NSFW stands for "not safe for work" and is used to mark links to content, videos, or website pages that the viewer may not wish to be seen viewing in a public, formal, or controlled environment. The marked content may contain graphic violence, pornography, profanity, nudity, slurs, or other potentially disturbing subject matter. NSFW is often used as a content warning, urging the viewer to use discretion or avoid the post or image when they are in a professional or public setting. The NSFW tag began mostly as a reference to warn about sexual content, nudity, or violence, but has evolved to encompass a range of delicate and potentially triggering content for the viewer. Here are some types of content that are considered NSFW across the board:

• Images or videos containing nudity
• Suggestive photos
• Profanity
• Violence
• Gore
• Pornography
• Slurs
• Other potentially disturbing subject matter

NSFW is often attached, in an abundance of caution, to any link or image that might raise eyebrows, even one thats contextually innocent. Conversely, safe for work (SFW) is used for links that do not contain such material, but where the title might otherwise lead people to think that content is NSFW. The similar expression not safe for life (NSFL) is also used, referring to content which is so nauseating or disturbing that it might be emotionally scarring to view.