Discuss Scratch
- Discussion Forums
- » Questions about Scratch
- » The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
- Sliverus
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5

People may not ask questions here; they should create a new topic. However, it is completely ok to ask questions about this sticky.
This is not a place to just chat. However, any feedback on how to improve the sticky is appreciated.
Also, everyone should abide by the Community Guidelines; spam of any kind is not allowed.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic Directory
Intro
About
History
Section 1: Temporary Questions
Section 2: The Forums
Section 3: The Project Editor
Section 4: Rules and Moderation
Section 5: Scratch History and Lore
Section 6: Scratch Design and Statistics
Section 7: The Scratch Wiki
Section 8: Account Information
Section 9: Using Studios
Other
Credits
Other Helpful Links
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
About
Welcome to the Questions About Scratch Directory! This is for questions and answers, so that people can save themselves the trouble of making a post about their question when they could just look here. This will also be regularly updated, so any suggestions are accepted.
Due to the fact that this is a directory, I will accept most additions to the topic. However, I have two exceptions to that rule, and they are either 1) when the answer to the question is ambiguous, or 2) when someone in authority tells me not to include a specific question.
If you can't find a question here, this search engine by @Jeffalo may help!
Here is a change log, recording all changes made to the topic in order to keep it all organized, instead of scattered throughout the topic.
In order to search for topics and questions in these lists, press ctrl + F or cmd + F (depending on your OS).
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
History
FAQ Topic #1 - by @asqwde
FAQ Topic #2 - by @ThatOneWeirdDude
Dictionary Topic #1 - by @yzyzyz
Dictionary Topic #2 - by @MaximunPokeMaster
Dictionary Topic #3 - by @PrincessFlowerTV
Questions About Scratch Directory #1 - by @xXRedTheCoderXx
Questions About Scratch Directory #2 - by @han614698
Questions about Scratch Directory #2.5 - by @TheForumer
Questions about Scratch Directory #3 - by @Sliverus
Questions about Scratch Directory #3.5 - by @Super_Scratch_Bros20
Questions about Scratch Directory #4 - by @han614698
Questions about Scratch Directory #5 - by @Sliverus
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 1: Temporary Questions
This section is for questions that are relevant right now but may become significantly less relevant in the future. As a result, these questions are temporary and may come and go.
Q: Why are Japanese projects so popular?
It's important to keep in mind that this site is for kids. Many kids are interested in Japanese culture (e.g. anime, video games, etc.), so these projects tend to be very popular. In reality, few Scratchers are from Japan.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 2: The Forums
The following are question and answers related to the Scratch forums — where this topic is now!
Q: Can a forum topic be reopened?
A: If the topic owner accidentally closed a topic, report the first post of the topic, asking for it to be reopened and explaining why. Reporting the first post does not mean that that user is in trouble. If a Scratch Team member closed it, it's probably for a good reason. Moreover, the Scratch Team members will sometimes leave a note that says, “If you would like this reopened, report this post.”
Q: What do the purple dots next to forum pages mean?
A: It means that a user (or users) have posted there, and their messages have not been read. It's very useful for waiting on a reply.
Q: How do users edit their posts?
A: New Scratchers can only edit the post until they leave the page. This can be done by clicking the edit button next to the report and quote buttons. To prevent spam, the option is not permanent. For Scratchers, the button is there permanently for all their posts on any topic (as long as the topic isn't closed).
Q: How are topics closed?
A: Wait 24 hours and then click the gray button that says “Close Topic” at the bottom. This only works for the topic owner (or the Scratch Team, of course). To close it sooner, report the first post of the topic asking for it to be closed.
Q: How are topics made?
A: Go to the forum that is relevant to the topic idea, then at the top-right corner, there should be a purple button saying “New Topic”. Click the button to make a topic. Make sure it follows the rules of that forum. For user who are new to that forum, the “sticky” posts at the top of all forums are very useful. They usually contain very important information regarding forum guidelines.
Q: Is it possible to report a signature?
A: Users can report a post but clarify while reporting that they’re actually reporting that the signature is inappropriate. That is perfectly fine, and is recommended when someone has a signature that is not suitable for Scratch.
Some users have suggested a feature to report signatures, but this is a rejected suggestion:
This is not a place to just chat. However, any feedback on how to improve the sticky is appreciated.
Also, everyone should abide by the Community Guidelines; spam of any kind is not allowed.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic Directory
Intro
About
History
Section 1: Temporary Questions
Section 2: The Forums
Section 3: The Project Editor
Section 4: Rules and Moderation
Section 5: Scratch History and Lore
Section 6: Scratch Design and Statistics
Section 7: The Scratch Wiki
Section 8: Account Information
Section 9: Using Studios
Other
Credits
Other Helpful Links
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
About
Welcome to the Questions About Scratch Directory! This is for questions and answers, so that people can save themselves the trouble of making a post about their question when they could just look here. This will also be regularly updated, so any suggestions are accepted.
Due to the fact that this is a directory, I will accept most additions to the topic. However, I have two exceptions to that rule, and they are either 1) when the answer to the question is ambiguous, or 2) when someone in authority tells me not to include a specific question.
If you can't find a question here, this search engine by @Jeffalo may help!
Here is a change log, recording all changes made to the topic in order to keep it all organized, instead of scattered throughout the topic.
In order to search for topics and questions in these lists, press ctrl + F or cmd + F (depending on your OS).
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
History
FAQ Topic #1 - by @asqwde
FAQ Topic #2 - by @ThatOneWeirdDude
Dictionary Topic #1 - by @yzyzyz
Dictionary Topic #2 - by @MaximunPokeMaster
Dictionary Topic #3 - by @PrincessFlowerTV
Questions About Scratch Directory #1 - by @xXRedTheCoderXx
Questions About Scratch Directory #2 - by @han614698
Questions about Scratch Directory #2.5 - by @TheForumer
Questions about Scratch Directory #3 - by @Sliverus
Questions about Scratch Directory #3.5 - by @Super_Scratch_Bros20
Questions about Scratch Directory #4 - by @han614698
Questions about Scratch Directory #5 - by @Sliverus
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 1: Temporary Questions
This section is for questions that are relevant right now but may become significantly less relevant in the future. As a result, these questions are temporary and may come and go.
