harpy.chat Content Classification Guidelines
Table of Contents
Part I — Foundations
- Overview
- 1.1 Content Ratings
- 1.2 Moderation Outcomes
Part II — Content Rating (SFW / NSFW)
- Sex Presentation Determination
- 2.1 Male-Presenting
- 2.2 Female-Presenting
- 2.3 Ambiguous
- Image Classification — NSFW Criteria
- Text Classification — NSFW Criteria
- SFW Definition
Part III — Character & Age Rules
- Character Roles
- 6.1 Main Character Definition
- 6.2 Side Character Definition
- Character Age Rules
- 7.1 Age Thresholds
- 7.2 SFW Conditions for 16 or 17 Year Old Main Characters
- 7.3 Romantic or Sexual Context
- 7.4 Valid Reason for Interaction
- 7.5 User Framed as a Minor
- Determining a Character's Age
- 8.1 Age Presentation and Minor-Coding
Part IV — Limits & Moderator Guidance
- Prohibited Content
- Decision Guidelines
- 10.1 Revision Required vs Not Permitted
- 10.2 Quick Age Decision Table
- 10.3 Examples
Part I — Foundations
1. Overview
All content on harpy.chat is evaluated on two independent layers: a content rating layer (SFW or NSFW) and an age safety layer. A card must pass both, plus the prohibited-content rules, to be published. The two layers are evaluated separately: a card can be perfectly non-sexual and still fail review on the age layer, and a card that clears the age layer can still be NSFW on the content layer.
Classification applies to both images and all text fields in character cards except for [Basic Information > Character Portrait], which has its own classification.
1.1 Content Ratings
All content is classified into one of two content ratings:
- SFW (Safe For Work) — No age verification required
- NSFW (Not Safe For Work) — 18+ verification required
1.2 Moderation Outcomes
A card may receive one of the following outcomes:
- SFW — Allowed without age verification
- NSFW — Allowed only with 18+ verification
- Revision Required — Not allowed as written, but may be allowed after edits
- Not Permitted — Not allowed on harpy.chat
Revision Required is a moderation outcome, not a public classification.
Unsafe underage content must be marked Revision Required or Not Permitted. It must never be marked NSFW to make it accessible behind age verification.
Part II — Content Rating (SFW / NSFW)
2. Sex Presentation Determination
Certain image classification rules, particularly those related to chest exposure, differ based on a character's visual sex presentation. We recognize that the criteria below are inherently imperfect and open to interpretation. Human bodies and gender expression exist on a spectrum, and no set of guidelines can fully capture that diversity.
We want to be clear: these guidelines are not intended to define what a man or woman "should" look like, nor do they aim to reinforce stereotypes. However, in order to maintain a safe and appropriately rated environment for our community, we need a consistent framework for moderation decisions. These criteria represent our best effort to draw that line fairly.
We appreciate your understanding, and we welcome feedback as we continue to refine these guidelines.
2.1 Male-Presenting
ANY of the following:
- Flat chest with masculine muscle definition
- Visible facial hair (beard, stubble, mustache)
- Masculine bone structure: broad shoulders, narrow hips, angular jaw
- Character explicitly labeled as male/man/boy in card text
2.2 Female-Presenting
ANY of the following:
- Visible breast tissue (any size, including small)
- Feminine bone structure: narrow shoulders, wider hips, rounded jaw
- Character explicitly labeled as female/woman/girl in card text
2.3 Ambiguous
None of the above indicators clearly present, OR conflicting indicators present.
When a character's presentation is ambiguous, we apply the more restrictive female-presenting rules to err on the side of caution.
3. Image Classification — NSFW Criteria
An image is NSFW if ANY ONE of the following is present.
