OutaStory is a place to read, write, and share stories together. These rules describe the kind of community we are building and what we expect from everyone who takes part. They apply to every story, comment, profile, and message on the platform, and they are written to keep OutaStory creative, respectful, and safe for readers of every age.
Respectful conduct
Treat other members the way you would want to be treated. Disagreement and honest critique are welcome — personal attacks, contempt, and pile-ons are not. Assume good faith, keep feedback constructive, and remember that there is a real person behind every story and every comment. A community that feels safe is one where writers keep writing and readers keep coming back.
What is not allowed
Some content has no place on OutaStory. This includes anything illegal under German or applicable law; hate speech, harassment, threats, or content that demeans people because of who they are; and any sexualisation of minors, which we treat with zero tolerance and report to the authorities where required. It also includes spam and deceptive promotion, content that infringes someone else's copyright or trademark, and impersonation of another person, author, or organisation. If you would not want it shown to a child or to the person it targets, it most likely does not belong here.
Age-appropriate content
Every story on OutaStory carries an age rating — 0, 6, 12, 16, or 18 — and readers see only what is suitable for them. Writers are responsible for labelling their work honestly: if a story contains mature themes, violence, or strong language, it must carry the rating that reflects that. Mislabelling content to reach a younger audience is a serious breach. For the full picture of how we protect younger readers, see our youth protection policy.
Responsible AI use
OutaStory offers AI writing tools, and using them is welcome — but the human voice has to stay at the centre of every story. Use AI to assist your craft, not to replace it, and be honest about the part it played in your work. Passing off fully machine-generated content as your own original writing, or flooding the platform with low-effort AI output, undermines the community for everyone. For the details on what is encouraged and what is off-limits, read our AI guidelines.
Moderation and reporting
Content on OutaStory is screened by automated safety checks and reviewed by people. Chapters and cover images pass through Azure Content Safety before they go live, and our moderation team reviews anything that is flagged. If you come across something that breaks these rules, please report it using the report option on the story, comment, or profile — every report reaches a human moderator. If you believe a decision about your own content was wrong, you can ask us to take another look.
Enforcement
When something breaks these rules we respond in proportion to what happened. That can mean a warning, removing or re-rating the content in question, or — for repeated or serious breaches — suspending or permanently closing an account. Members can also block others to control their own experience. Serious or illegal content is acted on immediately, and we reserve the right to act without prior warning where the safety of the community requires it.
These Community Rules form part of, and should be read together with, our Member Terms.