Q: Why are Japanese projects so popular?
It's important to keep in mind that this site is for kids. Many kids are interested in Japanese culture (e.g. anime, video games, etc.), so these projects tend to be very popular. In reality, few Scratchers are from Japan.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 2: The Forums
The following are question and answers related to the Scratch forums — where this topic is now!
Q: Can a forum topic be reopened?
A: If the topic owner accidentally closed a topic, report the first post of the topic, asking for it to be reopened and explaining why. Reporting the first post does not mean that that user is in trouble. If a Scratch Team member closed it, it's probably for a good reason. Moreover, the Scratch Team members will sometimes leave a note that says, “If you would like this reopened, report this post.”
Q: What do the purple dots next to forum pages mean?
A: It means that a user (or users) have posted there, and their messages have not been read. It's very useful for waiting on a reply.
Q: How do users edit their posts?
A: New Scratchers can only edit the post until they leave the page. This can be done by clicking the edit button next to the report and quote buttons. To prevent spam, the option is not permanent. For Scratchers, the button is there permanently for all their posts on any topic (as long as the topic isn't closed).
Q: How are topics closed?
A: Wait 24 hours and then click the gray button that says “Close Topic” at the bottom. This only works for the topic owner (or the Scratch Team, of course). To close it sooner, report the first post of the topic asking for it to be closed.
Q: How are topics made?
A: Go to the forum that is relevant to the topic idea, then at the top-right corner, there should be a purple button saying “New Topic”. Click the button to make a topic. Make sure it follows the rules of that forum. For user who are new to that forum, the “sticky” posts at the top of all forums are very useful. They usually contain very important information regarding forum guidelines.
Q: Is it possible to report a signature?
A: Users can report a post but clarify while reporting that they’re actually reporting that the signature is inappropriate. That is perfectly fine, and is recommended when someone has a signature that is not suitable for Scratch.
Some users have suggested a feature to report signatures, but this is a rejected suggestion:
9.8 Report button for signatures
To report a user's forum signature, you can just use the Report button on one of their posts, and for the reason for reporting, just explain that there is a problem with their signature. The Scratch Team has expressed that there is no need for a separate Report button for signatures since this is an effective workaround.
Q: How do I use colored text in the forums?
A: By typing [color={insert color name here}] [/color] and placing your text between the color tags, the text will change to that color.
Here's an example:
[color=green]Green is a cool color![/color]
Green is a cool color!
Hex codes are also supported. For example:
[color=#008000]Green is still cool![/color]
Green is still cooll!
While using this feature, please keep in mind that too much colored text is distracting, or may even hurt the reader's eyes.
Q: What is the dustbin?
A: When topics are deleted, they are sent to topic 412, aka the dustbin. These posts are inappropriate for Scratch, and are only accessible to moderators. There is also a separate spam dustbin for posts, where the Scratch Team can identify spamming patterns. Those are the only two dustbins that the Scratch Team monitors.
Q: What is an ITopic?
A: An ITopic is when a guide is introduced to Scratch and is verified by the Scratch Team to be a reliable guide, so they add “ITopic” to the beginning of the title. It's basically like a sticky, but is not at the top of all the topics. Usually this happens when there are too many stickies. The more stickies that exist, the less likely that they are to be read.
Q: How can someone edit a signature?
A: Go to:
Q: What is the dustbin?
A: When topics are deleted, they are sent to topic 412, aka the dustbin. These posts are inappropriate for Scratch, and are only accessible to moderators. There is also a separate spam dustbin for posts, where the Scratch Team can identify spamming patterns. Those are the only two dustbins that the Scratch Team monitors.
Q: What is an ITopic?
A: An ITopic is when a guide is introduced to Scratch and is verified by the Scratch Team to be a reliable guide, so they add “ITopic” to the beginning of the title. It's basically like a sticky, but is not at the top of all the topics. Usually this happens when there are too many stickies. The more stickies that exist, the less likely that they are to be read.
Q: How can someone edit a signature?
A: Go to:
scratch.mit.edu/discuss/settings/YOUR USERNAME HERE/
Or click the link at the bottom of the discussion home page.
Q: Has a collab ever worked?
A: Yes, although not usually. The less people involved in the collaboration, the more likely it is to succeed. Relying on others is a good idea (and is the only way to truly collaborate), but some may not be able to fulfill their duties and will have to be replaced.
Click here for a detailed analysis of why most collabs die, and how to keep yours alive.
Q: What is bumping a topic?
A: Bumping a topic is when a user posts on their topic normally because of their question not being met or just because the topic is inactive.
The rule to bumping, however, is that a user may bump any topic they want, even if it's not theirs, though it must not be resolved, old, or replaced. The topic may also only be bumped once every 24 hours or when it reaches page 2, where most topics are overlooked.
Q: What do the forums look like for a Scratch Team member?
A: It's not entirely clear, actually. Scratch Team members are forbidden from disclosing a lot of this information. But they can see IP addresses, account creation dates, exact amounts of posts, and they can access deleted topics and posts, can delete posts and signatures, close any topics, sticky them, etc.
Q: What is block spamming?
A: Blockspamming is when users use the scratch blocks plugin to create long, unneeded, and completely off-topic scripts. However, using the block plugin to display an on-topic message is NOT spam, according to this post by @Za-Chary.
Q: Where do suggestions for Scratch go?
A: First off, paste the following text and search:
Q: Has a collab ever worked?
A: Yes, although not usually. The less people involved in the collaboration, the more likely it is to succeed. Relying on others is a good idea (and is the only way to truly collaborate), but some may not be able to fulfill their duties and will have to be replaced.
Click here for a detailed analysis of why most collabs die, and how to keep yours alive.
Q: What is bumping a topic?
