The SCP Foundation

Intro to Tags

What is a tag, and what are they used for?

To quote Wikipedia,

A tag is a non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an Internet bookmark, digital image, or computer file). This kind of metadata helps describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching.

So, if you want to get a list of all of our memetic SCPs, just look at this list of every page that's been tagged with "memetic". Or look here for a list of everything related to Are We Cool Yet?.

Where are these tags?

Go to the bottom of any page on the wiki. To the right of the sidebar and to the left of the options in the lower right, you'll see "Page Tags:" and then a couple of words. Those are tags. You can click on them to get to a list of things tagged with that tag.

How do I tag a page?

1. Click "Tags" at the bottom of the page.
2. Type all of the tags that apply to the page into the box that comes up.
3. Click "Save Tags"

Do I have to tag the pages I make?

Yes! If you don't have confidence in your ability to tag the page properly, get someone who's experienced to do it for you. Staff members are generally good to ask. If none are around, leave your page untagged. Nala (the site's chat bot) has a way of checking for pages that need tagging, but it only works if there are no tags whatsoever.

How do I know what tags to add to my page?

Look through this guide. If any of the tags apply to the page you're tagging, add them in. Don't make up new tags.

Major Page Tags

This is a comprehensive list of "major" page tags, and how they should be used. All pages on the SCP Wiki should have one or more major tags, and describe the "type" of page it is. These generally don't refer to information on the content of the pages; rather, they refer to out-of-character characteristics of the pages.

• scp - All SCP articles from the main blocks (Series I and Series II), 001 proposals, jokes (-J), archives (-ARC), and decommissions (-D) should be tagged with scp. Note that explained (-EX) articles are considered tale pages, and should not be tagged with scp.

• safe / euclid / keter / neutralized / unclassed - All SCP articles tagged as scp should also be tagged with the appropriate tag for their object class. Articles that are dual-classed (such as safe/euclid) should be tagged with both of their constituent classes, though we would prefer that they be revised to a single class instead as dual-classed SCPs have slowly been phased out.

• archived / decommissioned / joke - These tags should be used for scp pages of the appropriate type.

• supplement - supplement pages are defined as experiment logs, incident logs, interviews, or other documents linked to by a scp page that do not make sense without context from their parent page. These pages should also have their parent page set to their originating article in order to maintain relevance and automatically create breadcrumb navigation. A page should only be tagged as supplement if they were created by the original author of the scp page, or with the original author's permission. Documents that are tributes or parodies should be tagged as tale instead, even if they are in the format of a log or transcript.

• experiment - This tag should only be used on supplement pages for pages that are primarily experiment logs (see: SCP-914 » Experiment Log 914). This tag should not be used on scp pages, even if they have extensive experiment logs.

• exploration - This tag should only be used on supplement pages for pages that are primarily exploration logs. This tag should not be used on scp pages, even if they have extensive exploration logs.

• incident - This tag should only be used on supplement pages for pages that are primarily incident logs or transcripts (see: SCP-555 » Incident Log 555-1). This tag should not be used on scp pages, even if they have extensive incident logs.

• interview - This tag should only be used on supplement pages for pages that are primarily interview transcripts (see: SCP-277 » Interview 277-A). This tag should not be used on scp pages, even if they have extensive interview transcripts.

• splash - splash pages are very rare pages that serve as 'cover pages' for certain articles. This should not be overused. (see: SCP-902 » SCP-902 Warning or SCP-001)

• tale - tale pages are stories, narratives, and transcripts that are written in a non-scientific manner, as well as incident logs, interviews, and reports that are not directly linked to by a scp page. These may not necessarily be about any particular scp, and may not even be about a scp that exists, but should usually exist within the SCP Foundation universe. See also creepypasta below.

• explained - Explained SCPs are a special sub-type of tale, and should be added to -EX articles as appropriate.

• creepypasta - creepypasta are a sub-type of tale that takes the form of short stories or narratives in the form of urban legends or urban myths. These are usually but not necessarily completely unrelated to the SCP Foundation, and usually take the form of killer-in-your-house stories and other creepy stories. A creepypasta page must be tagged with tale and is only appropriate for the SCP website if it's an original creepypasta by the posting author; we are not a repository for unattributed creepypasta.

