This is the discussion page for the AutoWikiBrowser (AWB) project. It is also the place to discuss using the AWB program (for help, questions, or general inquiries about AWB). Specific guidelines on where to make particular reports or requests are provided in the § Before you post section below. Before asking a question, please refer to the read the § Frequently asked questions below.

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If you are still getting authentication-challenged by the "code sent to your email" (as I was in the library yesterday) and haven't used one of the workarounds, a reminder that a fix has been checked in and I have put a snapshot build here on github. David Brooks (talk) 17:10, 18 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm having this problem. What are the workarounds you're mentioning here? Colonies Chris (talk) 09:44, 8 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Well, if you use my snapshot build it will prompt for the authentication code, and if you enter the 6-digit code sent to your email you should be good to go. If you would rather stay with the official build, the workarounds (log in on a separate browser instance, or create a botpassword) are in the archive: Wikipedia talk:AutoWikiBrowser/Archive 35#Can't log on. David Brooks (talk) 22:41, 8 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. I've created a bot password and it's working now. Colonies Chris (talk) 20:04, 9 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Requesting access be granted to this account? Returning user (formerly User:Renamed user e2bceb05e0c43dd19cc50e3291d6fac5. I know there is a list of users eligible to use AWB, more appripriate talk page than this one, but don't remember what it's cold. 8rz (talk) 02:16, 22 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You may request access at WP:PERM/AWB. Izno (talk) 02:28, 22 September 2025 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 8rz (talk • contribs) [reply]

Can't edit it yet. Can you add me manually? Don't want to wait 4 days to reach established account status. 8rz (talk) 02:34, 22 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Even if someone were to add you manually, it's likely you would fail due to this - "Users are rarely approved unless they have either 250 non-automated mainspace edits or 500 total mainspace edits." Kiwipete (talk) 02:51, 22 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Great. That and the 30 days account age requirement... See you in a month or less, depending on the approvers' leniency. 8rz (talk) 02:55, 22 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Kiwipete, edit requirement met. Can you add me, please? 8rz (talk) 02:54, 23 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

No. Why can't you do it yourself? Kiwipete (talk) 02:56, 23 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Cannot edit the request page because I am on a brand new account. 8rz (talk) 03:05, 23 September 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Moved from Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/Tasks

Many long tables can be improved with a systematic change to most or all rows. Regex can often do this far easier than manually, also if it's a single table. This page (Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/Tasks) has low activity and fast replies from technical users who know regex and are willing to help others. I wonder whether we could add a note to Help:Table and maybe other table-related pages that you can seek help here either to get regex code or get an edit made? If it becomes popular then a separate page might be made later. The default desktop toolbar has regex after clicking "Advanced" and a magnifying glass icon to the right so most requests probably wouldn't use AWB. I know some regex and am not seeking help for myself. PrimeHunter (talk) 10:49, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I would love if we had a regex examples subpage here at AWB. For example, I've always wanted to be able to match a parameter limited to a single template, but I don't have the regex competence to tackle something like that when I've been presented with some of those problems before. I'm sure there are other AWB users who have managed that task before, but we don't have any way to share those things and build each other's skills and toolset. VanIsaac, GHTV ^contr_about 17:47, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/Regular expression#Examples has some such examples.   ~ Tom.Reding (talk ⋅dgaf)  19:03, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Part of the reason there are fast responses here I think is due to the low activity. A much higher new-topic/activity rate would probably degrade that, especially if it's not AWB related. A slight uptick might be ok though.   ~ Tom.Reding (talk ⋅dgaf)  19:03, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In the years of 1900-1976, for every article about the year, I would like to remove the births and deaths section and replace it with this code which is a comment in this page to avoid adding a new section using AWB. I am hoping that someone can help me put in the right settings to AWB so that I can easily do these edits.

