Nobody hands you the rules when you start roleplaying with people. You learn them when someone stops replying, or when an ad you spent an hour on gets removed for a missing tag. Most of the etiquette is common sense, but some of it belongs to a single platform, and that part trips up even experienced writers.
We read 576 public posts on X about text roleplay with human partners, published between August and October 2026, and counted which rules people argue for. Then we added the conventions of each platform from our studies of ads on Reddit, Tumblr and X.
The short answer
The rules roleplayers argue for most are about trust: no AI-written posts, romance that grows out of the story instead of being pushed, a word before you go quiet, respect for a partner’s pace and real life, and no public drama. Underneath them sit the classics: write only your own character, keep in-character and out-of-character apart, agree on limits before a scene and ask before using someone else’s character or art.
Each platform adds its own layer. Reddit wants a pairing tag in the title and your proof that you read the post; Tumblr’s ad blogs want their template and often a like instead of a message; X runs on pinned ads with shipping rules; Discord and forums have rules for every server and board.
FictionCore, our app, builds the basics into the board: reply pace and out-of-character preferences are ad fields, Hidden tags keep topics you don’t write out of your feed, and everyone passes a quiz on the community rules before they can post. It’s for adults (18+) and on Google Play for Android.
The rules roleplayers argue for most
| Rule people argue for | Posts | Writers |
|---|---|---|
| No AI-written posts, art or voices | 20 | 16 |
| Chemistry first: let a ship grow | 13 | 13 |
| Don’t ghost: say when you’re away | 12 | 12 |
| No drama, callouts or harassment | 11 | 11 |
| Respect a partner’s pace and real life | 11 | 11 |
| Don’t push ships on other characters | 10 | 10 |
| Keep in-character and out-of-character apart | 7 | 7 |
| Don’t project ships onto real people | 5 | 5 |
| Ask before using others’ characters or art | 4 | 4 |
| No godmodding or killing others’ characters | 3 | 3 |
From 576 public X posts in English and Russian, 1 August – 19 October 2026. One post can argue for several rules. Two related complaints came up just as often: a canon character someone wanted was already taken (10 posts), and finding a partner is hard (15).
Eight rules that hold everywhere
- Write only your own character. Describe what yours does and leave the reaction to its writer. The Guide’s answer on describing another character’s reaction shows where the line is.
- Say when you’re away, and when you’re done. Ghosting is the dealbreaker partners name most often in our count of red flags, and one line prevents it: “Busy week, back on Sunday” or “I won’t be continuing this one. Thanks for writing with me.”
- Agree on limits before the scene. Topics are easier to rule out before they appear than in the middle of a post. The Guide lesson Boundaries and consent covers how.
- Let romance grow. On X, 13 posts said chemistry has to come first and 10 objected to writers who follow or message a character only to pair it up. Pitch a pairing as an idea, not a requirement.
- Keep in-character and out-of-character apart. What a character says isn’t what its writer thinks, and an argument between characters isn’t one between writers. Mark OOC notes clearly; the Guide lesson Characters, writers and shared control explains why it matters.
- Ask before you borrow. Someone else’s original character, art or story needs their permission, and a partner’s character isn’t yours to kill off.
- Be open about AI. If AI writes or rewrites your posts, say so before you start. Many partners and communities don’t accept it, and r/Roleplay bans it outright.
- Keep disagreements private. Talk to your partner or a moderator before you post about it. Public callouts turn a scene problem into a community one.
Platform by platform
- Put a pairing tag such as [F4A] in the title: 66% of the 1,229 Reddit writers we read between August and October 2026 did.
- Read the whole ad and answer its password: 15% of writers ask for one or for proof you read the post.
- Don’t put links or contact details in posts on r/Roleplay or r/RoleplayPartnerSearch, and post at most once every 24 hours. Rules are strict, and posts that break them are removed.
- Saying you’re back after a break (10% of writers) or asking partners not to ghost (9%) is normal. Our partner ad template has the rest.
Tumblr
- Most partner ads go through ad blogs: use the blog’s template, and expect to state an age floor, which 96% of writers on those blogs did.
- If an ad asks for a like or reblog instead of a message (37% of writers, 47% on ad blogs), do that first.
- Keep your own blog’s rules or about page up to date; that’s where partners look before they reply.