A: Bumping a topic is when a user posts on their topic normally because of their question not being met or just because the topic is inactive.
The rule to bumping, however, is that a user may bump any topic they want, even if it's not theirs, though it must not be resolved, old, or replaced. The topic may also only be bumped once every 24 hours or when it reaches page 2, where most topics are overlooked.
Q: What do the forums look like for a Scratch Team member?
A: It's not entirely clear, actually. Scratch Team members are forbidden from disclosing a lot of this information. But they can see IP addresses, account creation dates, exact amounts of posts, and they can access deleted topics and posts, can delete posts and signatures, close any topics, sticky them, etc.
Q: What is block spamming?
A: Blockspamming is when users use the scratch blocks plugin to create long, unneeded, and completely off-topic scripts. However, using the block plugin to display an on-topic message is NOT spam, according to this post by @Za-Chary.
Q: Where do suggestions for Scratch go?
A: First off, paste the following text and search:
site:scratch.mit.edu/discuss/1
Check the “Guide to Finding Duplicates” sticky before posting. If no forum topic about the suggestion has been made, make a new topic in the Suggestions forum. If it has already been made, then constructive criticism in the conversation is allowed.
Q: Why was the forum/user search bar removed?
A: It was just already a broken feature, and it is not currently on Scratch's priority list to fix it.
Q: What's a sticky?
A: A sticky is a topic containing useful information that users who are new to that forum — may find helpful, such as this one. These topics are pinned to the top of the first page, and it is the first thing Scratchers will see.
Q: Why doesn't the Scratch Team implement highly supported suggestions?
A: The Scratch Team are a small group of people, and there's a lot of work that goes into planning, designing, and developing new features into Scratch. Sometimes they simply don't have the resources to do so (time, money, developers, etc.), or they find that the cons outweigh the benefits of a suggestion. A lot of supports doesn't mean a suggestion will be implemented.
And, many suggestions have already been implemented by the Scratch Team, such as Scratch on mobile devices, so they do listen to the community. But keep in mind the suggestion has to be possible, and beneficial for Scratch, and even then, it takes a lot of time for something to be added. The support amount does not contribute to how likely it is to be implemented.
However, suggestions, do indeed get implemented on the forums. Here is a short list of some (but not all) suggestions that have been suggested on the forums that were implemented:
Q: Why was the forum/user search bar removed?
A: It was just already a broken feature, and it is not currently on Scratch's priority list to fix it.
Q: What's a sticky?
A: A sticky is a topic containing useful information that users who are new to that forum — may find helpful, such as this one. These topics are pinned to the top of the first page, and it is the first thing Scratchers will see.
Q: Why doesn't the Scratch Team implement highly supported suggestions?
A: The Scratch Team are a small group of people, and there's a lot of work that goes into planning, designing, and developing new features into Scratch. Sometimes they simply don't have the resources to do so (time, money, developers, etc.), or they find that the cons outweigh the benefits of a suggestion. A lot of supports doesn't mean a suggestion will be implemented.
And, many suggestions have already been implemented by the Scratch Team, such as Scratch on mobile devices, so they do listen to the community. But keep in mind the suggestion has to be possible, and beneficial for Scratch, and even then, it takes a lot of time for something to be added. The support amount does not contribute to how likely it is to be implemented.
However, suggestions, do indeed get implemented on the forums. Here is a short list of some (but not all) suggestions that have been suggested on the forums that were implemented:
Q: Why is necroposting not allowed?
A: A necropost is when users make a post that bumps an old topic back up to the top. It effectively makes more recent topics drown, and puts a discussion that is majorly abandoned back to the top of the forum. That is precisely why, unless contributing to the discussion, do not bump up old topics.
Q: How do users check for duplicates?
A: Use the Guide to Finding Duplicates before posting in Suggestions, Things I’m Making and Creating, or Things I’m Reading and Playing. That way, if the discussion has been made before, the conversation can continue there, rather than it being scattered across the forums.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 3: The Project Editor
Here are some frequently asked questions about the project editor.
Q: Why isn't this project saving?
A: Probably because there is a large file in the project (music files, images, etc..) Try cutting the file into smaller pieces. If it's not that, report it in the Bugs and Glitches forum.
Q: How do you delete a broadcast?
A: It will delete itself if it is not in use. Simply delete all the blocks that are using the broadcast.
Q: How big can projects get?
A: In Scratch 3.0, there is no limit to a whole project. The only limits are 10 megabytes per asset, and 5 megabytes for project.json, which contains code and basic pre-defined information, like variables.
Q: How can project thumbnails be changed?
A: Whatever image the project is on whenever it is saved, that image becomes the project thumbnail. To save a particular thumbnail, save the project when the thumbnail is being shown on the project.
Q: How can people use an animated thumbnail?
A: This can be done via GitHub. See this project by @World_Languages for more information.
Q: What does “clean up” do?
A: It puts all of the code in a straight line, allowing users to easily read the code.
Q: Do Scratch projects work on a phone?
A: Yes, but some features may not work as well. Namely, many projects that require a keyboard, will not work. It is also much harder to navigate the site in a number of ways. Scratch was designed to be used on a computer.
Q: How do you save a sprite’s costume?
Right-click (or hold on a mobile device) the costume in the costume editor, and then press “Export.” Only the, not the transparent background that comes with it, will be saved that way.
Q: Why do people say to double click the flag?
A: Some projects with multiple “when green flag clicked” blocks can be a bit buggy with only one click. By clicking multiple times, it ensures that the lag will be reduced.
Q: Where are extensions?
A: Click on the purple button at the bottom of the project editor. Then, click on the desired extension.
Q: Why aren’t cloud variables working?
A: Cloud data only works for Scratchers. New Scratchers have a lot of restrictions in order to prevent misuse of their Scratch account. If it still doesn't work, report it here.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 4: Rules and Moderation
Have any questions about the rules of Scratch? Go here before asking them. (Note: This does not cover forum rules; please use Section 1: The Forums).
Q: Can the Scratch Team ban/unban _____?
