ManageWiki

From Miraheze Meta, Miraheze's central coordination wiki

ManageWiki is a special MediaWiki extension developed for Miraheze that allows bureaucrats to quickly and easily modify their wiki's settings. From basic changes like setting the logo and enabling extensions, to more complex things such as creating user groups and customizing every action a given group of users can (not) do, ManageWiki can do lots!

Accessing ManageWiki

All the links to ManageWiki sections, on the sidebar under the Administration section

Founders should be able to access ManageWiki from the start, and all bureaucrats can access Special:ManageWiki. However, any user with the managewiki permission can also access the settings. It is divided into five major sections:

  1. Core settings (Special:ManageWiki/core) - Basic wiki settings such as the name, language, and category.
  2. Extensions (Special:ManageWiki/extensions) - Enable or disable extensions on your wiki, including skins.
  3. Namespaces (Special:ManageWiki/namespaces) - Manage, create and delete namespaces on your wiki.
  4. Permissions (Special:ManageWiki/permissions) - Manage, create and delete user groups and permissions on your wiki.
  5. Additional settings (Special:ManageWiki/settings) - Change all other aspects of your wiki, such as the logo, licensing, defaults, along with tweaking extensions.

There is also a sixth option under the Administration tab reading "Manage/Download this wiki's dump". For more information on it, see Backups.

Through Special:SpecialPages, under Wiki Management

To access ManageWiki, simply click the links on the sidebar under the Administration tab or visit Special:SpecialPages and scroll to the Wiki Management section. You can also access them manually by visiting the corresponding special page: Special:ManageWiki/core, Special:ManageWiki/extensions, Special:ManageWiki/permissions, Special:ManageWiki/settings, or Special:ManageWiki/namespaces. You can type these pages into the search bar to go to them. For more information on these pages and what they do, look below. If this doesn't work, you can try asking for help on the Community noticeboard and a volunteer will gladly assist you.

Through Special:Preferences in the Appearance section

 Note: Some skins may hide the Administration tab on the sidebar. If this happens, you can force them to display by going to Special:Preferences -> Appearance -> Force the display of ManageWiki links in the sidebar. If this doesn't work, you can always navigate to them manually, as described in the previous section.

ManageWiki sections

Core settings  
Special:ManageWiki

The following settings are available under Special:ManageWiki/core on your wiki:

  • Database name - The first option in ManageWiki is the database name of your wiki. This is the same as the subdomain (*.miraheze.org) of the wiki when it was first requested, except it has the suffix wiki. You cannot edit this field.
  • Sitename - The second option is the name of your wiki. This is generally a short word or phrase that sums up the purpose or subject of your wiki. It is also the name of an entire namespace in your wiki, generalized as being the Project: namespace. For example, on this wiki (Meta), the project namespace can be reached by linking to either Meta:About or Project:About.
  • Language - The third option is for language, and it should be whatever language your wiki is supposed to be read in. It will change the language of the interface to the selected language for all users; however, it can also be changed through user's preferences. If your wiki is not turning up in the language you selected, please first check to make sure that you don't have any other language selected in your user preferences, then file a bug report on Phorge.
  • Private - The Private checkbox modifies the visibility of your wiki. Any wiki with this feature enabled can only be read by users in the administrator or member groups.
  • Closed/Inactive - The Closed and Inactive checkboxes are enabled automatically when the wiki falls into inactivity, in accordance to the Dormancy Policy. The 'Inactive' box only toggles a warning on the wiki which warns users that the wiki will be closed in a few weeks if no activity is recorded. The 'Closed' box disables many abilities on your wiki and sets it to read-only along with displaying a banner stating that the wiki has been closed due to inactivity. You can manually toggle them. If either of these is selected on your wiki, but you wish to prevent the wiki from being closed, you can disable them and continue contributing to the wiki.
  • Exempt from Inactivity - The Exempt from Inactivity checkbox is enabled for wikis that meet the requirements for exemption from the Dormancy Policy. This checkbox may not be toggled manually. If you wish to request an exemption from the Dormancy Policy, see the aforementioned page.
  • Server Name - The Server Name field is used in wikis with a custom domain to indicate the domain name which the wiki should use. This field cannot be changed manually. If you desire to have a custom domain, see the aforementioned article.
  • Category - This option allows you to put your wiki into a category of your choosing that allows users to more easily find your wiki through WikiDiscover. If your wiki doesn't fit into any of the supplied categories, feel free to make a request for a new one on Phorge.
  • Database Cluster - The Database Cluster field is purely technical and has no value for the average user. This box displays which database server your wiki is hosted on.
Extensions  
Special:ManageWiki/extensions

Special:ManageWiki/extensions lets you enable or disable any extension or skin currently offered by Miraheze. To enable or disable an extension or skin, simply check or uncheck the box next to its name and save your changes.

Each extension name currently links to the extension documentation page on MediaWiki.org and also has a brief description under them. The documentation can help you learn more about the extension and help you tweak it to your liking. If any link does not work, please let us know by filing a Phorge task, asking on the Community noticeboard or telling us directly on Discord or IRC so that we can fix it.

Some extensions may appear greyed out and may say Requires: Permissions - managewiki-restricted. These extensions may require additional work to enable, and require system administrator intervention to enable. To request it enabled, please ask on the Stewards' noticeboard.