• audio - audio pages are either articles or tales with a significant audio file component.

• collaboration - collaboration pages are written or worked on by multiple authors, and thus cannot be directly attributed to any given author. collaboration is a subtag, and should be applied in parallel to either tale, creepypasta, contest, or project, but usually not scp.

• contest - contest pages are pages created as part of an on-site writing contest, and should be used for both introduction/rules pages as well as contest entries. These contests are typically only created by senior staff or by senior staff permission.

• project - project pages are used on the pages for certain community projects, such as the CCG and Game projects. Please obtain senior staff permission before starting new project pages on the main wiki.

• author - This tag should be used for author profile pages. There should only be a single author profile page for each qualifying site member.

• guide - These pages are writing guides, helpful hints, or other pages intended to assist authors contributing to the site. Guides should only be tagged as such by senior staff, or with senior staff permission.

• required - required pages are guides that are part of the required reading for joining the SCP Wiki.

• essay - essay pages are OOC discussions of a certain subject or several related subjects. They are distinguished from guides by two primary means: First, they are not required reading. Second, they simply give useful information on a topic, whereas guides are meant to instruct the reader on how to do something.

• hub - hub pages are pages with a large number of links to related pages. All of the SCP series pages are hub pages, as are the tale index and various other pages around the site. Pages outside of the aforementioned are often also tagged as collaboration, project, or tale, and are usually only created with senior staff approval.

• orphaned - orphaned pages, usually supplement pages, are ones for whom their parent pages have been deleted, and no longer serve any purpose. Very rarely an orphaned page will have enough merit to be revised as a standalone tale, but they are usually eventually deleted by site moderators.

• sandbox - These are pages that are sandboxes or workbenches, typically tied to an author's author profile page. Please note that personal sandboxes are no longer allowed on the main site. The SCP Sandbox wiki at http://scpsandbox2.wikidot.com/ should be used for article drafts. This tag is kept only for posterity, and for experimental purposes that require that the main site be used.

• template - These are templates for supplement pages, though usage of this tag is rare and may be phasing out.

• scp-fuel - scp-fuel is used for pages that contain "SCP Fuel" images and/or fragments, which are free to use by anyone who wants to incorporate them into new scp or tale pages.

• admin - admin pages, as the name suggest, have some sort of official and/or historical significance. They should only be created by senior staff.

Attribute Tags

This list is intended as a guide to attribute tags, or secondary tags on SCP articles. When choosing tags for an article, keep in mind that you want to keep the list as short as possible; the goal should be to choose tags that are already being used, rather than create a new one. If staff should determine that a new tag is necessary, they can always retroactively tag articles as necessary. If you would like to suggest a new tag, please do so in the discussion thread for this page.

The following tags are SCP Article attribute tags, and should only be used on SCP pages, not tales:

A

acoustic - SCP is composed of, affects, generates, or is propagated by sound and/or compression waves. Compare with auditory and vibration.
adaptive - SCP adapts to stimuli in an anomalous manner.
addictive - SCP causes desire or addictive behavior in affected subjects.
airborne - SCP lives in, moves through, or spreads through the air.
alive - SCP is alive, meaning it exhibits the biological traits of metabolism, reaction, and reproduction. See the Tag FAQ for more information.
amorphous - SCP lacks a set form or shape, or constantly changes shape. Mutually exclusive with metamorphic, and commonly applied to SCPs that are defined as a "blob", "cloud", or "undifferentiated mass".
animal - SCP is or exhibits traits of animal life.
appliance - SCP is or resembles a household or domestic appliance. Use in conjunction with electric or electronic if appropriate.
aquatic - SCP lives in, moves through, or spreads through water.
arachnid - SCP is or exhibits traits of arachnid, or spider-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
arboreal - SCP is or exhibits traits of arboreal, or tree-like plants. Use in conjunction with plant if appropriate.
arthropod - SCP is or exhibits traits of arthropods, or animals with exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed appendages.
artistic - SCP is a work of art, exhibits artistic properties, or has artistic significance. This is superseded by musical.
artifact - SCP is or was originally created by humans. Superseded by and mutually exclusive with tags such as appliance, tool, weapon, vehicle, etc.
auditory - SCP is triggered by, activated by, or affects the sense of hearing. Distinct from acoustic.
automaton - SCP is a device or construct designed to operate on its own. Should be applied to anything that can be described as a "robot".
autonomous - SCP activates operates on its own in an anomalous fashion. Only applicable to objects that normally do not activate on their own. Mutually exclusive with alive.
avian - SCP is or exhibits traits of avian, or bird-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.