A: Ban information is kept between the account owner and the Scratch Team. It is not appropriate to share this information on the website; banned users can appeal via Contact Us.
Minor offenses should always be reported with the Report button. If the situation is major (impersonation, harassment, exposing personal info, etc.) use Contact Us. It is against the guidelines to name and shame, so drama that is carried onto the main site or the forums may be deleted.
Q: Is it okay to make cloud chat projects with blacklisted words?
A: No, because some curious users could go inside the project and see those words. Chat projects in general are not okay unless they have pre-set phrases that people can choose to say.
Q: When can censored projects be reshared?
A: If the Scratch Team has seen the censored project and has deemed it appropriate for Scratch, it will be ok to reshare. They will tell the project owner when it is ok to reshare it.
Q: What is the relationship between alerts and bans?
A: The amount of alerts until a ban, depends on the offense. Basically, users will be banned if they break the guidelines multiple times without changing they behavior, or if they do something very serious, such as trolling, or something illegal.
@Za-Chary sums it up pretty well here:
I don't think there's a formal limit on how long alerts last. Sure, if your last alert was for sharing personal information 7 years ago, and you just did it again, you probably wouldn't get banned. On the other hand, if 1 year ago, you were back-and-forth with appeals about sharing personal information many times, and today you do it again, you could still get banned.
As with anything regarding alerts, it all depends on how many alerts you get, how often you got those alerts, what you did wrong, etc. There's no hard rule like “Any alerts from over 60 days ago no longer count.”
There is also no set amount of time on how long an alert will last until it no longer counts against the user. The Scratch Team look at the severity of the alert, the amount of times it has been done, and how long ago it was in order to make a decision for themselves on what they should do.
Q: Is Roblox allowed to be linked on Scratch?
A: No. Due to issues happening on Roblox, users are not allowed to share links to Roblox or try to connect with others on Roblox.
Q: Why does the Scratch Team allow some bad words?
A: The words damn, frick, crap, LMAO, etc. are not considered offensive enough to be banned. Some more coarse swears would be reportable if used on the site.
Q: Are exact remixes allowed?
A: No. Scratch is about creativity, and making exact remixes basically throws that goal down the drain. First, start by reporting the users’ copied projects. If the user doesn't stop, contact the Scratch Team.
Q: Are face reveals allowed?
A: No. It is extremely unsafe for a user to share their face. Even though it used to be allowed in educational settings, it is no longer allowed due to misuse of it.
Q: What is false reporting and mass reporting?
A: Mass reporting is a real thing, as the ST's moderation system automatically takes down projects if there is a lot of reports in a short time to prevent anything bad from being spread. If the mass reports are false, however, the users doing the mass reporting will be moderated in some way, and the project will be brought back to Scratch.
Many users lie about being false reported. More information can be found here.
Q: Why do large numbers turn into x's in comments?
Scratch blocks long strings of numbers to prevent users from giving out phone numbers and other personal info.
Q: What will happen to projects with excessive flashing lights?
According to this policy, projects with flashing lights are fine as long as they are not intended to disturb users. Unless it is toggleable, these sorts of projects may be removed.
Q: What sites can users link to?
A: Many obscure sites are not allowed to be linked because they have ways to communicate privately. Scratch has public messaging, where everyone can see comments, and users are more respectful in the process. With private messaging, only intended recipients can see the message, therefore those users are more likely to be disrespectful. So the Scratch Team prefers to block these sites.
This extends to social media sites, media sharing sites, sites with links to other unsafe sites, sites notorious for their inappropriate content, and any obscure sites that are not trusted.
However, YouTube is a bit different. Sharing YouTube videos is allowed as long as the content and comments are for all ages and don't share personal information.Those same rules must be followed when linking YouTube channels, as well. Due to containing unmoderated chat, links to live streams or channels with live streams are not allowed.
Premiers are disallowed for the same reasons livestreams are disallowed. Links to sites or usernames from social media such as (but not limited to) Reddit, Patreon, Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch, and Twitter are not allowed.
Q: How do copyright laws affect projects?
A: If a company believes that a project is infringing on their rights to copyright, they can create a DMCA request to remove the project. If the Scratch Team can verify they are who they claim to be, they will have to remove the project to protect copyright. However, any Scratcher can appeal, stating why they believe the project was innocent.
Q: Are guns allowed on Scratch?
A: Realistic guns are not allowed on Scratch. This is because they bring back traumatizing memories to some Scratchers. A laser gun, water gun, etc. is allowed, but pistols, rifles, etc. are not.
Q: What does NFE mean?
A: It means that the project had themes or relates to things that some Scratchers could feel uncomfortable by, but isn't bad enough to issue a project takedown. Projects with content such as violence, loud noises, slightly bothersome (but not too scary) images, etc., do not show up in search results.
Q: Is rickrolling allowed?
A: As long as it is respectful, rickrolling is allowed. An example of rickrolling disrespectfully would be answering a question on the forums with a rickroll. That would be off-topic and impolite to the user who is struggling.
Q: What happens if someone finds out a user’s real name?
A: First of all, the user whose name was revealed must contact the Scratch Team. They can help fix this fishy behavior. Next, the user must make sure not to reveal too much information about themself. A few bits of info are fine, but too much (or too significant) info can be detrimental. For example, it would be okay if @ExampleUser revealed his first name and age, but it would not be wise for him to reveal his name, age, birthday, state he lives in, ethnicity, last initial, middle name, etc.
Q: Is there a way to block Scratchers?
A: There is no way to block Scratchers, because it dodges the problem. If a Scratcher is being disrespectful, they need to silently be reported. Ignoring them will not necessarily stop them from continuing this behavior on the site and affecting others.
Q: Is it okay to use a mild version of a swear word?
A: Yes, but if the recipient does not approve of this word, their wish should be respected. For example, users can say frick. That is perfectly acceptable. Saying the original swear word, however, crosses the line between acceptable and unacceptable. Do not overstep the bounds. And if someone doesn’t like the word frick, it would be disrespectful to continue to use that word to them.
