AO3 orphaning

**AO3 orphaning**

AO3 orphaning refers to the practice of removing or deleting an author’s account or works on the Archive of Our Own (AO3) platform, often resulting in previously linked fanworks losing their original creator attribution. This can lead to “orphaned” fanworks where the author’s name is no longer associated with the content, complicating crediting and canonical tracking within the fan community. The term highlights issues around authorship, content ownership, and the preservation of fan labor on AO3.