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The Bots and Nobots templates tell bots and other automated editing tools and scripts that they either should or should not edit a page that has the template. The templates can be used to block most bots (all bots that have implemented this functionality) or specific bots by name or function. For example, this can be used to opt-in or opt-out from user talk bot messages or to cause maintenance bots to avoid certain pages. These templates should be used carefully outside userspace to avoid blocking useful bot edits.
Explicitly opting-in has the advantage of receiving useful changes or targeted posts a bot might otherwise skip by following "opt-out" behavior by default. Users should be aware that by opting-out of bot posts, they will not be notified of matters relating to material they have edited or uploaded, which are tagged or scanned by bots per policy.
In particular, in the encyclopedia spaces:
- Avoid using the template as a blunt instrument
- Address the root problem with the bot owner or bot community
- Remove the template tag once the underlying problem has been resolved.
Important notes
Most bots will NOT understand these templates when they are indirectly transcluded.
Most bots will not disregard the template if it is inside of <nowiki> ... </nowiki> tags. For example, if you are discussing the templates with another editor, please use the ((tl)) template, e.g. ((tl|nobots)), which will show ((nobots)), rather than <nowiki>((nobots))</nowiki>, which will possibly be parsed as intending to ban bots from the page.
A list of transclusions is at User:AnomieBOT/Nobots Hall of Shame
Syntax
((nobots)) Ban all compliant bots (shortcut that takes no parameters) ((bots)) Allow all bots (shortcut that takes no parameters)
((bots|allow=<botlist>)) Ban all compliant bots not in the list ((bots|deny=<botlist>)) Ban all compliant bots in the list
Where <botlist> is a comma-delimited string of bot usernames (AWB can be used for all AWB-based bots): ((bots|allow=SineBot,Legobot)) ((bots|deny=AWB))
<botlist> can also be "none" or "all" as in the following examples: ((bots|allow=all)) Allow all bots ((bots|allow=none)) Ban all compliant bots
((bots|deny=all)) Ban all compliant bots ((bots|deny=none)) Allow all bots
Bots are not bound to observe the nobots template; it will depend on their functionality, their owners and their terms of approval. The bots that currently support exclusion are listed at exclusion compliant bots.
Message notification opt out
Another option is to opt out of specific types of messages for users who wish to be notified of certain problems, but not others. Users should be aware that by opting-out of specific notification posts, they will not be notified of matters relating to material they have edited or uploaded, which are tagged per policy. Actions (such as deletion) may be executed without you being notified as a result. By applying this to your own user talk page, you agree to this consequence. Applying this to a user talk page other than your own will be considered vandalism. All bots and scripts that leave messages on a user's talk page are encouraged to add this capability.
By adding this to a user's talk page, a user may still receive these messages by non-compliant bots or scripts, or humans who add the tag manually.
((bots|optout=all)) Opt out of all messages (see limitations below).
((bots|optout=nosource)) Opt out of no source messages. ((bots|optout=nolicense)) Opt out of no license messages. ((bots|optout=orfud)) Opt out of orphaned fair use messages. ((bots|optout=npd)) Opt out of no permission messages. ((bots|optout=norationale)) Opt out of no rationale messages. ((bots|optout=replaceable)) Opt out of replaceable fair use messages. ((bots|optout=bettersource)) Opt out of better source request messages. ((bots|optout=afd)) Opt out of articles for deletion messages or variant forms. ((bots|optout=ifd)) Opt out of images for deletion messages or variant. ((bots|optout=prod)) Opt out of prod warning. ((bots|optout=MassMessage)) Opt out of Mass messages.
Items can be combined by putting a comma between options
((bots|optout=nosource,nolicense)) Opt out of no source, and no license messages. ((bots|optout=orfud,norationale,replaceable)) Opt out of fair use messages.
Restrictions of messages that can be opted out
Some message notifications are not allowed to be opted out. These include:
- Copyright violation notifications
- Vandalism (and other) warning notices.
- User:SineBot's notices for not signing posts
- Any message tag that isn't included as a way of opting out above. (Is there one that should be included? Leave a message on the talk page.)
