Don't copy to another site — Tag Meaning
A widespread freeform tag asserting the author's wish that the work not be reposted elsewhere, which surged after fic-scraping apps and mirror sites began monetizing stolen fanworks. It functions as a visible statement of consent boundaries in a culture built on free sharing.
What to Expect From "Don't copy to another site" Fics
No effect on your reading, but a clear request: link to the work, never repost it. Its presence often indicates an author burned by scrapers before.
How to find Don't copy to another site fics on AO3
On AO3, click any tag to see every work that uses it, then refine with the "Filters" sidebar — combine it with your fandom or ship, set a rating, or exclude tags you don't want. See our AO3 filtering guide for the full walkthrough.
Browse "Don't copy to another site" works on AO3Popular Fics Tagged "Don't copy to another site"
Real examples from AO3's most-kudosed works:
a stone to break your soul, a song to save it
by rikke
Don't Fuck With Florists (They'll Fuck You Up)
by MayMarlow
The Meaning of Mistletoe
by Endrina
The Meaning of Geranium
by Endrina
Floriography
by Endrina
Fantastic Humanity
by esama
Related Tags
Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
A canonical tag for works first published on FanFiction.Net and reposted to AO3, a migration path millions of stories have traveled as authors sought the archive's tagging and preservation guarantees. Many authors maintain both copies; many more moved wholesale.
Tag guide →
Meta
A canonical tag with two lives: nonfiction fandom analysis posted as a work, and fiction that breaks the fourth wall or knows it is a story. AO3 hosts essays under this tag alongside fics where characters discover their own fandom.
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Translation
A canonical tag for fan-made translations of existing fanworks into other languages, posted with the original author's permission and linked via AO3's related-works system. Translators are a vital, often under-thanked workforce of international fandom.
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More Fandom Events & Meta Tags
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