Help:Archiving
Zelda Wiki's Help Guide |
Basic Editing: Getting Started Canon Policy Archiving Talk Pages |
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
- 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.
- Then click "Show Preview" and open the archive link in either a new window or, if applicable, in a new tab.
- Go back to the edit view of the original page. Copy the the content to be archived.
- Go to the archive page and paste this content.
- At the top of the archive type: {{Archive}}
- Click "Save Page" on the archive page.
- 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.
- Click "Save Page" on the original page.
Steps to Creating an Archive on its Own Page.
- Edit any page, usually the one being archived, and create a link to the new page.
- Click "Show Preview" and open the archive link in either a new window or, if applicable, in a new tab.
- Go back to the edit view of the original page. Copy the content to be archived.
- Go to the new page and paste the content.
- At the top of the archive type one of the following:
- For main article pages, simply type: {{Archive}}
- For pages that either are talk pages or should link to another talk page type: {{Archive| Page Name | Name Space}}
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.
- Click "Save Page" on the archive page.
- 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.
- Click "Save Page" on the original page.
Archiving FAQ
- What is archiving?
- Archiving is moving discussions from one page to another page for reference.
- Why archive?
- 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.
- What do I archive?
- Any discussions that have not been active in the last several days.
- What does the file size of a talk page have to be before I think about archiving it?
- 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.
- How big should my archive be?
- Try to keep archives under 30,000 bytes. This ensures faster loading time on the archive.
- How do I stop people from adding comments to my archive?
- 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.
- Can I add more content to my archive?
- 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.
- Can I have my archive deleted?
- 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.
- Can I fix the spelling and grammar errors in my archive?
- 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.
- What if I still can't figure out how to archive a page? Is there anyone I can contact for help?
- 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?
- This is the Archives Template. Go to its page for usage instructions.