MediaWiki talk:Watchlist-messages/doc

These messages are known as Watchlist notices.

Technical details

This page is transcluded via MediaWiki:Watchlist-summary to the top of Special:Watchlist, where MediaWiki:Gadget-watchlist-notice.js selectively shows it to editors. The list itself is also used as an anchor point for Geonotices to insert themselves into the HTML. The specific watchlist notices that the user has dismissed are stored in the browser's local storage, in a variable named hidewatchlistmessages.

Message types and durations

• You can request watchlist notices at MediaWiki talk:Watchlist-messages.
• Typically, the maximum duration a watchlist notice should run is one week.
• Typically, watchlist notices are used for:
  • new editions of the Signpost
  • to advertise WikiProject or community backlog drives
  • requests for adminship, requests for bureaucratship, and administrator elections
  • arbitration committee elections
  • important votes happening at the global level (Board of Trustees elections, Steward elections, Movement Charter, UCOC, etc)
• Rarely, watchlist notices are used for:
  • RFCs that concern the English Wikipedia community at large
• Other uses may be considered, but should be discussed first on the talk page

Other details

• Watchlist messages should be succinct.
• All watchlist messages should have a single bolded call to action phrase or a word.
• When adding a new message (rather than just correcting or updating one), please increment the |cookie= parameter of {{Display/watchlist}}. The gadget tracks which watchlist messages the user has clicked "dismiss" on via a cookie. If you re-use that cookie number, and the user has already dismissed a watchlist notice with that cookie number, the user will not see the new watchlist notice.