AO3 News

Tutorial: uploading a user icon

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Published:
2010-03-16 19:59:48 UTC
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The old placeholder icon with the text 'your icon (eventually), with eventually crossed out and the word NOW! added below

"Eventually" is here at last! We're very excited to be adding icons to the Archive of Our Own. \0/ Here's a quick guide to help you get started.

What you need to know

  • You can upload one icon for each of your pseuds.
  • Icons must be 100 by 100 pixels in size; you can upload images which are smaller or larger, but be aware that they will be automatically resized to 100 by 100.
  • The images can be in png, jpeg or gif format.
  • There are a few restrictions on what content you can show on your icons. Our Terms of Service state that they "should not contain depictions of genital nudity or explicit sexual activity". Read the relevant section of the ToS.
  • Your icon(s) will show on your Dashboard and Profile pages, your Pseuds page, your blurb on the People page, and next to any comments you leave under that pseud.
  • Collections and subcollections can also have icons; owners and moderators can upload an icon for their collection when creating or editing it.
  • We have a new placeholder icon for people who choose not to upload one, now that "eventually" has arrived!

How to upload an icon

  1. Go to your dashboard (also known as your "My Home" page).
  2. Click on the placeholder icon. This will take you to the edit page for your default pseud.
  3. At the bottom of the form you can see what icon is currently in use (if you haven't already uploaded one, it will be the AO3 placeholder icon), and there is a field for you to specify the image you would like to upload. You should also specify alt text for the icon: a brief description of its purpose which is used if the image isn't showing - for example by people browsing with images turned off or visually impaired people using screenreaders.
  4. Once you've specified the image and alt text for it, click the "Update" button.
  5. Admire your shiny icon! \0/
  6. If you have more than one pseud, you can upload icons for them too. Your sidebar contains a link to your "My Pseuds" page, which lists each of the pseuds you have created, with "Edit" links to the page where you can upload icons for them.

We hope you enjoy the icons! But if you have any questions or run into any problems, please contact the AO3 Support team and we'll do our best to help.