Talk:WikiShootMe

Chasing ghosts

Is there a Wikidata property one could add to an item which would remove it from being displayed on the WikiShootMe map? I think it's a great tool, but I keep looking into red dots, eventually finding that it's red because it doesn't exist anymore (and thus sort of outside the scope of this tool, no?). I know that there's a ~"dissolved, destroyed, or demolished" property, and that "significant event" can also be used for such a thing, but does this look for those?

Thanks. — Rhododendrites ^talk \\ 20:48, 20 April 2017 (UTC)

Hi Rhododendrites, as Magnus requests to have feature requests filed at his bug tracker, I did so: https://bitbucket.org/magnusmanske/wikishootme/issues/25/option-to-filter-items-that-dont-exist-any

If you like you may add comments there or subscribe to it. --Dealerofsalvation (talk) 08:41, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Images from Flickr

I can't see anymore the orange dots (images from Flickr.com). Can you fix it, please? --Holapaco77 (talk) 09:55, 18 January 2019 (UTC) +1 --A11w1ss3nd (talk) 12:12, 17 February 2023 (UTC)

Wikipedia requested photos category tree

Does WikiShootMe use the Wikipedia category tree for requested photos by location? Kerry Raymond (talk) 22:25, 6 April 2019 (UTC)

Advise

Is it able to add Property:P17 automatically when establishing Wikidata item via wikishootme? ---Koala0090 (talk) 00:52, 19 July 2019 (UTC)

Overlapping Advice

Some of the circles are overlapping, which cause the circle in deeper layer not accessible. Maybe we can make the circle separated when click. Example ---Koala0090 (talk) 05:44, 1 September 2019 (UTC)

 Support An example more familiar to Wikimedians would be one used in Commons categories. Highly useful.

 Support That would be very useful. There are a lot of items with the same coordinates. Furthermore some cameras round coordinates and therefore photos pile up at the same point and became unclickable.--Pere prlpz (talk) 09:54, 4 September 2019 (UTC)

 Support Also very useful- and I suspect easier to achieve would be an option to make the circles smaller using the option panel, or using the keyboard -/+ keys.ClemRutter (talk) 15:16, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

 Support The ability to distinguish between objects located at the same point or in close proximity is normally a standard feature of similar maps. Btw., the gray circle "We know where you are! ;-)" overlays small blue dots representing photos located in and around the given point, so you cannot click on the details or find out the names of these photos - the gray circle cannot be turned off as a layer. --ŠJů (talk) 22:21, 11 April 2023 (UTC)

ˑ

New Wikidata items?

Right now, clicking the link "New Wikidata item based on this image" lets you enter a label for the item and click OK. That's it. It does not seem to create a new item, it does not send you to any other page, it just lets you be happy you clicked OK. Somewhat useful but probably not intentional. --Ehitaja (talk) 20:33, 10 December 2019 (UTC)

Ah, now I see it was already mentioned in February 2018. No change. Looks like yet another piece of wikiabandonware. --Ehitaja (talk) 21:21, 10 December 2019 (UTC)

Has this been fixed by now? Prototyperspective (talk) 12:00, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

Does WikiShootMe only work for English Wikipedia?

When I try to find Wikipedia pages with coordinates I never find pages e.g. on nl.wp or fr.wp -- I only do find pages on https://en.wikipedia.org? Can someone please confirm, or prove the opposite with an exmple? Geert Van Pamel (WMBE) (talk) 12:08, 31 March 2020 (UTC)

New feature request: ability to map local files, from the currently selected local directorys.

