can be downloaded as AZW3, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, or HTML, though each download includes all available chapters rather than a single chapter. Readers can change site colors, fonts, and layout with site skins, and customize individual works with work skins. AO3 aims to be compatible with common desktop browsers, e-readers, screen readers, and default browsers on most iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices. The archive is built on open-source software designed by and for fans. An invitation is required to create an account; AO3 says this helps keep growth within its hardware, bandwidth, and support capacity. Mobile apps are not currently available, and a public API is several major releases away on the roadmap.

Who it suits

AO3 suits readers looking for fanworks with detailed search and filtering, as well as fans who want to host transformative works. Its web access and downloadable formats may suit readers using browsers or e-readers.

Limits

AO3 is free to use. An invitation is required for an account, and a work download includes all available chapters rather than an individual chapter.

Getting started

1. Visit the AO3 website in a web browser.
2. Search works by tag, title, author, word count, hits, kudos, publication date, or language.
3. Use filters for rating, warning, category, fandom, character, relationship, or freeform tags.
4. Download a work in AZW3, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, or HTML if desired.
5. Request an invitation to create an account.

Verdict

AO3 offers free fanwork hosting with extensive search, filtering, and download options. Readers should know that account creation requires an invitation and mobile apps are not currently available.