| name | wikipedia-talk-page |
| description | Navigate, participate in, and understand Wikipedia talk pages — includes modern DiscussionTools (Reply Tool, Topic Subscriptions, Permalinks), Usability Improvements, community gadgets, wikitext conventions, WikiProject banners, archives, and talk page etiquette |
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | opencode |
| depends_on | ["wikimedia-api-access"] |
| skill_discovery_hints | [{"keywords":["talk page","DiscussionTools","Reply Tool","topic subscription","WikiProject banner"]},{"keywords":["talk page archive","discussion","indentation","ping","@-mention"]}] |
| last_verified | "2026-06-12T00:00:00.000Z" |
⚠️ User-Agent required: The API examples below use the Action API. All requests must include a descriptive User-Agent header or they will be blocked with HTTP 403 or 429. See the wikimedia-api-access skill for the correct format.
💡 This skill covers both legacy wikitext conventions and modern tools. Most talk pages now have DiscussionTools enabled (Reply buttons, auto-signing, topic subscriptions). Use the modern path unless the user is on a wiki or page where wikitext is the only option.
SOP: Understanding the Talk Namespace
Every Wikipedia page has an associated talk page. Pattern: prepend Talk: for mainspace, replace namespace prefix with X talk: for others.
| Subject Page | Talk Page |
|---|
Albert Einstein | Talk:Albert Einstein |
User:Example | User talk:Example |
Wikipedia:Manual of Style | Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style |
- A red-linked talk page means no discussion has ever been started. This is normal.
- Talk pages have separate edit histories, watchlists, and protection levels from their subject pages.
- Access via the "Talk" tab in the web UI, or directly via URL/API.
- Usability note: New contributors often don't find the "Discussion" tab and assume clicking "edit" on an article will open a forum. If someone can't find a talk page, point them to the top-of-page tabs or the URL directly.
SOP: Modern Talk Page Tools (DiscussionTools)
Since 2020, the WMF Editing Team has deployed DiscussionTools — a suite adding modern UI on top of existing wikitext. These are now the default on most wikis.
Reply Tool
Each signed comment has a [ reply ] button opening an inline editor that:
- Auto-indents at the correct nesting level
- Auto-signs with
~~~~
- Provides visual mode (no wikitext) or source mode (wikitext)
- @-mention with autocomplete
- Opt-out: Preferences → Editing → uncheck "Use the reply tool"
The Reply Tool has been shown to significantly improve newcomer comment success rates. See this Diff post for A/B test results.
New Topic Tool
"Add topic" (+) tab opens an inline form that auto-adds headings and posts at the bottom. Opt-out: Preferences → Editing → uncheck "Quick topic adding".
Topic Subscriptions (Section-Level Watchlisting)
Solves the "can't follow one thread without drowning in all of them" problem. Subscribe to a single section (bell/star icon) to receive Echo notifications only for new comments in that thread. Subscriptions persist across archives. Check Preferences → Notifications for automatic subscription options.
Permalinks (January 2024)
Each comment has a stable #c- anchor URL. Use for direct links that survive archiving:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Article#c-Username-20260101120000-Topic
Thank from Talk Pages
A "Thank" button next to Reply lets you thank users for comments without visiting page history.
SOP: Usability Improvements (Visual Changes)
Rolling out to all wikis in phases. Opt-out: Preferences → Appearance → "Use the talk page usability improvements".
| Change | What It Does |
|---|
| Topic containers | Boxes each discussion with subtle background, separating topics visually |
| Improved headings | Shows participant count, comment count, last comment date per section |
| Clear action buttons | Reply/Add topic as bold buttons, not disguised links |
| Page frame / breadcrumbs | Top-of-page summary of latest activity; breadcrumb to subject page |
| Table of contents | Comment counts per topic for spotting active discussions |
SOP: Reading Threaded Discussions
Modern (with DiscussionTools)
The Reply Tool renders threading with clear visual hierarchy. No colon-counting needed — the tool handles it. Permalinks reference individual comments.
