A Guide to Features (PSA)

Hey, hi, and hello there!

My name’s Perks, and…what exactly is a feature?

How long does it last?

What are the benefits?

This isn’t a trick question, think about it. How much do you really know about the featured page?

Or, is it called The Fountain..?

Everything about it seems deliberately obfuscated…

Well, worry not. Because here’s a handy-dandy guide to Undertale Amino Features!

What does ‘feature’ even mean?

A very good question! A lot of apps nowadays have dropped the idea of a hand picked feature page, opting instead for algorithmically generated recommendations.

Amino is pretty unique, in that it’s stuck to the much lower tech option - making human beings do the work!

So, imagine if instead of the all-knowing god of TikTok’s for you page, you opened the app and saw the posts that Steve from HR thought you’d enjoy.

There are benefits, as it means we can choose to boost any number of s and types of post, allowing us to bring light to non-visual content that an algorithm would likely have never picked up.

The downside is that it isn’t possible to make sure every post gets its rightful moment to shine, as we can only put so much on the featured page before it just becomes another version of the ‘recent posts’ page.

Thus, a feature is a hand picked post to go on the first page you see when opening the app. It is the same for everyone and is not personalised.

But I thought the first page I saw was The Fountain?

Right! Yes!

So, back in…I’d like to guess 2018(?), amino launched the ability to customise your community’s pages to match the topic!

Inside the app, the page that functions as the feature feed is labelled as The Fountain. But both refer to the same page, no one will mind whichever one you call it. It’s just a formality.

Got it. Why would I want a feature?

You understand what a feature is, but maybe you’re not sure how it would benefit you? Again, that’s fair enough!

But here’s a comprehensive list of all the reasons you may want a featured post!

• More people will see your creative work!

This one’s a gimmie, it’s the main benefit of a hand picked feature system over algorithms. Posts stay on the home page for three days after they’re featured, and that’s a lot of time for people to recognise your hard work. Put simply, if you’re featured, you know people will see it.

• Tem Shop G

Features are worth G! If you’re in the market for a custom title, or a profile/chat feature, making posts that reach the feature feed is a great way to stack up your G. Not only do posts being featured get counted, but likes do too. As per the above point, if you’re featured your post engagement skyrockets, so there’s a few ways a feature can help you with your G!

• Reputation

Not reputation in the traditional sense, but the amino sense. If you aim to climb up the leaderboard, and you’re currently a fairly low level, a feature can help boost you along. You earn 20 points for a featured post, and while it doesn’t sound like much to us established s with our level 15+ s, to newer it can be a great way to get through some of those early ranks.

Well, what sort of posts get featured?

Artworks, edits, creative writing, and more are eligible for a feature, so make whatever your heart desires!

But, there are a few different things we keep in mind when looking for a post to feature.

• Does it meet the guidelines?

Is your work on topic? Is it appropriate for all ages? Does it avoid prohibited AUs and themes? And have you credited all work that isn’t your own? If your post is against the guidelines, it goes without saying that it cannot be featured, and would instead most likely be disabled.

• Have you talked about it?

We need more than just an image or a block of text! We want to know your thought process, why you made the piece. Being able to tell that a level of care was put into your work helps us to make the decisions about what to feature.

• Is it easy for us to find?

The amino isn’t as busy as it used to be, but it’s still pretty active! You can help us find your work by adding #LeaderReview, or adding it to the Curator Review category (found on the categories menu when editing your post).

• Is the work itself a good representation of the amino?

This one is the trickiest, and it’s only something we can really decide. The featured posts are the first thing people see when they open the amino, so we want to make a good first impression to new s. This means that, typically, more experienced creators reach the front page. But don’t be discouraged, even if you’re just starting out, as we are interested in encouraging up and coming creatives too! My best suggestion is to just put yourself out there and hope for the best. You have nothing to lose.

• Does it meet the feature requirements?

…uh, actually

What are the feature requirements??

I did just spring that on you, that one’s on me.

The feature requirements are the absolute bare minimum a post has to do to qualify as being feature worthy. Everything in the last section is ways to make your post more appealing (and/or unlikely to be disabled), but here’s the absolute basics.

For visual works you’ve 100% made yourself (including cosplay and craft), you’ll need a minimum of:

- 2 sentences explaining your work

- A list of the materials used

- A cover image that is the finished product

- Proof that the work is your own

In this instance, proof can qualify as either photographs of your progress and of multiple different angles, OR as a screenshot of the layers used in a digital art software. This way, both physical and digital works can be accommodated.

For edits (in both still image and video form), the bare minimum is:

- 2 sentences explaining your work

- The application used

- The time taken to complete

- 3 images of proof that the work is your own

In this instance, proof can be given as progress screenshots, demonstrating different stages in your creative process.

For written works (including things like theories and poems) the bare minimum is as follows:

- 2 sentences explaining your work

- Over two paragraphs (or stanzas for poetry)

If you have something a little more out there that you want to check the requirements for, like music or a quiz, feel free to check the UA Front Page wiki to see the requirements.

Okay, I’ve made a post, I think it ticks all the boxes…now what?

Now you sit back! As the mod team, the rest of it’s our responsibility to deal with. We check the recent posts, the hashtags I mentioned, the category for curator reviews, and the feature suggestions post, and we feature a batch of 3-4 posts every 12 hours…roughly

We’re human beings, it won’t be perfect.

Wait how do I use the feature suggestion post?

You don’t!

…at least, not for your own posts. If you are hoping to get your work featured, suggesting it there won’t get you anywhere.

But, if you’re feeling charitable, then head on over to this post (it’s also pinned at the top of the feature feed!), and suggest someone else’s work that you believe deserves a moment in the spotlight. Tell us why you like it, what about it makes you think it should be up there.

You might just make someone’s day

Wow, I truly think I understand everything about the weirdly complicated world that is amino’s featuring system. Thank you amino Hell With Perks.

No, thank you straw-man version of the average .

If you, by chance, aren’t the exact person I made up for this back and forth, feel free to comment any questions you have below this post, and I can easily update with a FAQ section (as well as reply with whatever you need to know!)

But, for now, I think this is farewell. I hope to see you on the front page soon!!

- Perks

All art used

Cover, Divider 1, Divider 2, Divider 3, Divider 4, Divider 5, Divider 6, Divider 7, Divider 8