Archive FAQ > Orphaning

What is orphaning?

Orphaning is a way to remove any of your works from your account without deleting them from the Archive of Our Own (AO3). You may want to orphan your work if you no longer want to be associated with it, but don't want to delete it. Orphaning will permanently separate your account from the selected work(s) by transferring them to AO3's specially-created orphan_account. Any comments you may have left on your selected work(s) will also be transferred. Note that this is permanent and irreversible—you're giving up control over the work, including the ability to edit or delete it. You are not able to reclaim control over your work after you orphan it. For more information, refer to What is the "orphan_account"? and How do I orphan my works?

Orphaned works will be maintained by AO3 exactly as they were when they were orphaned, so they can be enjoyed by future fans. Fans will still be able to leave kudos, create bookmarks, and leave comments if the work settings allow it. Orphaned works will not be edited or removed by site admins unless they contain information which may identify the creator or violate the site's Terms of Service. For more information, refer to Will orphaned works be edited or removed by site admins?

Existing bookmarks created by other AO3 users will be preserved and links to the work from elsewhere won't break if a work is orphaned. For more information about what happens to a work when you orphan it, refer to What happens to a work when I orphan it?

For further information on deleting your work instead, go to How do I delete a work? Or, for information on editing a series, go to How do I edit a series?

What is the "orphan_account"?

The "orphan_account" is the username and default pseud for any orphaned works on the Archive of Our Own (AO3). For more information about how pseuds work when orphaning your work, refer to What happens to a work when I orphan it?

All works on AO3 must be associated with a creator account. This means when a work is orphaned by a creator, ownership of the work is transferred to an AO3-controlled account with the username "orphan_account". When a work is orphaned, it's separated permanently from the account that originally posted the work, and transferred to the orphan_account. Any comments or replies the creator may have left on the work will also be transferred to the orphan_account. For more information, refer to What is orphaning?

Works can't be transferred back to the original account once they have been moved to the orphan_account. Once they have been transferred, works also can't be edited by the original creator. They also won't be edited or removed by site admins unless they contain information which may identify the creator or violate the site's Terms of Service. For more information, refer to Will orphaned works be edited or removed by site admins?

Can I access the orphan_account dashboard or Works page?

It's not possible to navigate to the orphan_account dashboard. This page is disabled because it puts a lot of strain on the servers, generates a number of errors, and would consistently time out for users. If you are looking for works that have been transferred to the orphan_account, select "Search" and then "Works" on the menu at the top of the page in the default site skin (below the site logo). Enter "orphan_account" in the "Author/Artist" field, and then select "Search". You can also go to the orphan_account's Works page, but it will take time to load. For more information about searching on the Archive of Our Own (AO3), check out the Search and Browse FAQ.

How do I block or mute the orphan_account?

It's possible to block and/or mute the orphan_account. However, given the special case of the orphan_account, blocking is functionally useless. Blocking prevents an account from interacting with you. Even without blocking the orphan_account, that account would never leave you new comments or kudos on your work, reply to comments you've left on news posts or other creators' works, or edit its existing comments. For more information refer to this News Post about Blocking and Muting. To block or mute the orphan_account:

  1. When you're logged in, select "My Preferences" from the "Hi, [username]!" menu at the top of the page. If you're on your dashboard, you can also choose "Preferences" in the navigation sidebar (found at the top of the page when you're using a mobile device).
  2. Select the "Muted Users" (or "Blocked Users") button towards the top right of the page on desktop (or below the Set My Preferences heading on mobile), depending on whether you would like to block or mute the orphan_account.
  3. Enter "orphan_account" in the Mute a user (or Block a user) field. Note that no autocomplete options will appear. You'll have to manually enter "orphan_account" in full.
  4. Select "Mute" (or "Block"). A pop-up will ask you if you are sure you would like to mute (or block) orphan_account. Select "Yes, Mute User" (or "Yes, Block User"). You will be redirected to the Muted Users (or Blocked Users) page. Now the orphan_account will appear on this page.