B-C

bacteria - SCP is, resembles, or exhibits traits of a bacterial life-form. Supersedes contagion if appropriate.
biohazard - SCP poses a hazard to humans or the environment as a result of biological function, or is a biological hazard.
biological - SCP exhibits biological traits. Please see the FAQ (below) for more details.
bovine - SCP is or exhibits traits of bovine, or cattle-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
building - SCP is a building or structure intended for human occupation. Supersedes structure.
camelid - SCP is or exhibits traits of camelid, or camel-like animals. Also includes alpacas and llamas. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
canine - SCP is or exhibits traits of canine, or dog-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
carnivorous - SCP is or exhibits traits of carnivorous animals.
cetacean - SCP is or exhibits traits of cetacean, or whale-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
chemical - SCP is an anomalous chemical compound or produces chemical compounds in an anomalous way.
city - SCP is a city, town, or other settlement intended for human occupation. Should only be used if a significant portion of the city is considered anomalous.
clay - SCP is primarily or significantly composed of clay.
clockwork - SCP operates primarily via clockworks, defined as mechanical devices constructed primarily using toothed wheels and/or powered by a mainspring. Supersedes mechanical.
clothing - SCP is an artifact primarily intended to be worn for protection or comfort, including armor and protective helmets. Supersedes artifact, mutually exclusive with jewelry.
cognitohazard - SCP is hazardous to subjects when observed. Should be used in conjunction with auditory, gustatory, olfactory, or visual.
compulsion - SCP causes compulsive behavior in subjects, or otherwise causes subjects to do things they normally would not. See Tag FAQ for extended clarifications.
computer - SCP is a computational device or affects computational devices. Should be used in conjunction with electronic or mechanical as appropriate. Supersedes artifact and appliance.
contagion - SCP is a contagious agent, or exhibits contagious spread. Superseded by bacteria, memetic, or virus.
container - SCP is meant to hold or otherwise contain other material or objects, including decorative vases and other similar objects. Supersedes artifact.
corrosive - SCP exhibits corrosive properties.
crystalline - SCP is or exhibits traits of crystals.
cube - SCP is cubical. Should only be used where the entire SCP is cubical or composed of cubes, rather than SCPs in which only one or more components are cubical.

D-F

document - SCP is a textual document of some sort. Includes books.
ectoentropic - SCP violates the first and/or second law of thermodynamics by generating matter and/or energy in a fashion that directly violates entropy. Applies to anything that produces energy or matter in an unexplained way. Generally mutually exclusive with extradimensional.
electrical - SCP generates, stores, or uses electric energy.
electromagnetic - SCP generates, stores, or uses electromagnetic energy or fields.
electronic - SCP is, or resembles, an electronic device.
empathic - SCP is capable of reading or conveying emotion or feelings. Compare with telepathic.
engraved - SCP is, or has carvings and/or engravings.
entropic - SCP is, exhibits traits of, or is related to entropic decay.
equine - SCP is or exhibits traits of equine, or horse-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
extradimensional - SCP is of extradimensional origin, moves or propagates extradimensionally, and/or enables extradimensional travel. Generally mutually exclusive with ectoentropic.
extraterrestrial - SCP originates or is found in outer space, and/or enables or exhibits extraterrestrial travel.
featured - Reserved by senior staff for designating Featured Articles and Featured Tales.
feline - SCP is or is related to feline, or cat-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
fire - SCP is composed of fire, is related to fire, or enables the process of combustion.
food - SCP is primarily intended to be an edible object or substance.
fungus - SCP is or exhibits traits of fungal life-forms.
furniture - SCP is or resembles a piece of furniture.
future - SCP is from the future or was otherwise temporally displaced from a later time frame into an earlier one. Often used in conjunction with temporal.