I have put a request on BitBucket- WSM is so incredibly useful, I would like to apply on local directories to check the location, and commons need before I go to the trouble of processing for upload.ClemRutter (talk) 16:19, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Language setting is ignored, non-English labels are ignored

• The item popup window uses in its title only English labels, not a label in the language of the user setting.
• When the English label is missing, the item popup window displays the Q-identification number in duplicate. It should display rather a label in some another language. If a label exists in multiple languages, a language selection algorithm can be devised: it would be best to prefer the main local language, or sort languages by relevance, but even if the language selection is completely random, it is always better than showing no label. --ŠJů (talk) 14:23, 12 February 2021 (UTC)

Reported as #51 (2021-08-01)

Previously reported as #2 (2016-03-02) for Japanese, #19 (2018-02-27) for Russian. --ŠJů (talk) 03:36, 1 August 2021 (UTC)

 Support Kaganer (talk) 10:23, 18 February 2022 (UTC)

@Magnus Manske - this tool may be improved for supporting non-english Wikidata labels? Kaganer (talk) 10:25, 18 February 2022 (UTC)

@Magnus Manske and Kaganer: When I come to WikiShootMe page through a link from GeoHack, the interface looks like it takes over and respects my last language setting (Czech): some interface texts are in Czech and the menu in the right top corner seems to be set to Czech. However, all item details are in English and ignore the language setting, and the URL line doesn't contain the "interface_language" parameter. To set the Czech language really, I need to set the language to another language and then back to Czech.

This interface seems to take entrance language settings in any way other than from the "interface_language" parameter (maybe, from the browser setting or some cookies?), however, this setting will then only work half-heartedly and inconsistently, unless set directly in the URL. --ŠJů (talk) 00:52, 11 April 2023 (UTC)

Is there any way to force the WikiShootMe to take the label and description from a specific language (i.e use non-English labels)? And could that be done via URL? Kruusamägi (talk) 13:34, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

HTML creeping into dialog boxes

When you are searching for something in wikishootme and it does'nt find a description, the error message displays HTML rather than process it

"<i>Automatic description is not available</i>"

Back ache (talk) 13:08, 15 August 2022 (UTC)

WikiShootMe is missing severals images

Wikishootme seems to take the geolocation from the metadata of the images and not from the geolocation templates in commons Wilfredor (talk) 20:38, 20 January 2023 (UTC)

ː No; the little blue dots are located by the Location template in a geotagged Commons image description. WSM gets object locations for its red and green dots from the associated Wikidata item. I have edited several WD items to move an item's errant red dot to its correct location, and have also edited the POV location template for the image in Commons so the blue dot goes where it belongs. Often this motion is delayed by hours or days. Jim.henderson (talk) 21:56, 23 February 2023 (UTC)

Editing co-ordinates apparently applies co-ordinates to random/unrelated Wikidata items

I changed the co-ordinates of https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wainsgate_Chapel_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1496960.jpg via the [e] (edit) link against the existing co-ordinates in Wikishootme and the co-ordinates appeared on https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1496960, an unrelated item. Not sure what's happening here, but it looks like a bug. Dave.Dunford (talk) 17:27, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Removing events from WikiShootMe

Hi there, I'm having an issue where WikiShootMe identifies an event that needs a photo on the map (specifically a stabbing). Is there a way to either categorise the Wikidata entry so that it doesn't show up, or a way to flag the item manually so that it doesn't display on the WikiShootMe map? I also have an issue where locations that don't exist anymore show up on the map (e.g. train stations that aren't there anymore - if you visit them, they're just bare tracks). --Prosperosity (talk) 20:32, 14 March 2023 (UTC)

 Support What Wikidata items are problematic to be displayed as a dot (circle) in the map:

• past events
• no longer existing subjects
• large-scale objects such countries, regions, cities, villages, continents, seas and oceans (should be represented rather as a polygon than as a dot/circle).
• long linear structures and objects such roads, railway lines, routes, pipelines, power lines, border lines etc. (should be represented rather as linear subjects)

What photos are problematic to be displayed as a dot (circle) in the map:

• large-scale satelite and aerial photos
• photos with very imprecise coordinates, for example with the coordinates of the defining point of a city, district or any subject instead of the coordinates of the actual location of the camera (suspicious clue: a large number of photos with exactly the same coordinates)

