Extensions are features and add-ons developed for MediaWiki, the software platform that Fandom runs on. They are designed by Fandom staff or third-party developers for either expanding the function of a wiki or overriding a built-in MediaWiki feature for customization purposes.
How to request an extension
First, verify that the extension you are looking for does not already exist on your community. You can check this by going to Special:Version and looking under the "installed extensions" section or checking the extension's parser function or tag against the "tags" and "hooks" section at the bottom of that page. Fandom already has a significant number of extensions enabled by default.
Many other extensions already exist in the Fandom codebase and can be enabled upon request. You can check which extensions Fandom offers later on this page. Some basic content tools, such as Variables, are automatically enabled by staff when requested. In the case of other complex extensions, such as DPL, a staff member will usually ask a few questions first to ensure that the extension you are asking for is, in fact, the ideal solution. Other extensions, where the resulting site configuration may be dramatically changed (such as AbuseFilter), will be enabled at staff discretion depending on the context of the request.
If Fandom does not offer a particular extension, you may request the Fandom engineering team investigate installing it by using the contact form and linking to the MediaWiki extension page along with an explanation as to why it's needed. Please be aware that the engineering team may take a few months to review the extension. Most extension requests will be rejected; this is mainly due to the amount of rewriting an extension would require to live on the Fandom codebase servers. As such, it's always good to ask yourself when looking at an extension on MediaWiki.org whether the extension is up to date, is well-maintained, and allows for a caching layer. If the answer to any of these questions is no, then chances are Fandom will not be able to install the extension.
Extensions active by default
Users and admins
- Global CSS and JS
- Adds global user CSS and JavaScript to all wikis, fetched from English Community Central.
Wiki tools
- ArticleComments
- Way to leave a quick message on an article page.
- CategoryTree
- AJAX based gadget to display the category structure of a community.
- CharInsert
- Allows creation of JavaScript box for inserting non-standard characters.
- Cite
- Adds
<ref[ name=id]and<references/>tags, for citations. - CLDR
- Contains local language names for different languages, countries, currencies, and time units extracted from CLDR data.
- CommunityPage
- Provides a page for the community, to list things that need to be done on the wiki.
- DPLforum
- DPL-based forum extension using article pages.
- EasyTimeline
- Editors can create timelines of events using this tool's syntax.
- EmbedVideo
- Embeds videos from popular sources directly in pages.
- FandomEmbedVideo
- Embeds videos from YouTube, Metacafe and many other sites.
- ImageMap
- Allows client-side clickable image maps using
<imagemap>tag. - InputBox
- Allow inclusion of predefined HTML forms.
- InteractiveMaps
- Adds a map creation tool to create a JSON based map.
- LabeledSectionTransclusion
- Allows transclusion of parts of pages rather than just whole pages.
- Math
- Adds syntax for on-page math formulas.
- Maps
- Easily create Earth-based maps with wiki-fied markers.
- MessageWall
- Communication tool that allows users to send public messages to other users.
- MsUpload
- Tool built into the source editor to upload multiple images.
- ParserFunctions
- Enhance parser with logical functions.
- Poem
- Adds
<poem>tag for poem formatting. - PortableInfobox
- Adds the portable infobox XML syntax to present a summary of the topic of the page.
- RandomImage
- Provides a random media picker using
<randomimage>. - RandomSelection
- Displays a random option from the given set.
- RSS Pie
- Embeds RSS feeds from any site onto a page.
- Scribunto
- Framework for embedding scripting languages into MediaWiki pages.
- SocialLogs
- Tool that helps admins and moderators keep an eye on their wiki's social activity.
- Tabber
- Methods for having "tabbed" content.
- TemplateData
- Allows editors to specify how templates should be invoked.
- TemplateStyles
- Allows editors to store custom CSS on wiki pages and embed them into articles.
Spam and blocking
- ConfirmEdit
- Simple captcha implementation.
- TitleBlacklist
- Regex based tool for blocking disruptive page titles.
Other tools
- ArticleMetaDescription
- Adding meta-description tag containing snippet of the Article.
- SyntaxHighlight
- Code syntax highlighter - supports many languages.
- Thanks
- Allows thanking other editors for their contribution in pages.
Available on request
This is a non-comprehensive list of MediaWiki extensions that are available upon request to Fandom. See also the "Extensions enabled on request" category.
- Achievements
- Add badges to users to encourage contributions.
- Arrays
- Provides parser functions that operate on arrays.
- ContentReview
- Allows for site JS (not including ImportJS).
- DynamicPageList (DPL)
- Content listing tool, which adds the
<dpl>tag. - Editcount
- Shows how many edits a particular user has made on the wiki, per namespace.
- Gadgets
- Creates and allows usage of "gadgets" for users.
- Loops
- Provides parser functions for performing loops.
- LuaCache
- Exposes MediaWiki's ObjectCache through a Lua interface with Scribunto.
- Popups (Previews)
- Displays preview popups when the user hovers over a link.
- RecentChangesPatrol
- Allows marking edits as checked and conform to the policies of the wiki.
- Variables
- Allows you to define a variable on a page then use it later in that same page.
- VariablesLua
- Provides support for the Variables extension in Lua modules with Scribunto.
- WikiHiero
- Syntax to display hieroglyphs.
Restricted extensions
These extensions are subject to access restrictions, and administrators are only given access when there is a clear and current need for them.
- AbuseFilter
- Tool for automatically catching non-constructive edits.
- CheckUser
- Grants users with the appropriate permission the ability to check user's IP addresses and other information. (This is generally a staff-only tool, but a few administrators of big wikis also have access to it.)
- Nuke
- Gives SOAPs, Wiki Specialists, and Fandom Staff the ability to mass delete pages. (Wiki admins can also use the nuke script to mass delete pages created by a specific user.)
- ProtectSite
- Allows SOAPs, Wiki Specialists, and staff members to temporarily block various site modifications. (This is enabled as deemed needed. Local administrators of a wiki generally do not have access to it.)
- SpamBlacklist
- Regex-based tool for filtering URL spam.
- Semantic MediaWiki
- No longer requestable. Its "Help" page on this wiki redirects here, but discussion may be best confined to Semantic MediaWiki's official documentation site.
- TabView
- No longer requestable. Gives an easy way of combining pages into one page with a tab for each sub-page.
External links
- MediaWiki Extensions List at MediaWiki.org, the homepage of the MediaWiki software platform
Further help and feedback
- Browse and search other help pages at Help:Contents
- Check Fandom Community Central for sources of further help and support
- Check Contacting Fandom for how to report any errors or unclear steps in this article