Help:How to fix your signature: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:41, 7 April 2013

Latest revision as of 19:25, 29 July 2025

(27 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Shortcut|WP:SIGHELP|WP:FIXSIG}}

Changes made in November 2005 onto the version of the [[MediaWiki]] software running Wikipedia altered the way [[WP:SIG|signatures]] work. If your signature is not working now (but was working previously), you will need to make some changes to your "[[Special:Preferences|my preferencesPreferences]]" page.

==If you are not using "raw signatures"==

MediaWiki makes the creation of simple, straightforward signatures relatively easy. For example, if User:Example wants a signature that displays as [[User:Example|Example]], he would simply have to enter <code>"Example</code>" in the Signature field in [[Special:Preferences|my preferencesPreferences]]. The software automatically places "Example" in <codenowiki>[[User:</code>here<code>Example|</codenowiki>and ''here''<codenowiki>]]</codenowiki>, to form <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]]</nowiki></code>. When saved in a page, this markup displays as "[[User:Example|Example]]". [[WP:HEP#Wiki_markup|Wiki markup]] and [[HTML element|HTML markup]] ''do not'' function in the Signature field, ''unless'' the <code>"'''Treat the above as [[wiki markup.</code>]]'''" option is checked in [[Special:Preferences|preferencesPreferences]].

For example, placing the following in the default Signature field

:<code><nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]] |: [[User talk:Example|talkTalk]]</nowiki></code>

will result in a signature that looks like

:[[User:Example|<nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]] &#124;: &#91;&#91;User_talk[[User talk:Example&#124;|Talk]]</nowiki>]] ([[User talk:Example|talk]])

instead of

:[[User:Example|Example]] |: [[User talk:Example|Talk]]

This is because Wiki markup (and HTML markup) are now escaped as HTML entities when placed in the default Signature field, e.g. <codenowiki>&amp;#91;</code> instead of <code><nowiki>[.</nowiki></code>.

If you would like a signature that requires markup within the Signature field, please check the <code>Sign"Treat mythe name exactlyabove as shown</code>wiki markup" option and enter the ''full'' signature string into the field.

For instance, to produce the signature

:[[User:Example|Example]] |: [[User talk:Example|Talk]]

place

:<code><nowiki>[[User:Example|Example]] |: [[User talk:Example|Talk]]</nowiki></code>

within the NicknameSignature field and check <code>the "Treat the above as wiki markup</code>" option.

==If you are using "raw signatures"==

Line 26 ⟶ 30:

This means you are using invalid markup on your signature. Some possible causes with their corresponding solutions:

;Unclosed tags :If you are opening a tag without the corresponding closing tag (for instance:<br /> <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|<span style="color:white">Example]]</nowiki>),<br/code>), you should close the tag (for instance: <code><nowiki>[[User:Example|<span style="color:white">Example</span>]]</nowiki>).<br/code>). It's also a good idea to put the tags outside the link if possible (for instance: <code><nowiki><span style="font-family: serif">[[User:Example|Example]]</span></nowiki></code>).

;Mismatched or incorrectly nested tags :If the tags are mismatched (for instance: <code><nowiki><s><u>hi</s></u></nowiki></code>), fix them (for instance: <code><nowiki><s><u>hi</u></s></nowiki></code>).

;Unquoted attributes :It's also recommended to use quotes on all attributes (for.<br/>For instance, use <code><nowiki><span style="color:white"></span></nowiki></code> instead of<br /> <code><nowiki><span style=color:white></span></nowiki></code>).

;Unclosed entities :If you have aan [[HTML entity]] which is lacking the final <codenowiki>;</codenowiki>, you need to add it; if you have a bare <codenowiki>&amp;</codenowiki>, it must be replaced by <codenowiki>&amp;amp;</codenowiki> (a bare <codenowiki>&amp;</codenowiki> is always a mistake in either HTML or wikicode).

;Unescaped special characters :If you are using one of <codenowiki>&amp;</codenowiki>, <codenowiki>&lt;</codenowiki>, or <codenowiki>&gt;</codenowiki>, and want it shown as text, it must be escaped as <codenowiki>&amp;amp;</codenowiki>, <codenowiki>&amp;lt;</codenowiki>, or <codenowiki>&amp;gt;</codenowiki>, respectively.

* Do not use a table. A table causes the signature to display on more than one line. Use span instead.

==Wikilink behavior==

Remember that ''all'' wikilinks show up as [[{{FULLPAGENAME}}|bold black text]] (ifon the page they link to. So if you are nottesting coloredyour withsignature coloron tags,your thenuserpage/talk theypage areand the user/talk part of it doesn't show up as a link, that may onlybe bold)why.

<ref>

Tested it on Userpage

{{cite web |url = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:My1/Wikilinks |title = My1's User Subpage |author = My1 |date = 07 March 2013 |accessdate= 07 March 2013 }}</ref>

on the page they link to, so if you are testing your signature on your userpage/talk page and the user/talk part of it doesn't show up as a link, that may be why.

==A note on long signatures==

The markup for your signature is visible in the edit window; if it is too long, it makes editing the page harder. Try to keep the markup length below about one line of text. Also, the signature length is, since 13 June 2006, restricted to 255 [[byte]]s ([[bugzillaphab:8458T10458|bug #8458T10458]], [[rev:22960|r22960]]), later changed to 255 [[codepoint|character]]s ([[bugzillaphab:10338T12338|bug #10338T12338]], [[rev:23389|r23389]]).

[[Category:Wikipedia how-to|Signature]]

[[es:Ayuda:Cómo arreglar mi firma]]

[[gl:Wikipedia:Como mellora-la miña sinatura]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}