Revised on 8 November 2026. Should any information have changed, please notify me and I shall update it.
Tapas announced on 1 October 2026 that it will close on 31 March 2027 at 23:59, Pacific Time. Afterwards, no one will be able to access the platform, including episodes already unlocked. Creators may continue publishing for now and readers may spend remaining Ink until the closure. The company does not document a tool for exporting a complete series.
This case turns a general precaution into a task with a deadline. A platform distributes, recommends, charges, and measures. It does not replace the author's archive, nor does it guarantee that the work, its comments, or the relationship with readers can be transferred.
Tapas notice and frequently asked questions
- From 1 October 2026, Ink cannot be acquired, not even for free.
- Available Ink may be used until 31 March 2027.
- Series remain accessible until closure, unless withdrawal is requested by the author beforehand.
- Creators may continue to publish as long as Tapas does not announce further limitations.
- Readers may continue to support authors through the support programme until closure.
- Unlocked content does not transfer to other Kakao services.
- Exclusivity clauses are reviewed according to each creator's contract via the designated form.
- Users may request a copy of their account data via email.
Requesting account data is not equivalent to receiving originals, editable episodes, comments, or statistics in a format ready for migration. Request the copy, but prepare your own archive.
Conduct an inventory before downloading
Create a table with one row per series and chapter:
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Identity | Title, number, season, date, and public URL |
| Files | Editable original, published export, and thumbnail |
| Text | Synopsis, description, notes, warnings, and credits |
| Configuration | Reading order, format, language, and age rating |
| Performance | Reads, followers, support, and capture date |
| Rights | Authors, licences, contracts, music, fonts, and collaborations |
| Status | Published, scheduled, exclusive, withdrawn, or migrated |
Capture important public pages and export any statistics you can consult. A screenshot does not replace structured data, but it documents how the work appeared and what figures the platform displayed before closure.
Master copies
For each chapter, preserve:
- Editable originals, with layers and maximum resolution.
- Published export, in the order and dimensions uploaded.
- Neutral copy, such as PNG or TIFF for images and PDF for a reading sequence.
- Script and texts, including credits, notes, and warnings.
- Publication record, with number, date, platform, URL, and version.
- Linked resources, such as fonts, brushes, textures, and licences.
Maintain at least three copies: the working copy, a separate local copy, and another off-site. Verify that they open. The guide "Master archive: digital work and versions" explains how to preserve layers and migrate between programmes.
Do not use images downloaded from the page as your only copy. They may be compressed, cropped, or split. If a chapter exists only there, retrieve it as soon as possible and note that it is not the original.
Neither WEBTOON nor MANGA Plus is your backup
WEBTOON support allows readers to temporarily download some ORIGINALS episodes in the application for 30 days. That download is limited by the platform and is not an author export. I have not located in the public CANVAS documentation a function to download a series in its entirety with files, texts, and metadata.
I have also not located a documented tool in MANGA Plus Creators to bulk-download submitted originals. Their terms regulate publication, withdrawal, and moderation, but this does not make the service a work repository.
GlobalComix offers the public DRM-free PDF downloads of comics when enabled by the publisher or creator. This is a distribution feature. According to a response from the service itself on its forums, these PDFs are generated automatically and are not the full-resolution files uploaded by the rights holder. They do not replace a master copy either.
The guide "How to publish a webcomic without relying on a platform" compares your own website and external services. Independence does not require abandoning platforms; it requires that the work remains available if one disappears.
Preserve your relationship with your readers
The number of followers belongs to the platform account. You cannot copy their profiles or convert them into your own mailing list without consent.
You need a point of contact under your control:
- Own domain. A page with the series or, at the very least, a permanent notice of where it is published.
- Mailing list. Voluntary subscription, information regarding the data controller, purpose, retention, and how to unsubscribe.
- Additional channel. A different network or service, without making it the sole destination.
- Migration page. A stable URL that you can update even if you change platforms again.
In Spain, a person under 14 years of age cannot consent on their own to processing based on consent; the person exercising parental authority or guardianship must intervene. Avoid requesting a date of birth if it is not necessary and do not export followers or messages to your own database.
Before closure, publish the continuity URL multiple times: in the series description, a chapter note, and your profile. Do not rely on a single final notice that part of the audience will not see.
Contracts, exclusivity, and revenue
Authors with specific agreements must ask Tapas how the closure affects exclusivity, withdrawal, pending payments, and publication rights on other services. The FAQs refer to the creator form and do not offer a general response.
Keep:
- Contract and annexes.
- Accepted changes to the terms.
- Payment and support statements.
- Invoices and tax data.
- Communications regarding withdrawal, exclusivity, and settlement.
- Screenshots of balances and dates.
Do not publish on another platform before clarifying any current exclusivity. The announced closure does not allow for the assumption that all clauses terminate on the notice date or that the contract is resolved in the same manner for every author.
Migration plan from Tapas
First month
- Inventory series and chapters.
- Check originals, exports, and texts.
- Request account data.
- Archive contracts and payments.
- Decide on the domain or continuity page.
Before publishing elsewhere
- Review exclusivity and rights.
- Compare formats, limits, monetisation, and withdrawal.
- Prepare new covers and descriptions without overwriting the old ones.
- Publish a private test or a chapter before migrating the entire series.
- Document what you changed between versions.
Before 31 March 2027
- Publish a visible notice for readers.
- Check that the new location responds and functions on mobile.
- Verify balances, payments, and requested data.
- Capture final profile, series, and statistics.
- Save the closure notice and FAQs.
The closure time is expressed in Pacific Time. Do not leave the download for the last day: a time difference, an outage, or an account lockout may cause you to lose access before completing the copy.
Choosing the next platform
Evaluate:
- Right to withdraw the work.
- Exclusivity.
- Licence granted to the service.
- Formats and compression.
- Ability to export texts and data.
- Monetisation, commissions, and payment schedule.
- Moderation and complaints.
- Minimum age and data processing.
- Service continuity and contact channels.
A large audience may justify publishing on a platform that does not export, provided you retain originals and readers can find you elsewhere. The error is confusing reach with custody.
Itineraries
I am starting my practice
Organise the archive from the first episode. A stable naming convention for folders and chapters avoids reconstructing years of publication when the service announces a closure.
I am going to sell or exhibit
If you commercialise downloads, editions, or early access, separate the shop from the archive. Retain contracts, settlements, and the exact version delivered to the public.
On the open conversation
If you published on Tapas and have migrated a series, you may write to me with verifiable information regarding export, contracts, or payments. Do not send credentials or personal data of readers.