Nudity (All Characters)
- Visible buttock crack or full buttocks without clothing
- Visible pubic area (with or without hair)
- Visible genitals
Nudity — Female-Presenting or Ambiguous Characters
- Fully exposed breasts (with or without nipples depicted)
- Visible nipples
- Nipples visible through transparent/thin/wet clothing
Sexual Posing (All Characters)
- Spread legs with camera focus on groin (clothed or unclothed)
- Hands touching own or others' genitals or breasts
- Simulated sex positions (characters positioned as if engaged in intercourse)
- Back arch with buttocks prominently displayed as focal point
- On knees in front of another character's groin area
- Visible erection through clothing
Attire (All Characters)
- BDSM gear visible: collars with leashes, ball gags, rope bondage, harnesses, handcuffs in use
- Clothing that exposes genitals or full buttocks
- Clothing that exposes nipples or full breasts (female-presenting or ambiguous characters)
Fluids (All Characters)
- Visible bodily fluids in sexual context
Extreme Gore
- Dismemberment (separated limbs, decapitation)
- Large open wounds with visible tissue layers
Death Depiction
- Corpses with visible decay
- Bodies in clearly fatal states (hanging, impalement through vital organs)
- Realistic death scenes
Extreme Violence in Progress
- Torture with visible tissue damage
- Cannibalism
- Self-mutilation with visible results
4. Text Classification — NSFW Criteria
Applies to all text fields: description, first message, example dialogues, scenario, and any other text content.
Text is NSFW if ANY ONE of the following is present.
Sexual Content
- Any description of genitals (including slang: cock, pussy, dick, tits, etc.)
- Any description of nipples in sexual context
- Any description of sexual acts (intercourse, oral, manual stimulation, etc.)
- Any description of sexual arousal or orgasm
- Any sexual fluids mentioned
- Characters described as wanting sex, being aroused, or in sexual scenarios
Kink/Fetish Content
- Power dynamics (dom/sub, master/slave, owner/pet)
- Age play (daddy/mommy in sexual context, "little" dynamics)
- Foot fetish, clothing fetish in sexual context
- Pet play
- Any other paraphilia
Extreme Violence
- Torture with detailed physical descriptions (removal of body parts, prolonged pain infliction with injury detail)
- Cannibalism described
- Graphic death with suffering described
- Vivisection or medical torture
Other
- Alcohol intoxication in sexual context
- Mental manipulation/abuse as a theme
5. SFW Definition
A card is SFW if, and only if, it does not meet any of the limits defined elsewhere in this document. Specifically, content is SFW when ALL of the following are true:
- It does not meet any NSFW image criteria in Section 3.
- It does not meet any NSFW text criteria in Section 4.
- It does not violate any age rule in Section 7.
- It does not contain any prohibited content in Section 9.
SFW is a residual category: anything that triggers a criterion in Sections 3, 4, 7, or 9 is, by definition, not SFW. Refer to those sections for every limit — none are defined here.
Part III — Character & Age Rules
6. Character Roles
A character's role determines which age rules apply. Settle the role first, then apply the age rules in Section 7.
6.1 Main Character Definition
A main character is any character the bot is about, written as, centered on, or designed for the user to interact with as a primary roleplay subject.
A character is treated as a main character if they are presented as a primary interaction target anywhere in the card, including:
- Bot title or name
- Description
- Scenario
- First message
- Alternate intro messages
- Example dialogues
- Personality traits
- Tags
- Character roster
- World or group setup
- Any other text field
A bot can have multiple main characters.
For group bots, world bots, location bots, area bots, family bots, school bots, workplace bots, party bots, or multi-character bots, a character is treated as a main character when the card positions them as a primary roleplay subject, standalone interaction route, emotional focus, romantic focus, sexual focus, or central recurring arc.
A character is also treated as a main character if the card centers the roleplay around that character's personal relationship with the user, emotional dependency on the user, private interaction with the user, or recurring character arc, even if the card calls them a side character.
Ordinary family, household, school, workplace, or background participation does not, by itself, make a character a main character. A side or background character may speak, appear in scenes, take part in routine group activity, or participate in ordinary non-romantic, non-sexual interactions without becoming a main character, provided the card does not center the roleplay on that character.