Will orphaned works be edited or removed by site admins?

Orphaned works will not be edited by site admins unless they violate the site's Terms of Service or contain information which may identify the creator. Identifying information includes pseuds that may identify the creator. Refer to How do I orphan my work(s)? for more information on pseuds and orphaned works.

Orphaned works will be preserved exactly as they were when they were orphaned. This includes tags, summaries, Notes, and all other parts of the work. The work's settings will also remain as set by the original creator, including privacy settings like restricting the work to logged-in Archive of Our Own (AO3) users or comment moderation.

Orphaned works will not be removed by site admins unless they violate the site's Terms of Service. If you are the creator of an orphaned work and you wish it to be permanently deleted, you can use our DMCA policy to submit a takedown notice. Make sure that your message includes the information required by our DMCA policy. Refer to What's the difference between a DMCA notice and an Abuse report? in the Terms of Service FAQ for more information.

If you want to delete your work from AO3 entirely instead of orphaning it, refer to How do I delete a work? If you realize that a work you've orphaned has information that identifies you, you can submit a Support request for help.

What can other creators do with an orphaned work?

When a work is orphaned, the copyright still belongs to the original creator. You can't repost, translate, or make a podfic of an orphaned work without permission from the original creator. Without permission, it is copyright infringement or plagiarism and is against the Terms of Service.

However, you can always create a work that is inspired by an orphaned work (such as a sequel or remix) as long as you do not directly repost or copy large portions of the orphaned work. You may want to use the Archive of Our Own's (AO3) "inspired by" function, which will link your new work to the orphaned work it was inspired by. However, in the case of an orphaned work, a link will not appear on the orphaned work that links to your new work. For more information, refer to My work is a remix, translation, podfic, or was inspired by another work. How can I give credit?

You may want to consider leaving blanket permission for podfics and translations in the tags or Notes of your work before you orphan it.

If you want someone else to have control over a work you plan to orphan, you can orphan a co-created work. If you do so, orphan_account will replace your account name as one of the co-creators of the work. However, your co-creator won't be affected. They'll still be able to edit the work.

As another option, you can add a co-creator and then remove yourself as a creator. This will transfer the work to your co-creator's account, rather than the orphan_account. Note that a co-creator must have checked the box "Allow others to invite me to be a co-creator" under Preferences and accepted your invitation to become a co-creator. For more information on co-creators, refer to How can I allow others to add me as a co-creator to a work or series? and How do I add or remove co-creators?

For more information on orphaning co-created works, refer to How do I orphan a work I have co-authored/co-created with someone else?

For more information on who can edit an orphaned work, refer to Will orphaned works be edited or removed by site admins? and What is the "orphan_account"?

What happens to a work when I orphan it?

When you orphan a work:

  • Your username is removed from the byline on the work and all its chapters and replaced with "orphan_account".
    • For more information, refer to What is the "orphan_account"?
  • Your username will be removed from any comments you have left on the work.
  • If you selected the "Remove my pseud" option when orphaning your work, then your pseud will also be removed from the work and any comments you have left on the work. If you don't select this option, your work and comments will be attached to "[pseud] (orphan_account)". If your pseud is, or has ever been, your username, then leaving it attached to the work may identify you as the creator. Refer to How do I orphan my work(s)? for more information.
  • If you orphan an anonymous work without leaving a pseud attached to the work, then later anonymity is lifted, that work will be attributed to the orphan_account, and any comments that you left as the work's creator while anonymous will also be attributed to the orphan_account. However, if you orphan an anonymous work and chose to have a pseud attached to it, your work and any comments you left will be attributed to your pseud if anonymity is lifted. For more information about anonymous works, refer to Can I make an anonymous pseud? and What does it mean that a collection is Open or Closed, Moderated or Unmoderated, Unrevealed, or Anonymous?
  • You can't add the work to any collections. If you'd like the work to be added to any collections, do so before orphaning.
  • You can't remove the work from any collections that you do not own or moderate. If you want to remove the work from any collection you don't own or moderate, do so before orphaning. Note that owners can change the collection settings, including making the collection unrevealed or anonymous. For more information, refer to What membership levels are available for collections? and What does it mean that a collection is Open or Closed, Moderated or Unmoderated, Unrevealed, or Anonymous?
  • You can't add or remove the work from any series. If you'd like the work to be added to any series, do so before orphaning.
  • If you orphan an entire series, all the works in that series will be orphaned. For more information, refer to How do I orphan a series? in the Series FAQ.
  • If you orphan a work that is part of a series, the work will not be removed from the series; if you want to do this, you must edit the work to remove it from the series before orphaning it. If you keep the work as part of the series, the orphan_account will be listed as one of the creators of the series, alongside any other creators. You will still be listed as a series creator unless you also orphan the series itself, orphan all the works in the series, or remove yourself as co-creator. For more information about removing yourself as a series creator, refer to How do I add or remove series co-creators/co-authors? The orphan_account cannot be removed as a co-creator of the work. Existing links, including Next Work, Previous Work and Series links, will be preserved but no new ones will be added. Note that if you are the sole creator of a series, orphaning only one work in the series means that it may be easy to identify you as the creator of the orphaned work.
  • Tags, summaries, Notes, and all other parts of the work will be preserved exactly as they were when they were orphaned.
  • Work settings, such as comment moderation or restriction to logged-in Archive of Our Own (AO3) users, will be preserved. If comment moderation is enabled, no new comments will be able to be approved once the work is orphaned.
  • Any existing links will be preserved and no new ones can be added. This includes Related Works, Inspired By, Translation, and Gift links as well as any other links you may have added. If you want to remove links, you must edit the work before orphaning it.

Note that orphaning a work doesn't remove any identifying information you may have left in your work, Notes, tags, summary, or comments. It's a good idea to review these for anything you want to remove, and edit them prior to orphaning. Refer to How do I edit a work or chapter?, How do I edit the tags on a work?, and Can I edit or delete my comment? for instructions.

Orphaning a work also doesn't remove any identifying information that others may have left in comments or bookmarks. Note that admins generally cannot remove identifying information left in other users' comments or bookmarks if they were created before the work was orphaned. While you can delete comments before orphaning the work, you can't delete others' bookmarks. Refer to Can I edit or delete a comment someone else left on one of my works? Bookmarks will not be removed without the bookmarker's consent unless they violate the site's Terms of Service.

If you realize there's identifying information in the work after you've orphaned it, you can submit a Support request to have it removed. Otherwise, the work will not be edited or removed unless it violates the site's Terms of Service. Refer to Will orphaned works be edited or removed by site admins? for more information on what can be done to works after they're orphaned.

For more information on pseuds and orphaned works, refer to How do I orphan my work(s)? For more information on editing a work or chapter, refer to How do I edit a work or chapter? For more information on pseuds, refer to Pseuds FAQ.

For information about orphaning co-created works, refer to How do I orphan a work which I have co-created with someone else?

You may want to consider leaving blanket permission for podfics and translations in the work Notes before you orphan your work. Unlike creating sequels or remixes, users cannot make podfics or translations of your orphaned work without your permission. For more information, refer to What can other creators do with an orphaned work?

How do I orphan my work(s)?

Before you decide to orphan your work(s) ensure you're aware of the consequences of doing so. Orphaning is permanent and irreversible. Refer to What is Orphaning? and What happens to a work when you orphan it? for more information.

There are multiple ways to orphan a work or multiple works.

To orphan a single work:

  1. When you're logged in, navigate to the work and then select the "Edit" button towards the top of the page. You can also select the "Edit" button on other pages where your works are listed, such as your Works page and on series pages. This button will take you to the Edit Work page, which contains all of the same fields and options as the New Work page.
  2. Select the "Orphan Work" button towards the top of the page.

