View source for Help:Redirects

<languages/>
''<translate><!--T:96--> For information oriented towards site admins and developers, see <tvar name=1>{{ll|Manual:Redirects}}</tvar> instead</translate>''

{{PD Help Page}}
<translate><!--T:1--> Redirects are used to forward users from one page name to another.</translate>
<translate><!--T:25--> They can be useful if a particular article is referred to by multiple names, or has alternative punctuation, capitalization or spellings.</translate>

<translate>
== Types of redirects == <!--T:50-->

<!--T:51-->
Two types of redirections exist:

<!--T:62-->
* Hard redirection: Readers navigating to the redirect page are taken directly to the target page (usually other pages of the same wiki).</translate> <translate><!--T:10--> When a page is a redirect, you can no longer get to that page by using its name or by any link using that name.</translate> <translate><!--T:63--> Only hard redirection is described in this article.</translate>
<translate>
<!--T:64-->
* Soft redirection: Readers are left on the redirect page but given the option of clicking the link to the target page.</translate> <translate><!--T:65--> Usually this is achieved via a template; see corresponding [[<tvar name=1>m:Special:MyLanguage/Soft redirect</tvar>|article on Meta]].</translate>

{{note|1=<translate><!--T:66--> In wikis with <tvar name=1>{{ll|Manual:$wgDisableHardRedirects|$wgDisableHardRedirects}}</tvar> enabled (such as most public Wikimedia projects), it's not possible to create a hard redirect to special pages (e.g. <tvar name=2>Special:MyLanguage</tvar>) or pages located on another wiki; they will be automatically "softened".</translate>}}

<translate>
== Appearance == <!--T:74-->

=== Following a redirect === <!--T:98-->

<!--T:99-->
When a hard redirect is followed, the target page is immediately displayed, with a small notice below the page title to indicate you arrived here indirectly.
</translate>

<blockquote style="background-color: var(--background-color-base, white); color: var(--color-base, black); border: 1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
{{fake heading|level=1|Help:Redirects}}
<div id="siteSub">{{int|Tagline}}</div>
<div id="contentSub">{{int|Redirectedfrom|[[Special:MyLanguage/Help:Redirect|Help:Redirect]]}}</div>
</blockquote>

<translate><!--T:100--> You can use the link in this notice to view the redirect page.</translate>
<translate><!--T:82--> This link adds the <tvar name=param><code>&redirect=no</code></tvar> [[<tvar name=1>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Parameters to index.php</tvar>|URL parameter]].</translate>

<translate>
=== Viewing a redirect === <!--T:9-->

<!--T:101-->
When a redirect page is displayed, the small notice below the page title indicates this, and the link after the arrow icon displays the target of the redirect.
</translate>

<blockquote style="background-color: var(--background-color-base, white); color: var(--color-base, black); border: 1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
{{fake heading|level=1|Help:Redirect}}
<div id="siteSub">{{int|Tagline}}</div>
<div id="contentSub">{{int|redirectpagesub}}</div>
[[File:Redirectltr.png]] <span class="redirectText" style="font-size:140%">[[Special:MyLanguage/Help:Redirects|Help:Redirects]]</span>
</blockquote>

<translate><!--T:11--> Once you view it, you can do all the things with the redirect page that any wiki page allows.</translate>
<translate><!--T:36--> You can go to the associated discussion page to discuss the redirect.</translate>
<translate><!--T:37--> You can view the history of the page, including a record of the redirect.</translate>
<translate><!--T:38--> You can edit the page if the redirect is wrong, and you can revert to an older version to remove the redirect.</translate>

<translate>
== Creating a redirect == <!--T:2-->

<!--T:77-->
When a page is [[<tvar name=1>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Moving a page</tvar>|moved]], a redirect from the old to the new page name is automatically created.
</translate>

<translate><!--T:21--> Users with the "<tvar name=1><code>suppressredirect</code></tvar>" [[<tvar name=2>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:User rights</tvar>|right]] may move a page without creating a redirect.</translate>
<translate><!--T:46--> By default this right is assigned to sysops and bots.</translate>

<translate><!--T:3--> You may start a new page with the name you want to direct from (see <tvar name=1>{{ll|Help:Starting a new page}}</tvar>).</translate>
<translate><!--T:26--> You can also use an existing page that you are making inactive as a page by going to that page and using the "edit" tab at the top.</translate>
<translate><!--T:27--> In either case, you will be inserting the following code at the very first text position of the Edit window for the page:</translate>

