Tell your readers who wrote your words.
Open Bylines is a free, open label that shows how much AI was involved in a text – from none at all to fully generated – in one small badge.
No account, no cookies, no fee. Copy a snippet and paste it into your post.
Twelve years of garden notes, finally in order
Since 2014 I have kept a paper notebook by the back door. This autumn I typed it all up and asked an AI to help me sort it by season. The sentences are still mine.
“AI or not” is too blunt a question.
AI is now part of how many texts get written. Sometimes it checks the spelling. Sometimes it suggests a structure. Sometimes it writes whole paragraphs.
Readers notice, and they wonder how a text was made. The honest answer is rarely “yes” or “no”. It is usually “a little” or “it depends”.
Open Bylines gives writers six plain levels to say what actually happened. It takes a few seconds and passes no judgement. Being open about your process builds more trust than any claim about it.
The EU AI Act (Article 50) brings official labels for AI-generated and AI-manipulated content, such as deepfakes and AI text published without human review. Those labels mark the far end of the scale. Open Bylines covers the range in between, where most writing happens. You can use both side by side.
Who wrote the words?
Every level answers that one question. Levels 0 to 2: the wording is yours. Levels 3 to 5: AI wrote some, most or all of it.
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No AI
This text was written without AI.
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AI-proofread
Written by me. AI only proofread it.
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AI-assisted
Written by me. AI helped with research or structure.
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AI co-written
Co-written. AI drafted parts, I revised them.
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AI-written, human-reviewed
Mostly written by AI. I reviewed it and take responsibility for it.
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AI-generated
Generated by AI with little or no human editing.
No level is better or worse than another. Open Bylines is about being clear, not about using less AI. A level 5 text with an honest label is a perfectly good use of the badge.
Pick your level. Copy the code. Done.
The preview updates as you choose. The plain HTML version works on any site that lets you paste HTML, with nothing loaded from elsewhere.
Recommended. Plain HTML with inline CSS and SVG. No JavaScript, no external files. The tooltip opens on click, tap or keyboard.
A small script adds an <open-byline> element with a hover tooltip. The code loads a fixed version from openbylines.org, and the integrity value makes browsers refuse any other file. Your readers’ browsers request it from GitHub Pages: mention that in your privacy policy, or download the file and host it yourself.
For your page’s <head>, so search engines and tools can read the level. Not required for the badge to work. Optional
Where to paste the code
WordPress
In the block editor, add a Custom HTML block where the badge should appear and paste the HTML code.
Ghost
In the editor, type /html to insert an HTML card and paste the code.
Substack
Substack doesn’t allow custom HTML in posts. Write the level as a line of text instead, e.g. “Open Bylines level 2 · AI-assisted”, and link it to this page.
Hugo, Jekyll, Eleventy
Paste the HTML into your post layout or a partial/include, and set the level per post from front matter.
What the badge is – and what it isn’t
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Self-declaration, not certification
Nobody checks the label. It is an honest statement by the author, like a byline.
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Non-judgmental
The point is disclosure, not the level. No level is a badge of honour or a mark of shame.
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Human responsibility
From level 3 upwards, a person stands behind the text: they revised or reviewed it and answer for it. Level 5 says honestly that nobody did.
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Open and free
No accounts, no cookies, no fees. Visits to this site are counted with Fathom, without personal data. The badge, the levels and the code are openly licensed.
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Not legal compliance
Using Open Bylines does not on its own meet any duties under the EU AI Act or other laws. If a law requires you to label AI content, use the official label as well.
Questions
What if I only used AI for translation?
Translation is a known edge case: the ideas are yours, but the final wording came from a machine. For now we suggest level 3. A future version of the spec will address it – tell us what you think.
Does this replace the EU AI icons?
No. The EU icons are an official scheme for content that the law says must be labelled. Open Bylines is a voluntary, more detailed self-declaration. Use the EU icon where the law requires it, and Open Bylines wherever you want to say more. They work side by side.
Who checks whether my label is true?
Nobody. Open Bylines is a self-declaration. Its value comes from the same place as a byline’s: you put your name to it.
Can I use the badge commercially?
Yes. The badges and icon are CC0 (public domain), the level definitions are CC BY 4.0 and the code is MIT. Use them on commercial sites, in paid newsletters and in client work.
Can I change the colours to match my site?
Yes. Set these CSS custom properties on the badge or any parent element. Please keep the text readable (WCAG AA contrast), keep all six digits visible, and don’t give individual levels their own warning or reward colours.
.my-article {
--open-byline-accent: #0F766E; /* active level and label */
--open-byline-on-accent: #FFFFFF; /* digit on the active level */
--open-byline-font: Georgia, serif;
}How do I suggest a new language?
Open an issue on GitHub with the six labels and descriptions in your language, or send a pull request. The steps are in CONTRIBUTING.md. A second native speaker’s review helps a lot.
Built in the open. Help shape it.
Open Bylines is young. It gets better with every translation, integration and honest piece of feedback.
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Translations
Bring the badge and this page to your language.
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Integrations
A WordPress plugin, a Ghost theme snippet, Hugo and Jekyll shortcodes – make it one click for writers.
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Accessibility review
Test the badge with screen readers, keyboards and zoom, and tell us what doesn’t work.
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Feedback on the levels
Do the six levels fit how you write? Where do they get unclear? Edge cases are welcome.
- Badges and icon
- CC0 1.0
- Specification (levels and definitions)
- CC BY 4.0
- Code
- MIT
Current specification: v1.0. The spec is versioned, and every change is recorded in the public changelog. Read the full level definitions.