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(Added see also.)
(Coding (changes, corrections, etc.))
Tag: sourceedit
 
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{{see also|Help:Reverting|m:Help:Reverting}}{{guideline}}
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{{see also|{{ns:Project}}:Reverting|Help:Reverting|wikipedia:Wikipedia:Reverting|l3=Wikipedia:Reverting|wp:Help:Reverting|m:Help:Reverting|l5=meta:Help:Reverting}}
  +
{{policy}}<br>
 
{{shortcut|SP:REVERT|HELP:REVERT}}
 
{{shortcut|SP:REVERT|HELP:REVERT}}
 
At {{SITENAME}}, <big><b>reverting</b></big> means undoing the effects of one or more edits, which normally results in the page being restored to a version that existed sometime previously. More broadly, reverting may also refer to any action that in whole or in part reverses the actions of other editors.
 
At {{SITENAME}}, <big><b>reverting</b></big> means undoing the effects of one or more edits, which normally results in the page being restored to a version that existed sometime previously. More broadly, reverting may also refer to any action that in whole or in part reverses the actions of other editors.
   
This page contains technical information about making reverts. It should be borne in mind, however, that reverting [[wikipedia:WP:AGF|good-faith]] actions of other editors — as opposed to [[Help:Vandalism|vandalism]] — is considered [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Disruptive editing|disruptive]] when done to excess, and can even lead to the reverter being [[Scratchpad:Administrators#Blocking|blocked]] from editing.
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This page contains technical information about making reverts. It should be borne in mind, however, that reverting [[Help:Assuming good faith|good-faith]] actions of other editors — as opposed to [[Project:Vandalism|vandalism]] — is considered [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Disruptive editing|disruptive]] when done to excess, and can even lead to the reverter being [[Project:Blocking policy|blocked]] from editing.
  +
{{TOCright}}
 
 
==Manual reverting==
 
==Manual reverting==
 
In some cases (for example: if a vandal added or removed text, and unrelated constructive edits have been made since), the easiest way to undo past edits may simply be to edit the current page, deleting wrongly added text or restoring wrongly deleted text (this can be copied and pasted from a past version of the page). However, it may be more convenient to restore a particular old version of the page from prior to the changes you wish to revert. To do this:
 
In some cases (for example: if a vandal added or removed text, and unrelated constructive edits have been made since), the easiest way to undo past edits may simply be to edit the current page, deleting wrongly added text or restoring wrongly deleted text (this can be copied and pasted from a past version of the page). However, it may be more convenient to restore a particular old version of the page from prior to the changes you wish to revert. To do this:
Line 10: Line 11:
 
** In ''Oasis'', select '''history''' from the pulldown edit menu at the top of the page
 
** In ''Oasis'', select '''history''' from the pulldown edit menu at the top of the page
 
** In ''Monobook'', click the '''history''' tab at the top of the page
 
** In ''Monobook'', click the '''history''' tab at the top of the page
* Click the time and date of the earlier version to which you wish to revert. You will see a phrase similar to: "This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ***.***.***.*** (Talk) at 15:47, January 24, {{CURRENTYEAR}}. It may differ significantly from the current revision."
+
* Click the time and date of the earlier version to which you wish to revert. You will see a phrase similar to: “This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ***.***.***.*** (Talk) at 15:47, January 24, {{CURRENTYEAR}}. It may differ significantly from the current revision.
**{{Important}}{{spaces|2}}In the case of [[Admin Tools Wiki:Vandalism|vandalism]], take the time to make sure that you are reverting to the last version ''without'' the vandalism; there may be multiple consecutive vandal edits or they may be interspersed between constructive edits.
+
**{{Important}}{{spaces|2}}In the case of [[Project:Vandalism|vandalism]], take the time to make sure that you are reverting to the last version ''without'' the vandalism; there may be multiple consecutive vandal edits or they may be interspersed between constructive edits.
* Click the '''edit''' tab as you normally would to edit a page. (Above the edit box, you will see a warning similar to: ''You are editing an old revision of this page. If you save it, any changes made since then will be removed.'') If editing requires a registered account, log in first, or leave a note on the article's talkpage using {{tlx|edit protected}} or {{tlx|edit semi-protected}}, as appropriate.
+
* Click '''edit''' as you normally would to edit a page. (Above the edit box, you will see a warning similar to: ''You are editing an old revision of this page. If you save it, any changes made since then will be removed.'')
  +
** If editing requires a registered account, log in first, or leave a note on the article’s talkpage using {{tlx|edit protected}} or {{tlx|edit semi-protected}}, as appropriate.
* Complete the [[m:Help:Edit summary|edit summary]] field (the abbreviation "rv" can be used to stand for "revert"; the edit summary "rvv" means "reverting vandalism").
+
* Complete the [[Help:Edit summary|edit summary]] field (the abbreviation ''rv'' can be used to stand for ''revert''; the edit summary ''rvv'' means ''reverting vandalism'').
* Save the page.
 
