Tagging Help
Last updated
Why Tags Matter
Ponybooru has a lot of different types of content and almost any type of artwork and most types of meta content are allowed, thus, the use of filters to only see that which you want to is essential. Tags are a necessity for filtering to work, and rating tags are the most important because they capture large categorical distinctions of content type.
Important Tags
These are the most important tags, which you should start out with before considering others.
The rating tags
These special tags group content into broad categories. Images require at least one, and non-safe images can have one of each non-safe type (sexual, dark, and gross).
Note that images only reach a higher rating once they have something in that rating.
The safe rating (cannot be with any other ratings)
-
safe
Safe for work and children.
Pieces of official MLP content without edits, and only reasonable cropping/animation loops/etc., are always safe.
The decency / sexual ratings (one per image)
-
suggestive
Sexual implications and risqué/indecent acts or appearances like nudity.
- Breasts/buttcheeks/crotches any more than half uncovered on those implied to have bits to cover up
- Sexually showing off part of the body or a situation with more than just a saucy look, like presenting a butt or stroking a stuffed belly seductively
- Prominent low-detail sheaths or anuses (outline or hole-free shape only, like a star or circle; non-shading contrast can count as forming lines)
- Prominent low-detail genital, anus, or nipple outlines in clothing
- Sexual innuendo (including visual, such as crotch sub sandwich or shapes resembling genitals)
- Kissing with spit coming out or clear tongue use
- Visible urination
- References to genitalia/sex/sex acts (e.g. "penis", "they're fucking", "rimjob", "golden shower")
-
questionable
Sexual acts that aren't quite sex, things closely resembling genitals, and nudity with actual features like nipples.
- Nipples on breasts
- Bodily fluids or waste in sensual contact with the body (such as watersports, scat, or messy diapers)
- Highly sensual erotic experiences, like nipple rubbing, sucking a non-genital body part as if giving oral sex, or vore with internal rubbing/constriction
- Extremely disproportionately large (hyper) body parts or features (such as fat)
- Moderately-detailed genital shapes, sheaths, or anuses (hole-free shape with an outline, like a star/dot/line in a bump; non-shading contrast can count as forming lines)
- Moderately-detailed genital or anus outlines in clothing
- Objects sexually apparently in contact with the genitals/anus, but not visibly and not causing pleasure
- Descriptions of sex acts (e.g. "penetrating her vagina", "licking his butthole")
-
explicit
Reproductive fluids and outright sex or genitals.
- Genitals (penises, vaginas/vulvas, balls, etc.) including any detailed visuals of them
- Detailed anuses and sheaths
- Sex (genital/anal stimulation, even if not visible)
- Sexual bodily fluids (cum, precum, or vaginal fluids)
- Extremely detailed descriptions of sex
The dark ratings (one per image)
-
semi-grimdark
Dark, but not nightmare-inducing.
-
Minor horror, including:
- Non-cartoonish corpses (no x eyes etc.) with signs of fatal wounds (like blood pooling or a knife sticking out)
- Severed body parts
- Fresh amputation
- Severe open wounds
- Dying violently/painfully in a comedic/cartoonish manner (x eyes etc.)
- Imminent fatal violence, like a gun pressed to the head
- Insanity with clear murderous intent and potential
- Minor physical/sexual abuse, including very dubious consent
- Imminent rape
-
Minor horror, including:
-
grimdark
Dark to the point of nightmares/PTSD.
- Dying violently/painfully not in a comedic/cartoonish manner
- Horrific sights (such as extreme gore or eldritch abominations)
- Traumatic physical/sexual abuse, such as rape or torture
The gross rating
-
grotesque
Disgusting.
- Body horror
- Gore
- Extreme filth
- Detailed solid or semi-solid bodily waste, such as poop or vomit
These tags are important for user's safety and filtering purposes
- lolicon shotacon
- foalcon
- artist:artist name here — specifies the work's artist
- artist needed — when the artist is unknown
- futa — a female, but with a penis; counts as its own gender for gender-based tags
- meta — stuff about stuff
- seizure warning — rapid animations that could potentially cause seizures
- text — when the main point is in text
- bisexual — a character involved with a male and a female simultaneously
- gay
- futa on female — a female involed with a futa
- futa on futa — a futa involved with another futa
- futa on male — a male involved with a futa
- lesbian
- straight
- anthro — non-humans with partial human body shapes not normal for their species
- Character tags (e.g. applejack) — when the character is in the image
- crossover — when elements from another media universe are combined with MLP elements
- equestria girls — for characters and locations from the Equestria Girls series
- ponified — when a non-pony character has been turned into a pony
- humanized — when a non-human character has been turned into a human
- shipping — characters are in a romantic or sexual relationship
- solo — when there is only one character in the image
- solo female solo futa solo male — on suggestive/questionable/explicit images, specifying the gender of the one character
- oc — when any character in the image is an original character (not from the show, fan-made)
For depictions of anthro, EQG, or human underage characters in suggestive/questionable/explicit images where they are involved in performing sexual acts, in suggestive poses, or in a state of undress.
For images of all underage characters in a sexual context, with the exception of anthro, EQG, or human underage (see lolicon or shotacon above)
Other important tags
You will likely be banned for repeatedly not tagging these, as with ratings.
Orientation Tags
These tags apply for any sexual or romantic acts as well as relationships, and no two are mutually exclusive. Note that female by default does not include futa.
You likely won't be banned for forgetting these tags, but they are still important.
Common tags
These are generally expected on upload, but are less important.