 <nowiki>#REDIRECT [[</nowiki><translate><!--T:4--> ''pagename''</translate><nowiki>]]</nowiki>

<translate><!--T:5--> where ''pagename'' is the name of the destination page.</translate>
<translate><!--T:28--> The word "<tvar name=1>redirect</tvar>" is not case-sensitive, but there must be no space before the "<tvar name=2><code>#</code></tvar>" symbol.</translate>
<translate><!--T:29--> If any text is present before this line, it will disable the redirect.</translate>
<translate><!--T:30--> However, text or other content may appear after this line.</translate>
<translate><!--T:31--> This is often used to add redirects to categories.</translate>

<translate><!--T:54--> Redirections can be simple page names or specified using a namespace.</translate>
<translate><!--T:55--> They can be suffixed with a section name if you have the corresponding anchor defined on the target page.</translate>

<translate>
<!--T:57-->
Examples of valid operational redirections:
</translate>

* <code><nowiki>#REDIRECT[[Help:Magic_words#Page_names]]</nowiki></code>
* <code><nowiki>#redirect [[Help:Magic_words#URL_encoded_page_names]]</nowiki></code>
* <code><nowiki>#Redirect [[Manual:$wgConf]]</nowiki></code>
* <code><nowiki>#REDIRECT [[MediaWiki/fr]]</nowiki></code>

<translate>
<!--T:6-->
You should 'preview' (using the button below the Edit window, or use <tvar name=1>{{Key press|Alt|P}}</tvar>) to check that you have entered the correct destination page name.

<!--T:102-->
When the redirect is valid, it will appear in preview as shown in the [[<tvar name=1>#Viewing a redirect</tvar>|"Viewing a redirect"]] section above.

<!--T:103-->
When the redirect is not valid, it will appear in preview like a numbered list item:
</translate>

<blockquote style="background-color: var(--background-color-base, white); color: var(--color-base, black); border: 1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
# REDIRECT <span style="color:var(--color-progressive, #36c)"><translate><!--T:7--> ''pagename''</translate></span>
</blockquote>

<translate><!--T:8--> If the ''pagename'' as you typed it is not a valid page, it will show in red.</translate>
<translate><!--T:33--> If there is no valid destination page, you should not create the redirect.</translate>

<translate>
=== Limitations === <!--T:79-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:80--> A redirect target cannot depend on a variable, template, or parser function.</translate>
<translate><!--T:81--> If that is the case, the browser will not be automatically redirected on visiting the page.</translate>

<translate>
<!--T:59-->
Example of redirection not allowed (not operational):
*<tvar name=1><code><nowiki>#REDIRECT [[{{ll|Help:Magic_words#Page_names}}]]</nowiki></code></tvar> although <tvar name=2><code><nowiki>{{ll|Help:Magic_words#Page_names}}</nowiki></code></tvar> is operational.

=== JavaScript page redirect === <!--T:69-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:70--> In order to avoid JavaScript functionality from breaking, all [[<tvar name=1>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Interface/JavaScript#List of JavaScript pages</tvar>|JavaScript pages]] have a different redirect syntax from regular pages.</translate>
<translate><!--T:71--> This syntax allows for proper execution of the page by the browser's JavaScript engine, as well as being recognised by MediaWiki as a redirect.</translate>
<translate><!--T:72--> To create a JavaScript page redirect, the format that must be used is as follows:</translate>

<syntaxhighlight lang="js">
/* #REDIRECT */mw.loader.load( "{{fullurl:Target.js|action=raw&ctype=text/javascript}}" );
</syntaxhighlight>

<translate>
<!--T:73-->
Where <tvar name=1><code>Target.js</code></tvar> is the target page name.

== Deleting a redirect == <!--T:12-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:13--> There's generally no need to delete redirects.</translate>
<translate><!--T:39--> They do not occupy a significant amount of database space.</translate>
<translate><!--T:40--> If a page name is vaguely meaningful, there's no harm, and some benefit, in having it as a redirect to the more relevant or current page.</translate>

<translate><!--T:83--> If you want to [[<tvar name=1>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Moving a page</tvar>|move a page]] over a redirect that has only one edit in its history and targeted to the old page name, there is no need to delete the redirect: it is overwritten.</translate>
<translate><!--T:84--> If the redirect has more than one history entry, or the redirect target is somewhere else, then it can only be deleted-and-moved by an administrator.</translate>

<translate>
<!--T:14-->
If you do need to delete a redirect, e.g. if the page name is offensive, or you wish to discourage people from referring to a concept by that name, then you simply go to the redirect page as mentioned above, and follow the procedures at <tvar name=1>{{ll|Help:Deletion and undeletion}}</tvar>.