G-K

game - SCP is or is used in a game.
gaseous - SCP is or generates a gas.
genetic - SCP is related to, or functions primarily via genetic encoding and decoding.
geological - SCP is or affects natural geological formations (such as caves, cliffs, mountains, valleys, or volcanoes) or significant geological events (such as earthquakes, landslides, or sinkholes). Superseded by planet.
glass - SCP is primarily or significantly composed of glass.
gravity - SCP affects or is significantly affected by gravitational force.
gustatory - SCP is triggered by, activated by, or affects the sense of taste.
hallucination - SCP induces hallucinations in subjects. Often used in conjunction with auditory or visual.
historical - SCP affects or is prominent in historical events, or has historical significance.
hive-mind - SCP exhibits traits of an external hive-mind.
hostile - SCP exhibits directed hostility towards personnel or subjects above and beyond that of instinctual or predatory behavior.
humanoid - SCP is humanoid, or exhibits traits of humanoids.
indestructible - SCP cannot be destroyed via any means known by the Foundation.
infohazard - SCP has an effect that is triggered when it is described or referred to. See Tag FAQ for extended clarifications.
insect - SCP is or is related to insects. (This does not includes spiders, which should be tagged as arachnid.) Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
inscribed - SCP has inscriptions on it, usually in the form of words or numbers. Superseded by engraved and document.
inscription - SCP is an inscription, meaning it takes the form of written or carved words or numbers.
instrument - SCP is an instrument, or a tool intended for either delicate, scientific, or measuring work.
intangible - SCP is intangible in a manner that precludes definition as a gas.
invertebrate - SCP exhibits traits of invertebrates, or animals lacking spinal columns. Superceded by specific invertebrate tags, such as arthropod or insect.
jewelry - SCP is an object primarily intended to be worn in a decorative manner. Supersedes artifact and mutually exclusive with clothing.
key - SCP is a standard key, or otherwise intended to unlock one or more devices or containers.
knowledge - SCP absorbs, stores, generates, grants, or possesses knowledge that is anomalous, or through an anomalous process. This include SCPs capable of accurate predictions. Compare with telepathic.

L-Me

language - SCP imparts or exhibits an anomalous language.
leporine - SCP is or exhibits traits of leporine, or rabbit- or hare-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
light - SCP is triggered, activated, or propagated by or otherwise related to the presence or absence of visible light.
liquid - SCP is or generates a liquid.
location - SCP is a unique geographical location. Superseded by city.
loop - SCP exhibits or is engaged in a repeating loop of activity.
magnetic - SCP is magnetic or exhibits traits of magnetic charge and/or attraction.
map - SCP is a map, has a map, or otherwise exhibits visual representations in the manner of a map.
mathematical - SCP is, or affects, a number, number system, mathematical equation, or otherwise has mathematical significance.
mechanical - SCP operates primarily in a mechanical manner, or is a mechanical device. Superseded by clockwork.
media - SCP is, or is contained on, one or more items of fixed or removable analog or digital media, such as a tape, record, disc, or drive. Supersedes artifact.
medical - SCP is used or intended for use as a medical device, or otherwise has medical significance outside of pathology.
memetic - SCP is a memetic agent, or exhibits traits of memetic propagation. Supersedes contagion and used in conjunction with cognitohazard. See Tag FAQ for extended clarifications.
memory-affecting - SCP imparts memories, changes memories, or removes memories in sentient beings, such as human subjects. Compare with mind-affecting.
meta - SCP affects or is affected by its documentation, or requires containment procedures regarding the way it is documented. See Tag FAQ for extended clarifications.
metallic - SCP is a metal, or is completely or significantly composed of metal or metallic substances.
metamorphic - SCP changes its form or shape, often to mimic the form or shape of other objects or entities. Mutually exclusive with amorphous, often used to describe "shapeshifters" or "mimics".
meteorological - SCP is, affects, or is affected by significant weather elements.

