Wikipedia:Blocked external links

Blocked external links are links to external websites which cannot (in the strictly technical sense) be added to Wikipedia. Attempts to do so will generate a warning page similar to that on the right.

Requests edit

Click here to make or view current requests.

Administrators can add and remove sites from the blacklist, and, using the whitelist, can permit the addition of links from blocked sites. (Administrators unfamiliar with the process should read the technical details first.) To place a request, follow the instructions below.

Request blocking of a link or website edit

To request blocking of a link or website, please read the instructions at MediaWiki talk:Spam-blacklist and ask for delisting there with the following details:

  1. The URL of the site, without http: google.com not http://www.google.com.
  2. Details of the site and which user(s) and IP(s) have been adding the links:
    {{IPSummary}} - to report anonymous editors suspected of spamming:
    {{IPSummary|127.0.0.1}} --- do not use "subst:" with this template
    {{UserSummary}} - to report registered users suspected of spamming:
    {{UserSummary|Jimbo Wales}} -- do not use "subst:" with this template
    {{LinkSummary}} - to report spam domains:
    {{LinkSummary|example.com}} -- do not use "subst:" with this template
    Do not include the "http://www." portion of an URL inside this template
  3. Diffs to prove that there has been spamming!

Consider informing editors whose actions are discussed here.

Request unblocking of a link or website edit

There are two different ways that a site could be blocked here. It could be blocked from the shared list of blocked sites at m:Spam blacklist, or it could be listed on the local list at MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist. To find out which it is, go to this site and enter in the address. If you see an entry under "meta blacklist", then the site is blocked on the shared list; otherwise, it is on the local list.

Before placing your request, please note:

  • Requests will be handled in the order they are filed, and may take several days
  • Administrators handling requests may request additional information to help in making the decision. Please return here from time to time to check on the status of your request, as if additional information is requested and not supplied, the request will be summarily denied.
  • Complaining that your site is blocked and another one is not will not be productive.
  • You should not leave your email address or other contact details. This site is widely visible on the internet. We will not email or contact you to provide any update on your request, even if you ask. Updates will be added on this page.
  • Rudeness, accusations of bias, complaints of victimization, etc. will not help your request and may result in it being summarily denied.
  • We are sure that it would benefit your site to be linked from Wikipedia. We want to know why it would benefit Wikipedia to link to your site.

Request that a site be removed from the blocked list entirely edit

If the site is on the meta blocked list, you must make your request at m:talk:Spam blacklist. Requests here will be summarily closed.

If the site is on the local blocked external links list, then add your request here. Please provide the following details:

  1. The web address of the site you would like removed from the list (omit the http and www parts)
  2. The reason(s) why links to the site should be allowed, and would benefit Wikipedia
  3. The article or articles on which the links would be used
  4. If you are connected to the site, then please declare this at this point. Failure to do so will, if discovered, be treated negatively.

Request that one or a few links from a blocked site be permitted edit

To make your request, please follow this link and provide the following details:

  1. The specific link of the page, or pages, which you would like to use
  2. The reason(s) why links to the site should be allowed, and would benefit Wikipedia
  3. The article or articles on which the links would be used

Technical details edit

To block an external link on Wikipedia, an administrator may add it to MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist as a regular expression. Note that the name of this page is set by the software; it should not be assumed that websites listed on the blacklist are responsible for spam, nor that spamming is the only reason a page can be listed there.

Wikipedia also imports the spam blacklist from meta. Additions and removals from that list are handled at meta:talk:Spam blacklist and cannot be processed on Wikipedia.

If a link matches a regular expression on MediaWiki:Spam-whitelist then it can be used even if it also matches one on the blacklist. This is generally done to override a blacklisting on the meta-blacklist, or to forbid most links to a website while permitting one or two.

The toolserver tool http://toolserver.org/~seth/grep_regexp_from_url.cgi can be used to find out what blacklist entry is affecting any given link.