View source for Help:Edit summary

<languages />
{{PD Help Page}}
<translate><!--T:1--> An '''edit summary''' is a short message you leave for others when you make changes to a page.</translate>
<translate><!--T:2--> Examples of common edit summaries include "Fixed a typo" or "Added a new [[<tvar name=1>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Section</tvar>|section]]".</translate>
<translate><!--T:3--> Using edit summaries helps other users understand your edits without having to dig into the details.</translate>
<translate><!--T:4--> It's optional but super helpful for keeping everyone on the same page.</translate>
<translate><!--T:5--> If a copyright infringement is found, it also keeps authorship information after a significant revision deletion.</translate><ref>
[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=IOS_version_history&action=history&offset=20200723132316&limit=62 <translate><!--T:6--> Content of over a week worth of sixty revisions deleted due to discovered copyright violation on "iOS version history", but with mostly good use of edit summary.</translate>]
</ref>

{{Note|type=reminder|text=<translate><!--T:7--> Marking the checkbox in your user <tvar name=4>[[Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing|{{int|Preferences}}]]</tvar> that says <tvar name=2>{{checkbox}} <code>{{int|tog-forceeditsummary}}</code></tvar> (under <tvar name=3>[[Special:Preferences#{{int|mw-prefsection-editing}}|{{int|prefs-editing}}]]</tvar> section) can be useful to ensure you don't forget to leave one.</translate>}}

<translate>
== Page layout == <!--T:8-->
</translate>
[[{{lm|Edit summary OOUI 2025|png}}|400px|thumb|none|]]
<translate><!--T:9--> The page layout for entering an edit summary typically includes the following elements:</translate>

* '''<translate><!--T:10--> <tvar name=1><code>{{int|summary}}</code></tvar> input field</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:11--> A text box where you can enter a brief description of the changes you made.</translate> <translate><!--T:12--> This field is essential for providing context in the page history.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:13--> <tvar name=1><code>{{int|minoredit}}</code></tvar> checkbox</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:14--> Positioned near the edit summary box, this checkbox allows you to flag the edit as minor, indicating that the changes are small or not significant.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:15--> <tvar name=1><code>{{int|watchthis}}</code></tvar> checkbox</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:16--> Another checkbox, this option lets you add the page to your {{<tvar name=1>ll|Manual:Watchlist</tvar>|watchlist}}, allowing you to receive notifications for future edits.</translate> <translate><!--T:17--> The duration you'd like to watch the page for can be set using the drop-down menu named <tvar name=1><code>{{int|addedwatchexpiry-options-label}}</code></tvar>.</translate> <translate><!--T:18--> It's important because a user may comment on your edit after you publish your changes.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:19--> <tvar name=1><code>{{int|publishchanges}}</code></tvar> button</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:20--> Positioned below the edit summary input field, this button finalizes the edit.</translate> <translate><!--T:21--> Users should ensure their summary accurately reflects the changes before clicking.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:22--> <tvar name=1><code>{{int|showpreview}}</code></tvar> button</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:23--> This shows a rendered preview of the page's content and also a rendered preview of the edit summary.</translate> <translate><!--T:24--> This preview appears just below the edit summary input field.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:25--> <tvar name=1><code>{{int|showdiff}}</code></tvar> button</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:26--> This has nothing to do with the edit summary.</translate> <translate><!--T:27--> It displays a comparison between the old and new content changes that will be applied on the page.</translate>

<translate>
== Key features == <!--T:28-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:29--> The edit summary box can hold up to 500 characters.</translate>
<translate><!--T:30--> If you try to add more, only the first 500 characters will be saved.</translate>

<translate>
<!--T:31-->
One editing tip is that if you make a mistake in the summary, you can do a {{<tvar name=1>ll|Help:Dummy edit</tvar>|dummy edit}} (like adding a space) to add additional context or corrections within a new edit summary.

=== Using links === <!--T:32-->

<!--T:33-->
What works:
</translate>

* <translate><!--T:34--> {{<tvar name="1">ll|Help:Links</tvar>|Internal and interwiki}} links work, including links with alternate text.</translate>
* <translate><!--T:35--> Section links can be added using {{<tvar name=1>tmpl|0=<code class="mw-highlight"><span class="cm">/* $1 */</span></code></tvar>|Section Name}}, which will show a clickable arrow pointing to that section when you click on <tvar name=2><code>{{int|showpreview}}</code></tvar>.</translate>