If any main character violates the age rules, the entire card must be revised or rejected.
Examples:
- A bot written as "Alex, your classmate" has Alex as a main character.
- A bot with three listed roommates has all three roommates as main characters if the user is expected to interact with all of them as primary roleplay subjects.
- A school setting bot treats named students as main characters if they are presented as direct recurring roleplay targets or central personal arcs.
- A town, village, kingdom, or fantasy party bot treats listed recurring characters as main characters if they are part of the main interaction setup as primary roleplay subjects.
- A bot written around an adult parent, spouse, guardian, or family partner has that adult character as the main character if any child character is only a supporting family character.
- A bot written around your wife, husband, partner, co-parent, guardian, or family household may include ordinary interaction with a child — including family meals, errands, homework, playtime, school pickup, living-room activities, or household scenes, even when the child plays a prominent role in the family dynamic, without treating the child as a main character, provided the adult character remains the primary roleplay subject and the child is not positioned as the user's primary one-on-one interaction focus.
6.2 Side Character Definition
A side character is a supporting or background character who is not the primary roleplay subject, emotional focus, romantic focus, sexual focus, private interaction focus, or direct recurring character arc of the card.
Side characters may be any age, including under 16, as long as they do not violate the SFW, NSFW, or prohibited-content rules.
Examples of allowed side characters:
- The child of a parent, spouse, partner, guardian, or co-parent character in an ordinary family or household setting, including routine non-romantic, non-sexual family interactions
- A younger sibling mentioned in a family backstory
- A student mentioned as part of a classroom setting
- A child mentioned in a character's backstory
- A background NPC who is not designed for direct roleplay focus
- A child participating in a family dinner, school pickup, holiday gathering, sibling argument, homework scene, living-room playtime, or other ordinary household moment where the adult or 16+ main character remains the roleplay focus
Side characters are not allowed to be used to evade the age rules. A side character is treated as a main character when the card centers them as a primary roleplay subject, standalone interaction target, recurring personal focus, private user-facing relationship, emotional dependency, romantic focus, sexual focus, or main arc.
7. Character Age Rules
These rules are part of the age safety layer and apply in addition to the SFW/NSFW content rating. A violation here cannot be resolved by changing a card's rating.
7.1 Age Thresholds
This section is the authoritative source for harpy.chat's age thresholds. Main characters must follow these rules:
- SFW main characters must be 16 or older
- NSFW main characters must be 18 or older
- Main characters under 16 are not allowed in any way
- Main characters aged 16 or 17 are allowed only in SFW content
- Main characters aged 16 or 17 must have their exact age clearly stated
- Main characters aged 16 or 17 are judged strictly for safety, framing, and roleplay direction
A main character under 16 is not allowed even if the card is completely non-sexual, non-romantic, educational, family-friendly, or otherwise SFW.
For how to determine a character's age when it is not explicitly stated, see Section 8.
7.2 SFW Conditions for 16 or 17 Year Old Main Characters
A main character aged 16 or 17 is allowed only when the card clearly directs the roleplay into a safe, non-romantic, non-sexual environment.
For a 16 or 17 year old main character to be SFW, ALL of the following must be true:
- The character's exact age is clearly stated as 16 or 17
- The card contains no sexual content
- The card contains no romantic content
- The card creates no romantic or sexual context between the user and the character
- The user's relationship to the character is clearly defined
- The relationship is safe, age-appropriate, and non-romantic
- The roleplay has a clear reason for why the user and character are interacting
- The description, intro, scenario, traits, tags, and example dialogue all support the same safe direction
The card must actively direct the roleplay away from romance, sex, seduction, fetish content, and age-inappropriate intimacy. It is not enough for the card to simply avoid explicit sexual or romantic wording.
If any intro message violates these rules, the entire card violates these rules.
7.3 Romantic or Sexual Context
For characters under 18, romantic or sexual context means the card's own content creates, invites, or clearly points toward romantic, sexual, seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate intimate roleplay with the user.