  +
* {{int:savearticle}} the page.
* If constructive edits had been made after those that you wished to revert, return to the page history to find those edits, and re-input them by manually if reasonably possible.
+
* If constructive edits had been made after those that you wished to revert, return to the page history to find those edits, and re-input them manually if reasonably possible.
   
If reverting vandalism, check the [[Help:User contributions|contribution history]] of the user who vandalized the article. If this user is vandalizing many articles, report them at the [[Admin Tools Wiki:Noticeboard]].
+
If reverting vandalism, check the [[Help:User contributions|contribution history]] of the user who vandalized the article. If this user is vandalizing many articles, report them at the [[Project:Noticeboard|Noticeboard]].
   
 
==Undo==
 
==Undo==
{{shortcut|SP:UNDO|HELP:UNDO}}
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{{see also|m:Help:Reverting#Undo|l1=m:Help:Undo|wikipedia:Help:Reverting#Undo|l2=wikipedia:Help:Undo}}{{shortcut|SP:UNDO|HELP:UNDO}}
The MediaWiki software sometimes enables editors to easily revert (or "undo") a single edit from the history of a page, without simultaneously undoing all constructive changes that have been made since. To do this, view the [[m:Help:Page history|page history]] or the [[wikipedia:Help:diff|diff]] for the edit, then click on '''undo''' next to the edit in question. The software will attempt to create an edit page with a version of the article in which the undesirable edit has been removed, but all later edits are retained. There is a default edit summary, but this can be modified before saving.
+
The MediaWiki software sometimes enables editors to easily revert (or “undo”) a single edit from the history of a page, without simultaneously undoing all constructive changes that have been made since.
  +
  +
To do this, view the [[Help:Page history|page history]] (see also: [[m:Help:Page history]]) or the [[Help:diff|diff]] for the edit, then click on '''undo''' next to the edit in question. The software will attempt to create an edit page with a version of the article in which the undesirable edit has been removed, but all later edits are retained. There is a default edit summary, but this can be modified before saving.
   
 
It is also possible to undo several consecutive edits, even if they conflict among themselves: view the diff to be removed (by selecting the two extreme revisions in the history and clicking '''compare selected revisions'''), and click the '''undo''' link.
 
It is also possible to undo several consecutive edits, even if they conflict among themselves: view the diff to be removed (by selecting the two extreme revisions in the history and clicking '''compare selected revisions'''), and click the '''undo''' link.
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==Rollback==
 
==Rollback==
 
{{shortcut|SP:ROLLBACK|HELP:ROLLBACK}}
 
{{shortcut|SP:ROLLBACK|HELP:ROLLBACK}}
{{seealso|Help:Rollback|wikipedia:Wikipedia:Rollback|l2=Wikipedia:Rollback|m:Help:Reverting#Rollback|l3=m:Help:Rollback}}
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{{seealso|Help:Rollback|m:Help:Reverting#Rollback|l2=m:Help:Rollback|wikipedia:Wikipedia:Rollback|l3=Wikipedia:Rollback}}
   
[[Admin Tools Wiki:Administrators|Administrators]] and other editors who have been granted access to the [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Rollback feature|rollback feature]] have additional links which:
+
[[Project:Administrators|Administrators]] and other editors who have been granted access to the [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Rollback feature|rollback feature]] have additional links which:
 
