Metatags act as a "basket" for other tags, while remaining a usable tag themselves. They collate tags, grouping similarities and making browsing easier. Tags are grouped together as subtags under metatags. Any canonical tag in the Fandom, Character, Relationship, and Freeform types can be made a metatag or subtag of any other canonical tag in the same type. (Media, Rating, Warning, and Category tags cannot have metatags and subtags.)
These Guidelines have been created to standardise metatag use as much as possible. These guidelines were reviewed and voted upon by tag wranglers in May-June 2010. For more general information, please see the Wrangling Intro page.
Page Under Construction: These guidelines are a living document with the primary purpose of helping wranglers do their job. They are always under revision; examples may not be currently canonical tags but should accurately represent the guidelines as written. Additionally, some parts may be outdated and no longer in use but not removed yet.
Base Rules
First, metatags group semi-related tags so closely related concepts are easier to filter for.
- CANONICAL METATAG: The Hobbit - All Media Types
- CANONICAL SUBTAG: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
- CANONICAL SUBTAG: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Second, they also may be used to connect user-created ambiguous tags to fandom-specific disambiguated tags:
- CANONICAL METATAG: Yoko
- CANONICAL SUBTAG: Yoko Littner
- CANONICAL SUBTAG: Yoko Ono
- CANONICAL SUBTAG: Hashiba Yoko
- CANONICAL SUBTAG: Yoko Belnades
Guideline updated 29 January 2026
Handling Ambiguous Tags
Ambiguous tags are tags with two (or more) distinct and unrelated meanings. These tags are usually single words, or short phrases, with intended meanings that might not be immediately obvious to users without context. Ambiguous tags that are part of metatag trees can lead to concept drift and should be minimised.
If a tag is to be canonized, it should be canonized in the least ambiguous form possible without compromising clarity.
- CANONICAL: Miami Dolphins
- CANONICAL: Hydra (Marvel)
- CANONICAL: Haven (Dragon Age)
If an existing canonical tag becomes ambiguous, it can serve as a metatag for disambiguated subtags, but it should not itself be subtagged. The relevant disambiguated subtag(s) may be subtagged in its place.
- CANONICAL: Seals (Ambiguous)
- SUBTAGS: Seals (Animals), U.S. Navy SEALs
Note: There is one exception: Ambiguous character metatags for characters with the same names can be subtagged to their ambiguous single name tags.
- TOP LEVEL METATAG: James
- METATAG: James Wilson
- SUBTAGS: James Wilson (House M.D.), James Richard Wilson, James Wilson (1742-1798)
Guideline updated 07 Aug 2018
Fandom Metatags
Base Guidelines
We generally use a standard criteria for determining if a fandom metatag should be made. Refer to Fandom Metatag Formats for the specific formats fandom metatags may take.
When would we make a fandom metatag?
Whether a fandom metatag is created will vary based on the specific fandom. Not all fandoms will require a metatag, and some will require multiple levels of metatags.
- Closely related adaptations or the same story adapted across different media
- A canon with official prequels, sequels, or other related adaptations set in a shared universe
Exceptions to the above may be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific nature of a fandom. Such cases might involve:
- Canons within the same universe with significant amounts of official crossover material
- Canons that are part of an overarching franchise that fans are broadly interested in, even if there is little to no official crossover between separate installments
We do not group unrelated fandoms of the same media under a media-specific fandom, except in very rare cases outlined in Sub-Media Metatags.
Refer to Fandom Metatag Formats for specific examples.
When wouldn't we make a fandom metatag?
While exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis, we generally will not make a fandom metatag when:
- Fewer than two potential subtags are canonical tags on AO3
- Fandoms are not closely related, such as only being connected by minor crossover events
- Fandoms only share a theme, genre, trope, or exterior designation
- Fandoms only share an author, actor, musician, director, artist, or creator/creator team and have unrelated continuities, characters, etc.
