Meta:Bots

The following page documents an official Meta-Wiki policy.
This page has been developed and approved by the community and its compliance is mandatory for all users. It must not be modified without prior community approval.

Shortcut:
WM:BOT

This page provides information on bots and how they should behave on Meta-Wiki. This wiki is part of the global bot policy which is also policy for Meta-Wiki, please see there for further requirements regarding bot use on this project.

Bots are automated or semi-automated processes that edit pages with reduced or no direct human supervision. Because bots may potentially strain server resources or accidentally disrupt the project, bots must follow the policy and guidelines outlined in the standard bot policy, which is also the bot policy for Meta-Wiki. This policy outlines how bots may be used on applicable projects; bots which do not follow this policy may be blocked immediately until the operator has resolved any issues or non-compliance.

Local policy

Main article: Bot policy

Account name and identification

The bot name should clearly contain the word "bot" in its username to more easily distinguish it from human editors, although exceptions may be allowed.
A bot must be run using a separate account from the operator, as no human editor should be granted a bot flag. Its user page should clearly and visibly denote it as a bot to distinguish it from human editors (this can be achieved using the templates {{bot}} or {{Infobox Bot}}), and operators must be available to answer any comments themselves. No user is permitted to make use of automated answering scripts. Some operators may choose to redirect the bot's talk page to their own, if their bot is not configured to detect messages.

Malfunctioning

Bot accounts malfunctioning may be blocked by any administrator to prevent further damage to the project. Administrators are advised to turn off autoblocks when blocking legitimate bot accounts to avoid those running from shared platforms (such as Wikimedia Cloud Services) be blocked as well.

Unapproved bots or tasks

Administrators may block bot accounts performing edits or tasks for which approval has not been granted either by policy or community consensus.

Standard bot policy notice

This wiki uses the standard bot policy, and allows global bots and automatic approval of certain types of bots. Requests for bot flags should be made on Meta:Requests for adminship § Requests for bot flags, providing information about the bot account, the bot owner, and the intended tasks for which approval is being sought.

Removal

Removal of bot status can take place:

On operator request.
Bots not respecting these requirements and/or the bot policy ones may have their bot flags revoked. Users can also seek removal of bot flags by filling a request on Meta:Requests for adminship § Requests for bot status in the same way a bot flag request, providing evidence of wrongdoing. After a week, a bureaucrat will close the discussion and determine if there are reasons to justify the removal, and will act accordingly. In emergencies or flagrant bot flag misuse, removal can take place immediately (see Meta:Requests for help from a sysop or bureaucrat). In both cases, operators should be contacted and informed. No removal discussion can start without evidence that the operator has been notified that the bot status of their account(s) is being contested.
Bot accounts that have made no edits or log actions for 14 continuous months will have their bot flags removed by a bureaucrat . Operators will be warned seven days in advance before removal can take place. If the operator replies and states that they will intend to be active again with the bot, removal won't take place.