* appear only next to the top edit
 
* appear only next to the top edit
 
* revert ''all'' top consequent edits made by last editor
 
* revert ''all'' top consequent edits made by last editor
* work immediately, without the intermediate confirmation [[wikipedia:Help:diff|diff]] page
+
* work immediately, without the intermediate confirmation [[Help:diff|diff]] page
* add automatic [[m:Help:Edit summary|edit summary]]: '''''m''' [[Admin Tools Wiki:Reverting|Reverted]] edits by [[Special:Contributions/Example User|Example User]] ([[User talk:Example User|talk]]) to last version by Example2'', marking the edit as minor
+
* add automatic [[Help:Edit summary|edit summary]]: '''''m''' [[Project:Reverting|Reverted]] edits by [[Special:Contributions/Example User|Example User]] ([[User talk:Example User|talk]]) to last version by Example2'', marking the edit as minor
   
Rollback links appear on the [[Help:user contributions|user contributions]] pages, [[Help:Watchlist|user watchlists]], [[m:Help:Page history|history pages]], and [[wikipedia:Help:Diff|diff pages]]. Note that in the last case, rollback links can be misleading, since reversion is not necessarily to the old version shown (the diff page may show the combined result of edits, including some by other editors or only part of the edits the rollback button would revert). To see the changes the rollback button will revert, view the specific diff that compares the last version from the last editor with the last version from the previous editor.
+
Rollback links appear on the [[Help:user contributions|user contributions]] pages, [[Help:Watchlist|user watchlists]], [[Help:Page history|history pages]], and [[Help:Diff|diff pages]]. Note that in the last case, rollback links can be misleading, since reversion is not necessarily to the old version shown (the diff page may show the combined result of edits, including some by other editors or only part of the edits the rollback button would revert). To see the changes the rollback button will revert, view the specific diff that compares the last version from the last editor with the last version from the previous editor.
   
 
Rollback works much quicker than [[#Undo|undo]], since it:
 
Rollback works much quicker than [[#Undo|undo]], since it:
 
* allows reverting without even looking at the list of revisions or diff
 
* allows reverting without even looking at the list of revisions or diff
 
* does not require loading an edit page and sending the wikitext back to the server
 
* does not require loading an edit page and sending the wikitext back to the server
* does not require a click of the save button
+
* does not require a click of the {{int:savearticle}} button
   
On the other hand, it is not as versatile as undo, since it does not allow specification of which edits have to be undone. One may want to revert more, or less, edits than the rollback does, or edits which do not include the last edit. It also does not allow adding an explanation to the automatic edit summary. Rollback may only be used in [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Rollback feature#When to use rollback|certain circumstances]], most commonly to revert obvious vandalism.
+
On the other hand, it is not as versatile as undo, since it does not allow specification of which edits have to be undone. One may want to revert more, or less, edits than the rollback does, or edits which do not include the last edit. It also does not allow adding an explanation to the automatic edit summary.
   
  +
{{important}} Rollback may only be used in [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Rollback feature#When to use rollback|certain circumstances]], most commonly to revert obvious [[Project:Vandalism|vandalism]].
Rolling back a [[wikipedia:WP:AGF|good-faith]] edit, without explanation, may be misinterpreted as "I think your edit was no better than vandalism and reverting it doesn't need an explanation." Some editors are sensitive to such perceived slights. If you use the rollback feature other than for vandalism (for example, because undo is impractical due to the large page size), it is courteous to leave an explanation on the article's talk page or on the talk page of the user, whose edit(s) you have reverted.
 
   
 
Rolling back a [[Help:Assuming good faith|good-faith]] edit, without explanation, may be misinterpreted as “I think your edit was no better than vandalism and reverting it doesn’t need an explanation. Some editors are sensitive to such perceived slights. If you use the rollback feature other than for vandalism (for example, because undo is impractical due to the large page size), it is courteous to leave an explanation on the article’s talk page or on the talk page of the user, whose edit(s) you have reverted.
If someone else edited or rolled back the page before you clicked the "rollback" link, or if there was no previous editor, you will get an error message.
 
  +
 
If someone else edited or rolled back the page before you clicked the rollback link, or if there was no previous editor, you will get an error message.
   
