What Metadata Does Ao3 Txt Include For Fanfic?

I’ll give you the compact, practical version: the plain-text download from 'Archive of Our Own' embeds a consistent metadata header before the story text so you don’t lose context when you read offline. Expect fields like Title, Author (pseud), URL, Archive Warning(s), Rating, Category, Fandom(s), Relationship(s), Character(s), Additional Tags, Language, Published and Updated timestamps, Words, Chapters (shown as current/total), and engagement metrics — Comments, Kudos, Bookmarks, and Hits. Series information appears if the work belongs to one, often listing the series name and part number. The summary or author’s notes are usually included too, then each chapter’s heading and body follow. Practically speaking, that means if I’m building a local reading list or writing a simple script to catalog saved fics, I can reliably extract those fields from the top of every text file. It’s also great for quick filtering: spotting warnings or maturity ratings in the header saves a lot of accidental reading mishaps, and the permalink makes it easy to return for bookmarking or leaving feedback.

Okay, quick rundown from my chaotic, fannish brain: when I download a fanfic as plain text from 'Archive of Our Own', the file usually starts with a metadata header that reads like a little info card for the story. It will show the title, the author/pseud, and a permalink/URL so you can jump back to the original. After that comes the tag block: Archive Warning(s), Rating, Category, Fandom(s), Relationship(s), Character(s), and Additional Tags — those freeform tags authors love to slap on.

Then you'll see publication details and stats: language, published date, last updated date (if any), word count, chapter count (like "1/3" or "Complete"), and numbers for comments, kudos, bookmarks, and hits. If the fic is part of a series the series title and which part it is will be shown. The summary or author notes are usually included too, and each chapter file has the chapter title and the chapter text itself.

I find this header super handy when archiving or parsing fics for reading offline — it gives context at a glance (warnings, who’s involved, and whether it’s complete) without having to open a browser tab. It’s the little metadata gift that makes organizing my local fanfic folders a lot less chaotic.

I’ll keep this short and conversational: every AO3 plain-text download carries a header that’s basically the who/what/where stamp for the fic. You’ll see the title and author, then a tag block with Archive Warning(s), Rating, Category, Fandoms, Relationships, Characters, and Additional Tags. After that are language, published/updated timestamps, word and chapter counts, and counts for comments, kudos, bookmarks, and hits. Series info and the summary/author notes usually sit above the text, and each chapter includes its own chapter title. I like having those stats because they tell me at a glance whether something’s finished, how long it is, and whether the tags match my mood — saves a lot of clicking around when I’m compiling a reading list or trying to send a rec to a friend.

I like to think of that plain-text file as a tiny dossier the author hands you — neat, human-readable, and full of context. When I open one, the order isn’t random: first comes the obvious stuff — title and author — but then it groups tags and warnings together, which I appreciate because that set tells me whether I should proceed (and how prepared to be!). The block usually reads: Archive Warning(s):, Rating:, Category:, Fandom(s):, Relationship(s):, Character(s):, Additional Tags:. After tags, the file lists Language, Published and Updated dates, word count and chapter progress, and the social stats: Comments, Kudos, Bookmarks, Hits. If the story was posted as part of a series there's a little line noting the series and which installment it is. The summary and any author notes are placed before the chapters themselves, and each chapter begins with its own heading so if you save per-chapter text you still know which chapter is which.

From a reader’s perspective this is perfect: I can glance at warnings and maturity, decide if I want to read right away, and later sort my library by word count or completion status. From an archival perspective, it’s structured enough that I’ve written little helper scripts to pull out titles, tags, and stats for my personal catalog — the metadata is consistent enough to parse automatically without too much fuss.