Mi-O

microscopic - SCP is too small to be seen or otherwise meaningfully observed by the naked eye.
mind-affecting - SCP affects the thinking of subjects, which can include behavior and overall intelligence. See Tag FAQ for extended clarifications, and compare with memory-affecting.
miniature - SCP is much smaller than objects it resembles.
mister - SCP is of or related to the "Little Misters" series of individuals.
mobile - SCP is capable of movement by anomalous means. Generally only applies to objects or entities that are normally incapable of movement. Compare with teleportation.
murine - SCP is or exhibits traits of murine, or mouse-like or rat-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
musical - SCP is, generates, or is generated by musical compositions. Supersedes and overrides artistic.
narrative - SCP is, is related to, or propagates via narrative information or documents.
neurological - SCP directly or indirectly affects the neurological system of subjects. Only applicable in situations where objective neurological changes are confirmed, as opposed to a simple change of behavior in the subject. Compare to mind-affecting.
nocturnal - SCP is triggered by, activated by, or otherwise is only significantly active at night.
observational - SCP has properties that are triggered or suppressed when directly or indirectly observed. These properties may or may not also be cognitohazards.
ocular - SCP resembles, is related to, or affects eyes.
olfactory - SCP exhibits anomalous scent, is propagated through smell, or affects the sense of smelling.
omnivorous - SCP exhibits omnivorous traits.
ophidian - SCP is or exhibits traits of ophidian, or snake-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
organic - SCP exhibits organic traits or composition. See Tag FAQ for extended clarifications.
ovine - SCP is or exhibits traits of ovine, or sheep-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.

P-R

paradox - SCP generates, exhibits, or is involved in paradoxical events or situations.
parasitic - SCP exhibits traits of parasitic or parasitoid organisms.
performance - SCP is or is used in a performance art, such as a dance or play.
physics - SCP affects or violates particular physical laws. Generally superseded by ectoentropic, electrical, magnetic, etc. when appropriate.
piscine - SCP is or exhibits traits of piscine, or fish-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
plant - SCP exhibits plant traits.
planet - SCP is, resembles, or affects a planet, which may or may not be our planet.
polyhedral - SCP is a polyhedron, or a three-dimensional shape with flat faces and straight edges. polyhedral is superceded by cubic.
portal - SCP is an opening or doorway that exhibits inconsistent connectivity. Often used in conjunction with extradimensional and/or spacetime.
predatory - SCP exhibits predatory behavior.
predictive - SCP is capable of imparting information or acting in a predictive manner. Generally supersedes knowledge.
probability - SCP alters or manipulates the probability of certain events or outcomes.
radioactive - SCP emits radiation or affects radioactivity.
ranine - SCP is or exhibits traits of ranine, or frog-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
reanimation - SCP has been restored or restores others, either whole or in part, to life from a clinically dead state.
recording - SCP is or contains an audio and/or visual recording. Compare with media.
religious - SCP has religious and/or superstitious significance.
reproductive - SCP anomalously affects or interferes with the normal biological reproductive processes of an organism (which may include humans), or has anomalous biological reproductive methods other than that covered by parasitic or self-replication.
reptilian - SCP is or exhibits traits of reptilian, or reptile-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
ritual - SCP is or is triggered or activated through ritualistic behavior.

S

sapient - SCP exhibits sapient traits, such as the ability to grasp philosophical concepts. Usually but not always used in conjunction with sentient.
satellite - SCP is a natural or artificial satellite orbiting a celestial body.
sculpture - SCP is or was a three-dimensional piece of artwork. To be considered a sculpture, the object in question must have been formed, carved, or molded. Supersedes artistic and is superseded and overridden by statue.
selachian - SCP is or exhibits traits of selacian, or shark-like animals. Also includes rays and skates. Must be used in conjunction with piscine, may be used in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
self-repairing - SCP exhibits an anomalous ability restore or repair itself to functional condition.
self-replicating - SCP exhibits an anomalous ability to replicate other than via biological reproduction.
sensory - SCP affects sensory perception. Generally used in conjunction with auditory, gustatory, olfactory, tactile, and/or visual.
sentient - SCP exhibits sentient traits, such as self-awareness and cognitive deduction.
shadow - SCP is triggered, activated, or otherwise significantly affected by shadows cast by subjects.
simian - SCP is or exhibits traits of simian, or ape-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
skeletal - SCP is, is a component of, or affects the skeletal tissue of an organism. "skeleton" is defined as the structural support tissue of a multi-celled organism, and includes both bones and cartilage.
sleep - SCP is somehow related to the sleep cycle of subjects.
spacetime - SCP warps space-time, or affects or violates laws of space-time.
species - SCP describes an entire species, rather than one or more individuals. In the context of the Foundation, this should be specifically used to describe living SCPs that can reproduce biologically and maintain their anomalous properties.
sphere - SCP is spherical. Should only be used where the entire SCP is spherical or composed of spheres, rather than SCPs in which only one or more components are spherical.
statue - SCP is or was a statue. A statue is defined as a free-standing, full-body sculpture of a person or animal. statue supersedes and overrides sculpture; the two should not be used together.
stone - SCP is composed primarily of stone (meaning concreted earthy or mineral matter) or rock.
structure - SCP is an artificial or natural structure not intended for human occupation.
sun - SCP is, is related to, or affects a sun, which may or may not be our sun.
swarm - SCP exhibits swarm behavior.

