Move a page

Move a Page

Moving a page in MediaWiki is a fundamental skill for maintaining a well-organized wiki. It allows you to rename pages, reorganize content under more appropriate titles, and correct typos in page names. This article will guide you through the process of moving pages, explaining the necessary permissions, potential issues, and best practices. It is geared towards beginners, assuming little to no prior experience with MediaWiki administration.

Understanding Page Moves

A "page move" isn't actually deleting the original page and creating a new one. It's a special operation that updates the wiki's internal records to reflect the new title, while preserving the page's history. This is crucial for maintaining the audit trail and attribution of edits. The content, edit history, and talk page (if one exists) are all moved along with the main page. Think of it like renaming a file on your computer – the file itself remains the same, but its name changes.

This preservation of history is a core principle of wikis, and it’s why page moves are handled differently than simply creating a new page with the desired title and copying the content. Understanding this difference is vital when considering Special:BlankPage creation versus a move.

Permissions and Restrictions

Not all users have the ability to move pages. Permissions are controlled by the wiki administrator and are based on user groups.

**Administrators:** Administrators generally have unrestricted ability to move pages.
**Autoconfirmed Users:** Often, wikis are configured to allow 'autoconfirmed' users to move pages. Becoming autoconfirmed usually requires a certain number of edits and a specified account age. This is a security measure to prevent vandalism. See Help:User rights for more information on user groups.
**Other Users:** New or unconfirmed users typically *cannot* move pages.

Even if you have the permission, there are restrictions:

**Protected Pages:** Pages that are fully or partially protected cannot be moved by most users. Protection levels are set by administrators to prevent accidental or malicious changes. See Help:Protection for details.
**Existing Pages with the Target Title:** You cannot move a page to a title that is already in use. If a page with the desired title exists, you will need to either merge the content (see Help:Merging ) or ask an administrator to delete the existing page (if appropriate) before you can move the page.
**Cascading Protection:** If a page is part of a cascade of protection (e.g., a template is protected, and all pages that transclude it are also protected), moving the protected page may be restricted.
**Circular Moves:** You cannot initiate a move that would create a circular redirection chain (e.g., Page A moves to Page B, and Page B moves back to Page A). The system will prevent this.

How to Move a Page: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. **Locate the "Move" Tab:** Open the page you want to move. At the top of the page, you should see a row of tabs: "Read", "Edit", "View history", "More", and (if you have permission) "Move". Click the "Move" tab.

2. **Enter the New Title:** A "Move page" form will appear. In the "New title" field, type the new title you want to give the page. Be sure to check for typos! Consider using the Help:Search function to verify the title isn’t already in use.

3. **Reason for the Move:** In the "Reason" field (below the title field), *always* provide a brief explanation for the move. This is essential for the page history and helps other editors understand why the change was made. For example: "Renaming to reflect updated terminology", "Correcting a spelling error", or "Reorganizing content under a more logical category".

4. **Options:**

   *   **Redirect automatically:** This option is checked by default.  If checked, it will create a redirect page at the old title, pointing to the new title. This is generally the desired behavior because it ensures that links to the old title will still work.  If you *uncheck* this box, the old title will become a blank page.  Use caution when unchecking this box, as it can break links.
   *   **Suggest a redirect page:**  If you uncheck "Redirect automatically", you can optionally enter a different redirect target.
   *   **Move associated talk page:**  If the page has a talk page (e.g., "Discussion" tab), this option is also checked by default.  It ensures the talk page is moved along with the main page.  You should almost always leave this checked, as the talk page contains valuable discussion related to the content.

5. **Preview the Changes:** Before confirming the move, the system will usually show you a preview of what will happen. Review this carefully to ensure you haven't made any mistakes.

6. **Confirm the Move:** Click the "Move page" button at the bottom of the form. If everything is correct, the page will be moved, and you will be redirected to the page under its new title.

Dealing with Potential Issues

**The "Move" Tab is Missing:** If you don't see the "Move" tab, it means you don't have the necessary permissions. Contact a wiki administrator and request the ability to move pages. Explain your reasoning, and they may grant you the permission.
**The Target Title is Already in Use:** As mentioned earlier, you cannot move a page to a title that already exists. You have several options:

   *   **Merge the Content:** If the existing page contains related information, you can merge the content of the original page into the existing page (see Help:Merging).
   *   **Request Deletion:** If the existing page is outdated, irrelevant, or a duplicate, you can request an administrator to delete it.  Provide a clear reason for the deletion request.
   *   **Choose a Different Title:** Select a different, unused title for the page.

**Broken Redirects:** If you accidentally uncheck "Redirect automatically" and create a blank page at the old title, you'll need to create a redirect manually. Edit the blank page and enter the following wikitext: `#REDIRECT New Page Title`. Replace "New Page Title" with the actual new title of the page.
**Talk Page Issues:** If the talk page doesn't move correctly, double-check that the "Move associated talk page" option was checked during the move process. If it wasn't, you may need to manually move the talk page or request an administrator to do so.
**Edit Conflicts:** If multiple users are editing or moving the page simultaneously, you may encounter edit conflicts. Save your changes carefully and resolve any conflicts that arise. Help:Dealing with edit conflicts explains this in detail.
**History Issues:** While the history *should* be preserved, occasionally, particularly on very large or complex pages, there can be issues with the history being fully transferred. If you suspect this has happened, contact an administrator.

Best Practices for Moving Pages

**Discuss Significant Moves:** If you're planning a major reorganization of the wiki that involves moving many pages, it's a good idea to discuss your plans with other editors on the Project:Discussion page or a relevant talk page. This can help avoid confusion and ensure that the changes are well-received.
**Provide Clear Reasons:** Always provide a clear and concise reason for the move in the "Reason" field. This is especially important for complex moves or moves that might be controversial.
**Test Redirects:** After moving a page, test the redirect to ensure it works correctly. Click on the old title to verify that you are redirected to the new title.
**Update Links:** If the move affects a large number of incoming links, consider using a bot or a script to automatically update the links. This can save you a lot of time and effort. Tools like Tool:Broken link checker can help identify broken links.
**Be Careful with Unchecking "Redirect automatically":** Only uncheck this option if you have a specific reason to do so. Creating blank pages can break links and create confusion.
**Respect Consensus:** If there is disagreement about whether a page should be moved, try to reach a consensus with other editors before proceeding. The wiki community relies on collaboration and compromise.

Advanced Considerations

**Move Log:** All page moves are recorded in the Special:MoveLog which is a valuable resource for tracking changes and identifying potential issues.
**API Access:** Experienced users can use the MediaWiki API to automate page moves and other administrative tasks. See Help:API for more information.
**Bots:** Automated bots are often used to perform large-scale page moves, such as renaming categories or updating links after a reorganization. Bot operators must be approved by the community.
**Transcluded Templates:** Moving a page that is transcluded by other pages may require updating the transclusions to reflect the new title.

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