Replace Your Current Draft With the Imported File?
Your current draft will be replaced. You can press Undo (⌘Z) right after to restore it.
Clear Your Draft?
This empties the editor and removes the saved copy in this browser. You cannot undo this.
v- · Updated
Paste the CSS below when you first set up AO3, or when the date above is newer than the Work Skin on your account. Most releases won’t change already-posted chapters; if one needs a re-paste, we say so under What this update affects.
You paste the CSS once on AO3. Use the same Work Skin on every fic when you post a new work or edit an existing one.
Paste into your chapter on AO3. On New Chapter, switch to HTML (not Rich Text) before you paste.
Open a file from your computer. Nothing is uploaded.
Paste from AO3: Copy from AO3’s chapter HTML tab (not Rich Text), paste into the box below, then click Import pasted HTML. This replaces your whole draft with an editable chapter (skin blocks reconstructed when markup matches AO3 Works).
HTML file: .html from Download restores exactly via hidden backup. Other HTML is reconstructed from skin markup when possible.
Word: .docx only. Conversion runs in your browser; skin blocks are not imported from Word.
Replacing your draft: If the editor already has content, you will be asked to confirm before anything is replaced (header Import) or when choosing a file after opening Import.
Paste a full web address (https://…)
Hosted image: paste a direct link, not a gallery page
Images must be hosted online. AO3 cannot load files from your computer. Paste the direct image URL (usually ends in .jpg or .png; i.imgur.com and i.postimg.cc work well). Do not paste gallery pages; use Direct link from your host.
Your current draft will be replaced. You can press Undo (⌘Z) right after to restore it.
Switch the writing surface theme. Affects the editor only, never the exported HTML.
This empties the editor and removes the saved copy in this browser. You cannot undo this.
Type normally in the editor. The toolbar covers everything you'd expect from a rich text editor:
--- at the start of a line)The editor previews your text in AO3-like font and spacing, so what you see is close to what readers will see.
Use the + Insert menu in the toolbar to add iMessage conversations, tweets, letters, Slack, Discord messages, and more. Each block shows a live preview as you fill in the form, so what you see is what readers will see on AO3.
Click Export to AO3 and follow the steps. You'll set up your Work Skin once (you can reuse it for every fic you write), then copy and paste the HTML into each chapter.
⚠️ Beta: AO3 Works is in beta. Save copies of your work locally as you go. Autosave is local-storage only and may break.
💡 Work Skin: Create it once in AO3: Dashboard → Skins → My Work Skins. Apply it to a fic via Edit Work → Associations → Select Work Skin.
📷 Images: AO3 requires images to be hosted online. Upload your image to a host like Imgur or Postimage, then paste the direct URL into AO3 Works.
⚠️ Downloads: EPUB and PDF exports from AO3 won't show skin block formatting. Make sure your story still makes sense without it for readers downloading offline copies.
💾 Autosave: Your draft saves automatically to your browser shortly after you stop typing, and again when you switch tabs or leave the page. It'll still be there when you come back.
📁 Chapter file: Download saves a timestamped, full-restore backup to your computer. Import loads that file back in, or AO3 HTML via the Import paste box (not by pasting into the editor), plus Word (.docx), Markdown, or plain text. AO3 HTML skin blocks are reconstructed when markup matches; otherwise you'll see placeholders to rebuild with + Insert. Word does not import skin blocks.
The short version: we have none of it.
AO3 Works has no servers, no accounts, no databases, and no analytics. Your writing is never uploaded to us. We can't read your work, because we believe your fic belongs in your hands, not on someone else's machine. The app still loads fonts and files from the web like any website, but we don't receive your drafts.
Your work is saved in your browser's local storage, a private space on your own computer that's tied to the website you're visiting. Think of it like a local notepad. It stays there if you refresh the page, close the tab, or restart your computer. Your draft content is not sent to AO3 Works; only you export it when you choose to copy HTML to AO3.
Because this relies on your browser, a few everyday actions will clear your saved draft:
Don't treat autosave as your only backup. A few habits that will save you:
Header Download already saves a timestamped file that fully restores your draft. Export also offers Download .html (filename from your first heading) for AO3-ready chapter HTML. We're also exploring a standalone, installable version of AO3 Works that runs more like a traditional app on your hard drive, with real files you can organize and back up. No timeline yet, but if that sounds useful, let us know on our Canny board.
npm install && npm run build in the project folder, then refresh this page.