Talk:Wikimedia URL Shortener

Archives

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Dumps

Hi TheresNoTime. At the target of the added link there is .gz files which won't mean a lot to some, and there is no information on whether they are the links for the past time period, or they are a cumulative for all time. Would you please put that clarity against the link. Thanks.  — billinghurst sDrewth 21:48, 23 May 2023 (UTC)

"Blocked users can't make short URLs."

I keep getting this error while trying to use the shortener even though I am not blocked. Well, the IP is blocked for anonymous editing because it's dynamic, but my account isn't - I can make edits and do everything else.

What am I doing wrong? Amberkitten (talk) 17:55, 21 January 2024 (UTC)

Make sure you are able to log on and edit at meta-wiki. — xaosflux ^Talk 22:02, 7 August 2024 (UTC)

Customized links

How do I make https://w.wiki/User:Jruderman redirect to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jruderman ? This is for my Twitter bio. I'm surprised it doesn't already work by default. Jruderman (talk) 21:25, 7 August 2024 (UTC)

@Jruderman Hi. It is not possible to customize the short URL links, they are always auto-generated (aside from the dozen examples in the docs, that were created when the feature was first launched). The short URL for your userpage at English Wikipedia will always be https://w.wiki/Arow (or the alternative that it also offers, https://w.wiki/_sBE6). I believe it just uses a simple incremental system for assigning URLs. I hope that info helps. Quiddity (WMF) (talk) 21:45, 7 August 2024 (UTC)

Ok, thanks. I took the one with the underscore. Jruderman (talk) 21:53, 7 August 2024 (UTC)

@Jruderman: You can use one of the alternatives listed at en:Wikipedia:URL Shortener#English Wikipedia-specific shorteners. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:46, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

Petscan

Tracked in Phabricator:
Task T417197

Before I raise a Phabricator ticket, is there any reason we can't whitelist Petscan, and other (or even all) services on wmcloud? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:40, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

@Pigsonthewing no hard reason, but for that specific one is it really needed? Aren't external links to there typically a query number, and petscan:23471 (for example) is already quite short. — xaosflux ^Talk 15:55, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

Also, I think this is already open at phab:T413211. — xaosflux ^Talk 15:57, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

(And phab:T231518 has declined before - short version seems that the privacy policy of the destination was too weak). — xaosflux ^Talk 15:58, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

Asking as I saw :

https://petscan.wmcloud.org/?before=&rxp_filter=&depth=0&min_identifiers=&namespace_conversion=keep&format=html&search_filter=&output_limit=&negcats=&pagepile=&referrer_url=&cb_labels_yes_l=1&min_redlink_count=1&after=&show_soft_redirects=both&outlinks_no=&langs_labels_any=&wikidata_prop_item_use=&sitelinks_any=&combination=subset&ns%5B0%5D=1&templates_any=&cb_labels_no_l=1&labels_no=&search_max_results=500&larger=&edits%5Bflagged%5D=both&templates_no=&categories=&common_wiki_other=&cb_labels_any_l=1&maxlinks=&manual_list_wiki=&manual_list=&sortby=none&sitelinks_yes=&interface_language=en&project=wikipedia&min_statements=&max_statements=&page_image=any&wikidata_source_sites=&active_tab=tab_templates_n_links&outlinks_yes=List+of+English+Heritage+blue+plaques+in+London%0D%0AThe+Black+Book+(list)&language=en&smaller=&doit=

used in the wild (albeit with square brackets not URL-encoded, breaking it when pasted on-wiki).

The page includes the text:

PSID is 42884389.

but its purpose is clearly opaque to some users. I have raised a ticket to improve the wording of the latter.

Even so,

• https://w.wiki/abcde

is much shorter than

• https://petscan.wmcloud.org/?psid=42884389

-- Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:24, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

Oh sure, I think the existing phab tickets are good place to bring this up. — xaosflux ^Talk 16:35, 11 February 2026 (UTC)

Now at phab:T417197. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 17:12, 11 February 2026 (UTC)