Content Gating

Content Gating Key Art

Content Gating is a system that lets users filter the type of content they see in VRChat.

Note: Age-based forced content gating has been temporarily disabled as of December 7th, 2023.

Content Warnings

Content Warnings can be applied to either avatars or worlds. These are all the content warnings with usage examples:

Content Warning Label	Age-based forced gating	Explanation	Usage Example
Sexually suggestive	✔️	Avatars or worlds that display, imply, or promote sexually provocative poses, clothing, or activities. This includes but is not limited to overly revealing attire, sexually suggestive or provocative animations, or sexually-themed environments and avatars.	Content labeled “sexually suggestive” might be an avatar wearing revealing lingerie or an adult-themed dance club.
Adult language and themes	✔️	Avatars or worlds that include or promote mature subject matter such as drug use, gambling, or dark humor. This label focuses on explicit content that isn’t necessarily sexual, but is still “adult”.	Content labeled as “adult language and themes” might include avatars with very explicit language on their clothing or worlds that simulate drug usage.
Graphic violence	❌*	Avatars or worlds that depict or encourage acts of violence in a detailed, realistic manner. This includes but is not limited to depictions of physical harm, depictions of self-harm, realistic weapons with violent animations, and other related content.	This label is not meant for “cartoon”-style violence but indicates that the content has some level of realism.
Excessive gore	❌*	Avatars or worlds that contain overly graphic or vivid depictions of blood, guts, or bodily dismemberment. This can include animations, textures, or scenes that aim to shock or disgust.	Content labeled as "excessive gore" might feature an avatar with overly graphic, realistic injuries or a world that depicts a gruesome, realistic crime scene.
Extreme horror	❌*	Avatars or worlds designed to instill intense fear, anxiety, or distress. This could include deeply unsettling themes or disturbing imagery beyond conventional and well-known horror aesthetics.	This label isn’t meant for the common types of “jumpscare” horror or “spooky” worlds, it’s a few levels above that. Content labeled as "extreme horror" could include avatars with grotesque features meant to disturb, or worlds meant to horrify or shock visitors.

Explanations and usage examples are from VRChat's Creator Guidelines. No matter what, VRChat's Terms of Service are the "final word". These explanations will help guide you into labeling content correctly to not break TOS.

^{*Subject to change}

Applying Content Warnings to your content

SDK

Avatars & Worlds

In the SDK's "Builder" tab, navigate to "World Info". Select the content warnings you want, then press the "Save Changes" button at the top of the "Builder" tab.

Website

Avatars

Head over to your avatar page on the VRChat website, and scroll down to the "Content Warnings" section. Select the content warnings you want, and it will be automatically changed.

Navigate there by going to this site, and selecting an avatar.

Worlds

Head over to your world page on the VRChat website, and scroll down to the "Content Warnings" section. Select the content warnings you want, then press the "Save Changes" button on the top right of the page.

Navigate there by going to this site, and selecting a world.

Content Filtering

The way content gets filtered within VRChat is based on the date of birth used when registering their account. If the user is under the age of 18, Content Warning labels will be turned on and cannot be turned off (age-based forced content gating).

For users over the age of 18, Content Warning labels will be off by default.

How Content Gating Affects Content Viewing

Viewing content blocked by the Content Gating system results in the following:

	When blocked by Content Gating
Avatars	Avatar gets replaced with the default VRChat Robot
Worlds	Worlds will be hidden from menus and search Worlds cannot be entered
World Invites	Unable to join instance, will be prompted with a notice

Note: Self-uploaded content marked and filtered with content warning labels is still viewable and usable, indicated by black and yellow hazard stripes.

Toggling Content Warning labels

To change which labels you want to filter, first open your Quick Menu. Then select the Main Menu button at the top right. From here, select the Settings Tab at the bottom of the Main Menu. Then, select the "Comfort & Safety" category on the left side. Under the "Content Gating" header, you can begin changing the defaults to your liking.

Reporting missing Content Warnings

Avatars or Worlds may not have any or have incorrect content warnings. These types of content can be reported using the in-client report form.

Resources

• Content Gating Blog Post
• Official VRChat source Content Gating Changes