T-X

tactile - SCP is activated by, triggered by, or affects the sense of touch. Note that this refers specifically to the sense of touch, not simply something that can activate by touching something else.
telekinetic - SCP can manipulate objects or initiate or affect reactions through anomalous means.
telepathic - SCP can transfer information via anomalous means.
teleportation - SCP can move without occupying intervening space or otherwise displace itself via anomalous means that preclude normal movement.
temporal - SCP affects, or is otherwise related to the passage of time.
thermal - SCP is activated by, triggered by, or propagates via changes in temperature. This includes both increases and decreases in temperature.
thermodynamic - SCP affects, or is otherwise significantly related to the laws of thermodynamics. Supersedes physics.
tool - SCP is, or was primarily intended to be, used as a tool. Supersedes artifact.
toxic - SCP induces chemical toxicity in subjects.
toy - SCP is, or was primarily intended to be, used as a toy. Supersedes artifact.
transfiguration - SCP alters the shape of subjects in an anomalous manner.
transmission - SCP transmits information, typically via radio waves or other electromagnetic means.
uncontained - SCP is neither fully nor partially contained. This should only be applied to SCPs where no instances are contained at all and does not apply if the Foundation successfully contains one or more instances.
ursine - SCP is or exhibits traits of ursine, or bear-like animals. Should be used in conjunction with animal.
vehicle - SCP is or is intended to be used as a vehicle. Supersedes artifact.
vermian - SCP is or exhibits traits of vermian, or worm-like animals. Should be used in conjunction with animal.
vibration - SCP generates anomalous vibrations or other repetitive movement. Compare with acoustic.
virus - SCP exhibits traits of viral agents. Use in conjunction with biological or computer. Supersedes contagion.
visual - SCP is triggered by, activated by, or affects the sense of sight. Often used in conjunction with cognitohazard or sensory.
vulpine - SCP is or exhibits traits of vulpine, or fox-like animals. Use in conjunction with animal if appropriate.
weapon - SCP is or is intended to be used as a weapon. Supersedes artifact.
wooden - SCP is composed primarily or significantly of wood or wood-like material. Should not be used to describe living, unmodified plants that happen to be composed of wood.
xk - SCP is involved in or capable of instigating one or more XK-Class End of the World scenarios. Should only be used in articles that specifically name XK-Class events.

Other Tags

GOI Tags

These tags are used to designate SCPs related to one or more Groups of Interest, and may be used for SCP articles or tales.
alexylva - SCP is of or related to the Alexylva University group of interest.
are-we-cool-yet - SCP is related to the Are We Cool Yet? (AWCY) group of interest.
chaos-insurgency - SCP is of or related to the Chaos Insurgency (CI) group of interest.
broken-god - Of or related to the Church of the Broken God (CotBG) group of interest.
dr-wondertainment - SCP is of or related to the Dr. Wondertainment individual or group of interest.
factory - SCP is or is related to The Factory group of interest.
fifthist - SCP is of or related to The Fifthist Church group of interest.
global-occult-coalition - SCP is of or related to the Global Occult Coalition (GOC) group of interest.
gru-division-p - SCP is of or related to the GRU Division "P" group of interest.
horizon-initiative - SCP is of or related to the Horizon Initiative group of interest.
manna-charitable-foundation - SCP is of or related to the Manna Charitable Foundation group of interest.
marshall-carter-and-dark - SCP is of or related to the Marshall, Carter, and Dark Ltd. (MC&D) group of interest.
nobody - SCP is of or related to the "Nobody" group of interest.
reclamation - SCP is of or related to the Office For The Reclamation of Islamic Artifacts (ORIA) group of interest.
prometheus - SCP is of or related to the Prometheus Labs group of interest.
serpents-hand - SCP is of or related to the Serpent's Hand group of interest.
uiu - SCP is of or related to the Unusual Incidents Unit (UIU), Federal Bureau of Investigation group of interest.

