Social platform · High risk
Is Wattpad safe for your child?
Age guide
13+
We advise Wattpad from age 13 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk).
- 5-8
- Wattpad is not suitable for this age group due to the user-generated content, which can include mature themes, unmoderated language, and direct messaging features not appropriate for young children.
- 9-12
- While some stories on Wattpad might be age-appropriate, the platform's open nature means children can easily encounter mature content, unmoderated comments, and direct messages from strangers.
- 13-15
- Teenagers in this age range can find a vast community for reading and writing on Wattpad, but they may encounter explicit fanfiction, graphic violence, or mature romantic themes.
- 16+
- Older teens can engage with Wattpad's diverse community, exploring a wide range of genres including mature content and interacting with other writers.
Wattpad is an online social storytelling platform that allows users to read and write original stories. It features a wide range of genres, from fanfiction to original novels, often written by amateur authors.
- Age guide
- 13+
- Overall risk
- 7/10
- Violence
- 5/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 6/10
- Stranger contact
- 7/10
- Addiction risk
- 8/10
- Language
- 6/10
- Influence
- 7/10
What parents should know
Wattpad is a popular platform for user-generated stories, offering a vast library of content and a community for writers and readers. While it fosters creativity, the open nature of the platform means users can encounter mature themes, unmoderated comments, and direct messages from strangers. Parents must actively use content filters and discuss online safety.
What to do about Wattpad
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Wattpad is 13+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact Wattpad setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about Wattpad without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in Wattpad that mean it is time to step in.
Wattpad age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is Wattpad?
Parentwise puts Wattpad at 13+. We advise Wattpad from age 13 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk). Violence scores 5/10, language 6/10, stranger contact 7/10 and addiction risk 8/10.
Can a 10 year old use Wattpad?
Not by default: we advise Wattpad from 13+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. While some stories on Wattpad might be age-appropriate, the platform's open nature means children can easily encounter mature content, unmoderated comments, and direct messages from strangers.
Can a 12 year old use Wattpad?
Not by default: we advise Wattpad from 13+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. While some stories on Wattpad might be age-appropriate, the platform's open nature means children can easily encounter mature content, unmoderated comments, and direct messages from strangers.
Can a 13 year old use Wattpad?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for Wattpad (13+). Teenagers in this age range can find a vast community for reading and writing on Wattpad, but they may encounter explicit fanfiction, graphic violence, or mature romantic themes.
Is Wattpad appropriate for kids?
Wattpad is a popular platform for user-generated stories, offering a vast library of content and a community for writers and readers. Parentwise rates Wattpad overall as high risk (7/10), with stranger contact at 7/10 and addiction risk at 8/10.
Is Wattpad family friendly?
Wattpad is one of the higher-risk titles we rate, so treat it as supervised rather than family viewing. While it fosters creativity, the open nature of the platform means users can encounter mature themes, unmoderated comments, and direct messages from strangers.
Wattpad parents guide: what should a parent know first?
Wattpad is a popular platform for user-generated stories, offering a vast library of content and a community for writers and readers. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (7/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (8/10).
Is Wattpad safe for kids?
We advise Wattpad from age 13 and up. Overall risk 7/10 (high risk). While it fosters creativity, the open nature of the platform means users can encounter mature themes, unmoderated comments, and direct messages from strangers.
Parents also checked
Browse all 1,275 entries · Read our safety guides
Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.