How do I choose the correct ratings and warnings for my stories?

Ratings and warnings are often a difficult issue, and each author (and reader) will necessarily interpret them in a slightly different manner. As such, choosing the correct ratings and warnings for your stories will largely be a matter of your own individual judgment. The function of warnings is to clarify ratings: If you've rated a story Adult, for example, there must be some content within your story that has caused you to deem it unacceptable for underage audiences. The warnings that you select serve as a brief explanation to your readers about why you have rated the story as you have and allow them to make an informed decision about whether they're comfortable reading the story.

Please see our ratings guide for more information on how we classify stories using ratings and warnings.

After sharing hundreds of stories between them and helping out SWG members, our moderators have developed a good idea of how to choose ratings and warnings for stories. Here are some tips for how to choose appropriate ratings and warnings for your story:




Last updated 28 May 2008.

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