This rule applies only to context created by the card itself. It does not include hypothetical user misuse that is not supported, invited, or directed by the card.
This includes content in:
- Description
- First message
- Alternate intro messages
- Scenario
- Personality traits
- Tags
- Example dialogues
- Backstory
- Relationship description
- Any other text field
The following are not allowed for main characters aged 16 or 17:
- Flirting with the user
- Crushes on the user
- Dating setups
- Romantic jealousy
- Seductive behavior
- Sexual tension
- "Forbidden romance" framing
- Sharing a bed with the user
- Secret meetings with the user
- Isolated private meetings without a safe reason
- Bedroom, hotel, or private-night setups with the user
- The character being written as submissive, obedient, seductive, or needy toward the user
- Vulnerability, bullying, abuse, homelessness, injury, or fear used to create romantic, sexual, or age-inappropriate dependency with the user
- Any setup where the user's role is undefined and could reasonably become romantic, sexual, or age-inappropriate
Conversely, the card must define a safe, clearly stated relationship between the user and the character, such as a classmate, same-age peer, sibling, relative, parent or guardian, teacher, counselor, coach, medic, or social worker. Authority-based relationships (teacher, counselor, coach, doctor, guardian) are allowed only when kept professional, protective, and non-romantic. The relationship must never be left vague.
7.4 Valid Reason for Interaction
Cards with a 16 or 17 year old main character must give a clear, safe reason why the user and character are interacting.
Allowed examples:
- A teacher helps a student report bullying
- A classmate works with the character on a school project
- A sibling helps the character through a family issue
- A coach helps the character prepare for a competition
- A doctor treats a non-sexual injury
- A group of same-age friends goes on a non-romantic adventure
Not allowed as written:
- A 16 year old waits alone in the woods to meet the user for no clear reason
- A 17 year old comes to the user's bedroom at night
- A bullied 16 year old is placed in an emotionally dependent setup with the user and no professional or safeguarding context
- A runaway 17 year old is taken in by the user with no guardian, authority, or safety structure
- A lonely teen character is framed around needing closeness, affection, or private emotional dependence from the user
These examples are not exhaustive. Moderators must judge the full card context.
7.5 User Framed as a Minor
If the card assigns, implies, or frames the user as under 18, the same underage-content rules apply to the user's role.
This includes cases where the card defines the user as:
- A minor
- A child
- A teenager under 18
- A student under 18
- A younger sibling under 18
- Any other under-18 role
If the card frames the user as under 18, the card must not create romantic, sexual, seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate intimate potential between the user and any character.
If the card requires or frames the user as under 16 in a direct roleplay relationship with the main character, the card must be reviewed under the most restrictive age rules and may be revised or rejected.
8. Determining a Character's Age
The age rules in Section 7 depend on a character's age. When age is not explicitly stated, use this section to resolve it.
8.1 Age Presentation and Minor-Coding
A character may be treated as under 18 even if no exact age is stated.
A character is considered under 18 if they are stated, presented, implied, or reasonably read as under 18 through the card's text, image, scenario, tags, or framing.
Examples of under-18 presentation include:
- Stated as under 18
- Called a minor, child, kid, tween, or young teen
- Described as a middle school student
- Described as a high school student without a clearly stated age of 18 or older
- Described as a freshman or sophomore without a clearly stated age of 18 or older
- Described as looking younger than 18
- Framed as childlike, schoolchild-like, or clearly minor-coded
- Given an 18+ age while the rest of the card clearly presents them as underage
If a character is claimed to be 18 or older but is clearly written, framed, or presented as under 18, moderators may treat the character as underage.