 
===Bot rollback===
 
===Bot rollback===
In cases of flood vandalism, administrators may choose to hide vandalism from [[Help:recent changes|recent changes]]. To do this, add <tt>&bot=1</tt> to the end of the url used to access a user's contributions. For example:<blockquote><nowiki>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Special:Contributions&target=SomePersistentVandal</nowiki>'''<nowiki>&bot=1</nowiki>'''</blockquote>
+
In cases of flood vandalism, Administrators may choose to hide vandalism from [[Help:recent changes|recent changes]]. To do this, add <b><tt>&bot=1</tt></b> to the end of the url used to access a user’s contributions. For example:<blockquote><nowiki>http://scratchpad.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&target=SomePersistentVandal</nowiki>'''<nowiki>&bot=1</nowiki>'''</blockquote>
   
When the rollback links on the contributions list are clicked, the revert and the original edit that you are reverting will both be hidden from recent changes, unless you click the "bots" link to set <tt>hidebots=0</tt>. The edits are not hidden from contributions lists, page histories, or watchlists. The edits remain in the database and are not removed, but they no longer flood [[Special:RecentChanges|recent changes]]. The aim of this feature is to reduce the annoyance factor of a flood vandal, with relatively little effort. This should ''not'' be used for reverting a change you just don't like, but is meant only for massive floods of simple vandalism.
+
When the rollback links on the contributions list are clicked, the revert and the original edit that you are reverting will both be hidden from recent changes, unless you click the '''bots''' link to set <tt>hidebots=0</tt>.
  +
  +
{{update|<u>Note</u>:}} The edits are not hidden from contributions lists, page histories, or watchlists.
  +
:[[File:Blue Glass Arrow.svg|20px|link=]] The edits remain in the database and are not removed, but they no longer flood [[Special:RecentChanges|recent changes]].
  +
  +
The aim of this feature is to reduce the annoyance factor of a flood vandal, with relatively little effort.
  +
  +
{{important}} This should '''not''' be used for reverting a change you just don’t like. It is meant only for massive floods of simple vandalism.
   
 
=== Changing edit summary ===
 
=== Changing edit summary ===
   
It is also possible to use rollback with an explanatory edit summary (instead of the default or standard generic edit summary). To do it manually, copy the URL of the rollback link, paste it into your browser's address bar, and append <code>&summary=</code> followed by your desired summary to the end of the URL.
+
It is also possible to use rollback with a manually entered, explanatory edit summary (instead of the automatically generated, default, or standard, generic edit summary). To do this:
  +
* copy the URL of the rollback link
  +
* paste it into your browser’s address bar
  +
* append &nbsp;<b><code>&summary=</code></b>&nbsp; to the end of the URL, followed by your desired summary
   
 
==Reverting images==
 
==Reverting images==
In order to revert an image to a previous uploaded version, go to the image page and click on '''File history'''. The File history section of the image displays the full history of edits to the image along with a thumbnail of each version. Logged-in users can see a '''revert''' link for every version other than the current version. Clicking on a version's revert link makes that version the current version.
+
In order to revert an image to a previous uploaded version, go to the image page and click on '''File history'''. The File history section of the image displays the full history of edits to the image along with a thumbnail of each version. Logged-in users can see a '''revert''' link for every version other than the current version. Clicking on a version’s revert link makes that version the current version.
  +
  +
==Explain reverts==
  +
{{policy shortcut|SP:REVEXP}}
  +
[[Help:Edit summaries|Edit summaries]], always a good practice, are particularly important when reverting. Provide a valid and informative explanation including, if possible, a link to the {{SITENAME}} principle you believe justifies the reversion. Try to remain available for dialogue, especially in the half-day or so after reverting.
  +
  +
A reversion is a complete rejection of the work of another editor and if the reversion is not adequately supported then the reverted editor may find it difficult to [[Help:Assuming good faith|assume good faith]]. This is one of the most common causes of an [[Project:Edit war|edit war]]. A substantive explanation also promotes [[Project:Consensus|consensus]] by alerting the reverted editor to the problem with the original edit. The reverted editor may then be able to revise the edit to correct the perceived problem. The result will be an improved article, a more knowledgeable editor, and greater harmony.
  +
  +
In addition to helping the reverted editor, providing information regarding the reversion will help other editors by letting them know whether – or not – they need to even view the reverted version, such as in the case of blanking a page.<ref>If you are the author of a page (or, with few exceptions, its primary contributor), blanking a page is interpreted as your request to have it deleted, although use of the {{tlx|speedy delete}} template is preferred.</ref> Explaining reverts also helps users who check [[Help:Page history|edit histories]] to determine the extent to which the information in the article is reliable or current.
  +
  +
If your reasons for reverting are too complex to explain in an [[Help:Edit summaries|edit summary]], leave a note on the [[Help:Talk pages|article’s talk page]]. It is sometimes best to leave a note on the talk page ''first'' — ''then'' revert — rather than the other way around; thus giving the other editor a chance to agree with you and revise their edit appropriately. Conversely, if another editor reverts your change without any apparent explanation, you may wish to wait a few minutes to see if they explain their actions on the article’s, or your user’s, talk page.
   