X
- The standing ad is the pinned post of a roleplay account, often one account per character. Pin your rules: experience, how to reach you, writing level, and shipping policy if you have one.
- Shipping policies are part of the etiquette there: 31 writers we read stated one, from multi-ship to “chemistry first”. Respect them.
- Reply where the post asks: a DM, or a like if it says so (15% of pinned ads).
Discord
- Each server sets its own rules, including on bots, AI, OOC channels and character sheets. Read them before you post.
- Since September 2026, age-restricted channels open only to accounts in Discord’s adult age group. Never send ID to server staff: Discord confirms age itself.
- Proxy bots such as Tupperbox post as your character; use them where the server allows.
Forums and Telegram
- On forum hubs, one ad is one topic, you bump it at most once a week, and a sample post is often required. Replies usually come by private message.
- In Russian-speaking Telegram channels, ads go through a bot and an editor, a repeat usually waits 14 days, and emoji or decorative fonts can get an ad refused.
FictionCore: etiquette built into the board
FictionCore is our app for text roleplay: adult roleplayers use it to find partners and groups, share plots and build characters and worlds. Much of the etiquette above is part of how its boards work:
- Pace before the first message. Reply pace has its own field, and an optional schedule note says when you write and how you announce breaks: the “say when you’re away” rule, settled in advance.
- OOC preferences, stated. An ad shows whether a writer enjoys out-of-character chat or prefers to stay mostly in character.
- Limits without a fight. Hidden tags keep plots and ads with topics you don’t write out of your results, and the ad template prompts writers to describe their boundaries.
- Rules everyone has read. Nobody can publish or comment before passing the Community Quiz on the app’s rules, and you can block or report any account.
- No stale ads, no guessing at contacts. Ads run for up to 24 hours, and you choose who sees your contacts.
- People only. There are no AI roleplay partners, and the app is for adults only.
FictionCore is available on Google Play for Android. It doesn’t host the roleplay itself, so the etiquette of the platform you play on still applies.
How we counted
- X posts. 576 public posts in English and Russian about text roleplay with human partners, published between 1 August and 19 October 2026 and found through topic searches. We read each one and coded the rules it argued for; one post can argue for several. It’s a sample of what search turns up, not a census of X.
- Platform conventions. One-on-one ads by 1,229 Reddit writers and 851 Tumblr writers from the same months, and pinned ads by 48 X writers, counted by writer. Subreddit rules and Discord’s age groups are as of October 2026; forum and Telegram rules come from our study of Russian partner search on 20 October 2026.
- Privacy. We publish only aggregate counts, without quotes or usernames.
Questions roleplayers ask
What is roleplay etiquette?
The shared rules that make writing together work: write only your own character, keep in-character and out-of-character apart, agree on limits, say when you’re away or leaving, and respect a partner’s pace, characters and ships. Each platform adds conventions of its own, such as Reddit’s pairing tags and passwords.
What are the basic rules of text roleplay?
Write only your own character, leave your partner something to answer, agree on topics before they appear, tell your partner when you’re busy, and don’t use someone else’s characters or art without asking. On FictionCore, our app, pace and limits are part of the ad, so partners agree on them before the first scene.
Is it rude to leave a roleplay without saying anything?
It’s the complaint partners raise most often. You don’t owe an explanation, but a short message helps: “I won’t be continuing this one. Thanks for writing with me.” If someone harasses or threatens you, you can leave without one.
What does “the author is not the muse” mean?
That a character’s words, opinions and actions aren’t the writer’s own. It’s how roleplayers separate in-character from out-of-character, and 7 of the X posts we read argued for it.
Is it okay to use AI in roleplay?
Only if your partner and community agree. Rejecting AI was the most common stance in the X posts we read, and some communities ban it. If AI writes or rewrites your posts, say so before you start.
What is godmodding in roleplay?
Usually an unfair advantage in a shared scene, such as an invincible character or deciding what another writer’s character feels or suffers. Our glossary of roleplay terms covers it and the rest of the shorthand.
Where can I roleplay with people who follow these rules?
Look for spaces with clear rules and moderation: Reddit’s partner-search boards, moderated Discord servers, forums and FictionCore, an app for finding adult roleplay partners and groups where everyone passes a quiz on the rules before posting.
Most etiquette fits in one line to your partner. Send it before you need to.