Part IV — Limits & Moderator Guidance
9. Prohibited Content
The following content is not permitted on harpy.chat under any circumstances. These prohibitions apply regardless of whether a card would otherwise qualify as SFW or NSFW:
- Sexual or romantic content involving any character who is stated, presented, implied, or could reasonably be read as under 18
- Any sexual, romantic, seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate intimate framing involving a character under 18
- Any card with a 16- or 17-year-old main character whose description, introduction, scenario, traits, tags, or example dialogue creates romantic or sexual potential with the user
- Any main character under 16, regardless of whether the card would be rated SFW or NSFW
- Any group, world, location, area, party, school, workplace, family, or other multi-character bot in which a character under 16 is centered as a main character, standalone roleplay target, primary emotional focus, private user-facing relationship, romantic focus, sexual focus, or recurring personal arc
- Any card that assigns, implies, or frames the user as under 18 while creating romantic, sexual, seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate intimate potential with any character
- Any character visually depicted as prepubescent in a sexual or romantic context
- Any character stated to be 18 or older but clearly written, framed, or presented as under 18 within a sexual, romantic, seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate intimate context
- Real, non-fictional persons in a sexual context without a clear parody or satire disclaimer
- Direct calls for real-world violence against named individuals or groups
- Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or documentation of real abuse
- Content that provides instructions for carrying out illegal activities
10. Decision Guidelines
When classifying a card, moderators should apply the following decision rules:
- When content falls on the borderline between SFW and NSFW, assign the higher (more restrictive) rating.
- When borderline content involves a character who is, or may be, under 18, require revision or reject the card.
- Never reclassify unsafe underage content as NSFW in order to permit it.
- When a character's sex presentation cannot be determined, apply the ambiguous (more restrictive) rules.
- When a character's age cannot be determined and the character may be underage, apply the more restrictive age rule.
- If a main character appears to be under 16, the card is not allowed.
- If a main character appears to be 16 or 17, the card must state the character's exact age and meet all SFW requirements for minor characters.
- If a character is claimed to be 18 or older but is clearly written, framed, or presented as younger, moderators may treat that character as underage.
- If a side character becomes centered as a primary roleplay subject, standalone interaction target, private user-facing relationship, emotional dependency, romantic focus, sexual focus, or recurring personal arc, treat that character as a main character.
- Ordinary family, household, school, workplace, or background participation does not, by itself, make a side character a main character.
- If any main character in a group, world, area, location, party, school, workplace, family, or other multi-character bot violates the age rules, the entire card must be revised or rejected.
- If any introductory message violates these rules, the entire card must be revised or rejected.
- If a 16- or 17-year-old main character lacks a clearly defined, safe relationship with the user, the card must be revised or rejected.
- If a 16- or 17-year-old main character lacks a clear, safe reason for interacting with the user, the card must be revised or rejected.
- If the description or introduction leaves open a clear path toward romance, sex, seduction, fetish content, secrecy, dependency, or age-inappropriate intimacy with a 16- or 17-year-old main character, the card must be revised or rejected.
- If the card assigns, implies, or frames the user as under 18, apply the same underage-content rules to the user's role.
10.1 Revision Required vs Not Permitted
Assign Revision Required when a card appears fixable and does not clearly contain prohibited sexual, romantic, seductive, or fetish material, or a deliberate attempt to exploit an age loophole. Examples include:
- The setup is unsafe or unclear.
- The user's relationship to the character is vague.
- The reason for the interaction is vague.
- An underage side character has unintentionally been written into the main interaction setup as a primary roleplay subject.
- The character's age is ambiguous but could be clarified.
- A 16- or 17-year-old main character is missing the required safe-context details.
Assign Not Permitted when a card contains prohibited content or a deliberate attempt to evade the age rules. Examples include:
- Sexual or romantic content involving a character under 18.
- Seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate intimate framing involving a character under 18.
- Any main character under 16.
- Any character under 16 centered as a main character, standalone roleplay target, primary emotional focus, private user-facing relationship, or recurring personal arc.
- A character claimed to be 18 or older but clearly framed as underage within sexual or romantic content.
- A card designed to bypass the age rules through misleading labels, side-character wording, vague ages, or contradictory framing.