Tale/Project Tags

These tags are used almost exclusively by tales and/or projects.
bellerverse - Of or related to the Bellerverse story framework.
blackwood - Of or related to The Adventures of Lord Blackwood, Explorer and Gentleman.
bonifay - Of or related to the Bonifay Family canon.
ccg - Of or related to the CCG Project.
classical_revival - Of or related to the Classical Revival stories.
class-of-76 - Of or related to the Class of '76 SCP's and stories.
collector_tale - Of or related to the Tales of Mr. Collector. (See also: mister)
competitive-eschatology - Of or related to the Competitive Eschatology canon.
etdp - Of or related to the Et Tam Deum Petivi canon.
game_day - Of or related to the Game Day project.
harper - Of or related to Project COLD HARPER.
hc2012 - Of or related to the 2012 Halloween Contest.
heimdall - Of or related to Project Heimdall.
lombardi - Of or related to the life and experiences of Agent Lombardi.
nyc2013 - Of or related to the 2013 New Year's Canon Contest.
olympia - Of or related to the Olympia Project.
orientation - Of or related to the Orientation series.
professor-aw - Of or related to the inventions and curiosities of one Professor A. W.
project_crossover - Of or related to Project Crossover.
s&c-plastics - Of or related to the S & C Plastics canon.
splinters - Of or related to the Splinters tale series.
thaumiel - Of or related to Project Thaumiel.

FAQ

This explains the difference between commonly misused or misunderstood tags. If you think any of these might apply to your SCP, please read this thoroughly. If you're still not sure, ask a staff member.

organic vs. biological vs. alive

• Something that is organic is composed of, or relates to organic compounds, such as proteins, fats, or other substances that are related to or used by living things, but not living themselves.
• Something that is biological has elements of living things, such as living tissue, organs, or other things that we would recognize as being parts of organisms, but does not show traits of actually being alive (see below). Anything that is biological is by default organic, and doesn't need to be tagged as both.
• Something that is alive conforms to the traits of living things. These vary from biologist to biologist, but generally has all of the following traits:
  • metabolism - All living things consume energy, use it to catalyze live processes, and excrete waste in some form (even if it's just heat).
  • reaction - All living things react to their environment: they chase or seek out things that they perceive as food and stay away from things that are perceived as dangerous. Even plants will turn their leaves towards the sun in order to maximize their photosynthetic potential.
  • reproduction - All living things reproduce, either sexually or asexually.
• Something that is alive is by default biological and organic, and does not need to be tagged as all three.

parasitic vs. contagion vs. self-replicating vs. reproductive

• A parasitic entity is something that "feeds off" another entity. This is distinct from a mutualistic relationship because a parasitic entity does not help the host in any way; it's purely harmful. This can refer to both parasites, which simply live off and harm the host, and parasitoids, which kill the host, and neither have to necessary be biological or living in the context of the Foundation.
• A contagion is something that infects something else, and once infected, spreads to other uninfected individuals. In the context of the Foundation, this may not be a biological process, and this is distinct from a parasitic entity because a contagion becomes indistinguishable from the host, whereas a parasite remains a distinct entity from its host. A computer virus is also considered a contagion.
• A self-replicating object is something that makes copies of itself. It may accomplish this either through budding/splitting, or by turning other things or raw materials into instances. This usually, but is not always, a non-biological process.
• A reproductive object affects the biological reproductive process of a living organism. This usually means that it uses the reproductive system or organs of another living organism to make copies of itself, and is always a biological process by nature of what it is. This is distinct from a parasite in that it actually hijacks the reproductive process; something that merely feeds off the uterine lining of an affected animal would be a parasite, but something that imitates a fetus and forces the host to undergo the normal processes of pregnancy would be reproductive.
• parasitic and contagion are generally mutually exclusive; you can only be one or the other. self-replicating and reproductive are also generally mutually exclusive, except in extreme circumstances.