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
  +
 
* [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Reverting|Wikipedia:Reverting]]
 
* [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Reverting|Wikipedia:Reverting]]
 
* [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Revert only when necessary|Wikipedia:Revert only when necessary]].
 
* [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Revert only when necessary|Wikipedia:Revert only when necessary]].
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{{Wikipedia|Help:Reverting}}
 
{{Wikipedia|Help:Reverting}}
   
  +
== Notes ==
[[Category:Help|Reverting]]
 
  +
  +
<references />
  +
 
[[Category:Help|{{PAGENAME}}]]

Latest revision as of 10:18, 26 December 2016


Shortcuts:

At Scratchpad, reverting means undoing the effects of one or more edits, which normally results in the page being restored to a version that existed sometime previously. More broadly, reverting may also refer to any action that in whole or in part reverses the actions of other editors.

This page contains technical information about making reverts. It should be borne in mind, however, that reverting good-faith actions of other editors — as opposed to vandalism — is considered disruptive when done to excess, and can even lead to the reverter being blocked from editing.

Manual reverting

In some cases (for example: if a vandal added or removed text, and unrelated constructive edits have been made since), the easiest way to undo past edits may simply be to edit the current page, deleting wrongly added text or restoring wrongly deleted text (this can be copied and pasted from a past version of the page). However, it may be more convenient to restore a particular old version of the page from prior to the changes you wish to revert. To do this:

  • To display the page history (see also: m:Help:Page history), do one of the following:
    • In Oasis, select history from the pulldown edit menu at the top of the page
    • In Monobook, click the history tab at the top of the page
  • Click the time and date of the earlier version to which you wish to revert. You will see a phrase similar to: “This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ***.***.***.*** (Talk) at 15:47, January 24, 2024. It may differ significantly from the current revision.”
    • Ambox important Important:  In the case of vandalism, take the time to make sure that you are reverting to the last version without the vandalism; there may be multiple consecutive vandal edits or they may be interspersed between constructive edits.
  • Click edit as you normally would to edit a page. (Above the edit box, you will see a warning similar to: You are editing an old revision of this page. If you save it, any changes made since then will be removed.)
    • If editing requires a registered account, log in first, or leave a note on the article’s talkpage using {{edit protected}} or {{edit semi-protected}}, as appropriate.
  • Complete the edit summary field (the abbreviation rv can be used to stand for revert; the edit summary rvv means reverting vandalism).
  • Save page the page.
  • If constructive edits had been made after those that you wished to revert, return to the page history to find those edits, and re-input them manually if reasonably possible.

If reverting vandalism, check the contribution history of the user who vandalized the article. If this user is vandalizing many articles, report them at the Noticeboard.

Undo

Shortcuts:

The MediaWiki software sometimes enables editors to easily revert (or “undo”) a single edit from the history of a page, without simultaneously undoing all constructive changes that have been made since.

To do this, view the page history (see also: m:Help:Page history) or the diff for the edit, then click on undo next to the edit in question. The software will attempt to create an edit page with a version of the article in which the undesirable edit has been removed, but all later edits are retained. There is a default edit summary, but this can be modified before saving.

It is also possible to undo several consecutive edits, even if they conflict among themselves: view the diff to be removed (by selecting the two extreme revisions in the history and clicking compare selected revisions), and click the undo link.

This feature removes the need to manually re-input useful changes that were made after the edit which is being reverted. However, it will fail if undoing the edit would conflict with later edits. For example, if edit 1000 adds a paragraph and edit 1005 modifies that paragraph, it will be impossible to automatically undo edit 1000. In such an instance, you must determine how to resolve the problem manually.

Rollback

Shortcuts:

Administrators and other editors who have been granted access to the rollback feature have additional links which:

  • appear only next to the top edit
  • revert all top consequent edits made by last editor
  • work immediately, without the intermediate confirmation diff page
  • add automatic edit summary: m Reverted edits by Example User (talk) to last version by Example2, marking the edit as minor

Rollback links appear on the user contributions pages, user watchlists, history pages, and diff pages. Note that in the last case, rollback links can be misleading, since reversion is not necessarily to the old version shown (the diff page may show the combined result of edits, including some by other editors or only part of the edits the rollback button would revert). To see the changes the rollback button will revert, view the specific diff that compares the last version from the last editor with the last version from the previous editor.