Other extensions may read Requires: Extensions - [extension name] and may be greyed out too. This means that you need to enable the extension that is required before you can enable that extension. You must first enable the extension (and save the settings) before the box appears normal. You might need to refresh the page once before the box appears.

Some extensions are simply not compatible with each other and will break your wiki's functionality if enabled together. In these cases, ManageWiki displays Conflicts with [extension name]. Not to worry though, ManageWiki will reject your changes if you try to enable two conflicting extensions.

Extensions and skins currently available on Miraheze

An up-to-date list of extensions and skins currently provided by Miraheze can be found at Extensions and Skins.

Don't see an extension/skin listed?

If you would like to enable an extension or skin on your wiki that you don't see on the list, please request it.

Namespaces  
Special:ManageWiki/namespaces allows you to manage, create and delete namespaces. Namespaces are a way of grouping pages together (e.g. pages starting in MyWiki: are part of the MyWiki namespace). See MediaWiki's namespace page for a better explanation.

On Miraheze, you can manage your wiki's namespaces from Special:ManageWiki/namespaces.

Editing Existing Namespaces

If you would like to edit an existing namespace, please go to Special:ManageWiki/namespaces and select the namespace from the dropdown on that page.

Creating a New Namespace

If you would like to create a new namespace, you can also do so using Special:ManageWiki/namespaces. Please type the name of the namespace you want to create in the textbox under the section "Create new namespace" and click "Create Namespace".

Group management and permissions  
Main page of Special:ManageWiki/permissions

ManageWiki/permissions lists all existing groups on your wiki and all permissions that can be granted or revoked for all members of a certain group. For example, you can allow certain users to import pages to your wiki or prevent others from uploading images, etc. You can also create a new group of users or reset all settings to default.

Default groups & permissions
Name Description Permissions
* Every visitor of your wiki, including those who do not log in Special:ListGroupRights
user All logged-in users
(auto)confirmed All logged-in users who meet certain thresholds.
bot Bots are users on wikis that are run by scripts.
sysop Administrators. Can be assigned to trusted users, giving them permission to perform administrative tasks.
bureaucrat Same permissions as Administrators but have the ability to promote or demote users to Administrators.
autopatrolled Edits from these users are automatically patrolled (approved). In addition, they can patrol edits from other users.
rollbacker Can be assigned to trusted users (like a moderator) to allow them to quickly revert edits.
member (Private wikis only) Can read and edit private wikis.
Additional settings  
Special:ManageWiki/settings

Special:ManageWiki/settings offers additional settings that you can tweak. From setting the logo to Abuse Filter actions, you can modify a lot in ManageWiki. For information on each individual setting in ManageWiki, look under the setting name for the short description, or click the link to read more about the setting on MediaWiki.org.

 Note: Special:ManageWiki/settings can be filtered by extension configuration, you can visit Special:ManageWiki/settings/extensionname to filter. Special:ManageWiki/extensions have a link to the filtered ManageWiki for the individual extensions if configuration exists for that extension.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my logo/favicon?  
To change the logo and favicon of your wiki, you need to go to Special:ManageWiki/settings and look for $wgLogo under the Styling section. If you want to change the favicon or icon shown for Apple mobile devices, you need to look for $wgFavicon or $wgAppleTouchIcon depending on your needs in the same section. You must add a specific URL to the textbox below the option. This URL will always be in the form of https://static.miraheze.org/yourwiki/XX/XX/File_name.X, where X is a stand-in character for something that will be different depending on the file. To get this URL, follow these simple steps:
  1. Upload the logo if you have not already. Once the upload is completed, you'll be redirected to your image.
  2. Right-click on the image and select an option to "Copy Image Location" or drag and drop the image into a new tab on your browser.
  3. Copy the URL of the current page (do not use http unless it's the only protocol supported. Always use https where possible.)

 Note: The recommended logo size for most skins is 135px by 135px.

Once you are done, make sure to clear the cache in your browser to see the updated image. Please be aware that the change may not be immediate, and can take several minutes to go through. Please also be aware that Apple mobile devices do not support all image file formats.

How can I backup/restore my ManageWiki settings?  
ManageWiki settings can be backed up in the same way that your wiki is, by using Special:DataDump. DataDump shows a special option that allows you to download your ManageWiki settings.

To restore these settings, please file a Phorge task and request they be restored. Make sure to include the backup file in your request.

A setting I need to change isn't in ManageWiki, what do I do?  
ManageWiki does not automatically display all changeable configuration variables, a system administrator must manually add them. Occasionally, it could be that the setting you're looking for hasn't been added into ManageWiki yet, or it could be currently not possible to let users change the setting yet because of technical limitations. To request a setting be added to ManageWiki or changed, ask us directly on Discord or IRC, file a Phorge task, or ask on the Community noticeboard.

Other times, some settings aren't changeable due to technical limitations or security concerns. In those cases, a system administrator will let you know.

Need more help?

If you're still confused or not sure about something regarding ManageWiki, please feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to assist you!

See also

  • You may view the ManageWiki Phorge project here.
  • You may view the ManageWiki source code over on our GitHub.