- Mass messages cannot be opted-out of by using ((bots|optout=all)); users must explicitly opt out with ((bots|optout=MassMessage))
Incorrect syntax
These syntaxes look correct, but depending on the individual bot may not have the intended effect.
| INCORRECT | CORRECT | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ((bots|deny=Bot1|deny=Bot2)) | ((bots|deny=Bot1,Bot2)) | This statement may deny neither Bot1 nor Bot2, only one of the two bots, or both bots as intended. Under a strict interpretation, it would deny a bot named "Bot1|deny=Bot2". |
| ((bots|allow=Bot1))((bots|allow=Bot2)) | ((bots|allow=Bot1,Bot2)) | This statement may allow neither Bot1 nor Bot2, only one of the two bots, or both bots as intended. Under a strict interpretation, each bot should be denied by the template not mentioning it. |
| ((bots|deny=Bot1))((bots|deny=Bot2)) | ((bots|deny=Bot1,Bot2)) | While this should work, some bots may process only the first or last instance of ((bots|deny=...)) in a page. |
| ((bots|allow=Bot1|deny=Bot2)) | ((bots|allow=Bot1)) | This statement may not deny Bot2, and may not allow Bot1. Under a strict interpretation, it would allow only a bot named "Bot1|deny=Bot2". |
| ((bots|deny=all,Bot1)) | ((bots|deny=all)) | This statement may not deny some bots. The "all" keyword is not documented as being able to be used in comma syntax. |
| ((nobots|deny=all)) | ((nobots)) | This statement may not deny some bots. The ((nobots)) redirect takes no parameters. |
| ((nobots|deny=Bot1)) | ((bots|deny=Bot1)) | This statement may not deny Bot1, or may deny other bots too. The ((nobots)) redirect takes no parameters. |
| ((nobots|allow=Bot1)) | ((bots|allow=Bot1)) | This statement may not deny some bots, or may deny Bot1. The ((nobots)) redirect takes no parameters. |
| ((bots|deny=all|optout=MassMessage)) | ((bots|deny=all))((bots|optout=MassMessage)) | This statement may not deny some bots. Under a strict interpretation, it would deny a bot named "all|optout=MassMessage". |
| ((nobots|optout=afd)) | ((bots|optout=afd)) | This statement may not opt out of afd messages, or may deny other bots too. The ((nobots)) redirect takes no parameters. |
| ((bots|optout=all,afd)) | ((bots|optout=all)) | This statement may not deny some bots. The "all" keyword is not documented as being able to be used in comma syntax.
Note there's currently no 100% reliable method to opt out of "all" and "MassMessage" due to the non-standard way "optout=MassMessage" works by setting a category, but ((bots|optout=all))((bots|optout=MassMessage)) is probably your best bet (or fix the template to apply the category on "optout=all" too). |
| ((bots))((bots|deny=Bot1)) | ((bots|deny=Bot1)) | This statement may not deny Bot1. It's unclear what the priority should be between "allow all bots" and "deny Bot1". |
| ((bots|allow=all))((bots|deny=Bot1)) | ((bots|deny=Bot1)) | This statement may not deny Bot1. It's unclear what the priority should be between "allow all bots" and "deny Bot1". |
| ((bots|allow=Bot1))((bots|deny=Bot1)) | ((bots|deny=all)) | This statement may not deny Bot1. The first statement should deny all bots except Bot1 while the second should deny Bot1, but Bot1 may stop as soon as it sees the "allow". |
Implementation
- Pywikibot supports bots and nobots since r4096. The templates may be ignored using a parameter.
- Since version 3.2.0.0 AutoWikiBrowser fully supports ((bots)) and ((nobots)). Additionally, pseudo-username AWB can be specified to ban all AWB-based bots from the page. However, AWB has an option to ignore these templates.
- Opt out message notification was introduced here April 3, 2008. Individual bot/script implementation will vary and notice above of implementation may not include this feature.
