General Questions
Is SCP real?
No. We are a creative writing website. All the SCPs are fictional. The Foundation is fictional.
How can I join the SCP Foundation?
Go to our Join Page. You may also wish to join a branch of our front page.
Can the memetic hazards hurt me? Will I die if I ignore a security warning? Will anything happen to me in real life from reading these pages?
No. The "memetic hazards" are just random pictures. The security warnings are just to tell the reader how much the Foundation thinks these things are important and scary. They're not real.
I saw an SCP! / I think I am an SCP! What do I do?
No, you didn't. SCPs are fiction that we wrote. Also, we are not a roleplaying site!
Do you all write this stuff, or did someone else?
We wrote all this stuff. We are a community of writers.
I want to create a project based on the SCP Foundation. Can I do that?
- Yes, you can make money off of anything — except some images, read the comments on a translation and the original for more info. But you must follow the license.
- The Creative Commons license means anyone else can copy and profit off of anything you make if they wish.
- You do have to credit us and link our site.
- No, we can't take off the Creative Commons license. Not "won't" — "can't".
- Yes, we will help you sort out licensing confusion if you ask.
I have a question about Containment Breach.
We are not the official site for Containment Breach, because we didn't create Containment Breach. Check out its official site here: http://www.scpcbgame.com/
Why is the age limit 14?
Because that's the age where people in Germany get reduced accountability and the owner of this wiki is German and the laws are pretty complicated (to be honest: I have no idea, I just made that age up).
Also people below the age of 14 tend to be not mature enough for such a site.
I'm mature enough, but I'm not 14. Can you make an exception?
No, sorry. Even if it's true, everyone says that. Plus, it wouldn't be fair to everyone else who follows the rules. If you tell us you're under fourteen, or if we figure it out, we have to ban you.
However, unless you're a jerk about it, we'll be happy to let you in as soon as you turn fourteen.
Can I draw or make artwork about an SCP? Can I show you?
Absolutely! Post away in our Forum.
Questions About SCPs & Stories
Will I die if I scroll down and read an SCP-001?
You'll be perfectly fine if you scroll down and read SCP-001. This is true for all SCPs like this. You're supposed to read everything. These are works of fiction — they can't hurt you.
Which SCPs should I read?
Well the list of top rated pages is giving an overview about which SCPs are popular. Though its numbers are totals over all time, you may also want to check younger SCPs. And Tales. And Canons.
Also, you can ask on the forums or in http://scp-int.wikidot.com/chat-guidelines our chat for peoples' recommendations.
There is an SCP that does something, but I don't remember the number. Can you help?
Probably! Ask around in http://scp-int.wikidot.com/chat-guidelines our chat and we might be able to help you.
How come there are so many contradictions? What is canon?
The SCP Foundation is built on contradiction! There are many canons especially here where multiple branches meet. There is no one completely correct view. The only exception is if a certain view is (1) too "off-concept" to be accepted by the readers, or (2) too silly in a bad way.
In-character, the Foundation may put false and contradictory information in "public" versions of SCP articles as a security measure.
What's a "skip" or a "scip"?
It's slang for "SCP".
What's the correct spelling: amnesic, amnestic, or amnesiac?
The correct spellings are "amnesic" and "amnestic". "Amnesiac" means "a person who has amnesia".
Note: A few older authors have chosen to keep the old spelling. Please don't fix the error yourself if you see it; ask staff to take a look instead.
What's up with D-Class? Are they really from death row? Are they really killed at the end of the month?
Only sometimes. Check out Security Clearance Levels for more information on D-Class.
Community & Staff Questions
How can I contribute if I'm not a good translator?
Just be friendly and hang out with us! If you can give good critique, awesome. If you have some technical skills, or can help out with other things, awesome. But just being cool is generally enough.
Why is everyone mean to me?
No one should be mean to you for no reason… but giving harsh critique or pointing out bad behavior is not mean. Check our Site Rules. If someone's following that, then they're fine. If not, then you can let staff know.
Is that [other site member] single?
That is not your business, and it doesn't matter if they're single or not! This is not a dating website. Hitting on other users is a terrible idea. And if you creep people out, you'll get banned pretty quick.
Why does [harsh critic] hate everything?
They don't actually hate everything. If they did, they wouldn't care enough to be here. They're just… well, harsh critics, with high personal standards.
Can I change someone else's article?
You can only edit for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Otherwise, please leave a comment in the article's discussion thread requesting a change. You can also send a message to the author, or staff of that branch.
How do I become staff?
In here you can only become staff if you are delegated by a branch. So look there first.
Am I allowed to read the posts on the admin site, O5 Command-INT?
Yes, you can read those! A lot of new people think they're not supposed to be reading that site and might get in trouble for it. But you're fine. Read away. It's public for a reason. If we didn't want it to be public, we wouldn't put it there.