Adult content is not allowed on Tumblr. Check out our Community Guidelines for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I turn off safe mode?
A: You can't. Because adult content is not permitted the "safe mode" feature is a thing of the past.
Q: I'm over 18. How can I see adult content?
A: Adult content is not permitted on Tumblr, regardless of your age.
Q: My blog is flagged as explicit. How can I change my avatar and header images?
A: You can't. Blogs that are flagged as explicit use default avatar and header images. Learn more about the behavior of flagged blogs here. Learn how to submit an appeal here.
Q: My blog is flagged as explicit. How can I view my blog's archive?
A: You can't. Blogs that are flagged as explicit can only be viewed in the dashboard. Learn more about the behavior of flagged blogs here. Learn how to submit an appeal here.
Q: My posts keep getting flagged, but I see way more explicit stuff on other blogs. What's up with that?
A: Those blogs are violating our Community Guidelines and may be terminated. They are not good examples to follow.
Q: Can I post my adult content on a private blog, or in private posts?
A: No. Adult content is not allowed on Tumblr, even in private blogs, private posts, or any other "hidden" spots.
Overview of Our Policy
We define adult content as:
Photos, videos, or GIFs that show real-life (or photorealistic) human genitals and any content—including photos, videos, GIFs, and illustrations—that depicts sex acts.
Exceptions
- Nudity in the context of breastfeeding, birth, or after-birth moments.
- Nudity in a healthcare context, such as post-mastectomy or gender confirmation surgery.
- Nudity related to political or newsworthy speech.
- Nude sculpture and illustration.
- Written content, such as erotica.
Enforcement
We use a mix of machine learning and human moderation.
Post Moderation
Our moderation software first analyzes the media you're posting. The vast majority of posts pass through machine moderation without any issue. If the software does detect possible adult content in your media, it's escalated to a team of moderators for confirmation.
Did you know? Our team of moderators reviews over one million posts every day.
Individual posts that are flagged as explicit will be hidden behind an overlay. If you're the original poster, you'll be able to submit an appeal. Reblogs cannot be appealed, so be sure to check the original post.
Blog Moderation
Like post moderation, blog moderation is a mix of automated processes and human review.
If your blog is flagged as explicit, you'll notice the following:
- You're unable to change your header and avatar images. Explicit blogs use the default headers and avatars.
- Your blog can't be seen on the blog network. This means you'll only be able to view your blog in the blog view (formerly known as peepr), you cannot use a theme, and your blog's archive cannot be accessed.
- Your blog and posts don't show up in search results.
If your blog is incorrectly flagged, you can submit an appeal.
Violations
Posting (including private posts) or reblogging adult content is a violation of our Community Guidelines and will result in the termination of your Tumblr account.
Reporting Adult Content
If you encounter a post or blog that should be flagged (or removed from Tumblr), report it. Someone from our Trust & Safety team will review it.
Spammers often use adult content because well, people are just more likely to click on it. You can learn how to report spam here.
In the App
iOS
To report a post in the iOS app:
- Tap the meatballs icon (●●●), then tap "Report."
- Tap "Report adult content." Your report will be submitted for review and the post will disappear from your dashboard. You'll also have the option to block the blog. That's up to you.
To report a blog in the iOS app:
- Tap the person icon in the top-right corner of the blog you need to report.
- Tap "Report."
- Tap "Report adult content." Your report will be submitted for review.
Android
To report a post in the Android app:
- Tap the meatballs icon (●●●), then tap "Report sensitive content."
- Your report will be submitted for review and the post will disappear from your dashboard.
To report a blog in the Android app:
- Tap the person icon in the top-right corner of the blog you need to report.
- Tap "Report."
- Tap "Report sensitive content." Your report will be submitted for review.
On Web
To report a post:
- If you're in the dashboard, search results, the blog view, or anywhere else in what we refer to as "blue space":
- Click the meatballs (●●●) on the post in question.
- Click "Report."
- You'll be redirected to our Abuse form with the permalink of the post already prefilled.
- Under "What's going on," click "Report sensitive content."
- By default, the toggle to block the blog will be enabled. Disable it if you don't want to block them.
- Click "Flag and block" (or just "Flag," if you decided not to block them) and your report will be submitted for review.
- If you're on the blog network:
- Go to the permalink of the post you need to report. On most themes, you can get to a post's permalink by clicking the date, the notes, or a dedicated icon (usually an infinity sign or something that looks like the meatballs ●●● icon).
- Click the "View on dashboard" icon in the top right. It the one that looks like an eye.
- You're now in the dashboard! Follow the steps above to report the post.
To report a blog:
- If you're in the dashboard, search results, the blog view, or anywhere else in what we refer to as "blue space":
- Click the blog's name or avatar to open the blog view.
- Note: You can also just hover over the blog's avatar in the dashboard. On the blog card popover, you'll see the same meatballs (●●●).
- Click the meatballs (●●●).
- Select "Report." You'll be directed to our Abuse form with the blog name already prefilled.
- Under "What's going on," click "Report sensitive content."
- By default, the toggle to block the blog will be enabled. Disable it if you don't want to block them.
- Click "Flag and block" (or just "Flag," if you decided not to block them) and your report will be submitted for review.
- If you're on the blog network:
- Click the "View on dashboard" icon in the top right. It the one that looks like an eye.
- You're now in the dashboard! Follow the steps above to report the blog.
Appeals
Mistakes happen. If your original post or blog is incorrectly flagged, you can submit an appeal.
For more details about post and blog appeals, check out this article.
Post Appeals
If one of your posts is flagged as explicit, you'll see a red banner like this:
Click or tap the "Appeal" button to submit an appeal. You will receive a verdict within 24 hours.
If your appeal is denied, the post will remain hidden and the banner will change:
If you notice that a post is flagged while looking at your web-facing blog, go to the post permalink and click the "View in dashboard" icon in the top right corner (it's the one that looks like an eye). It's not possible to submit an appeal from the blog network.
Blog Appeals
If your blog is incorrectly flagged as explicit, you can submit an appeal from the Support form.
- Select the "My blog was incorrectly marked as explicit" category.
- In the box, provide a quick explanation of why you think your blog should be unflagged so we know what to look for.
- In "Relevant blog," select the blog we should be looking at.
- Make sure that your email address is the one you used to register your account. This will also be the email address that we'll use if we need to contact you.