<translate><!--T:36--> What doesn't work:</translate>

* <translate><!--T:37--> Most wikitext (like templates, variables, and bold/italic text) won't work.</translate>
* <translate><!--T:38--> HTML tags and external links are not supported.</translate>
* <translate><!--T:39--> Special characters in URLs may break links if they are not handled correctly.</translate>
* <translate><!--T:40--> The <tvar name=1>{{ll|Help:What links here|{{int|whatlinkshere}}}}</tvar> feature won't find the link referenced in the edit summary.</translate>

<translate>
=== Special cases and workarounds === <!--T:41-->

<!--T:42-->
Handling section links:
</translate>

* <translate><!--T:43--> When editing a section, the section title is automatically added to the summary.</translate> <translate><!--T:44--> You can edit or remove this if needed.</translate>
* <translate><!--T:45--> If the section title changes later, the link in the summary won't update automatically.</translate>

<translate><!--T:46--> Working around URL issues:</translate>

* <translate><!--T:47--> If a link doesn't work due to special characters, you might need to edit the URL manually.</translate> <translate><!--T:48--> For example, if a URL has <tvar name="1"><code>%28</code></tvar> in it which represents a special character <tvar name=2><code>(</code></tvar>, you can replace it with the actual character.</translate>

<translate>
=== Flexibility and future-proofing === <!--T:49-->
</translate>
* <translate><!--T:50--> To prevent broken links in summaries, consider linking to a page or section with a stable name.</translate>
* <translate><!--T:51--> If you expect a section to be moved or renamed, you can create a redirect page that will stay accurate even after changes and then include a redirect on the edit summary.</translate>

<translate nowrap>
=== <tvar name=1><code>{{int|Discussiontools}}</code></tvar> feature === <!--T:52-->
</translate>
* <translate><!--T:53--> On Talk pages, clicking the <tvar name=1><code>{{int|addsection}}</code></tvar> sign allows you to add a new section.</translate> <translate><!--T:54--> The <tvar name=1><code>{{int|discussiontools-newtopic-placeholder-title}}</code></tvar> box becomes both the section title and the edit summary.</translate>
* <translate><!--T:55--> The text you type in the main editing box will appear under the new heading.</translate>

<translate>
== Automatic summaries == <!--T:56-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:57--> When you save an edit without providing a summary, an automatic summary is sometimes generated for you.</translate>
<translate><!--T:58--> Unlike the summary that appears when editing a section—which you can modify before saving, this automatic summary is created entirely by the system and can't be changed.</translate>

{| class="wikitable"
! <translate><!--T:59--> Situation</translate>
! <translate><!--T:60--> Page</translate>
! <translate><!--T:61--> Automatic summary text</translate>
|-
! colspan="3" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); background: var(--background-color-interactive--hover, #dadde3" | <translate><!--T:62--> Large-scale edits to pages</translate>
|-
| <translate><!--T:63--> Removing all text from a page</translate>
| [[MediaWiki:Autosumm-blank]]
| {{int|autosumm-blank}}
|-
| <translate><!--T:64--> Removing most texts from a page or editing a short page</translate> <br/> (<translate><!--T:65--> <tvar name=1><code>$1</code></tvar> is replaced with the page text</translate>)
| [[MediaWiki:Autosumm-replace]]
| {{int|Autosumm-replace}}
|-
! colspan="3" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); background: var(--background-color-interactive--hover, #dadde3" | <translate><!--T:66--> Creation of pages</translate>
|-
| <translate><!--T:67--> Creating a new page</translate> (<translate><!--T:171--> <tvar name=1><code>$1</code></tvar> is replaced with the page text</translate>)
| [[MediaWiki:Autosumm-new]]
| {{int|autosumm-new}}
|-
| <translate><!--T:68--> Creating a new page without content</translate>
| [[MediaWiki:Autosumm-newblank]]
| {{int|autosumm-newblank}}
|-
! colspan="3" style="color: var(--color-base, #202122); background: var(--background-color-interactive--hover, #dadde3" | <translate><!--T:69--> Changes to redirects</translate>
|-
| <translate><!--T:70--> Creating or replacing a page containing a redirect</translate><br/>(<translate><!--T:71--> <tvar name=1><code>$1</code></tvar> is replaced with the target of the redirect</translate>)
| [[MediaWiki:Autoredircomment]]
| {{int|autoredircomment}}
|-
| <translate><!--T:72--> Changing the target of a redirect</translate><br/>(<translate><!--T:73--> <tvar name=1><code>$1</code></tvar> is replaced with the previous target of the redirect</translate>;<br/><translate><!--T:74--> <tvar name=1><code>$2</code></tvar> is replaced with the new target of the redirect</translate>)
| [[MediaWiki:Autosumm-changed-redirect-target]]
| {{int|autosumm-changed-redirect-target}}
|-
| <translate><!--T:75--> Removing a redirect</translate><br/>(<translate><!--T:76--> <tvar name=1><code>$1</code></tvar> is replaced with the target of the redirect</translate>)
| [[MediaWiki:Autosumm-removed-redirect]]
| {{int|autosumm-removed-redirect}}
|}

