Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: August 6, 2026

Posts & Branches

What can I post on NextLine?

Stories, poems, shayari, quotes, dialogues, scripts, movie scenes, and original lyrics — anything text-based and creative. See our Community Guidelines for what's not allowed.

What's a "continuation"?

A continuation is a reply to someone's post that carries the story forward — it becomes its own branch in that post's story tree, and other people can continue your continuation too.

Can more than one person continue the same post?

Yes — that's the whole idea. Every post can have unlimited continuations, and each one starts its own separate branch.

Can I stop people from continuing my post?

Yes. When you post, you can turn off continuations for that specific piece.

What's the Story Tree?

It's the visual map of every branch that's grown from a post — you can follow any path through it to read a complete "version" of the story.

What's Story Builder?

A tool available only to a post's original author, letting you pick your favorite continuation at each branch point to curate your own preferred path through the whole tree.

Can I edit a post after publishing?

Yes, from the post's menu, as long as you're the author.

What happens if I delete a continuation that other people replied to?

It's removed from display, but if others already continued it, we may keep a placeholder so their branches still make sense — see Terms §10.

Why is a reply in a story tree showing as "Hidden reply"?

Either its author has a private account you don't follow, or something further up that branch is hidden from you — see Terms §13.

Privacy & Followers

What's the difference between a Public and Private account?

Public: anyone can see your pieces and follow you instantly. Private: only followers you've approved can see your pieces; everyone else sees a locked profile.

How do I switch to a Private account?

Settings → Privacy → toggle "Private account."

If I go Private, does it hide what I've already posted?

Yes — going Private immediately gates your existing posts from anyone who isn't an approved follower, going forward.

Can I make just one post Followers-only without going fully Private?

Yes, individual posts can be set to "Followers only" regardless of your overall account privacy setting.

How do follow requests work?

If you follow a Private account, they get a request to approve or decline. Public accounts don't need approval — following is instant.

Can I cancel a follow request I sent?

Yes, tap the button again (it'll say "Requested") to cancel it.

Can I remove a follower without blocking them?

Not directly yet — if you need someone to stop seeing your content entirely, blocking is the current tool (see below), though it also removes messaging and visibility both ways.

Blocking & Reporting

What does blocking someone do?

It's mutual: they can't follow you, see your posts/profile, or message you, and you can't see theirs either. Any existing follow between you is removed. See our Safety Policy.

How do I block someone?

From their profile page, tap Block and confirm.

Will they know I blocked them?

We don't send a notification, but since they'll no longer be able to view your profile or message you, they may notice.

Can I unblock someone?

Yes, anytime, from their profile.

How do I report a post or comment?

Tap Report on the content, choose a reason, and add details if you have them. See Community Guidelines §Reporting System.

Does the person I report get told who reported them?

No, reports are confidential.

What happens after I submit a report?

It goes into our moderation queue for human review — see our Content Moderation Policy.

How long does a report take to review?

It varies with volume and severity — reports involving immediate safety risks are prioritized.

Can I appeal if my content or account was actioned?

Yes — see Content Moderation Policy §Appeals.

Username & Password

What are the username rules?

3–30 characters, lowercase letters, numbers, periods, and underscores only, and it can't start, end, or double up on a period/underscore. See Terms §4.

Can I change my username?

Yes, from Settings, as long as the new one is available and follows the format rules.

Does changing my username break old links to my profile?

Old profile links using your previous username will stop working — anyone with the link will need your new username.

I forgot my password. What do I do?

Use "Forgot password?" on the login page — we'll email you a one-time code to reset it.

Can I log in with my username instead of my email?

Yes, the login screen accepts either.

How do I change my password?

Settings → Security → enter your current password and choose a new one.

I signed up with Google — do I have a password?

Not unless you set one. Google-only accounts sign in through Google; there's a "Continue with Google" option and, if you'd like, you can also set a password later from Settings.

Why do I need to verify my email with a code?

It confirms you actually own the email address, which keeps accounts secure and reduces spam registrations.

Account Deletion

How do I delete my account?

Settings → Delete account, confirm with your password (or your username if you're a Google-only account), and confirm again in the dialog.

Is account deletion reversible?

No — it's permanent. See our Privacy Policy §Account Deletion for exactly what happens.

If I delete my account, does my writing disappear too?

Your profile is anonymized to "Deleted user," but the text of pieces other people continued stays up, so their work isn't broken. Pieces nobody continued are removed entirely. Full details in our Privacy Policy.

Can I get my account back after deleting it?

No — deletion is permanent and your username can't be reused, even by you.

What happens to my messages if I delete my account?

You're removed from your conversations; messages you sent stay visible to the other participant, attributed to "Deleted user."

Copyright

Can I post someone else's writing?

Only with their permission, and you should credit them. Posting someone else's work as your own is plagiarism and against our rules.

What if someone posts my writing without permission?

File a copyright complaint — see our Copyright Policy.

What if my content gets removed and I think that's wrong?

You can file a counter-notice — see Copyright Policy §Counter-Notice.

Who owns a collaborative thread?

Nobody owns the whole thread — each contributor owns only the specific words they wrote. See Copyright Policy §2.

Community Guidelines

What content is not allowed on NextLine?

See the full list in our Community Guidelines §Content Rules — briefly: sexual content involving minors, pornography, violence promotion, illegal activity, self-harm encouragement, spam, scams, and copyright infringement.

Is dark or mature fiction allowed?

Yes — fiction exploring difficult themes is welcome. It's the difference between exploring a theme in a story and actually promoting harmful real-world behavior that matters.

What happens the first time I break a rule?

Usually a warning and content removal for minor issues — see our Account Enforcement Policy for the full tier system.

Can a single serious violation get me permanently banned?

Yes, for things like child safety violations, credible threats of violence, or severe harassment — see Account Enforcement Policy.

Notifications

What triggers a notification?

Likes, comments, continuations of your posts, new followers, follow requests, and replies to your comments.

Can I turn off notifications?

Notification preferences are available from your device or browser settings; in-app, you can mark all as read from the Notifications page.

Why did a notification's preview disappear?

If the content it points to is no longer visible to you (for example, the author went private and you're not an approved follower), we hide the preview rather than show something you can't actually access.

General

Is NextLine free to use?

Yes.

What age do I need to be to use NextLine?

At least 13, or the minimum age required in your country to use online services without parental consent — see Terms §2.

How do I contact NextLine?

See our Contact page.