Q: Is simulated gambling allowed?
A: Simulated gambling itself is allowed, as several Scratch Team members have gambling in their projects. However, please refrain from using inappropriate casino elements such as alcoholic beverages or inappropriate outfits.
Q: What is considered private information and what is not?
A: Sharing addresses, emails, private messaging sites, phone numbers, full names, birthday and age together, etc. would be considered private information that Scratchers are restricted from sharing. Users who share these things should be reported so that a Scratch Team member can take a look.
Q: What counts as a music sharing project that isn't allowed?
A: If the music is not created by the project owner, is the sole purpose of the project, and does not express the project owner’s creativity in any way, it is not allowed for Scratch.
Q: Why are there restrictions on certain franchises (FNAF, DDLC, Squid Game, etc.)?
A: Many users have created inappropriate projects revolving around these inappropriate franchises. Therefore, the franchises Five Nights at Freddy's and Doki Doki Literature Club do not appear in search results, and Squid Game content is banned entirely.
More information on this can be found here.
Q: Can users ban/kick certain people from a game?
A: No. Scratch projects are for anyone. If someone is misusing a project, they should be reported so that the Scratch Team can handle them.
Q: Is kissing allowed on Scratch?
A: No. It would be inappropriate for younger kids to see kissing, so please report any kissing that you see on Scratch.
Q: Are alcoholic beverages allowed on Scratch?
A: No. These kinds of references are inappropriate for younger users, so please report any alcoholic beverages on Scratch.
Q: How much blood is allowed in a project?
According to the wiki, the exact amount of blood is hard to tell, and it depends on how the blood is in the project. However, it's safer to not include any blood in your project, or the project might be marked NFE, or even taken down.
Q: Is discolored blood allowed?
A: The rules on discolored blood are the same as regular blood. It's technically allowed depending on how it's used, but it would be best to just add no blood.
Q: Why is F4F allowed?
A: While many users tend to be annoyed by F4F, it is relatively harmless, and it does unite the community. If users do not wish to do F4F with another user, they should politely decline their request.
Q: Are users allowed to make projects with extremely loud noises?
A: Yes, but it might be best to add a loud noise warning so people don't hurt their ears. Additionally, it may be marked Not for Everyone so that some users don't get their ears hurt.
Q: Why is it considered too personal to share a birthdate and age?
A: While it is ok to share the birthdate or age, you cannot share both. If a user shares one of those, it's ok. @Sliverus revealed he's 15 at the time of writing, for example. That's ok; there are a lot of 15 year old Scratchers.
But let's say he revealed his birthday was December 13 (this is a made-up date, not real). That would be dangerous because it scarily narrows down how many Scratchers have such birth info, and users are much easier to be tracked down that way.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Section 5: Scratch History and Lore
Need to catch up on some history and lore about Scratch? Go here!
Q: Who founded Scratch?
A: Mitchel Resnick, or @mres, is the founder of Scratch.
Q: How did Scratch get its name?
A: Mitchel Resnick, the believed founder of Scratch, said himself that Scratch referred to how when DJs remix the music, they scratch it. This is also referring to how users can remix projects.
Q: Who is Kaj?
A: Kaj was a scratcher who threatened to hack the website. Note the fact they threatened to hack, but whether they did or not is unconfirmed. Nowadays the name is generally used as a meme, such as “Follow this studio or else Kaj will hack your account”. But if someone is trying to spread false info about Kaj, or is falling for it, report the comments/studio/project(s). A more detailed description of the Kaj story can be found here.
Q: What is the oldest topic that still exists?
Topic 7 is the oldest topic that still exists.
Q: What does it mean to “be moist”?
A: It's a trend started when the user @Super_Scratch_Bros20 discovered the signature of a user named @Moisture. The signature read: “Be moist


Q: What is an evil kumquat?
A: A kumquat is a type of fruit. After the image host for @cheddargirl*'s signature stopped working, she changed her signature to say, “Sorry, my signature was eaten by an evil kumquat.”
Nowadays, it's a running joke among forumers. Many users include jokes about evil kumquats “eating” their signatures.
Q: When will 4.0 come out?
A: 3.0 was released January, 2019. The Scratch Team is still trying to improve 3.0 and fix the bugs and glitches it has. As such, unless something major happens like Javascript goes obsolete (which is very unlikely), 4.0 will not be released anytime soon.
Q: What was the removed Pac-Man project?
A: Bandai Namco, creators of PAC-MAN, found a PAC-MAN-related project made by @124scratch similar to the original game. Convinced that it infringed upon their rights, Bandai Namco sent a Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) to the Scratch Team, ordering the project’s removal. Uninterested in commencing a legal war over a little kid’s project, the Scratch Team obeyed the DMCA and removed the PAC-MAN project.
This received a lot of backlash and users disagreeing with the removal. Of course, many more projects were removed by DMCA requests, but the PAC-MAN project is the most notable. More information on the project can be found here, and more information on DMCA takedowns can be found here.
Q: What are GDPR accounts?
A: GDPR is a set of European laws that gives users the ability to wipe every bit of data about them on any website. What Scratch does when a user wants to wipe their data is they set the username to GDPRXXXXXX, and resets the birth date and country of the user.
Q: How do accounts with no projects and no activity get tons of followers?
Most of those accounts are called namesnipes, where a user takes a common word used in a language, or a popular topic, and sets their username to that word/topic. These accounts are commonly never used. Users on Scratch like to follow these accounts to either;
- Make a sentence using their following tab.
- Trick their followers in the “What's Happening” section.
- Follow them because simply they have a rare name.
Q: What is Leanscratch?
A: Leanscratch is a site that appears to be a Chinese copy of Scratch. No one knows what exactly it is. It could be failed archiving. The Scratch Team does not know, but it is not affiliated with them.
However, they do know that it could be potentially dangerous. Such sites could exist to track what password you log in with, so that they can use that information on Scratch. This is known as phishing. That could very well be the case. Leanscratch is a potentially dangerous website. It would be best to leave it alone, and not log in.