--ŠJů (talk) 22:34, 11 April 2023 (UTC)

Full  Support. A toggle switch to easily deactivate theses red dots would be great. MB-one (talk) 08:31, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

Put the site name in a logo

When we visit the site the biggest word on the screen is 'Authorize'. There should be "WikiShootMe" even bigger somewhere on the screen. Jidanni (talk) 04:51, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

Its issues page on bitbucket has got spammed

Its issues page on bitbucket is full of spam :-(

https://bitbucket.org/magnusmanske/wikishootme/issues?status=new&status=open

Back ache (talk) 06:23, 7 April 2023 (UTC)

Uploaded photos licensed as Creative Commons 3.0, not 4.0

Creative Commons license 4.0 has been launched since 2013. Yet, almost 10 years later, this tool still defaults uploaded photos to Creative Commons 3.0 license. Can it be updated to CC 4.0? OhanaUnited^{Talk page} 18:39, 2 April 2024 (UTC)

 Support Una tantum (talk) 09:15, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Tracked on Bitbucket. Una tantum (talk) 08:10, 17 February 2025 (UTC)

Logging in and out

How do I log out of the tool? The reason I'm asking is that on my phone, my wife is logged into the tool. Probably because she was logged into Wikimedia Commons when I loaded the tool. How do I change the login to my account? Schwede66 (talk) 03:23, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

If someone comes across this query and has any useful information, please ping me. Schwede66 (talk) 06:30, 5 May 2024 (UTC)

Hello @Schwede66, I found two ways to resolve this issue.

1. When you clear your browser data (cookies) the "wrong account" will be logged out to Wikishootme. Then, when you are logged out, to log in again with the "right account" you have to click on the button "Authorize" (which has this link: https://wikishootme.toolforge.org/api_v3.php?action=authorize;
2. You can manage your connected applications on MediaWiki, see this and this FAQ for more details.

Una tantum (talk) 09:41, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Awesome! I’ll give that a try. Schwede66 (talk) 15:19, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Adding new items on phone

The instruction for adding a new item on mobile is "long press," but it is not working for me. Help? Melmakko (talk) 14:42, 11 October 2024 (UTC)

Suggested improvement

Currently, if there is a Commons category for photos linked to the Wikidata item, but no particular image chosen and displayed on Wikidata, Wikishootme will mark as red even though we might have a lot of pictures of it already. For example, Perfection Lake (Q124361573) is showing up as red for me on wikishootme despite the existence of a commons category. Buidhe (talk) 16:06, 20 October 2024 (UTC)

Yes please do something about it, it's important. Maybe the tool could also be used for finding good files from categories and adding them to the WD item but in any case it shouldn't just without distinction request people upload photos of these when there's lots of them already that just need to be added to the item. Prototyperspective (talk) 10:10, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Requested photos?

I only became aware of WikiShootMe a couple of days ago. I've long been active taking and uploading photos to Wikimedia Commons, especially of my home town of New Orleans. Looking at areas on the map I most frequent, I see lots of red dots for things which Commons has had photos of for years, properly described and categorized on Commons. Do people look to see if we already have photos before making requests? I did find several dots with Wikidata that I was able to add Commons categories for. What I wonder about most is the many dots for things that have been gone for 50 or 100 or more years. Are people requesting current day photos of locations for example where there used to be a cinema which was demolished in the 1960s? Or if they are requesting historic photos, perhaps there should be some indication of that. Wondering, -- Infrogmation (talk) 02:03, 3 January 2025 (UTC)

Set P180 statement after upload

https://bitbucket.org/magnusmanske/wikishootme/issues/258/set-sdc-p180-statement-on-new-file-after

IMO the tool should automatically set a P180 statement with SDC for each uploaded image. Is that possible? MB-one (talk) 13:22, 2 March 2025 (UTC)

