AO3 News

Collection Tags and Improvements to Collection Filters

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Published:
2025-09-26 13:51:28 UTC
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We've just given the code for collection browsing and filtering a much-needed overhaul! In addition to some long overdue performance improvements, this update introduces collection tags — a new way to find collections featuring the fandoms, relationships, tropes, and other topics you enjoy.

How do collection tags work?

Collection owners can now use up to 10 tags of any type (What are the different types of tags?) to describe their collection. The tags are listed on the collection blurb, and the collection filters have a new "Filter by tag" autocomplete field to help users find collections matching their interests.

A collection blurb next to the collection filters. The blurb has tags listed under the collection title and the filters have a 'Filter by tag' field beneath 'Filter by title.'

While it is possible to use brand new tags on collections, we strongly encourage owners to use existing canonical tags or their synonyms. This makes it easier for users to find your collection using the autocomplete options in the collection filters.

We've also added a "Multifandom" option specifically for collections that feature a wide variety of fandoms. Collection owners can select this option to help users find collections where the focus isn't a specific fandom, but rather a theme like fanvids of old films or fic written in first person. We think this will be particularly useful for users whose fandoms don't have their own prompt memes or gift exchanges, but who want to find challenges they might be able to participate in.

Please note that while we encourage collection owners to start using the "Multifandom" option right away, there are a few more changes we need to make before it will be possible to filter collections based on their multifandom status. We'll update this post when multifandom filtering becomes available.

What about existing collections?

Together with the collection tags feature going live, we automatically tagged existing collections with the fandoms from their works and bookmarks, as well as any works or bookmarks in their subcollections.

Additionally, collections with more than one unrelated fandom were automatically marked as multifandom. We used our tag wrangling system to determine whether fandoms are related, just like we do when marking works as crossovers. Collections with more than 10 fandoms (the limit for collection tags) were marked as multifandom but did not have any fandom tags added.

Collection owners are welcome to edit their collection and change any information we automatically added.

Other changes

As part of the browsing and filtering overhaul, there are a few other noticeable changes to collections.

  • Subcollections are now listed on the main Collections page and included in the results when filtering.
  • In order to make room for collection tags, we've combined the list of owners and moderators in blurbs, similar to the way they're combined on the collection profile. Because we know this distinction may be important to some users, we've made it possible to style owners and moderators separately by using the a.owner and a.mod selectors in a site skin. (Your styles will apply in the blurb and on the collection profile.)
  • The Open Challenges page, including the Open Gift Exchanges and Open Prompt Memes pages, now list collections that are closing the soonest at the top of the page.

Update 12:14 UTC 28 September 2025: The multifandom filtering options have now been added to the filters!