Example implementations
PHP
function allowBots( $text, $user ) {
if (preg_match('/\{\{(nobots|bots\|allow=none|bots\|deny=all|bots\|optout=all|bots\|deny=.*?'.preg_quote($user,'/').'.*?)))/iS',$text))
return false;
if (preg_match('/\{\{(bots\|allow=all|bots\|allow=.*?'.preg_quote($user,'/').'.*?)))/iS', $text))
return true;
if (preg_match('/\{\{(bots\|allow=.*?)))/iS', $text))
return false;
return true;
}
Perl
sub allow_bots {
my($text, $user, $opt) = @_;
return 0 if $text =~ /(([nN]obots))/;
return 1 if $text =~ /(([bB]ots))/;
if($text =~ /\{\{[bB]ots\s*\|\s*allow\s*=\s*(.*?)\s*))/s){
return 1 if $1 eq 'all';
return 0 if $1 eq 'none';
my @bots = split(/\s*,\s*/, $1);
return (grep $_ eq $user, @bots) ? 1 : 0;
}
if($text =~ /\{\{[bB]ots\s*\|\s*deny\s*=\s*(.*?)\s*))/s){
return 0 if $1 eq 'all';
return 1 if $1 eq 'none';
my @bots = split(/\s*,\s*/, $1);
return (grep $_ eq $user, @bots) ? 0 : 1;
}
if(defined($opt) && $text =~ /\{\{[bB]ots\s*\|\s*optout\s*=\s*(.*?)\s*))/s){
return 0 if $1 eq 'all';
my @opt = split(/\s*,\s*/, $1);
return (grep $_ eq $opt, @opt) ? 0 : 1;
}
return 1;
}
VB.NET
Public Shared Function AllowBots(ByVal text As String, ByVal user As String) As Boolean
Return Not Regex.IsMatch(text, "\{\{(nobots|bots\|(allow=none|deny=(?!none).*(" & user.Normalize() & "|all)|optout=all))\}\}", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase)
End Function
C#
public static bool AllowBots(string text, string user)
{
return !Regex.IsMatch(text, @"\{\{(nobots|bots\|(allow=none|deny=(?!none).*(" + user.Normalize() + @".*|all)|optout=all))\}\}", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase);
}
Java
public static boolean allowBots(String text, String user)
{
return !text.matches("(?si).*\\{\\{(nobots|bots\\|(allow=none|deny=([^\\}]*?" + user + "[^\\}]*?|all)|optout=all))\\}\\}.*");
}
JavaScript
function allowBots(text, user){
if (!new RegExp("\\{\\{\\s*(nobots|bots[^}]*)\\s*\\}\\}", "i").test(text)) return true;
return (new RegExp("\\{\\{\\s*bots\\s*\\|\\s*deny\\s*=\\s*([^}]*,\\s*)*" + user.replace(/([\(\)\*\+\?\.\-\:\!\=\/\^\$])/g, "\\$1") + "\\s*(?=[,\\}])[^}]*\\s*\\}\\}", "i").test(text)) ? false : new RegExp("\\{\\{\\s*((?!nobots)|bots(\\s*\\|\\s*allow\\s*=\\s*((?!none)|([^}]*,\\s*)*" + user.replace(/([\(\)\*\+\?\.\-\:\!\=\/\^\$])/g, "\\$1") + "\\s*(?=[,\\}])[^}]*|all))?|bots\\s*\\|\\s*deny\\s*=\\s*(?!all)[^}]*|bots\\s*\\|\\s*optout=(?!all)[^}]*)\\s*\\}\\}", "i").test(text);
}
Python
This code assumes that the mwparserfromhell library was installed and imported in the current script.
def allow_bots(text, user):
user = user.lower().strip()
text = mwparserfromhell.parse(text)
for tl in text.filter_templates():
if tl.name.matches(['bots', 'nobots']):
break
else:
return True
for param in tl.params:
bots = [x.lower().strip() for x in param.value.split(",")]
if param.name == 'allow':
if ''.join(bots) == 'none': return False
for bot in bots:
if bot in (user, 'all'):
return True
elif param.name == 'deny':
if ''.join(bots) == 'none': return True
for bot in bots:
if bot in (user, 'all'):
return False
if (tl.name.matches('nobots') and len(tl.params) == 0):
return False
return True
See also
- Template:Bots at Meta-Wiki
- User:AnomieBOT/nobots tests - An index of pages for testing the handling of bot exclusion templates.