If you’ve heard the term Gelbooru in forums or art circles and wondered what it is, you’re not alone. Gelbooru is a “booru”—a community-driven imageboard built around tagged images. Instead of traditional categories, every image is labeled with many user-added tags (subject, style, artist, and more). This makes finding very specific visuals fast and precise, as long as you know how to search and how to configure safety controls.
This guide explains, in plain language, what Gelbooru is, how its tag system works, and how to use common Gelbooru settings, options, and filters to keep your browsing safe and productive. You’ll also find a hands-on Gelbooru search guide with real-world examples so you can start confidently.
Gelbooru Settings and Options for Safer Browsing
Before you search, take a minute to set up your viewing preferences. You don’t need an account to run a simple search, but creating one unlocks persistent options like blacklists and default ratings.
Ratings and Default Filters
- Use rating:safe in your searches to show only images marked safe for work.
- If you make an account, look for profile or site preferences where you can set your default rating to “safe.” That way, every new session starts with an SFW filter.
Blacklist (Personal Safety Net)
Most boorus—Gelbooru included—offer a blacklist: a personal list of tags you never want to see.
- Add tags you find uncomfortable or off-topic (e.g., -gore, -violent, or any subject you don’t want in your results).
- The blacklist helps even if you forget to type -tag exclusions in a specific search.
Thumbnails, Pagination, and Grid
- Thumbnail size: Choose a smaller grid if you’re scanning lots of results quickly, larger thumbnails if you prefer quality over speed.
- Posts per page: If you’re on a slow connection, reduce the count so pages load faster.
Safe Viewing Habits
- Use a modern browser with a content blocker to reduce pop-ups or misleading ads.
- Avoid downloading files you don’t recognize.
- If you’re on a shared device, consider logging out after sessions and clearing history.
Gelbooru Search Guide: From Basic to Advanced
The heart of Gelbooru is its search box. Type one or more tags separated by spaces. Results must match all the tags you enter unless you specify otherwise.
Basic Tagging
- Single subject: landscape
- Two subjects together: landscape night (returns images tagged with both “landscape” and “night”)
- Safe-only: landscape night rating:safe
Excluding Tags
Use a minus sign – to exclude:
- landscape night -rain rating:safe
This shows safe, nighttime landscapes without rain.
Phrases & Alternatives
Some tags are multi-word but written with underscores, e.g., starry_sky. If you’re unsure of exact tag spelling, start broad, then refine when you see commonly used tags in the sidebar or under images.
Sorting and Discovery
Look for interface options to sort results (e.g., by score or newest). If available on your version of Gelbooru, sorting can help you:
- By popularity/score: Quickly find widely liked images.
- By date/newest: Explore the latest uploads (useful when following a trend or event).
- Random: Good for exploratory browsing while keeping rating:safe on.
Using the Blacklist While Searching
Even if your blacklist is active, it’s smart to add exclusions to specific searches when needed. For example, to find safe, stylized cityscapes but avoid CGI and certain aesthetics:
- cityscape stylized rating:safe -3d -realistic
Real-World Example: Building a Reusable SFW Search Workflow
Imagine you want a gallery of night skies for mood-board inspiration. You want variety—but everything must be SFW.
- Start SFW:
Search: night_sky rating:safe
Skim the results; note any tags you like (e.g., stars, silhouette, mountain). - Refine with positives:
Search: night_sky stars silhouette rating:safe
You’ll now get more focused results. - Exclude unwanted styles:
If you see results you don’t want (e.g., heavy CGI), exclude them right in the query:
night_sky stars silhouette rating:safe -3d -cgi - Save it:
If you have an account, add unwanted tags to your blacklist so you don’t have to exclude them every time.
Consider bookmarking your “final” search URL once it’s dialed in.
This simple loop—start broad, add positive tags, exclude negatives, save what works—keeps sessions efficient and safe.
Using Tags Responsibly: Quality, Context, and Community
Because the system is community-driven, tag quality can vary. Here’s how to navigate that:
- Confirm tags on individual images. If you find a tag that consistently returns content you didn’t expect, click through to see how it’s used.
- Favor well-established tags. Common tags like landscape, portrait, watercolor, or rating:safe tend to be consistent.
- Report issues if the platform provides a mechanism. Correcting mis-tags helps everyone.
Frequently Used Gelbooru Options
- Account Preferences: Set default rating to safe; enable/adjust blacklist.
- Interface Controls: Change thumbnails, posts per page, and layout to scan faster.
- Search Box: Combine tags, add rating:safe, and use -tag to exclude.
- Sort/Order (if available): Score, newest, random—choose the one that fits your task.
- Pools/Collections (if supported): Some boorus group related images; useful for sets (e.g., a series by one artist).
- Notes & Metadata: Many images have extra notes; read them to learn correct tag usage.
Is Gelbooru Safe?
It can be, if you set it up that way. Safety on a booru is largely about filters and habits:
- Always include rating:safe when you’re browsing in professional or shared environments.
- Use your blacklist to permanently exclude themes you don’t want to see.
- Avoid external downloads from unknown sources; stick to in-browser previews when possible.
- Keep your browser and extensions updated to limit exposure to deceptive ads.
For a plain-English overview tailored for newcomers, you can also see this short explainer on gelbooru that walks through the basics and safe-search mindset.
Best Practices That Keep Your Results Clean and Useful
- Be intentional with each tag. If a term is too broad, pair it with a style or context (e.g., architecture minimal rating:safe).
- Iterate quickly. Add or remove a single tag at a time to see how your results change.
- Document your favorites. If you research regularly, keep a note with your best tag combos.
- Respect community norms. Read guidelines, tag responsibly, and report obvious mis-tags.
- Separate sessions. If you sometimes need broader results, keep a “SFW only” profile or browser profile so you never mix contexts by mistake.
Conclusion
Gelbooru is a powerful, tag-driven imageboard. Its strength is precision: with the right tags, settings, and options, you can find exactly what you’re looking for—safely. Start with rating:safe, refine with positive tags, exclude what you don’t want, and save your preferences (and blacklist) to make safe browsing effortless. Once you learn a handful of reliable tags and get comfortable iterating, Gelbooru becomes a fast, flexible visual search tool.