What are content warnings?
Content warnings are a way to give readers a heads up about sensitive content that may be difficult for them to read. By adding content warnings, readers can make an informed decision about whether they want to read your story or not.
How can I add content warnings to my story?
You can add content warnings to your story from your work settings!
A list of Content Warnings will be available in the settings for you to choose from. You can select multiple labels if there are multiple possibly triggering themes in your story. To add them, you would just need to select the checkboxes next to the appropriate tags.
If no tags apply to your story, you would select “No Tags Apply” to mark your story as not having any content warnings.
Before you can publish, you will be asked to confirm that you want these tags to be added to your story, since you won’t be able to remove them later without contacting support.
What content warnings are available for me to add?
At this time, the list of possible content warnings is as follows:
| Tag Name | Definition |
| Ableism | "Ableism" refers to discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities, whether physical, mental, or intellectual. It can manifest in many ways, such as stereotypes, exclusion, or underestimation of abilities. |
| Assault | "Assault" refers to the act of intentionally inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact on another person without their consent. It can also include threats or attempts to commit such acts. |
| Attempted Rape | "Attempted rape" refers to an unsuccessful or incomplete attempt to engage in sexual intercourse with another person without their consent. It involves the use of force, coercion, or the threat of harm to the victim. |
| Bestiality | "Bestiality" refers to the practice of engaging in sexual activity with animals. |
| Cheating | "Cheating" in written content refers to the act of engaging in a romantic or sexual relationship with someone other than one's partner or spouse, without their knowledge or consent. This can include physical or emotional intimacy, or both. |
| Child Abuse | "Child abuse" refers to the mistreatment or neglect of a child, which can result in physical, emotional, or sexual harm. This can include physical violence, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. |
| Depression | "Depression" is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities. It can affect a person's mood, behavior, and physical well-being. |
| Domestic Violence | "Domestic violence" refers to the use of physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse by one partner against another in an intimate relationship. |
| Drug Use/Overdose | "Drug use overdose" occurs when an individual takes more of a drug than their body can handle, leading to severe physiological and psychological effects, including potentially fatal consequences. |
| Eating Disorders | "Eating disorders" refer to a group of mental health disorders characterized by disturbances in eating habits and body image. This can include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, among others. |
| Exploitation | "Exploitation" refers to content in which the only purpose is to shock or arouse, and there is no plot to the story. Inkitt reserves the right to label a story as "Explotation" and the definition is subject to change at any time at our discretion. |
| Extreme Violence/Gore | "Extreme violence gore" refers to graphic depictions of violent acts in media, often characterized by blood, gore, and explicit brutality. It can be used to shock or sensationalize. |
| Extremist Content | "Extremist content" refers to media that promotes or supports extreme or radical ideologies or beliefs, often characterized by hate speech, violence, or discrimination. |
| Homophobia | "Homophobia" refers to prejudice, discrimination, or hatred directed towards individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ or who have same-sex attraction. It can take many forms, such as hate speech, discrimination, or violence. |
| Human Trafficking | "Human trafficking" refers to the illegal trade of human beings, often for forced labor or sex trafficking. |
| Incest | "Incest" refers to sexual activity between family members who are closely related by blood or marriage. |
| Miscarriage | "Miscarriage" refers to the loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week of gestation. |
| Offscreen Rape | "Offscreen rape" refers to a rape that is not shown or depicted on screen in media. It can be implied or referenced. |
| Onscreen Rape | "Onscreen rape" refers to the depiction of a rape or sexual assault in media, which can be explicit or implicit. |
| Pedophilia | "Pedophilia" refers to a psychological disorder characterized by a persistent sexual attraction to prepubescent children. |
| Racism | "Racism" refers to prejudice, discrimination, or hatred directed towards individuals or groups based on their race or ethnicity. It can take many forms, such as hate speech, discrimination, or violence. |
| Self-Harm | "Self-harm" refers to intentional harm inflicted on oneself, often as a coping mechanism for emotional pain or distress. It can take many forms, such as cutting, burning, or scratching. |
| Sexual Assault/Abuse | "Sexual assault abuse" refers to any non-consensual sexual act that involves physical force, coercion, or threats. |
| Stalker | "Stalking" refers to persistent and unwanted attention or behavior directed towards an individual, often characterized by harassment or surveillance. |
| Statutory Rape | "Statutory rape" refers to sexual activity between an adult and a minor who is below the age of consent. |
| Suicide | "Suicide" refers to the act of intentionally taking one's own life. |
| Torture | "Torture" refers to the deliberate infliction of severe physical or psychological pain or suffering on an individual. |
| Violent Death | "Violent death" refers to death caused by external factors, such as homicide, suicide, or accident. |
| Xenophobia | "Xenophobia" refers to prejudice, discrimination, or hatred directed towards individuals or groups who are perceived as foreign or different. It can take many forms, such as hate speech, discrimination, or violence. |
How will content warnings look to readers when added to my story?
Content warnings will be shown to viewers differently depending on where they are seeing the story.
Discovery Screen / Search Listings / Author Profiles
When a reader is browsing discovery, looking through search results, or looking at books on an author’s profile, they’ll be able to see that a book has content warnings applied.
If they hover over the content warning label with their mouse, a more detailed list of which warnings are applied will appear.
When opening the book
When a reader opens your story for the first time, Content Warning tags will be shown above the Summary, so that they can see the tags and the summary before deciding to read your story.
What if my story doesn’t have any content warnings?
If your story doesn’t have any content warnings, you can choose “No Tags Apply” in the work settings before publishing your book.
When no tags apply, no warnings will be shown on your story in search listings or by the summary.
Do I have to add content warnings to publish my story?
If your story does not contain content that could potentially trigger or harm readers, then you don't need to include content warnings. You can choose “No Tags Apply” to get past the content warning screen.
If your story includes scenes or themes that could be potentially disturbing or triggering to some readers, then it's important to add content warnings to alert them.
It's important to note that adding content warnings does not mean that you are censoring your writing. Instead, it's a way to be considerate of your readers and to create a safer reading experience for everyone. Including content warnings can also help you reach a wider audience, as some readers may be hesitant to read stories that contain potentially triggering content.
Can I remove content warnings from my story after it’s published?
Authors are not able to remove Content Warnings from their works after publication.
If you added a tag in error, or have made edits that make a tag you previously added no longer applicable to your story, please contact our support team by hitting the “Submit a Request” button in the upper right of this page.