== Problematic redirects == <!--T:85-->

=== Double redirects === <!--T:15-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:16--> A double redirect is a page redirecting to a page which is itself a redirect, and it will not work.</translate>
<translate><!--T:47--> Instead, people will be presented with a view of the next redirect page.</translate>
<translate><!--T:41--> This is a deliberate restriction, partly to prevent infinite loops, and partly to keep things simple.</translate>

<translate><!--T:17--> However, you could look out for double redirects and eliminate them by changing them to be one-step redirects instead.</translate>
<translate><!--T:42--> You are most likely to need to do this after a significant [[<tvar name=1>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Moving a page</tvar>|page move]].</translate>
<translate><!--T:43--> Use the <tvar name=2><code>{{int|whatlinkshere}}</code></tvar> toolbox link to find double redirects to a particular page, or use <tvar name=1>[[Special:DoubleRedirects]]</tvar> to find them throughout the whole wiki.</translate>

<translate><!--T:24--> There is an option, <tvar name=1>{{wg|FixDoubleRedirects}}</tvar>, to automatically fix double redirects with a [[<tvar name=2>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Job queue</tvar>|job queue]].</translate>
<translate><!--T:44--> However, it tends to aggravate page move vandalism, so it is disabled by default.</translate>
<translate><!--T:45--> The <tvar name=1><nowiki>__STATICREDIRECT__</nowiki></tvar> [[<tvar name=2>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words#Behavior switches</tvar>|magic word]] can be used to skip the double-redirect fix on a particular page.</translate>

{{MW version|version=1.44|comment=and after|gerrit change=1090544}}
{{note|text=<translate><!--T:104--> Since 1.44, MediaWiki shows a warning if you try to save a page that redirects to a target that is also a redirect.</translate>}}

<translate>
=== Broken redirects === <!--T:86-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:87--> If the target page does not exist, the redirect is ''broken'': redirection will not occur.</translate>
<translate><!--T:88--> You may find all broken redirects at <tvar name=1>[[Special:BrokenRedirects]]</tvar>.</translate>

{{MW version|version=1.44|comment=and after|gerrit change=1089205}}
{{note|text=<translate><!--T:105--> Since 1.44, MediaWiki shows a warning if you try to save a page that redirects to an nonexistent page.</translate>}}

<translate>
== Transcluding a redirect == <!--T:89-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:90--> When a page called for inclusion is a redirect page, the redirect target is included instead, with the same parameters, without any redirect message.</translate>
<translate><!--T:91--> A double redirect does not work.</translate>

<translate>
<!--T:92-->
This allows to create several names for the same template.

== Links to redirect == <!--T:93-->
</translate>
<translate><!--T:94--> An internal link to a redirect page has CSS class <tvar name=class><code>mw-redirect</code></tvar>.</translate>
<translate><!--T:95--> This can be useful to make them stand out, for clean-up work involving bypassing redirects.</translate>

<translate>
== See also == <!--T:22-->
</translate>
* {{ll|Manual:Redirects}}
* {{ll|Template:soft redirect}} – <translate><!--T:53--> for soft redirections.</translate>
* {{ll|Manual:redirect table}}
* {{method doclink |MediaWiki\Output\OutputPage |anchor=a9f70525b78a95a62073c2e5854665b8f |method=OutputPage::redirect()}} – <translate><!--T:49--> for redirecting to arbitrary URLs from within PHP.</translate>
* {{ll|Category:Redirect extensions}}
* <translate><!--T:97--> [[:w:Wikipedia:Redirects|Wikipedia guide on redirects]]</translate>
* [[Special:ListRedirects]] – <translate><!--T:106--> see a listing of all current redirects</translate>
* [[:wikitech:Data_Platform/Data_Lake/Traffic/Pageviews/Redirects]] <translate><!--T:107--> for how redirect data is collected and handled at WMF</translate>

[[Category:Help{{#translation:}}|Redirects]]
[[Category:Redirect{{#translation:}}]]