Content ratings tell readers how intense a piece of writing is before they open it, from wholesome and all-ages to explicit or dark. Rating your posts and stories lets people choose what they read, and helps partners agree on limits.
RPL is an 18+ site, but adults still want to know what they're walking into. This guide explains the rating categories on RPL, how to choose one, and how ratings fit with tags and privacy.
The ratings on RPL
When you write a post or story, the Categories include six ratings. Tick the one that fits the most intense part of the piece.
| Rating | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Rated - Wholesome/All-Ages | Nothing that would upset anyone: friendship, fluff, comedy, cosy slice of life. |
| Rated - Mild | Light peril, mild language, a kiss, sad moments without lingering on them. |
| Rated - Moderate | Fights and injuries, stronger language, romance with implied intimacy, darker themes handled briefly. |
| Rated - Mature | On-page violence, sexual themes, substance use, grief and trauma explored in depth. |
| Rated - Intense | Graphic violence, disturbing horror, heavy psychological content, abuse described on the page. |
| Rated - Explicit/Dark | Explicit sexual content, or very dark material written in detail. |
There's also a separate Smut category for sexual content, so readers can find or avoid it whatever the overall rating.
Choosing a rating
- Rate the most intense moment, not the average. One graphic scene in an otherwise gentle story makes the whole piece Intense.
- When in doubt, rate higher. A reader who's surprised by something milder than expected won't mind. The other way round, they might.
- Re-rate as threads grow. A story that started Mild may be Mature twenty replies later. Edit it to update the category.
- Think about the theme as well as the description. A quiet story about a character's suicide attempt can be Intense with no graphic detail at all.
Ratings, warnings and tags
A rating says how intense something is. It doesn't say what kind of content to expect. Add content warnings for specific topics that some readers need to avoid, such as:
- Death, suicide or self-harm
- Sexual violence or abuse
- Violence against children or animals
- Eating disorders
- Drug use
- Phobias such as spiders, needles or body horror
Put warnings at the very top, or inside a fold-out (<details>) so readers can choose to open them, and add matching tags. How To Use Blog Tags explains how tags help people find, or avoid, your content.
Ratings and privacy
Ratings work alongside your privacy settings. If a piece is only meant for your writing partner, set it to Followers only and approve follow requests yourself, or keep it Private. The Site Guide explains each option.
What isn't allowed at any rating
Ratings help readers choose, but they don't make anything acceptable. Our rules forbid some content outright, including any underage sexual content, and explicit images can't be used as profile pictures or cover photos. Read the rules before posting anything rated Intense or Explicit/Dark.
Agreeing on ratings with partners
Before a thread starts, agree on the highest rating you're both comfortable with, and any topics that are off limits. Revisit it if the story heads somewhere new. Levels of Consent in Roleplay gives you a framework for the conversation, and Shipping Types covers the No Smut and Smut Required settings on character profiles.