Image title bug (/ is replaced with -)

https://bitbucket.org/magnusmanske/wikishootme/issues/259/image-title-bug-is-replaced-with-for-the

If the item label has a / in it, that is replaced with a -. So far so good. Unfortunately, the value for P18 at the item is set with the original label (including /) as the file name, which obviously leads to nothing. Is that fixable? MB-one (talk) 08:35, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

Filter by date range

I wanted to use shoot me to find images without pages within a certain geographic area and within a certain date range; however, this appears to be something the UI does not support. I was looking at the commons API this prop to the query and then use the client side code to filter by date range with a UI component to set the specified range. Is that something people would support? Czarking0 (talk) 16:02, 21 October 2025 (UTC)

Bug tracker broken

You say "Please add bug reports and feature requests to the issue tracker, not to this page or the talk page!"

Well, the user goes through all the trouble to create an account, and well, there is no "New Issue" button there after all. That's why the last bug was last decade.

Why not just use GitHub instead? Jidanni (talk) 22:49, 11 November 2025 (UTC)

 Support for using GitHub instead. This way also far more people would find this and be motivated or able to contribute (e.g. as they already have a GitHub account and things set up and are more familiar with it etc). Prototyperspective (talk) 11:58, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

Authorize

All around users see big "Authorize" buttons, with no tooltip saying what they are all about. I know what it is for, but not new users. Add one. Thanks. Jidanni (talk) 22:53, 11 November 2025 (UTC)

Way to just show those without image with Wikipedia article needed

For many places, like capitals or most larger cities, there are very many items on the map.

It would be very useful if it was possible to just see items that have at least one Wikipedia article in any language.

Those are usually more important or notable so one could e.g. address these first.

It's currently like information overload / overchoice, that probably leads most users checking out the tool to never use this tool at all.

When I select just "Wikipedia (500 max)" in the layers, in the popup for items, the link to the Wikidata item and the upload button aren't included and it also shows items that already have an image set. Prototyperspective (talk) 12:30, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

Media in existing Commons categories

For many items and maybe even most very notable or interesting ones, there already is a Commons categories containing media about the subject.

The popup on the item does show a small link to it but it's difficult to see/notice when quickly clicking on many items and not possible to see from the map view. Could it be made possible to color dots on the map differently if there is a Commons category for them? Those would be the low-hanging fruits. One could also make that link on the popup more visible and distinguish it from the other links there, for example by making the font bold or adding "Commons category:" in front of it.

Instead of just showing a hyperlink to the category page, it would be best if it showed the media files in it (of deepcategory:"Category name") directly and asked the user to pick one with a click on the image which would then set that file on the item.

For example, for the item in the middle here, it could show the files of c:Category:Cyriakus-Schlacht via this query which would also show items in subcategories if the category has subcategories.

Note that this is an example of an item that is unphotographable since it's about a past event so excluding these for users who use this to add own photos should also be possible based on what's set on the item in for example and in this case point in time (P585). Prototyperspective (talk) 12:33, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

Link to Issue tracker and source code broken

Anyone knows a working URL for the tool's issue tracker or source code repo? Currently, the links are broken. Fl.schmitt (talk) 06:20, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

The links aren't broken. Maybe it was a temporary glitch or is an issue with your browser. Prototyperspective (talk) 22:19, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

New version and issues

The tool seems have been updated with some small improvements that look great (+1 for showing P31), but I'm finding some issues. Since I'm not sure about where to report them, I list them here:

• It seems to have stopped working on mobile (that's the worst issue). My phone just blocks as "loading map data".
• The "Add to item" button to add images now yields error 404 not found.
• The window that pops up when "edit coordinates" button is clicked doesn't seem to accept any format, not even any format I can copy from the "show coordinates" button.
• Copying coordinates from the new "show coordinates" pop up seems harder than from the previous one.

Pere prlpz (talk) 10:19, 24 March 2026 (UTC)