10.2 Quick Age Decision Table
| Content | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Main character under 16 | Not permitted |
| Main character aged 16 or 17 in a clearly safe SFW setup | SFW |
| Main character aged 16 or 17 with an unclear relationship to the user | Revision required or rejected |
| Main character aged 16 or 17 with an unclear reason for interaction | Revision required or rejected |
| Main character aged 16 or 17 with romantic or sexual potential involving the user | Not permitted |
| Main character 18 or older, no NSFW criteria met | SFW |
| Main character 18 or older, NSFW criteria met | NSFW |
| Character under 16 appearing only in a normal family, school, household, or background context | Allowed, provided all other rules are met |
| Character under 16 participating in ordinary non-romantic, non-sexual family or household scenes without being centered as a main roleplay subject | Allowed, provided all other rules are met |
| Character under 16 centered as a main roleplay subject, standalone interaction target, private user-facing relationship, primary emotional focus, or recurring personal arc | Treated as a main character; not permitted |
| Character under 18 in sexual or romantic content | Not permitted |
| User framed as under 18 in sexual, romantic, seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate intimate content | Not permitted |
| Any introductory message that violates the age rules | Entire card must be revised or rejected |
| Any main character in a multi-character setup who violates the age rules | Entire card must be revised or rejected |
10.3 Examples
Allowed SFW
- A 16-year-old classmate works with the user on a school project.
- A 17-year-old athlete discusses training with their coach.
- An adult parent, spouse, partner, guardian, or co-parent character has a child who appears in ordinary family scenes.
- A teacher helps a 16-year-old student report bullying within a professional school setting.
- A 17-year-old character takes part in a supervised school club with a clear, non-romantic purpose.
- A family roleplay includes a younger sibling in routine household scenes who is not the main focus of interaction.
- A parent-character bot includes the character's child asking for dinner, homework help, playtime, or attention while the adult character remains the main roleplay subject.
- A domestic slice-of-life bot includes children, siblings, classmates, or relatives as supporting characters in non-romantic, non-sexual group scenes.
- A family bot includes the user, their spouse, and their adopted child playing together in the living room, as long as the adult relationship or household scene remains the roleplay focus.
Revision Required
- A 16-year-old character meets the user alone in the woods for no clear reason.
- A 17-year-old character comes to the user's home at night seeking comfort.
- A bullied 16-year-old is written into an emotionally dependent relationship with the user, with no professional or safeguarding context.
- A card labels the underage character as a side character, yet the introduction centers that character's personal relationship with the user.
- A 17-year-old main character has no stated relationship to the user.
- A group, world, school, town, or fantasy-party bot lists a character under 16 as a direct standalone interaction target.
- One alternate introduction is safe, but another creates unsafe underage framing.
- A high-school character whose exact age is not stated is presented as a direct focus of interaction.
- A family bot includes a child side character, but the intro makes the child the main emotional focus of the user's roleplay.
- A family bot claims the child is a side character, but the scenario is primarily about the user's private bond with that child rather than the adult relationship or household setting.
Not Permitted
- A main character aged 15 or younger.
- An underage character (under 18) experiencing violence or abuse of any kind, whether past or present.
- A group, world, location, family, or multi-character bot in which any character under 16 is centered as a main character, standalone roleplay target, primary emotional focus, private user-facing relationship, or recurring personal arc.
- A 16- or 17-year-old main character in romantic content.
- A 16- or 17-year-old main character in sexual content.
- A 16- or 17-year-old main character written with seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate dependency framing toward the user.
- A card that frames the user as under 18 while creating romantic, sexual, seductive, fetish, or age-inappropriate intimate potential with another character.
- A character described as 18 or older but clearly framed as childlike or underage within a sexual or romantic context.
- Any prepubescent-looking character in a sexual or romantic context.
- A family bot where the child is framed as the user's main relationship, private roleplay route, emotional dependency, or central recurring arc.