- Fandoms are only very loose adaptations of each other
- Fandoms share a title but have unrelated origins
- Fandoms share a similar plot but have unrelated origins
For fandoms in these situations, they are normally left separate from each other—not connected by a metatag.
Guideline updated 29 January 2026
Sub-Media Metatags
We do not usually make metatags to collect all fandoms in a "sub-media" category within a media - e.g. we do not have a tag "Radio Plays" for the radio show fandoms in Other Media, because of the difficulties of maintaining such tags. Another reason is that we have to improvise this structure using Fandom tags, as the Media tag type does not allow for metatags or subtags. This guideline and structure may change depending on the eventual decisions of the Category Change workgroup and subsequent code changes.
If users tag their works with such general fandom tags, usually these tags should be sorted into No Media and left unwrangled. There are limited exceptions (see below).
Celebrity & Real People (RPF) fandoms are an exception; because of the nature of RPF, which all can be seen as being part of one massive fandom of "real life", grouping metatags are often necessary to make sense of user-created fandoms.
Due to overwhelming request, we have set up "Sub-Media" tags for "Korean Drama" and "Japanese Drama". As noted, these Fandom tags are the exception, not the rule. It should be noted these are not true Media tags, but a specific Fandom metatag. As of 12/2011 we are now allowing such tags on a limited basis in other media, as an interim solution for certain small fandom sets. Sub-media tags have to be approved by Supervisors; email the Supervisor list or the general mailing list to request approval. Only metatags with established user demand (on or off the Archive, usually small, specialized categories with a general fanbase), a small number of total works (generally under 1,000), and a wrangler(s) willing to maintain them will be approved.
Character Metatags
For Ambiguity
Mostly applies to fandom-ambiguous single names, especially those names common enough to occur in multiple fandoms. The tag "Sam", for example, may appear in many fandoms, so cannot be synned with any other version of "Sam" (e.g. "Sam Winchester"). Instead, "Sam" can be made a metatag to all the Character tags which might refer to Sam, such as "Sam Winchester", "Sam Tyler", and so on, allowing users to filter for works tagged with either "Sam" in general, or specifically "Sam Winchester". Can also occur with anthropomorphized concepts or anthropomorphic characters.
Please note that characters should only be subtagged under a metatag if they are actually known by that name in the canon/in the fandom. So a character named "Samantha" who only ever is called "Sam" should be subtagged under "Sam" but not "Samantha", and a character named "Yang Tae Sub" who never is called only by their family name "Yang" should not be subtagged under "Yang". If you are unfamiliar with a character and therefore not sure whether a metatag would apply or not, do not make it a subtag.
Mandatory
Things to do as a wrangler for your assigned fandoms:
- You may add all applicable metatags to pre-existing character tags in your assigned fandoms.
If your canon has a character like Samantha Carter who is always called "Sam":
- You may add "Sam" as a metatag of "Sam Carter".
- Do not add "Samantha".
- Do not add the "Sam" tag to your fandom (canonized ambiguous tags should only be in No Fandom.)
If your canon has a "Sam So-and-So", but no archive users have tagged for that character, do not make a tag for that character, and do not add the "Sam" tag to your fandom!
Optional
If you find an ambiguous tag like "Sam".
- Do NOT make "Sam" a canonical tag.
- If the majority of usage on an ambiguous tag is for a particular character, that tag should be synned to that character’s canonical.
- If usage is evenly split between multiple fandoms, add the ambiguous "Sam" tag to "No Fandom" - do not add it to any other fandoms. Supervisors regularly garden the No Fandom tags.
Guideline updated 18 November 2022
For other reasons
Some wranglers may use metatags to cover canonical genderswapped or canonical AU versions of characters, or characters with secret identities or alternate personalities. We don't currently have a particular policy on how to arrange this, but it may be done at the wrangler's discretion if it suits the tag usage of a fandom. You may also wish to ask the mailing list for advice.
Characters from megafandoms with lots of versions will often need character metatags.
