Gelbooru has long been recognized as one of the internet’s leading booru-style imageboards, serving a vast global community of fans of anime, manga, video games, and digital art. Whether you’re a seasoned user or someone just discovering this expansive platform, this 2025 guide explores everything you need to know about Gelbooru—its history, features, controversies, legal concerns, community culture, and future outlook.
What is Gelbooru?
It is a booru-style imageboard that specializes in the hosting and sharing of anime-style images, GIFs, and illustrations. Built upon the Danbooru engine, It allows users to tag images with keywords, making content easily searchable through a community-driven tagging system.
The platform is primarily centered on fan-made and original content from anime and game fandoms, with a wide array of genres, characters, and themes. Gelbooru is well-known for being open access, allowing virtually anyone to browse, upload, and interact without strict account requirements.
Origins and Evolution of Gelbooru
A History of Digital Art Archiving
It was founded in 2007, during a wave of booru-style platforms that emerged as fan communities sought better ways to archive and share anime-style images. The name itself is derived from “gelatin” and “booru,” suggesting a flexible and fluid image-sharing platform.
Over time, the platform has grown into one of the largest anime-themed image repositories, amassing millions of images and serving millions of page views monthly.
Key Features of Gelbooru in 2025
1. Advanced Tagging System
The core of It lies in its extensive tag-based search system, which allows users to find images using a combination of artist names, characters, series, genres, and more. With user-generated tags, it’s easy to narrow down searches to specific interests.
2. User-Centric Interface
In 2025, Gelbooru has refined its interface to enhance mobile compatibility, support dark mode, and streamline image browsing for both casual users and hardcore taggers.
3. Free Access and Open Contribution
Gelbooru continues to be free-to-use and does not require registration to browse or download images. Registered users, however, gain access to features like favoriting, blacklist filters, tag editing, and uploading.
4. Community Moderation Tools
It includes moderation tools such as flagging inappropriate content, reporting copyright violations, and cleaning up erroneous tags—ensuring that the community remains active in maintaining quality control.
5. NSFW Content Filters
As of 2025, It includes enhanced filtering options for sensitive content, including NSFW or explicit imagery, allowing users to customize their experience.
Popular Categories on Gelbooru
1. Anime Characters
Characters from popular series like Naruto, Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, and One Piece dominate the platform.
2. Original Artworks
Independent artists frequently upload original creations, often tagged under “original” or “OC.”
3. Video Game Fan Art
Images from games such as Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy, League of Legends, and Persona are highly sought-after.
4. GIFs and Animations
With improved file handling, short animated loops (GIF or WebM) are now more common, often tagged by animation source and style.
Is Gelbooru Legal and Safe?
Copyright Concerns
It operates in a gray area of internet copyright law, similar to many imageboards. While many uploads are fair use or fan art, some works are reuploads of copyrighted content without explicit permission.
To navigate this, Gelbooru follows the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). Artists or companies can file takedown requests, and Gelbooru generally complies swiftly.
Adult Content Warning
Due to its open nature, It hosts both SFW and NSFW content. Visitors under 18 are advised to use filtered versions or avoid the site altogether. Adult content is labeled clearly, and users can enable safe browsing mode to hide such posts.
Malware and Pop-ups
In earlier years, Gelbooru was criticized for aggressive ads, including pop-ups and redirects. As of 2025, the site uses more secure ad partners and allows ad-free browsing for registered or donating users.
How Gelbooru Compares to Other Imageboards in 2025
| Feature | Gelbooru | Danbooru | Safebooru | Rule34.xxx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Registration | Yes | No (invite only) | Yes | Yes |
| NSFW Content | Yes | Limited | No | Yes |
| Mobile Experience | Improved in 2025 | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Community Size | Large | Medium | Small | Large |
| Artist Tools | Basic | Advanced | Basic | Basic |
It growth has shown no signs of slowing. The future roadmap includes:
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Enhanced mobile app integration
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AI-assisted tag generation
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Better artist verification tools
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Cryptocurrency tip jars for creators
With web3 and blockchain-based art communities rising, Gelbooru may integrate wallet-based features for verified artists and NFT-style verification for unique artworks.
Conclusion: Is Gelbooru Still Worth Visiting in 2025?
It continues to be one of the most popular and accessible booru-style imageboards in 2025. It offers a rich visual archive, a powerful search experience, and a platform where fans, collectors, and artists can intersect. Despite some drawbacks in moderation and legal gray areas, it remains a central hub in the anime art ecosystem.
Whether you’re there to discover new artists, explore niche tags, or build your personal collection of favorite anime illustrations, Gelbooru delivers on its promise—a place where art meets community in the most unfiltered form.