Rollback works much quicker than undo, since it:

  • allows reverting without even looking at the list of revisions or diff
  • does not require loading an edit page and sending the wikitext back to the server
  • does not require a click of the Save page button

On the other hand, it is not as versatile as undo, since it does not allow specification of which edits have to be undone. One may want to revert more, or less, edits than the rollback does, or edits which do not include the last edit. It also does not allow adding an explanation to the automatic edit summary.

Ambox important Important: Rollback may only be used in certain circumstances, most commonly to revert obvious vandalism.

Rolling back a good-faith edit, without explanation, may be misinterpreted as “I think your edit was no better than vandalism and reverting it doesn’t need an explanation.” Some editors are sensitive to such perceived slights. If you use the rollback feature other than for vandalism (for example, because undo is impractical due to the large page size), it is courteous to leave an explanation on the article’s talk page or on the talk page of the user, whose edit(s) you have reverted.

If someone else edited or rolled back the page before you clicked the rollback link, or if there was no previous editor, you will get an error message.

Bot rollback

In cases of flood vandalism, Administrators may choose to hide vandalism from recent changes. To do this, add &bot=1 to the end of the url used to access a user’s contributions. For example:

http://scratchpad.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&target=SomePersistentVandal&bot=1

When the rollback links on the contributions list are clicked, the revert and the original edit that you are reverting will both be hidden from recent changes, unless you click the bots link to set hidebots=0.

Ambox notice Note: The edits are not hidden from contributions lists, page histories, or watchlists.

Blue Glass Arrow The edits remain in the database and are not removed, but they no longer flood recent changes.

The aim of this feature is to reduce the annoyance factor of a flood vandal, with relatively little effort.

Ambox important Important: This should not be used for reverting a change you just don’t like. It is meant only for massive floods of simple vandalism.

Changing edit summary

It is also possible to use rollback with a manually entered, explanatory edit summary (instead of the automatically generated, default, or standard, generic edit summary). To do this:

  • copy the URL of the rollback link
  • paste it into your browser’s address bar
  • append  &summary=  to the end of the URL, followed by your desired summary

Reverting images

In order to revert an image to a previous uploaded version, go to the image page and click on File history. The File history section of the image displays the full history of edits to the image along with a thumbnail of each version. Logged-in users can see a revert link for every version other than the current version. Clicking on a version’s revert link makes that version the current version.

Explain reverts

Policy shortcut:
SP:REVEXP

Edit summaries, always a good practice, are particularly important when reverting. Provide a valid and informative explanation including, if possible, a link to the Scratchpad principle you believe justifies the reversion. Try to remain available for dialogue, especially in the half-day or so after reverting.

A reversion is a complete rejection of the work of another editor and if the reversion is not adequately supported then the reverted editor may find it difficult to assume good faith. This is one of the most common causes of an edit war. A substantive explanation also promotes consensus by alerting the reverted editor to the problem with the original edit. The reverted editor may then be able to revise the edit to correct the perceived problem. The result will be an improved article, a more knowledgeable editor, and greater harmony.

In addition to helping the reverted editor, providing information regarding the reversion will help other editors by letting them know whether – or not – they need to even view the reverted version, such as in the case of blanking a page.[1] Explaining reverts also helps users who check edit histories to determine the extent to which the information in the article is reliable or current.

If your reasons for reverting are too complex to explain in an edit summary, leave a note on the article’s talk page. It is sometimes best to leave a note on the talk page firstthen revert — rather than the other way around; thus giving the other editor a chance to agree with you and revise their edit appropriately. Conversely, if another editor reverts your change without any apparent explanation, you may wish to wait a few minutes to see if they explain their actions on the article’s, or your user’s, talk page.

See also

Wikipedia This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Help:Reverting.
The list of authors can be seen in the page history.
As with Scratchpad, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Licence.

Notes

  1. If you are the author of a page (or, with few exceptions, its primary contributor), blanking a page is interpreted as your request to have it deleted, although use of the {{speedy delete}} template is preferred.