What are AniList's rules for adding a manga or anime?
AniList adds a Japanese manga when it was "first published through a reputable Japanese publisher", a webtoon only from a portal's official section, and an anime only when Japanese studios had "significant creative control" and it was "professionally produced" (AniList submission manual, manga; AniList Animated Media Criteria). A self-published webtoon, webcomic or web animation meets none of these rules.
The written-media rules add three details:
- Works posted on Twitter or pixiv are "usually not accepted unless they are titled works uploaded by an author already in serialization", and are then classed as doujinshi.
- Webtoon portals count only for their official section: a series on a portal like Comico "should be from the official section only, and not the self-publishing challenge section".
- The format list is closed. The anime criteria say the list of formats "is exhaustive — if you don't see a type that contains the media you're submitting, it's likely that it's ineligible".
For anime, Japanese animation is not enough on its own: "even if a title was animated by a Japanese studio, it may not be added to the site due to significant creative decisions being made by western companies."
What are MyAnimeList's rules for adding a manga?
MyAnimeList requires a webcomic or webtoon to be "published physically by a reputable publishing company" before it can be added (MyAnimeList forum, 5 November 2020). Korean and Chinese webtoons also "have to be published physically to be included in the database".
The only exception covers Japanese manga and one-shots "published digitally by a reputable publishing company", such as series on Shonen Jump+ or ComicWalker. MyAnimeList also states that "foreign productions (e.g. Avatar, Original English Language 'manga') and Korean webcomics are not allowed" (MyAnimeList forum).
What are AniDB's rules for anime?
AniDB lists an anime only when it is "Japanese, Chinese, or Korean (CJK)... created primarily for the CJK market by CJK producers" and "professionally produced by a CJK producer" (AniDB wiki, FAQ: Anime). AniDB adds that "fan-made shows and/or parodies are not considered anime", and it excludes VTuber videos because they are "not produced for a broadcast audience".
Why do these rules exclude self-published series?
The rules exclude self-published series because each database defines its scope by who published or produced a work, not by its style or quality. A professional Japanese publisher (AniList), a physical print run (MyAnimeList for webtoons) or a CJK producer (AniDB) is the test, and an independent creator cannot pass it without a publisher.
Self-published series and where the rules leave them, as of October 2026:
| Self-published series | AniList | MyAnimeList | AniDB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webtoon on WEBTOON Canvas, Tapas, GlobalComix or NamiComi | No (self-publishing sections are excluded) | No, unless a reputable publisher prints it | Anime only |
| Webcomic on ComicFury or the creator's own site | No | No | Anime only |
| Original English-language manga (OEL) | No | No | Anime only |
| Non-Japanese indie anime on YouTube | No | Case by case | No |
| AI-made manga or anime | No | No | No |
Licensed webtoons are a different case: a series that a Korean or Chinese publisher runs in the official section of a portal can be listed on AniList, and on MyAnimeList once it is printed.
The rules make sense for databases built around professional releases: they keep the catalogue manageable and the metadata reliable. The cost falls on independent creators, whose readers have no shared place to log, rate and recommend their work.
Can my series be added to AniList or MyAnimeList later?
Yes, if the series later meets the rule it failed. A webtoon becomes eligible on MyAnimeList once a reputable publisher prints it. A creator who is serialised by a Japanese publisher can have earlier titled works from Twitter or pixiv accepted on AniList as doujinshi. An animated series becomes eligible on AniList when a Japanese studio produces it with creative control.
Self-publishing more chapters, gaining readers or moving to a bigger platform does not change eligibility on its own.
Where can an indie series be listed and tracked?
An indie series can be listed on directories that accept self-published work, and tracked on AnimeHunt, which lists independent manga, webtoons, webcomics and web anime next to studio titles.
- TopWebComics and Comic Rocket list webcomics by genre, with links to the host (K-Comics Beat, 30 September 2026).
- MyAnimeList stacks, user-made lists such as "Modern Independent Anime", collect the independent anime MyAnimeList does hold; most of those live on "YouTube or Vimeo, with some available through dedicated websites" (MyAnimeList stack). Indie manga and webtoons have no equivalent there.
- The host's own pages (WEBTOON Canvas, GlobalComix, NamiComi) let readers subscribe, but only to series on that host.
- AnimeHunt gives a series a page with ratings, reading lists and recommendations, whatever the host.
What this means on AnimeHunt
AnimeHunt is a free anime and manga discovery directory and tracker that lists independent series next to studio titles. AnimeHunt accepts original work hosted anywhere: a webtoon on WEBTOON Canvas, a webcomic on ComicFury, an OEL manga on your own site, or an indie anime on YouTube. The only exclusions are fan works and explicit (18+) content, and AI-made series carry a label that readers can filter on.
A listing puts your series in the same search, genre pages and recommendation rails as more than 60,000 studio anime and manga, and readers can track it in the same list as everything else they follow. A moderator reviews each listing before it goes live. If someone else already listed your series, you can claim it instead.