Legacy (wikitext / no tools)
Discussions under == Heading == sections, indented with colons:
== Date of birth discrepancy ==
I noticed the article lists two different dates. ~~~~
: The 1950 source says March 14. ~~~~
:: But the 1960 biography says March 13. ~~~~
Indentation rules: Each reply adds one more colon (: → :: → :::). The colon creates a definition-list indent in wikitext HTML.
Reading order: Start at section heading, read chronologically top to bottom. Indentation shows who replies to whom.
Deep nesting problem: Beyond 4–5 levels, colon indentation becomes unusable — especially on mobile. Use {{outdent}} to reset:
{{outdent|::::}}
New comment at the left margin. ~~~~
Alternative strategies: start a new sub-section (=== Side topic ===) or move very long debates to a subpage.
Accessibility: Legacy colon indentation uses <dl> elements, which is semantically wrong for threading. Screen readers may announce indented comments as "definitions." DiscussionTools' rendering doesn't have this problem.
SOP: Signing and Attributing Comments
Modern (with DiscussionTools)
The Reply Tool auto-signs on publish. No need to type ~~~~ unless editing source mode.
Legacy (wikitext only)
Always sign talk page comments:
| Wikitext | Renders As | Use |
|---|
~~~~ | Username 23 May 2026 14:30 (UTC) | Standard |
~~~ | Username | Rare |
~~~~~ | 23 May 2026 14:30 (UTC) | Rare |
Detecting unsigned comments: Lacks ~~~~. Tag with {{unsigned|Username}}.
Custom signatures: User-configurable in preferences. Display text may differ from username. For reliable attribution, use the username from revision history, not display text.
SOP: Community Gadgets
Community-built, unofficial but widely used. Check Special:Preferences → Gadgets on any wiki.
Convenient Discussions (by Jack who built the house)
Full shell over MediaWiki discussions: inline reply/edit, @-mentions, quoting, section watchlisting.
- Available as gadget on Russian Wikipedia; userscript on any wiki.
- Compatibility: Incompatible with DiscussionTools Reply Tool — enabling CD disables it.
- Install: add script to
common.js — see User:JWBTH/CD
Reply Link Gadget (by Enterprisey)
Lighter alternative: adds [reply] link per comment with auto-indent/sign. More compatible than CD.
SOP: WikiProject Banners
Banners at the top of talk pages tagging article scope, quality, and importance:
{{WikiProject Biography|class=B|importance=High}}
Assessment ratings: Stub → Start → C → B → GA → FA (ascending). Importance: Top → High → Mid → Low → NA.
Reading assessment data:
- Single article: Parse talk page wikitext for
{{WikiProject...|class=...|importance=...}}
- Bulk: Use wikimedia-page-assessment (queries
page_assessments database table directly)
SOP: Finding and Using Archives
Archives are subpages of the talk page (Talk:Article/Archive 1).
Automated archiving via {{User:MiszaBot/config}}:
{{User:MiszaBot/config
| algo = old(30d)
| archive = Talk:Article/Archive %(counter)d
| counter = 3
| maxarchivesize = 150K
| minthreadsleft = 5
}}
Finding archives via API:
action=query&list=prefixsearch&pssearch=Talk:Albert_Einstein/Archive&format=json
Searching across archives: Query each archive individually via action=query&prop=revisions&titles=Talk:...&rvprop=content. The {{Archives}} template links all archives and provides a search field.
Permalinks: Since 2024, comment permalinks remain stable across archiving — a significant improvement over the old system where archiving broke all comment links.
SOP: Participating in Discussions
Modern Workflow (Recommended)
- Find talk page via "Talk" tab at article top
- Click [ reply ] on an existing comment, or "Add topic" button for new thread
- Write in visual or source mode; use @-mentions for pinging
- Click Publish — auto-signs, auto-indents, posts at correct position
- Subscribe (bell icon) to get notifications for new replies in that thread
Legacy Workflow (wikitext fallback)
New topic: Add == Subject == + comment at the bottom of the page. Use "Add topic" (+) tab or edit full page.
Reply: Add one more colon than the message you're replying to, write your comment, sign with ~~~~.
| Topic |
|---|
I think the article is missing context. ~~~~ |
: I agree, but let's find sources. ~~~~ |
:: Good point. Here's a source: [link]. ~~~~ |
Notifying editors: {{ping|Username}} inside a signed comment. Pings only work with a signature. In the Reply Tool, @-mentions accomplish the same thing.
