Adult Content Guidelines

Nexus Mods aims to ensure that our community not only has access to the content they want but also the choice to see only the types of content they wish to see. To that end, we rely on the author's discretion, community feedback, and moderator enforcement to ensure user-submitted content complies with our various content filtering systems.

This document describes our standards and systems in regards to management and distribution of user-submitted content that may be inappropriate for minors, which is referred to as "adult content". Such content must be marked accordingly by utilising the appropriate tools as described below. It is the responsibility of the uploader to tag and/or classify their files appropriately.

Adult Content Classifications

By definition, adult content is content (mods, collections, videos, images, and text) that is considered unsuitable for minors and/or unsuitable for being used/viewed at work (aka NSFW content). Due to the UK’s Online Safety Act (2023), we must be clear that whilst the acceptability of the same content may differ from country to country, we are legally obligated to enforce the standards required by the UK government. We have provided the following definitions to reduce ambiguity as much as possible. Though these guidelines are intended to describe acceptable submissions of adult content, we reserve the right to remove and/or stop distributing content that we may feel is inappropriate for our audience at any time.

Within the context of our site, we differentiate between the following types of adult-themed content:

• Pornographic
• Extreme Violence
• Harmful substances
• Suicide
• Self-harm
• Depression
• Body stigma
• Eating disorders
• Swearing or Profanity
• Sexualised

Any files or images containing such content need to be appropriately tagged:

However, please note that a different standard applies to the regular image share: Any content that includes nudity, excessively revealing outfits, or implications of sexual acts is not acceptable in the regular image share whatsoever. Such content can only be uploaded to either the supporter image share (and then needs to be tagged appropriately) or as part of an appropriately tagged mod. Images which include Extreme violence and/or Pornography must only be uploaded to the supporter image share. Some other images may be moved into this category at the discretion of our community moderators or staff. 

Pornographic Content

Content which has been produced solely or principally for the purpose of sexual arousal is considered pornographic. The presence and combination of the following elements would be deemed as matching this description:

• Depictions of consensual sexual acts such as masturbation, oral sex, penetration or ejaculation, including where these acts are performed with or on a sex toy.
• Any content focusing on the breasts (with or without exposed nipple), genitals or buttocks or depicting full frontal nudity.
• References to or depictions of fetish material.
• Very strong references to sexual behaviour:
  • Use of language associated with sexual activity and pornography, e.g. “MILF” or “horny”.
  • Simulations or suggestions of sexual activity, such as simulations of oral sex or sexually suggestive moaning.
  • Depictions of symbols or objects associated with sex, such as sex toys.

For content to be categorised as pornographic rather than sexualised, the references to sexual behaviour must be strong. For example, images with fully clothed characters depicting a sex act and accompanied by sexual language would be deemed pornographic. However, images which depict a scantily clad character in a pose that focuses attention on the breasts, buttocks or genitals that are not accompanied by any other factor would be deemed as sexualised content. 

Sexualised Content

Content which implies or hints at sexual themes and/or intentions, to evoke sexual thoughts or reactions, but that is not explicit and has not been produced solely or principally for the purpose of sexual arousal. For example:

• Full or partial nudity, with no other references to sexual behaviour.
• Flirtatious or provocative material, double entendre or innuendo.

Extreme Violence

This content includes depictions of serious violence or injury that are accurate or true to life, to both people and animals. This includes accurate or true-to-life computer-generated imagery or content created by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). For example:

• An individual being stamped on or punched/kicked repeatedly.
• An individual being forcefully hit in the head during a fight.
• An individual being stabbed with a weapon (e.g. knife) during a fight.
• An individual being threatened or physically hurt while being made to beg and apologise.
• Images and videos of serious wounds, cuts or damage to skin and tissue.
• Images and videos of serious injuries with visible blood, deep cuts or mutilation.
• Images and videos of violence with graphic detail of human body parts.
• Images and videos of violence to an individual caused by explosions.
• Images and videos of animals being injured, beaten, tortured, ripped apart, decapitated, exploded, or killed in a graphic manner.
• Content that features cannibalism
• Content that features killable children 

Harmful Substances

The glorification of real-world substances that would cause physical harm to a person if ingested, injected, inhaled or otherwise self-administered (regardless of whether or not it is legal to sell or buy the substance in the circumstances in question). This can include substances that may cause physical harm to a person if ingested, injected, inhaled or self-administered in any other way as a result of consuming it in excessive quantities, or in ways which contravene legal or medical protocols for its safe consumption. We consider physically harmful substances, or substances that may be harmful when used to excess, to include: 

• Illegal drugs or psychoactive substances.
• Alcohol, e-cigarettes or tobacco products (which it is not legal to sell to children in the UK due to the fact that they could cause them harm).
• Unregulated medicines, consuming prescription medicines without a prescription, and non-prescription medicines in excess.
• Medical or cosmetic substances or treatments administered contrary to regulation.
• Substances not intended for human consumption.