Q: What is scratch.mit.edu/news?
A: It used to be used by the Scratch Team to make announcements. Now this page is abandoned, since they have Tumblr and the announcements forum to make announcements.
Q: What was Crummy Scratchers Wiki?
A: It was a wiki on Mirahaze made to poke fun at other Scratchers. The Scratch Team had the wiki removed, but a lot of people were opposed to the removal.
Q: Who was the first user on Scratch?
A: The first user that still exists on Scratch is @andresmh.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 6: Scratch Design and Statistics
Read this section if you need some knowledge about the way Scratch works.
Q: When is Scratch Day?
A: The exact date has conflicting sources, but it's commonly believed to be May 14th. However, every year, “Scratch Day” events are on a different day, whatever fits in their schedule at that time of year.
Q: How does Scratch make money?
A: They accept generous donations that allow the site to continue to run. Scratch is non-profit, so they don't collect money from users or advertising companies.
Q: Why do some parts of Scratch still have the old design?
A: They are still working on updating everything. At the moment, making certain parts of the website look better isn't that much of a concern.
Q: Has the number of active users gone down or up since 3.0?
A: Even though a lot of users left at the beginning of the 3.0 update, the number of active users has significantly gone up, mostly due to COVID and a shift toward virtual schooling. As a matter of fact, so many users started using the site around the same time that Scratch was constantly having maintenance problems around the time of COVID.
Q: Why can't I delete a comment outside of my profile/projects?
A: Your own profile or projects are yours. You have a right to delete any comments you want, because it is your space. Being able to delete comments anywhere wouldn't make sense, because it's not in your own space.
Q: How do projects get views/popular?
A: Try putting projects in Add All Studios or advertise the project in Show and Tell. Still keep in mind that Scratch is not about fame. It’s about creativity.
Q: How are comments made?
A: Go to the bottom of a profile, project, or the comment tab on a studio, and there should be a bar to type in a message.
Q: How do you change your featured project?
A: Go to your profile while logged into the account with the featured project you want to change. Click your featured project, and there should be a list you can scroll through in order to find the featured project you want! Select the project you want to feature, then press “OK”!
Q: Why is there a drop in the statistics every summer?
A: There are a lot of factors. For example, a lot of Scratch accounts are for education, so they're on break over summer. Or just generally speaking, a lot of people do more outdoorsy things during the summer. A lot of people also can only use school iPads for Scratch, so having to turn those in can force inactivity.
Q: Why doesn't my project show in the search tab?
A: If your project is new, it is very likely that the project won’t appear yet. Just give it time. It could have also been marked as a project that is not for everyone, abbreviated as NFE, but the more likely reason is that your project is too new and hasn't been indexed by the search indexer yet, you can view this Scratch Wiki page for info.
Q: How do I get a featured studio/project?
A: To get a featured studio, go to this forum topic and apply for a featured studio
To get a featured project, go to this studio and suggest a project to be picked, though you may not suggest your own project. Please note that not everyone that submits will get featured.
Q: Why did Scratch 3.0 come out?
A: Scratch 2.0 ran on Adobe Flash Player. Eventually, Flash got shut down, and Scratch could no longer use it. Scratch 3.0 was created because it runs on HTML5, effectively working around the removal of the Adobe Flash Player.
Q: What is a front page curator and how do I apply?
A front page curator, or FPC, is a user who curates, or puts on the front page, five projects at a time for one week. They do this by favoriting projects. After the week, they cannot become a front page curator again.
To become a front page curator, you must create a project informing why you would be a good FPC. You must also create a studio with types of project you'd curate, as well as explain projects you enjoy and would curate. Then, you link your project in the applications studio.
A Scratch Team member will view your application, but keep in mind very little get chosen to be the next FPC. You can view more information in the wiki article.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 7: The Scratch Wiki
Read this section if you need some knowledge about the Scratch Wiki.
Q: What is the Scratch Wiki?
A: The Scratch Wiki is a wiki made for Scratchers by Scratchers. It is a useful place that can teach you all you need to know about Scratch, and to this day is still being updated to maintain accuracy and preserve history.
Q: Why can't I log in to Scratch Wiki?
A: Even if you have a Scratch account, you cannot log in to the Scratch Wiki until you have requested an account. By making access to the wiki harder, it is less likely to be attacked by spammers.
Q: Who made the April Fools article for the home page?
A: The Scratch Wiki home page April Fools article was originally made by the user @Krett12.
Q: What is Wiki Wednesday?
A: Every few Wednesdays, @LiFayTheGoblin or @ceebee* makes a Wiki Wednesday topic, showcasing a wiki article that shows what the wiki has to offer.
Q: Why do I have to request a wiki account to join?
A: If it's harder to join the wiki, it ensures that users will be well-behaved on the wiki. There are very few issues on the wiki because of its security.
Q: What is the Scratch Wiki Community Portal?
A: The Scratch Wiki Community Portal is a topic on the forums that introduces the wiki and allows users to ask questions about the wiki.
Q: How do I edit the wiki?
A: Press the pencil button, and there should be an option to edit. Some important articles are protected so that only certain users can edit them, but most can be edited by anyone.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 8: Account Information
Confused about your Scratch account? This is the place to go!
Q: Can you restore an already deleted account?
A: You can contact the Scratch Team and they'll take care of it, but try to avoid doing this often.
Q: How do I become a Scratcher?
A: To get the Scratcher rank, your account must be at least 2 weeks old, have some shared projects, and be active in the community. Being active in the community means commenting on some people's profiles, viewing some projects, or joining some studios. Please note that you won't get the invitation to become a Scratcher as soon as you hit 2 weeks, it can take up to a month, if you meet the criteria of course..
Q: Is there a way to become a Scratcher instantly if you moved accounts?
A: No, you must work to regain the Scratcher status. Otherwise, spammers could just get the status with one account, and make a whole army of spam accounts with the Scratcher status.
