Content Policy

Last updated: October 21, 2026

Overview

Online Python (online-python.com) is a free tool for writing, running and learning Python in the browser. This Content Policy sets out what you may and may not do on the site: the code you write and run, the code you share, and how you use our servers. It also explains how we check and moderate content, how to report problems, and what happens when the rules are broken.

This policy is part of our Terms & Conditions and works alongside our Privacy Policy. By using the site you agree to follow it. It applies to everyone who uses the site, and it is also the policy we share with our advertising partners.

Where user content appears

The only way to publish content on online-python.com is the Share button in the code editor. It saves your code and creates a link, so the code can be opened at that link.

  • Shared code is only reachable through its link. It is not listed, linked or searchable anywhere on the site.
  • Shared code pages tell search engines not to index them (noindex), so they do not appear in search results.
  • No ads are shown on shared code pages. Ads appear only on pages whose content we write and control: the code editor, our Python lessons and our quizzes.
  • Shared links expire after the period you choose, unless you choose to keep them.
  • A share can hold up to 64 KB of code across all its files.
  • The site has no comments, chat, forums, user profiles or messaging between users.

Code you write or run but do not share is not published or shown to anyone else.

Content that is not allowed

Shared code, including its file names, comments, strings and any text it prints, must not contain or link to:

  • Sexual content: pornography, sexually explicit text or nudity. Any sexual content involving minors is reported to the authorities.
  • Hate: slurs, or content that attacks or demeans people for their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, caste, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or serious illness.
  • Harassment: bullying, threats, intimidation, or profanity aimed at abusing someone.
  • Violence and self-harm: graphic violence, glorification of violent acts or terrorism, or encouragement of suicide, self-harm or eating disorders.
  • Illegal goods and activities: the sale or promotion of drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods, gambling services, or anything else that is illegal.
  • Personal information: other people's private details (addresses, phone numbers, ID or account numbers, passwords), or private photos and messages shared without consent.
  • Deception: scams, phishing, impersonation of people or organisations, or misleading claims meant to cause harm.
  • Spam: advertising, link farms, or the same content shared over and over.
  • Infringement: code or text that infringes someone else's copyright, trademark or other rights.

Content should relate to programming or learning to program. Educational code that discusses a sensitive topic in a neutral way (for example, a word filter or a security exercise) is fine as long as it does not itself break the rules above.

Acceptable use of the code runner

Code you run on online-python.com runs either in your own browser or on our servers. You must not use the site to:

  • Create, test or spread malware, ransomware, viruses or other harmful code.
  • Attack, scan, probe or overload any system or network, including ours (for example, denial-of-service attacks, password guessing or exploiting vulnerabilities).
  • Get around our security, sandboxing, time limits or resource limits.
  • Mine cryptocurrency or run other workloads unrelated to learning and writing code.
  • Send spam or bulk messages, or scrape websites in breach of their terms.
  • Collect or steal passwords, tokens or other personal data.
  • Automate heavy use of the site with bots or scripts.

Your responsibility

  • You are responsible for the code you write, run and share.
  • Anyone with a share link can see the code. Do not share passwords, API keys or other secrets, or private data.
  • You keep ownership of the code you share. By sharing it, you give us permission to store it and show it to anyone who has the link, for as long as the link is valid.
  • Only share code you wrote yourself or have the right to share, and keep any licence notices it requires.

Children

Online Python is a general programming tool, not a service directed at children. Students may use it for learning, with a parent's, guardian's or teacher's guidance where the law requires it. Shared content must be suitable for a general audience.

How content is checked

Before it goes live

Every share request is checked automatically before anything is saved. Code and file names are matched against a list of profanity, slurs and sexual terms, including common disguises such as repeated letters, symbols in place of letters, and letters separated by symbols. If the check finds a match, the share is rejected and the user is asked to remove the word. Shares larger than the size limit are also rejected.

After it goes live

  • Shared links created before the automatic check was added are checked the same way whenever they are opened. Links that fail the check are not shown.
  • Every shared code page has a Report this code link in its footer.
  • We review shared content regularly, and we update the word list when we find content it missed.

Automatic checks can't catch everything, so reports from users matter. We may also remove content that the filter missed if we find it ourselves.

Reporting content

To report shared code that breaks this policy, use the Report this code link at the bottom of the page, or email [email protected] with the link and a short description of the problem. Every report is reviewed by a person. Content that breaks this policy is removed within 24 hours of the report, and the link stops working as soon as the content is removed.

If you shared code by mistake and want it removed, email us the link.

Copyright complaints

If you believe shared code infringes your copyright, email [email protected] with the link, a description of the work you own, your contact details, and a statement that you believe in good faith that the use is not authorised. We remove infringing content once we have checked the complaint.

Security issues

If you find a security vulnerability on the site, please report it privately to [email protected] rather than sharing it publicly or testing it on other people's data. Do not access data that isn't yours.

Enforcement

  • We remove content that breaks this policy, with or without notice.
  • We may block access to sharing or to the code runner for people who break the rules repeatedly or abuse our servers.
  • We report illegal content, especially content that exploits children, to the relevant authorities, and we cooperate with valid legal requests.

If you think we removed your content by mistake, email us with the link and we will review it again.

Advertising

Online Python is free because of advertising. Ads are served by our advertising partners on pages whose content we control, and never on pages that show user-shared code. Advertising partners can contact [email protected] with questions about this policy or about specific pages.

Changes

We may update this policy as the site changes. The date at the top shows when it last changed. Continuing to use the site after a change means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy: [email protected].