We do not consider it to include: 

• Instances of fake “video game” drugs that provide stat boosting effects, for example, adding a shop that sells more Skooma in Skyrim. 

Swearing or Profanity

Swearing, cursing, or similar utilisation of language unsuitable for minors.

Suicide, Self-harm or Depression

Content which represents suicide, self-harm or depression in a way which romanticises, glamorises, glorifies or normalises it. For example:

• Content depicting common accessories for suicide or self-harm, accompanied by promoting text, sounds or other visuals.
• Content which describes suicide or self-harm as a positive response to problems.
• Content which portrays suicide as a positive way to end distress.
• Content which describes suicide as something that is inevitable.
• Content which described self-harm as a sophisticated or artistic response to problems.
• Content which glamorises, romanticises or trivialises depression, anxiety, hopelessness and despair.

The context around how this content is presented will be a significant factor in determining if it should be deemed an adult mod and tagged as such. For example, a mod contains a story arc around a character dealing with depression. The mod does not glorify depression and works to resolve the characters' issues without presenting self-harm or suicide as a solution. That mod would not require tagging with Suicide, Self-harm or Depression.

Body Stigma or Eating Disorders

Content which glamorises, glorifies, romanticises or normalises eating disorders. For example:

• Images shared as motivation to encourage, glamourise, romanticise or glorify extreme thinness or emaciation and showing protruding collarbones or hipbones; protruding rib bones or flat or concave stomachs; ‘thigh gaps’; or ‘before and after weight comparisons’.

Content which shames or otherwise stigmatises body types or physical features. For example:

• Body shame content.
• Content promoting physical ideals by problematising other body types.
• Body-checking-based content intended to shame, discriminate against or demean the poster. 

Managing Adult Content

By default, files, images, and videos that have been classified as adult content are not available to new Nexus Mods accounts. To gain access to adult files and images, users are required to opt in by enabling the adult content filter in their user preferences. 

By opting to unblock adult content as part of your profile settings, you agree that you are 18 or older and are lawfully allowed to view sexual and other adult material in accordance with your local authorities. Additionally, you are acknowledging that you may encounter content that some may find objectionable or offensive.

This setting can be changed at any time by accessing the 'Preferences' options of your profile settings. More information about accessing your profile settings can be found here.

There, you will find options to hide or show adult content. If there is additional content that you would like to avoid, additional tools can be found by accessing the 'Content Blocking' tab of your profile settings.

Legally required Age verification

Due to the laws being introduced in various countries, we will be required to restrict access to certain adult content. These restrictions will apply to any jurisdiction which introduces laws that require us to enforce age verification in order to access adult content. 

This will apply to:

• The United Kingdom - Online Safety Act (2023)
• European Union - Multiple different pieces of legislation brought together by the directives of the Digital Services Act 

We are currently exploring multiple options regarding age verification and currently do not have full details to share. Once a solution has been selected, we will communicate how it works and who is affected by it. 

Moderation and Reporting

User-submitted content that does not adhere to the standards described in this document may be subject to moderation and administrative action as described in our Moderation Policy. Nexus Mods staff and our volunteer moderators reserve the right to define content uploaded to Nexus Mods within these categories at our discretion. Any complaints regarding these moderation actions follow our standard appeals process, as per our Moderation Policy.

Users are encouraged to report content that may violate the standards described in this document. For more information, see our Reporting Guidelines. Public accusations are not helpful and may be subject to moderation - please, make use of our reporting feature to inform staff of possible guideline violations instead.

If you encounter content that you find objectionable or no longer wish to see, please consider using our various blocking tools. Excessive or continuous public disparagement of content will be considered harassment and may be subject to moderation.

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please visit our Help Centre or contact support@nexusmods.com.