<translate><!--T:77--> While automatic summaries, such as those created during redirects, often provide sufficient information, they are not a substitute for a proper edit summary.</translate>
<translate><!--T:78--> Always add a clear and concise summary to give context to your edits.</translate>
<translate><!--T:79--> This practice is particularly helpful for:</translate>

* '''<translate><!--T:80--> New users</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:81--> It assists inexperienced users who may not realize the importance of edit summaries.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:82--> Vandalism detection</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:83--> It helps others quickly identify and address potential vandalism.</translate>

<translate><!--T:84--> There is R&D into automatic generation of edit summaries.</translate><ref>
[https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03428 <translate><!--T:172--> Edisum: Summarizing and Explaining Wikipedia Edits at Scale</translate>]
</ref>

<translate>
=== Multilingual edit summaries === <!--T:85-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:86--> Some features, particularly those related to Wikidata, use multilingual automatic summaries through MediaWiki's autocomment functionality.</translate>
<translate><!--T:87--> These summaries appear in the viewer's language, adapting to their settings.</translate>
<translate><!--T:88--> In tools that show the raw edit summary, these may appear as a code or key, such as <tvar name="1">{{phpi|/* wbsetsitelink-add:1|frwiki */}}</tvar>, which is used to manage internationalization (i18n).</translate>

<translate>
== Where you may find the edit summary == <!--T:89-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:90--> The edit summary appears in various places across the platform in ''black italics''.</translate>
<translate><!--T:91--> Here's where you can find it:</translate>

<translate><!--T:92--> Permanent locations:</translate>

* {{ll|Help:History|2=<translate><!--T:93--> Page history</translate>}} – <translate><!--T:94--> Shows a list of all edits made to a specific page, including the size of the wikitext (in bytes).</translate>
* {{ll|Help:User contributions|2=<translate><!--T:95--> User contributions</translate>}} – <translate><!--T:96--> Displays a list of edits made by a specific user.</translate>
* {{ll|Help:Diff|2=<translate><!--T:97--> Diff page</translate>}} – <translate><!--T:98--> Highlights the differences between two edits.</translate>

<translate><!--T:99--> Temporary locations:</translate>

* {{ll|Help:Watching pages|2=<translate><!--T:100--> Watchlist</translate>}} – <translate><!--T:101--> Lists recent changes to watched pages (for logged-in users).</translate> <translate><!--T:102--> It also shows the change in the wikitext's size (in bytes).</translate> <translate><!--T:103--> If you use the enhanced watchlist, you can see all recent changes to your watched pages, not just the most recent one for each page.</translate>
* {{ll|Help:Recent changes|2=<translate><!--T:104--> Recent changes</translate>}} / {{ll|Help:New filters for edit review|2=<translate><!--T:105--> Enhanced recent changes</translate>}} – <translate><!--T:106--> Lists all recent edits and shows the change in the wikitext's size (in bytes).</translate>
* {{ll|Help:Related changes|2=<translate><!--T:107--> Related changes</translate>}} – <translate><!--T:108--> Displays recent changes to pages linked to a specified page, including the change in wikitext size (in bytes).</translate>
* [[Special:Newpages|<translate><!--T:109--> List of new pages</translate>]] – <translate><!--T:110--> Shows the edit summary for newly created pages and the current size of the wikitext (in bytes).</translate>

<translate>
<!--T:111-->
Additionally, the edit summary is included in the email notifications you receive if you've enabled email alerts for edits.

== File upload summary == <!--T:112-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:113--> When you upload an image, you can include an upload summary.</translate>
<translate><!--T:114--> This summary has several important functions:</translate>

* '''<translate><!--T:115--> Automatic edit summary</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:116--> It becomes the second part of the automatically generated edit summary in the upload log (the first part is the file name).</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:117--> Image history</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:118--> It appears as text in the image's history entry.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:119--> New file names</translate>'''
** '''<translate><!--T:120--> Image page creation</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:121--> It serves as the edit summary for creating the image page if the file name is new.</translate>
** '''<translate><!--T:122--> Image page content</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:123--> It is used as wikitext for the editable section of the image page.</translate> <translate><!--T:124--> Here, you can:</translate>
*** <translate><!--T:125--> Briefly describe the image</translate>
*** <translate><!--T:126--> Include internal or external links</translate>
*** <translate><!--T:127--> Use templates</translate>
*** <translate><!--T:128--> Specify one or more categories for the image</translate>

