Tag Guidelines

Last updated about a year ago

Creating Tags

Anyone on AMS can create a new tag just by typing it in and hitting enter. (On mobile, use the simple editor to put the tag in the list.) We have a few simple guidelines:

Rating tags

The most critical tags. All submissions require a rating tag. See also the Objectionable Content tags, which are often associated with escalated ratings.

Images that are utterly and unquestionably Safe for work. Incompatible with any other rating tags.

Images with risqué or dark connotations, but no more than you might see in official works.

Tasteful erotic content, or mild disturbing content.

Outright sexual content, or outright horrifying content.

Use for images that earn their rating through their dark connotations, but which are not outright horrifying.

Use for images that have horror as a focus.

Use for images that display obscene degrees of violence, or the results thereof, or putrescent material.

Artist tags

Artist tags should begin with artist: followed by their preferred handle. We use all-lowercase for artist tags on AMS.

Examples:

• artist:matt herms (goes by their real name)
• artist:bigdad (goes by a handle)

Original Characters

Original characters should always begin with oc: followed by their name. Also consider adding the appropriate species tag as an additional tag.

Use a full name if you can find it, because there is a lot of potential for multiple people to use identical names over the years.

Do not add an artist name to a tag unless there is a clash.

Examples:

• oc:ember the echidna
• oc:angelia the jaguar
• oc:hilda the hyena

Objects

Physical props should use the singular form.

Examples:

• boomerang
• loop
• ocean
• sunflower

Actions

Actions should use the gerund (-ing) form of the verb. This will keep an action being performed on the scene from being confused with something visible in the scene, and from characters who have that name.

Examples:

• blushing
• cooking
• crying
• flying
• leaping
• sleeping

If the tag must specify action being done to someone else, use the gender neutral pronoun instead of a gendered pronoun or a specific noun:

• carrying them
• holding them
• holding them back
• looking at them
• sitting on them

If the action is directed at us, use "viewer" in the tag:

• looking at viewer
• pointing at viewer
• reaching towards viewer
• running towards viewer
• talking to viewer

Objectionable Content

Tag any content that is often upsetting to users.

• black sclera
• blood
• drug use
• seizure warning
• vulgar

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