Every fic on AO3 is either complete or a WIP — a 'work in progress' the author is still updating. The difference matters enormously to readers: starting a 200,000-word WIP that hasn't updated in two years is one of fandom's classic heartbreaks.
Fortunately, AO3 makes a fic's status easy to check, and easy to filter on, once you know where to look.
How to tell if a fic is complete
Every work shows its chapter count as a fraction — for example, 12/12 means twelve of a planned twelve chapters are posted (complete), while 12/? means twelve chapters are up but the author hasn't said how many there'll be (a WIP).
A '?' in the chapter count is the universal sign of an unfinished fic. The work's status and last-updated date also appear in its stats, so you can see how recently the author touched it.
Should you read WIPs?
It's a matter of taste. Some readers love following a WIP and getting update notifications; others refuse to start anything unfinished after one too many abandoned favorites. Checking the last-updated date helps: a WIP updated last week is a very different bet than one untouched for three years.
If you only want finished stories, AO3 lets you filter for them directly — see below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I read only completed fics on AO3?
On any search or filter page, check the 'Complete only' box (or set Completion Status to Complete). This hides every WIP from your results.
What does 12/? mean on AO3?
Twelve chapters are posted, and the author hasn't set a total — the '?' means it's a work in progress with an unknown final length.
Do abandoned WIPs ever get finished?
Sometimes, but there's no guarantee. AO3 has no rule requiring authors to finish, so a long-dormant WIP may simply never update again.