Interstellarity (talk) 21:30, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I've un-hidden it for ease of reading (though I've dropped it to a lvl 3 just for the sake of readability). Is there a consensus for this type of edit? Primefac (talk) 23:19, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Primefac I tried getting a consensus for the edits, but the discussion didn't attract enough people to comment on it. I would assume that we could possibly go through with the edit, since any editor can revert the edits and follow the WP:BRD cycle. Do you have any suggestions on what I should do? If I need to get a consensus, what page would be best for this kind of discussion? Normally, I would go to the article talk page for this kind of discussion, but the pages in question are of multiple pages, so I wasn't sure if I needed to go to a higher end noticeboard or something else. Interstellarity (talk) 23:47, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

No, that sounds like SILENCE to me, which is fine. Am I correct that all of the pages in question follow the format ==Births==....==Deaths==....==Nobel Prizes=== (with the exception of 1900)? In that case, you'd want to use the following: Replace == *Births *==[\s\S]*== *Deaths *==[\s\S]*== *Nobel with

== Births and deaths ==
{{Main|Category:{{subst:PAGENAME}} births|Deaths in {{subst:PAGENAME}}}}

== Nobel

That seems to do what you want. If there are any pages where there isn't a Nobel Prize section (like 1900) just change the last bit of the code to match. Primefac (talk) 00:08, 13 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

As of now at least 1975 and 1976 have broken syntax. David Brooks (talk) 11:44, 13 October 2025 (UTC) ETA: same with every page I checked; the error in the source is clear. David Brooks (talk) 11:48, 13 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Just looking at 1976 as an example, @Jonesey95: you have fixed the syntax error with a revert, but by leaving "Category:Deaths in 1976" (as in the first edit by Interstellarity) it results in a self-link. It should be "Category:1976 Deaths". @Interstellarity: shouldn't we revert all the way back, take a breath, read the comments, and think again? David Brooks (talk) 11:20, 14 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This discussion has split into (at least) 3 forks. I made a compromise suggestion at User talk:Interstellarity#Deletion of births and deaths. David Brooks (talk) 17:32, 14 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@DavidBrooks Please see my reply on my talk page. I am willing to take your suggestion to revert everything and discuss more, but I would like to automate my reverts so that I don't have to revert everything manually. Do we have tools on Wikipedia that can do reverts on multiple pages? Interstellarity (talk) 20:16, 14 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

User:Writ Keeper/Scripts/massRollback is good for mass rollback. Primefac (talk) 00:44, 20 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think it was mistake moving that. If I wanted for example to see all actors and actresses born in 1944 it was clearly marked and mostly there were names of most famous. Now You put category 1944 births and you made things worse. I need to goo trough names of all those born in 1944. I do not understand why U did it? Miloradovan (talk) 23:52, 13 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Is use of JWB also subject to AWBRULES? Nikkimaria (talk) 02:47, 14 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm, while WP:JWB doesn't explicitly say "Use of JWB is subject to WP:AWBRULES", I've assumed that it's implied by "You take full responsibility for any actions taken using JWB" and "To use this script, you need to be listed on the wiki's AutoWikiBrowser CheckPage (Project:AutoWikiBrowser/CheckPageJSON on your wiki), or have administrator rights on the wiki." Do you think it needs to be spelled out with that wording? ClaudineChionh (she/her · talk · email · global) 20:43, 15 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

WP:MEATBOT still applies, so no sure the difference. Jonatan Svensson Glad (talk) 20:48, 15 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I think that would be helpful. Nikkimaria (talk) 03:13, 16 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm using the ThitxongkhoiAWB bot and it says "not enabled to use" and can not work anymore. What is this error? Thái Nhi (talk) 04:09, 18 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Thái Nhi - I don't see your name here - Wikipedia:AutoWikiBrowser/CheckPageJSON. Have you applied here - WP:RFP/AWB? Kiwipete (talk) 06:52, 18 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure what changed, but I was still using it until yesterday. vi:Đặc_biệt:Đóng_góp/ThitxongkhoiAWB Thái Nhi (talk) 07:12, 18 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That's a different language project; did you change the language you were looking at for AWB? Primefac (talk) 19:52, 19 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for your advice! Thái Nhi (talk) 00:41, 20 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]