Section editing: Click [edit] next to a heading, or append §ion=N to the edit URL, to edit a single discussion without loading the full page.
SOP: Following Talk Page Etiquette
| Rule | Meaning |
|---|
| Assume good faith (WP:AGF) | Assume others are trying to help, even if you disagree |
| No personal attacks (WP:NPA) | Comment on content, not the contributor |
| Stay on topic (WP:TALK) | Discuss how to improve the article, not the subject itself |
| Sign your comments | Use ~~~~ or let the Reply Tool do it |
| Strike, don't delete | <s>old text</s> to retract; never remove comments entirely |
| Don't edit others' comments | Except vandalism, formatting fixes, or signatures |
| Respond in context | Article talk: reply below addressed comment. User talk: reply on own page unless asked otherwise |
Closing discussions:
| Template | Meaning |
|---|
{{resolved}} | Issue addressed |
{{done}} | Action completed |
{{not done}} | Proposal rejected |
{{withdrawn}} | Proposer withdrawing |
Article talk vs. user talk: Talk:Article is for improving the article with any interested editor. User talk:Username is for personal messages to a specific editor. Don't discuss article content on user talk pages.
SOP: Structured Discussions / Flow — Deprecated
Structured Discussions (Flow) was a WMF project (2013–2024) to replace wikitext talk pages with a structured forum. It is officially deprecated; communities still using it (Catalan Wikipedia, some help desks) are being asked to migrate back to wikitext.
If you encounter a Flow page:
- Visual-editor-only comments; no wikitext shown
- Automatic threading, but limited search and no diff support
- Cannot be edited with normal wikitext tools
- The WMF provides migration tooling
For historical context on why Flow was abandoned, see references/discussion-tools-history.md.
SOP: Accessing Talk Pages via API
| Task | API Method |
|---|
| Get talk page wikitext | action=raw&title=Talk:Title |
| Get parsed talk page | action=parse&page=Talk:Title&prop=text |
| Search talk pages | list=search with namespace (srnamespace=1) |
| Find archive subpages | list=prefixsearch&pssearch=Talk:Title/Archive |
| Check if talk page exists | prop=info on the talk page title |
| Get DiscussionTools data | action=discussiontoolsinfo&page=Talk:Title |
Relationship to Other Skills
- wikipedia-page-anatomy — Shares underlying MediaWiki structure with articles.
- wikipedia-edit-history — Talk pages have their own history; same diff/rollback apply.
- wikimedia-page-assessment — For bulk assessment queries instead of parsing banners individually.
- wikimedia-api-access — Same Action API; handles User-Agent and rate limiting.
- wikimedia-eventstreams — Can monitor talk page events (new topics, replies) in real time.
- wikimedia-search-cirrussearch — Can search talk namespaces with
talk: prefix.
- wikipedia-notability-assessment — WikiProject banner assessment data and notability evaluation.
- wikipedia-wikiprojects — Finding projects, interpreting assessment tables, and navigating the WikiProject directory.
Tooling
🔧 Get Assessment (scripts/get-assessment.sh)
./scripts/get-assessment.sh "Albert Einstein"
./scripts/get-assessment.sh "Python (programming language)" --json
🔧 List Archives (scripts/list-archives.sh)
./scripts/list-archives.sh "Albert Einstein"
./scripts/list-archives.sh "Talk:Albert Einstein" --json
📚 Assessment Ratings Reference (references/assessment-ratings.md)
FA/GA/B/C/Start/Stub ratings and Top/High/Mid/Low importance with descriptions and distribution stats.
📚 Discussion Tools History (references/discussion-tools-history.md)
Historical context: 2019 Talk Pages Consultation, LiquidThreads, Flow, DocumentMode vs. ThreadMode debate. Load on demand when historical understanding is needed.
🐍 Talk Archive Search (assets/talk-archive-search.py)
Search across a talk page and all its archives for a keyword or phrase. Uses only Python stdlib.
python3 assets/talk-archive-search.py "Albert Einstein" "Nobel"
python3 assets/talk-archive-search.py "Talk:Albert Einstein" "birth date" --json