Many versions of Robin Hood use generic names for the characters, but a number of them use specific names. The metatag structure for the character Robin Hood looks like this:
- CANONICAL: Robin Hood
- SUBTAG: Robin of Locksley
- SUBTAG: Robin of Loxley
- SUBTAG: Robin of Kensington
For superheroes and other comics-based characters with cape names, check the Alter Egos section of the Character Guidelines.
Relationship Metatags
For Ambiguity
This only applies to actually ambiguous single-name relationships. Even if the names on their own are ambiguous, the relationship may not be. Check whether a tag is ambiguous by looking at uses of the tag. If the tag has only been used for one relationship, consider the tag to be non-ambiguous and syn it to the appropriate canonical. (So "Harry/Draco" should be synned to "Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter"; it should not be made into a metatag.)
Guideline updated 13 November 2016
For other reasons
Characters who exist in lots of different adaptations of the same source material may need relationship metatags.
Many versions of Robin Hood use generic names for the characters, but Robin of Sherwood, Robin Hood BBC, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves use specific names for Robin and Marian. The metatag structure for the Robin/Marian relationship tags looks like this:
- CANONICAL: Maid Marian/Robin Hood
- SUBTAG: Marion of Leaford/Robin of Loxley
- SUBTAG: Marian of Knighton/Robin of Locksley
- SUBTAG: Marian Dubois/Robin of Locksley
Freeform Metatags
We are using metatags in the No Fandom freeforms, but on a limited basis. We do not aim to metatag all related concepts, only those where it is certain that a user looking for the larger concept would definitely want the specifics as well. In general, we don't make new metatags to organize tags, but stick to wrangling existing metatags. The same rules for freeform synonyms apply to freeform metatags.
The short form of this: Do not make freeform metatags hastily. Be wary of the impulse to cross-reference; multiple layers of nested metatagging lead to conceptual drift, where a broad metatag has little to do with a work using the most specific subtags.
Metatagging can also become problematic if it suggests that the Archive is making judgment calls about content or naturalizing one point of view — for example, subtagging “Abuse” and “Alcoholism” under “Additional Warnings Apply,” (we do not define what is warning-worthy content, apart from the specific warnings required by the Archive interface), or subtagging “French” and “Spanish” under “Foreign Language” (even if the majority of Archive users are currently writing/reading in English, we do not want to give the impression that the Archive officially sees English as “standard” and other languages as “foreign”).
- Do metatag for cases where there is a clear set/subset relationship: e.g., “Incest” is a metatag for “Parent/Child Incest” and “Sibling Incest.”
- Do metatag for challenge years, if there are enough year-specific tags to require them: e.g., “Yuletide” is a metatag for “Yuletide 2007,” “Yuletide 2008,” etc.
- Do NOT metatag identities, languages, kinks, warnings, etc., unless you are absolutely certain it makes sense to do so. And even then think twice about it.
- Do NOT metatag concepts together if it is debatable how closely they are related, or if it’s debatable which one should be the subset of the other (e.g. do not arbitrarily decide which should be the metatag with potential synonyms like "Happy" and "Cheerful").
- DO look at the tag where you are considering adding a subtag to see if it is already part of a metatag tree, and to determine whether or not the new subtag would cause concept drift.
- ONLY subtag if the tag is always a type of the metatag and/or works with the tag always contain the metatag. Example: Veterinarians are not a type of animal, and works tagged with veterinarians do not always contain animals. Therefore, do not subtag Veterinarians to Animals.
Guideline updated 16 Mar 2018
Conceptual Drift
Remember that a metatag returns results for all levels that are subtagged beneath it. Conceptual drift occurs when tags are added to a lower level of a tree that do not relate to the top layer. This can negatively impact user experience, as it is difficult to apply helpful filters when browsing, and should be avoided. Additionally, the more levels a metatag tree has, the more work it is for the servers.
Always look at any tag you are considering making a metatag and examine the full tree that it belongs to before you add a subtag, and read any comments on the metatags to help judge whether subtagging is appropriate.