This has actually been suggested before, and rejected.8.2 Allow users to skip the New Scratcher status
Although the restrictions for New Scratchers may seem annoying, they are extremely effective against spam and inappropriate content. For New Scratchers who are wondering how to become a Scratcher or what it means to be one, check out this post. The Scratch Team will not allow any accounts to “skip” the New Scratcher status, even if it is an alternate account of an existing account.DISCLAIMER: Some parts of the text above were removed for relevance sake, but nothing was added to the text.
Q: How do I join the Scratch Team?
You must be 18 or older as it is a paying job, and you must be eligible to work in the United States. The most common listing is Community Moderator, as you can work even if you don't live near the Scratch HQ. The other jobs, however, are HQ strictly. To apply, go here.
Q: I got hacked! What do I do?
A: Use Contact Us to explain to the Scratch Team you were hacked. While waiting for a reply, try to change your password if you can. That will prevent the user from getting into your account in the first place.
Q: Can I change my username?
A: No. You cannot change your own username. But in some cases, such as if it contains personal information, inappropriate content, or it does not identify with your current gender, you may use Contact Us and ask for it to be changed. There is no guarantee that the Scratch Team will definitely decide to change your username, though. It is up to them.
More information from The Official List of Rejected Suggestions:8.1 Changing usernames
If a user could change their username (or even set a certain “nickname”), this could be very confusing for the Scratch community, especially for those following that user. In addition, this would make moderation of the website more difficult because it would be harder for the Scratch Team to keep an eye on what a user may be doing. The Scratch Team has allowed username changes only on very rare occasions, such as if the username contained inappropriate content or personal information. Generally the Scratch Team does not change usernames on request (including for reasons such as “I do not like my current username anymore”).
However, because of the way that usernames are stored on the server, changing the cases of letters in your username (for example, changing @Za-Chary to @ZA-CHARY) is NOT rejected; you can discuss it on this topic.
Q: How do I find out the date I created my Scratch account?
A: You can either check ScratchStats or follow this link:https://mv-ezproxy-com.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/users/YOUR USERNAME HERE
Although, there is also another way to check, if you are using a computer. Hover over the approximate date on your profile, and after a little bit, the exact date will appear. This does not work on mobile.
Q: What characters can go into usernames?
A: They can contain letters A-Z, numbers 0-9, underscores, and hyphens. Nothing else, or that could break the url code.
Q: I can’t find the confirmation email! What do I do?
A: Check your spam folder. You may also want to check to see if the email is spelled correctly. Try resending the email just to be safe. Your school may also be blocking some emails, and there is not much to be done there unless you can convince them to unblock it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 9: Using Studios
Read this section to learn more about studios and how they can be used.
Q: How can I remove myself from a studio?
A: This project by @WorldLanguages has a useful solution on how to remove yourself from a studio at any time.
Q: Why won’t it let me transfer the studio host?
A: It could be several things. Firstly, New Scratchers cannot be the studio host. Users also cannot transfer the studio host more than once a day.
Q: What does “Sorry you don't have permission to do that” mean?
A: If a user is a New Scratcher, or their account is deleted, they cannot be invited to a studio. If someone would try to invite them, this would pop up.
Q: What time of the day do studio activity messages come in?
A: It depends on the activity of the studio and the timezones of the users who use it.
Q: How many curators can join a studio?
A: There is no limit to the amount of curators in a studio. Some studios can have tens of thousands of curators. There is only a restriction on the number of managers. Only forty managers can be in a studio at once, in order to prevent people from misusing their powers.
Q: Why do so many people hate studio activity messages?
A: When people get messages, they expect those messages to be comments, loves/favorites, or forum activity. But when people get messages from studios that they don’t care about, it can be very frustrating. Many users participate in many studios, and get many studio activity messages every day.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Credits - Thanks to all the users who owned past topics of the FAQ and Question Dictionary stickies.
- Thanks to the Scratch Wiki for providing useful links and information.
- Thanks to various users across all of the FAQ and Question Dictionary topics for pointing out mistakes and other inconsistencies, and for suggesting questions and topics to be added to the lists!
- Thanks to @xXRedTheCoderXx for making the introduction banner, @Zydrolic for hosting the banner, and @Super_Scratch_Bros20 (aka me) for the section banners._______________________________________________________________________________________________
Other Helpful Links- The Official List of Rejected Suggestions (Suggestions Forum)
- Discuss the Policies of this Forum (TIRAP Forum)
- Discuss the Policies of this Forum (TIMAC Forum)
- Forum terminology, etiquette, and conventions! (New Scratchers Forum)
Last edited by Sliverus (Jan. 6, 2024 04:04:06)
- Sliverus
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Yep. Working on it now. So… the new sticky?
- cs3868895
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Going to report it to be stickedYep. Working on it now. So… the new sticky?
- medians
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Congrats on getting it back.
Also, did they actually move the extensions thing out of more blocks lol
Also, did they actually move the extensions thing out of more blocks lol
- k7e
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Also, is that @fdreerf on the Scratch History and Lore?
- Sliverus
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Made some updates.
First of, everything that said it was owned by Han is now changed because it is owned by me.
I also deleted that [edit] thing. It kind of made the top of the topic look ugly for the sake of convenience, and I didn’t really like it.
I moved the face reveal question out of Temporary Questions and into Rules and Moderation. I also removed the automodmute Temporary Question.
I also changed the wording of the question about why projects wont show up in the search tab. I felt like it just crammed in a bunch of info, just saying “either it’s this, this, this, or this”, and I felt it could’ve been worded a lot better.
I also changed a lot of weird grammatical errors. They were beginning to bother me. But I’m not done.
Another update. Fixed the thing about the FPCs. It was just a really, really long paragraph that I felt was very hard to read. There was also a grammatical mistake in there, so I fixed that as well.
And I added a new temporary question: When will dark mode be added to Scratch?
Yeah, long story short, there is much work to be done.
First of, everything that said it was owned by Han is now changed because it is owned by me.
I also deleted that [edit] thing. It kind of made the top of the topic look ugly for the sake of convenience, and I didn’t really like it.
