Content warnings and sensitive topics
How the mature-content flag works, what readers see, and how to give a considerate heads-up on sensitive themes.
Reviewed regularly to match the current app.
Overview
GS Poetry doesn’t censor subjects or themes — poetry goes to hard places, and that’s part of its work. What we ask is that you give readers a heads-up when a poem calls for one. There’s one built-in tool for this — the mature-content flag — plus a bit of good practice for sensitive themes the flag doesn’t cover. This guide explains both.
Marking a poem as mature
When you write or edit a poem, you’ll find a checkbox labeled “This poem contains mature content not suitable for minors 13 years old and younger.” Tick it for any poem whose content isn’t appropriate for younger readers. It takes effect as soon as you publish or save.
What readers see
When a poem is marked mature, a signed-out visitor sees an Age Confirmation notice before the poem opens, asking them to confirm they’re 13 or older — they can continue or go back. Signed-in members see the poem normally, since everyone on GS Poetry confirms they meet the minimum age of 13 when they join. Nothing else about your poem changes: it still appears in the usual places, and it can still be read, liked, and commented on once the reader confirms.
The mature-content flag is about age-appropriateness, not hiding your work. It doesn’t pull your poem from your profile or the streams, and it doesn’t change who is allowed to read it — it simply adds a brief age check for signed-out readers so nobody stumbles into mature work unprepared. To actually limit who can see a poem, use its visibility setting instead.
Sensitive themes beyond the flag
Plenty of powerful poetry sits in territory that isn’t “mature” in the age-gate sense but may still be heavy for some readers — violence, trauma, grief, self-harm, and the like. There isn’t a separate on-screen label for these, so the kind thing to do is say so in your own words: add a short note at the top of the poem or in its Backstory so a reader can decide whether they’re in the right frame of mind. Our Community Guidelines ask everyone to write with their audience in mind and to flag work that addresses sensitive subjects.
A one-line note goes a long way — something like “Content note: this poem touches on grief.” at the top of the piece. It costs you nothing and lets readers meet your work on their own terms, which tends to earn more thoughtful responses, not fewer.
Where to go next
To choose who can see a poem in the first place, see Controlling who can see your poems. For what’s welcome on GS Poetry and what isn’t, read the Community Guidelines. Questions? Contact support.