Practical guide

OOC Meaning in Roleplay: What It Is and How to Use It

OOC means "out of character." In roleplay, it marks anything you write as yourself, the person behind the character, while IC ("in character") is the story itself. Most people wrap OOC text in double parentheses or brackets, or start the line with "OOC:", so nobody mistakes it for part of the scene.

Reviewed by tempteo Editorial. Updated 2026-09-25

IC vs OOC: what's the difference?

IC text is the story: what your character says and does, and what they notice or think. OOC text is you talking to your partner about the story. It might be a question, a plan for the next scene, or a quick note that you have to go. Both can share one message as long as it's obvious where the scene stops and the note starts.

Here is one moment written both ways. A student and a caretaker are snowed in at a mountain observatory, and the power keeps flickering.

Priya stamps the snow off her boots and holds up the flashlight. It blinks twice and dies. "The generator's clicking again. Is that normal, or should I be worried?"

OOC

((OOC: Quick question before you reply. Does Priya already know the caretaker lives up here all year, or should that come out later?))

How do you mark OOC text?

There is no official format. Each group picks a habit and sticks with it, and any of these works as long as you and your partner read it the same way.

Double parentheses: ((brb, making tea)). This is one of the most common markers in chat roleplay, partly because single parentheses can look like part of the narration.
Square brackets: [OOC: Can we skip to the next morning?] Some people put the "OOC:" label inside the brackets, some leave it out.
An "OOC:" prefix: OOC: Fine by me if this turns into an argument. Start a new line for it so it isn't read as dialogue.
Slashes: // I think the caretaker would lie about this. Usually two slashes at the start of the line, sometimes closed with two more at the end.

When do people use OOC?

Step out of character when you need to say something your character can't. Keep the note to what it's for, and go back to the scene once it's settled. These are the usual reasons, each with the kind of note that fits:

To clarify something: ((Is the observatory right on the peak or further down the slope?))
To plan ahead: ((I'd like the storm to knock the power out soon. Okay with you?))
To check in: ((Is this pace working for you, or should we speed things up?))
To pause: ((I have to stop for tonight. Let's pick up in the generator room tomorrow.))
To fix a mistake: ((Correction: Priya left the flashlight in the hallway, so she isn't holding it here.))

How to use OOC with an AI character

An AI character reads your OOC note as instructions about the story, such as a scene to skip or a change to how the next reply should read. It doesn't need the polite padding a human partner might expect, so a short, direct note works best. One or two sentences is plenty.

Put the note at the start of your message when it changes the next reply, such as a timeskip or a correction. Put it at the end when it's a small request after your own turn. A note tucked into the middle of an action paragraph can get read as part of the scene.

Then switch back clearly. After an OOC exchange, the AI may keep chatting out of character. End your note with something like "Back in character" and follow it with your next IC move, so the reply has something in the story to answer.

On tempteo, replies are generated and can vary, so a note is sometimes followed only loosely. If that happens, repeat it once in plainer words rather than writing a longer one.

Skip ahead

((OOC: Please skip to the next morning, after the storm has passed. Back in character.)) Priya wakes up on the couch in the control room, stiff and cold, and goes looking for coffee.

Fix the voice

((OOC: The caretaker is gruff and short with words, not cheerful. Please redo that last reply.))

Note at the end

Priya pries open the fuse box and stares at the rows of switches. "Which one did you say?" [OOC: Keep your next reply to one short paragraph, please.]

OOC etiquette

A scene that keeps stopping loses its pull, even when every note has a good reason behind it. A few habits keep OOC useful:

Keep notes short and make one point per note.
Mark every OOC line the same way, so nothing gets mistaken for dialogue.
Ask before big turns, like a fight or a character leaving the story for good.
Don't use OOC to argue your character out of a setback. Ask once, then go with the answer.
Keep OOC knowledge out of the story. If a note reveals the caretaker's secret, Priya still doesn't know it. Using it anyway is called metagaming.

The other meaning: "that's so OOC"

Outside a chat, OOC often describes a character rather than a message. In fan fiction tags and comments, calling a character OOC means they act in a way that doesn't fit who they are, like a cold, sarcastic detective who suddenly gushes over everyone.

The same thing happens in AI roleplay when a character slowly loses their personality over a long chat. The fix is the first kind of OOC: a one-line note saying how the character should sound, then a request to redo the reply.