I moved the face reveal question out of Temporary Questions and into Rules and Moderation. I also removed the automodmute Temporary Question.
I also changed the wording of the question about why projects wont show up in the search tab. I felt like it just crammed in a bunch of info, just saying “either it’s this, this, this, or this”, and I felt it could’ve been worded a lot better.
I also changed a lot of weird grammatical errors. They were beginning to bother me. But I’m not done.
Another update. Fixed the thing about the FPCs. It was just a really, really long paragraph that I felt was very hard to read. There was also a grammatical mistake in there, so I fixed that as well.
And I added a new temporary question: When will dark mode be added to Scratch?
Thanks, and I think they did lol. Congrats on getting it back.
Also, did they actually move the extensions thing out of more blocks lol
Yep. I don’t like his weird hairline, or a few of the other banners. Those were my fault. I made the banners. I left them be just for the sake of convenience, but in retrospect that was a lazy move on my part. I will fix them up another time. Also, is that @fdreerf on the Scratch History and Lore?
Yeah, long story short, there is much work to be done.
Last edited by Sliverus (May 7, 2023 03:05:07)
- medians
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
because of my extension settings it's below the block categories but above the blocks and it's not even blue:Thanks, and I think they did lol. Congrats on getting it back.
Also, did they actually move the extensions thing out of more blocks lol

i had to have 3 extensions for scratch by the way and 2 for it to show up like this
Same, I think the only reason why han had it was because of it “being long”, though it's easy to scroll through by mouse or the scroll bar. I also deleted that [edit] thing. It kind of made the top of the topic look ugly for the sake of convenience, and I didn’t really like it.
…Okay I forgot they made it that way who did I tell to press clean up????? A: It puts all of the code in a straight line, allowing users to easily read the code.
Edit: Also, for the one about viewing when you created an account, maybe mention that you can also hover over the date on your profile, and after a bit, the exact date shows up?
Last edited by medians (May 7, 2023 03:08:12)
- Sliverus
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
I have an idea. But perhaps it’s a bit far-fetched. Should I make an update log?
I’m going to make updates and repeat what I did anyway, like I always have. But I can archive them all in one place so it’s more organized. The only potential downside is that it could set a precedent for the next owner, feeling like they need to do the same. In reality, this is a very difficult thing to have to repeatedly do every single time they want to make an update, so I won’t want to make them feel required to do this. But I don’t personally mind.

I’m going to make updates and repeat what I did anyway, like I always have. But I can archive them all in one place so it’s more organized. The only potential downside is that it could set a precedent for the next owner, feeling like they need to do the same. In reality, this is a very difficult thing to have to repeatedly do every single time they want to make an update, so I won’t want to make them feel required to do this. But I don’t personally mind.
Sure. To be quite honest, even I didn’t exactly know that one. I’m a mobile user. Edit: Also, for the one about viewing when you created an account, maybe mention that you can also hover over the date on your profile, and after a bit, the exact date shows up?

- medians
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
I usually only visit profiles on computer LOL, and I think you can already guess for projects.Sure. To be quite honest, even I didn’t exactly know that one. I’m a mobile user. Edit: Also, for the one about viewing when you created an account, maybe mention that you can also hover over the date on your profile, and after a bit, the exact date shows up?
Also, for the blank tag trick to work for emoticons, you need to do this:
:P
Code:
:[b][/b]P
Those tags don't work for it, and yeah here's what it looks like (no extensions since incognito):

Last edited by medians (May 7, 2023 03:25:23)
- Sliverus
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
AAAAAAH I FORGOT OK :PI usually only visit profiles on computer LOL, and I think you can already guess for projects.Sure. To be quite honest, even I didn’t exactly know that one. I’m a mobile user. Edit: Also, for the one about viewing when you created an account, maybe mention that you can also hover over the date on your profile, and after a bit, the exact date shows up?
Also, for the blank tag trick to work for emoticons, you need to do this:
:P
Code:
:[b][/b]P
Those tags don't work for it.
Also, adding a TurboWarp question now,
- ZanterZlox
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Whoa new directory, and I posted on the first page. So, is this gonna get stickied?
- Sliverus
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
That’s correct. It’ll probably be stickied tomorrow. Whoa new directory, and I posted on the first page. So, is this gonna get stickied?
- RAiNKiTT3N
-
100+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Theres directorys for qas????
- RAiNKiTT3N
-
100+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Also you can get your username changed in some cases Theres directorys for qas????
Last edited by RAiNKiTT3N (May 7, 2023 05:27:12)
- ZanterZlox
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Have you ever seen the stickies of this forum? This is the 5th edition. Theres directorys for qas????
Last edited by ZanterZlox (May 7, 2023 05:40:22)
- medians
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Yeah there are so people don’t create as many topics on frequently asked questions. Theres directorys for qas????
Maybe mention the rejection in TOLORS? A: No, you must work to regain the Scratcher status. Otherwise, spammers could just get the status with one account, and make a whole army of spam accounts with the Scratcher status.
- Sliverus
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
That’s right. Theres directorys for qas????
I know, and I included that information by including @Za-Chary’s rejected suggestion quote. I guess technically, I could change the wording a bit to make it sound like, “No, it is usually rejected”, but wouldn’t that be a little bit awkward? Also you can get your username changed in some cases
Eh, I’ll figure something out.
Sure.Maybe mention the rejection in TOLORS? A: No, you must work to regain the Scratcher status. Otherwise, spammers could just get the status with one account, and make a whole army of spam accounts with the Scratcher status.
- Crispydogs101
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
Wait what happened to the 4th one?
- Sliverus
-
1000+ posts
The Questions About Scratch Directory 5
The old owner didn’t update it anymore, so they gave it back to me. Wait what happened to the 4th one?
Also, @RAiNKiTT3N and @medians, I’ve added what you suggested. I think that should do the job nicely. But maybe not. Both of my choices of words might be awkward? I might change them later. What do you think?
- Discussion Forums
- » Questions about Scratch
-
» The Questions About Scratch Directory 5