Wattpad Safety Guide for Parents
A practical guide to Wattpad's community fiction platform, including mature content, in-comment grooming risks, and age-gating bypass.
Official age
13+
We recommend
15+
Developer
Wattpad Corp (Naver)
Risks
5
Overview
Wattpad is one of the largest community fiction platforms in the world, where amateur and aspiring writers publish stories chapter by chapter and readers comment, vote, and follow. It hosts a very wide range of content, from school-age fanfiction to mature-tagged adult fiction including sexually explicit and self-harm-themed material. The UK store rating is 12+, but the content the platform actually carries reaches much higher ratings via the 'mature' tag, which is gated only by a self-declaration. A meaningful share of users are under 18, both as readers and as writers.
How children use it
Teenage readers tend to follow specific fandoms (book, film, K-pop, anime), bookmark long-running serials, and binge new chapters as they are released. Teenage writers post their own stories and become very invested in vote counts, followers, and comment feedback - which can create real 'fame' pressure to write to demand, including writing more mature content than they are comfortable with. The comment sections under popular stories are heavily used and largely unmoderated for tone.
Main risks
Recommended privacy settings
Mature Content Filter
Location: Settings -> Content Preferences -> Show mature content
Set to: Off
Hides stories tagged as mature. The toggle is the main barrier to explicit content, so it is important to confirm it stays off.
Private Messages
Location: Settings -> Privacy -> Who can message you
Set to: People I follow
Prevents strangers from sending direct messages off the back of a comment exchange.
Profile Visibility
Location: Profile -> Edit -> About
Set to: No real name, no school, no city
Many young writers add identifying details to their bio. Encourage a pen name and remove school, location, and age.
Blocked Users
Location: Settings -> Privacy -> Blocked Users
Set to: Use immediately for any unwanted contact
Blocking stops the user seeing your child's profile and stories and prevents further contact across the platform.
Email and Push Notifications
Location: Settings -> Notifications
Set to: Limit to story updates only
Reduces compulsive checking driven by vote and comment notifications, which is a known driver of 'fame' pressure on young writers.
Parent actions
Sit with your child and verify the 'show mature content' toggle is off; check again every few months
Time: 10 minutes
Agree a pen name and a sparse public profile - no real name, school, town, or age
Time: 15 minutes
Have a conversation about adult readers messaging young writers under the cover of fan praise or 'collaboration'
Time: 15 minutes
Talk about vote and follower pressure - that it is normal to want growth, and that they are never obliged to write more mature content to keep readers
Time: 15 minutes
If a stranger has tried to draw a child off-platform (Discord, email, meeting up), report to CEOP at ceop.police.uk and call 101
Time: As needed
Related app guides
If you need to report this
In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.
Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22