Help:Archiving

This page details the process of creating an archive. Archives pages can be on: Article talk pages, User talk pages, or on normal pages. Discussions are usually archived either to save space on the talk page or record a memorable discussion.

Archives are either on a subpage or on its very own page.

Steps to Creating an Archive on a Subpage

 * 1) Edit any page, usually the one being archived, and create a link with a forward slash. For example, if the page is User talk:Username the the archive page should be User talk:Username/Archive Name.
 * 2) Then click "Show Preview" and open the archive link in either a new window or, if applicable, in a new tab.
 * 3) Go back to the edit view of the original page. Copy the content to be archived.
 * 4) Go to the archive page and paste this content.
 * 5) At the top of the archive type:  
 * 6) Click "Save Page" on the archive page.
 * 7) Return to the normal page and make sure that there is a link to the archive page at the top. Also make sure that the archived content has been removed.
 * 8) Click "Save Page" on the original page.

Steps to Creating an Archive on its Own Page

 * 1) Edit any page, usually the one being archived, and create a link to the new page.
 * 2) Click "Show Preview" and open the archive link in either a new window or, if applicable, in a new tab.
 * 3) Go back to the edit view of the original page. Copy the content to be archived.
 * 4) Go to the new page and paste the content.
 * 5) At the top of the archive type one of the following:
 * 6) *For main article pages, simply type:  
 * 7) *For pages that either are talk pages or should link to another talk page type:    In place of Page Name put the name of the of the target page. In Name Space put the name space of the target talk page's main page.
 * 8) Click "Save Page" on the archive page.
 * 9) Return to the original page and make sure that there is a link to the archive page at the top. Also make sure that the archived content has been removed.
 * 10) Click "Save Page" on the original page.

Archiving FAQ

 * 1) What is archiving?
 * 2) *Archiving is moving discussions from one page to another page for reference.
 * 3) Why archive?
 * 4) *Archiving typically done to save space on talk pages. Sometimes it is done to record a memorable discussion. Archiving can also reduce the talk page's loading time.
 * 5) What do I archive?
 * 6) *Any discussions that have not been active in the last several days.
 * 7) What does the file size of a talk page have to be before I think about archiving it?
 * 8) *There is no rule that says you have to archive a page once it reaches a certain size. However, most talk pages are archived once they are about 20,000 to 25,000 bytes in size.
 * 9) How big should my archive be?
 * 10) *Try to keep archives under 30,000 bytes. This ensures faster loading time on the archive.
 * 11) How do I stop people from adding comments to my archive?
 * 12) * If you followed the instructions above the you should have the Archive Template at the top of your page. This will stop most users from adding comments to your archive. If a user persistently adds things to your archive, then contact a Sysop or Bureaucrat for help. They can either lock your archive from editing for you, warn the user, or ban the user.
 * 13) Can I add more content to my archive?
 * 14) *Yes, as long as the archive remains under about 30,000 bytes. Any larger and there is a risk that your browser will not be able to save it properly.
 * 15) Can I have my archive deleted?
 * 16) *This is not generally recommended. If you feel that you have good reason to do so, the do directly to a Sysop or Bureaucrat and ask.
 * 17) Can I fix the spelling and grammar errors in my archive?
 * 18) *There is no rule saying that you can't. It is, however, better that you do not. Most people like to look back and see the common mistakes that they made.
 * 19) What if I still can't figure out how to archive a page? Is there anyone I can contact for help?
 * 20) *Yes, you can contact an active staff member. They most likely have a good deal of experience archiving pages.
 * 21) I see on some pages there is a box with all the page's archives listed. How do I use that for my own page?
 * 22) *This is the Archive List Template. Go to its page for usage instructions.
 * 23) What should I call my archives?
 * 24) *Some users like to name them according to the contents. Like having a date in the title. This is highly discouraged. It makes things too complex and difficult to follow. The preferred naming pattern is like so:
 * 25) **Archive 1
 * 26) **Archive 2
 * 27) **Archive 3
 * 28) **etc.