compulsion vs. cognitohazard vs. mind-affecting vs. memetic

• A compulsion is something that compels subjects to do something that they normally might not do. This is distinct from a cognitohazard because it does not require line of sight or any perception of the source; sometimes mere proximity is enough. This is distinct from mind-affecting because it's not an overriding force that makes you do it, it's best described as a strong urge or feeling of intense curiosity. This is also distinct from from mind-affecting because it's usually temporary; once a subject is removed from the presence of the compulsion-generating object, they will usually recover (even if it takes a long time).
• A cognitohazard is something that poses a danger to any subject that perceives it with any of our five physical senses: sight (visual), hearing (auditory), smell (olfactory), taste (gustatory), and touch (tactile). This applies to both things that cause physical harm as well as things that cause psychological damage, but only in a way that would be anomalous. A bright light that causes blindness would not be a cognitohazard, nor would a sharp edge that cuts you when you touch it. A sound that causes you to bleed from every pore or a smell that causes you to go insane would be a cognitohazard.
• A mind-affecting effect is one that (usually permanently) affects the way a subject thinks (most commonly by altering personality or behavior, or inducing psychiatric conditions). This is distinct from a compulsion because of its permanence and in that this is usually an intense obsession, not just a mild urge.
• A memetic agent is best described as "infectious information". It is a piece of data in a subject's mind that has an anomalous effect on that subject's physical or mental state that is spread when anyone else becomes aware of the same information. All memetic agents are cognitohazards as you can't be exposed to information without observing it somehow, but not all cognitohazards are memetic.

memetic vs. infohazard vs. meta

• An infohazard is an object that has an effect that triggers whenever you refer to it or describe it. This is separate from a memetic agent because it is still an object, not a piece of information. SCP-426 is a prime example of an infohazard; whenever you refer to it, you always speak about it in the first person.
• A meta object is an object that affects its documentation, is affected by its documentation, or has containment procedures that extend to its documentation. This sometimes overlaps with infohazard, but is distinct. SCP-048 is a prime example of this; documenting an object as SCP-048 causes accidents to happen, but speaking about SCP-048 or explaining it is harmless.

acoustic vs. auditory vs. audio

• An acoustic effect is something that is a sound wave or other type of compression wave. This means that it has to have something to act as a medium (such as air or water), and means that it exists independent of an audience. Something that can be heard by subjects but can be recorded as well is probably acoustic.
• An auditory effect is something that specifically refers to the sense of hearing. Something that can be heard by one or more subjects but cannot be recorded or picked up by others is an auditory hallucination. auditory can also be referred to cognitohazards if the act of hearing triggers an effect.
• audio is a major tag (see below), used on pages to designate that there is an audio file attached to it. It is not an attribute, and should not be included on pages that merely describe an SCP with an audio component.

extraterrestrial vs extradimensional vs future vs ectoentropic

• An extraterrestrial object is one that is "not of the Earth", meaning it is either in space or came from space. This applies to all such objects, be they organic (alien life), artificial (alien artifacts), or non-artificial (asteroids and other celestial bodies).
• An extradimensional object either originates from or enables travel to or from a plane of existence, parallel universe, or timeline other than our own. Any object described as having been produced by a culture or civilization "not known to history" may generally be considered extradimensional if it is beyond a reasonable doubt that it could not have simply been a civilization that was lost to history or otherwise from the future.
• A future object is an object that was displaced from a later temporal time frame into an earlier one. This still applies to objects that are no longer from "our" future so long as it was considered "from the future" at some point in time.
• An ectoentropic object produces energy or matter from an unknown source in such a way as to be generally considered "from nothing". Any object that produces objects from an extradimensional or future source does not qualify for this attribute, even if we do not know an exact origin for said objects.