<translate>
=== Character limit === <!--T:129-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:130--> The upload summary can be over 600 characters long.</translate>
<translate><!--T:131--> Note that in the upload log, the last part of the summary may be cut off if it exceeds 600 characters (including {{<tvar name=1>tmpl|0=<code>{{int|uploadedimage}}</code></tvar>|filename}}).</translate>

{{Note|type=reminder|text=<translate><!--T:132--> There is no preview function to check links, templates, or categories in the upload summary.</translate> <translate><!--T:133--> If needed, you can always edit the image page after uploading to fix errors or extend the text.</translate>}}

<translate>
== Searching == <!--T:134-->

<!--T:135-->
MediaWiki's built-in search function doesn't include edit summaries, and these summaries aren't indexed by external search engines.
</translate>

<translate><!--T:136--> There is an unofficial external tool for filtering by edit summaries in Wikimedia projects at Wikimedia Labs: [<tvar name=url>https://tools.wmflabs.org/sigma/summary.py</tvar> edit summary search].</translate>
<translate><!--T:137--> Also, hashtags (like #tag) can be searched at <tvar name=1>[https://hashtags.wmflabs.org/ https://hashtags.wmflabs.org]</tvar>.</translate>
<translate><!--T:173--> A third way to search them is using Quarry and the <tvar name=1><code>{{ll|Manual:Comment table|comment_text}}</code></tvar> field.</translate>
([[Quarry:query/88375|Example query that shows a user's created categories on Commons]])

<translate>
== Recommendations for edit summaries == <!--T:138-->
</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:139--> Always include a summary</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:140--> It's crucial to fill in the summary field for every edit you make.</translate> <translate><!--T:141--> Even a brief summary is better than leaving it blank.</translate> <translate><!--T:142--> If you remove text, a summary is especially important to clarify your reasons and prevent misunderstandings.</translate> <translate><!--T:143--> If you're making multiple changes, mention them all, or use "and misc." to cover additional changes.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:144--> Purpose of accurate summaries</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:145--> Summaries help others quickly understand the nature of your changes and decide if they want to review them.</translate> <translate><!--T:146--> This is particularly useful for contributors with relevant expertise who might be drawn to detailed summaries.</translate> <translate><!--T:147--> For minor edits, a brief note like "fixed spelling" is still valuable.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:148--> Explain your changes</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:149--> Along with summarizing the changes, include an explanation if necessary.</translate> <translate><!--T:150--> This is especially important if your edit involves deletions or significant modifications.</translate> <translate><!--T:151--> For detailed explanations, use the Talk page and note "see Talk" in the summary.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:152--> Edit summary limitations</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:153--> Once you save the page, you cannot edit the summary.</translate> <translate><!--T:154--> Ensure it's accurate and free of spelling errors before saving.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:155--> Correcting summary errors</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:156--> If you spot a mistake or omission in your summary after saving, make a {{<tvar name="1">ll|Help:Dummy edit</tvar>|dummy edit}} to the page to correct it, updating the summary field with the needed information.</translate>

<translate>
== Action summary == <!--T:157-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:158--> When you perform protection or move actions on a page, these actions are recorded in the page history.</translate>
<translate><!--T:159--> Here's what you need to know:</translate>

* '''<translate><!--T:160--> History entry size</translate>''' – <translate><!--T:161--> Each entry is capped at 500 characters.</translate> <translate><!--T:162--> This includes both the action description and any comments you provide.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:163--> Action Descriptions</translate>'''
** <translate><!--T:164--> The system automatically generates descriptions like "moved XX to YY" based on the current site language.</translate>
** <translate><!--T:165--> Changing your user interface language will not alter these descriptions.</translate>
* '''<translate><!--T:166--> User comments</translate>'''
** <translate><!--T:167--> If your comments are too long, the system may shorten them in the page history.</translate>
** <translate><!--T:168--> The full, uncut version of your comments can be found in the protection/move logs, separate from the 500-character limit in the history.</translate>

<translate>
== See also == <!--T:169-->
</translate>
* {{ll|Help:Section}}
* {{ll|Help:Tracking changes}}
* {{ll|Help:Images}}
* {{ll|Manual:Tags}}

<translate>
== References == <!--T:170-->
</translate>
<references />

[[Category:Help{{#translation:}}]]