To orphan multiple works:

  1. When you're logged in, select "My Works" from the "Hi, [username]!" menu at the top of the page. If you're on your dashboard, you can also choose "Works" in the navigation sidebar (found at the top of the page when you're using a mobile device).
  2. Select the "Edit Works" button found towards the top of the page.
  3. Select the works you would like to orphan by checking the checkbox next to the work or by selecting the "All" button to the right of the fandom name. You can also select all your works by selecting the "All" button towards the top right of the page (or below the Edit Multiple Works heading on mobile). All of your works will be displayed on this page, regardless of the pseud you used to create them.
  4. Select the "Orphan" button towards the top of the page. If you select the "Orphan" button without selecting any works, it will orphan all your works.

To orphan all works in a series refer to How do I orphan a series? in the Series FAQ for instructions on how to orphan a series.

After you've chosen which work(s) to orphan and selected "Orphan" or "Orphan My Works", then, depending on your method, you'll be taken to a page that lists the works you're about to orphan. You'll have two options for these works:

"Take my pseud off as well"
The work(s) will be transferred to the orphan_account and maintained by the Archive of Our Own (AO3). The work(s) will be attributed to the default orphan_account pseud, and will have the byline "orphan_account". This option is selected by default.
"Leave a copy of my pseud on"
The work(s) will be transferred to the orphan_account, maintained by AO3, but a new pseud will be created with the same name as the pseud you used to create the work(s). If your work was created under your username, the new pseud will match your username. For example, if you create a work using the username awesomefan then, after you orphan it, the byline will be awesomefan (orphan_account). If you create a work under the pseud amazing (awesomefan) then after you orphan it, the byline will be amazing (orphan_account). Although the pseud will no longer link back to your Archive account, a user may still be able to identify you as the creator if you have a distinctive pseud.

For more information, check out What is the "orphan_account"?

You can also orphan your works while deleting your account:

  1. When you're logged in, go to your dashboard by selecting the greeting "Hi, [username]! and choosing "My Dashboard" from the menu, or by selecting your profile image. Then, select "Profile" from the menu found at the side of the page or at the top on a mobile device.
  2. Select the "Delete My Account" button towards the bottom of the page. A pop-up will ask you if you are sure you would like to delete your account. Select "OK". Note that this is a permanent action. There is no way of restoring a deleted account.
  3. Select either "Leave my pseud but attach to the orphan account" or "Change my pseud to "orphan" and attach to the orphan account" to orphan your works.
  4. For more information, check out How do I delete my account? In the Your Account FAQ.

For more information on pseuds, refer to the Pseuds FAQ.

How do I orphan a work that I have co-created with someone else?

Before you decide to orphan your work(s), ensure you're aware of the consequences of doing so. Orphaning is permanent and irreversible. Refer to What is Orphaning? and What happens to a work you orphan it? for more information.

To orphan a co-created work, follow the same steps described in How do I orphan my work(s)? If you orphan a co-created work, orphan_account will replace your username as one of the co-creators of the work. However, your co-creator won't be affected and will remain a co-creator of the work. The orphan_account cannot be removed as a co-creator of the work. For more information on the orphan_account, refer to What is the "orphan_account"?

Another way you can remove your account's association with a co-created work is to remove yourself as a creator. To do this, follow the steps described in How do I remove myself as a co-creator?

Can I get my work(s) back if I change my mind after orphaning a work?

No, you can't—orphaning is permanent and irreversible. There's no way for you to reattach the work to your account, and we can't do it for you. An orphaned work remains in the Archive of Our Own (AO3) attached to the orphan_account, and can't be edited or deleted unless it violates the site's Terms of Service, or contains information which may identify the creator. For more information, refer to Will orphaned works be edited or removed by site admins?

Where can I get more information if my question isn’t answered here?

Some frequently asked questions about the Archive of Our Own (AO3) are answered in other sections of the AO3 FAQ, and some common terminology is defined in our Glossary. Use the Language menu at the top right of the main FAQ page to find out what's available in your language. You may also like to check out our Known Issues. If you need more help, submit a Support request.

Questions and answers about our Terms of Service can be found in the Terms of Service FAQ. For help regarding the Terms of Service, submit an Abuse Report.

Last Major Update: October 2025