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Bot policy

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This page is a translated version of the page Bot policy and the translation is 100% complete.
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Dis page dey outline standards den guidelines dem relate go bots wey dem enforce for sam projects top (spy Bot policy/Implementation); dem go fi check dis if dem visit "Project:Bot policy" for dat wiki top, wey go point hie anaa redirect go de local policy.

Dis page sanso be policy for Meta top, e dey include automatic approval den global bots. If you wan request bot access for Meta top, we beg go Meta:Requests for adminship#Requests for bot flags.

Bots be automated or semi-automated processes wey dey edit pages plus reduced anaa no direct human supervision. Secof bots fi potentially strain server resources anaa disrupt de project, bots for follow de policy den guidelines dem outline below. De policy dey outline de way dem go fi use bots for applicable projects top; dem go fi immediately block bots wey no dey follow de policy til de operator resolve any issues anaa non-compliance.

Policy

Bot account

Bot for dey run dey use separate account from de operator, as dem for no grant human editor bot flag. Ein user page for clearly den visibly denote am as bot so say e go distinguish am from human editors, den operators for be available make dem answer any comments dema body. Dem no permit user make dem use automated answering scripts. Sam operators go fi choose make dem redirect de bot ein talk page go dema own, if dem no configure dema bot make e detect messages.

Authorisation

Dem get three ways make dem obtain bot access for wiki top.

Global bots

Dem dey give global bots access for all wikis top wey dey allow global bots. As for November 12, 2022 den as result of dis RFC, freshly content wikis dem create go get global bots access enable by default. Local projects go fi decide make dem opt-in anaa opt-out for any tym thru community consensus (spy list). Operators wey dey apply give global bot flag for meet de requirements wey dey follow:
  • De bot operator for start discussion wey go last for 2 weeks for Steward requests/Bot status#Global bot status requests;
  • Dem go publicize de discussion via MassMessage (Fresh global bot discussion), wer interested community members den wikis go fi subscribe;
  • De bot operator for demonstrate dem welcam de bot task for multiple Wikimedia projects top. Gud way to show be make dem flag am for 5 anaa more wikis top for single task;
  • De operator for make sure make dem adhere to de wiki ein preference as dem relate to de use of de bot flag.
  • De global bot status dey give de bot access go number of projects dem restrict den wikis wey dey allow global bot access. Dem dey add fresh wikis go dis set by default. Exhaustive list of wikis wey dem no include be available. (You fi request local bot flags for projects top wer dem no dey allow global bots.)

Automatic approval

If dem explicitly allow automatic approval for de wiki top, bot operators fi request local bot flag directly from stewards. Make you qualify for dis, you for meet de requirements wey dey follow:
  • de local bot policy anaa request page for permit dis;
  • de bot for dey edit regularly widout bot flag for week at least or make 100 edits for de applicable wikis top secof demonstration purposes;
  • de bot for only fix double-redirects.

Community consensus

Odawise if local community dey wey be interested make dem process bot applications, bots for obtain community approval for de most relevant local discussion page top before dem dey edit widout bot flag for high speeds anaa widout human supervision. Once consensus dey, local bureaucrat go add de flag, anaa dem go request make steward do so. If no local community dey den de above no dey apply, de bot for operate widout bot flag anaa not at all.

Unacceptable usage

  • Controversial changes: Dem fi use bots perform edits wey most likely oda local editors fi support; dem nani for use take perform controversial edits. If you intend make you expand de scope of de bot beyond dat wey de community support am, make you take note of dis for de relevant discussion page to ensure dat no opposition dey. If dem give your bot flag automatic approval, you for no exceed de limits dem describe under "Automatic approval".
  • Data retrieval: Bots fi not be use take retrieve bulk content for any use not directly relate to bot task dem approve. Dis dey include dynamically loading pages from another website, wey fi result make dem blacklist de website den permanently deny access. If you go download bulk content anaa mirror project, we beg do am so by downloading anaa hosting your own copy of wona database.
  • Spellchecking: No bot fi automatically correct spelling mistakes widout explicit community approval, particularly for de main content namespace insyd. Eno be technically possible for most languages insyd make dem automatically correct spelling mistakes widout significant margin of error.

Removal of global bot status

Dem go remove global bot permissions:

  • For de bot ein operator request
  • If dem dey use de bot persistently perform tasks wey be outsyd de global bot remit
  • If dem find say de bot be inactive, plus de provisions wey dey follow:
    • Dem dey deem global bot account inactive if eno make any edits for whole year for any project top wey dey allow global bot access.
    • Before dem go remove global bot account ein permissions for de basis of inactivity, dem for notify ein operator at least for dema home wiki(s) top den for Meta-Wiki.

Guidelines

Name

Although no dey require, de bot name for clearly contain de word "bot" for ein user name insyd make e easily distinguish am from human editors; dem dey derive de most common forms from de operator ein username (such as Pathosbot), anaa dem dey use disambiguation style (such as Xenophon (bot)).

Edit throttle den peak hours

Bots wey dey boot widout bot flag for edit for intervals of ova 1 minute between edits (= less dan 1 edit per minute). Once dem authorise wey dem flag appropriately, dem for operate for absolute minimum interval of 5 seconds (12 edits per minute). Bots for try avoid dey boot during de busiest hours, as dem rapidly dey use server resources wey dem for reserve give human readers den editors. During dis hours, dem for operate for intervals of 20 seconds (3 edits per minute) make dem conserve resources.

Dem fi automatically adjust bots dema editing speeds base for server load top (slave database server lag) wey dem dey append extra parameter go de query string of each URL dem request; spy maxlag documentation for mediawiki top.

Supervision

Unless dem publicly state say make de bot boot autonomously, de operator for remain available, occasionally check for messages, den make ready make dem shut down de bot if eno dey perform as dem desire anaa if dem receive complaints. If de operator no be available, dem fi block de bot til dem resolve any issues.

Best practices

We beg read wikitech:Help:Toolforge/Developing successful tools for strong recommendations wey go make life easier give you den for everybro else for de future insyd!

Briefly:

  • Pick license
  • Publish de code
  • Get co-maintainers
  • Write sam documentation

Sanso spy