View source for Wiki143:User pages

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{{short description|Wikipedia's guideline on user pages}}{{redirect|WP:UP|the File Upload Wizard|WP:FUW|the username policy|WP:U|}}
{{dablink|This page is a [[Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines|guideline]] for user and user talk pages and should not be confused with '''[[Special:MyPage|your own user page]]'''. <br>See also the [[Wikipedia:User page design guide|user page design guide]], our [[Wikipedia:Username policy|username policy]], and more about [[Wikipedia:Wikipedians|Wikipedia users]].}}
{{subcat guideline|project content guideline|User pages|WP:UP|WP:USER|WP:USERPAGE}}
{{nutshell|title=This guideline|<p>User pages are for communication and collaboration. While considerable leeway is allowed in personalizing and managing your user pages, they are community project pages, [[WP:What Wikipedia is not#WEBHOST|not a personal website, blog, social networking medium]], or [[WP:FAKEARTICLE|a Wikipedia article]]. They should be used to better participate in the community, and not used to excess for unrelated purposes nor to bring Wikipedia into disrepute.</p>}}
{{Namespaces}}
{{guideline list}}

'''User pages''' are pages for organizing the work users do on [[Wikipedia]], as well as speaking to other users. User pages are mainly for interpersonal discussion, notices, testing and drafts (see: [[Wikipedia:About the Sandbox|Sandboxes]]), and, if desired, limited autobiographical and personal content. Pages in the User and User talk [[Wikipedia:Namespace|namespaces]] are considered to be user pages.

User pages are available to Wikipedia users personally for purposes compatible with the Wikipedia project and acceptable to the community; [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#BLOG|Wikipedia is not a blog, webspace provider, or social networking site]]. Wikipedia [[Wikipedia:List of policies#Content|policies concerning the content of pages]] can and generally do apply to user pages, and users must observe these policies. Users believed to be in violation of these policies should first be advised on their talk page using <code>{{tls|uw-userpage}}</code> when immediate action is not otherwise necessary.

== <span id="User pages and user space"></span>Terminology and page locations ==
{{see also|Wikipedia:Username policy|Wikipedia:How to archive a talk page|Wikipedia:Wikipedians}}
''Your'' in this context means associated with you, not belonging to you.

; User page
: Your user page has a name like this: User:''Example''. ([[Special:Mypage|This link is to yours]].) Its normal use is to give basic information, ''if you wish'', about yourself or your Wikimedia-related activities. If you prefer to put nothing here, then you can [[Wikipedia:Redirect|redirect]] it to your user talk page for the convenience of other editors. You may also wish to create a [[WP:GUP|global user page]] that will display on all Wikimedia projects where you have not created a local user page.
; User talk page
: Your user talk page (sometimes abbreviated to "your talk page" or "your user talk") has a name like this: User talk:''Example''. ([[Special:Mytalk|This link is to yours]].) Its normal use is for messages from, and discussion with, other editors. The only editing tool you can use with user talk pages is [[Help:Introduction to editing with Wiki Markup/1|Source Editor]], and not [[WP:VE|Visual Editor]]. For more information see [[Help:Using talk pages]].
; Subpages{{anchor|SUB|What about user subpages?}}
: {{shortcut|WP:UP#SUB|WP:USERSUBPAGE|WP:CREATEUSER#SUB}} [[Wikipedia:Subpages|Subpages]] in user space can be used to [[#What may I have in my user pages?|store sandboxes, essays about Wikipedia, and drafts of Wikipedia articles, among other things]]. [[#Creating a subpage|You can create these subpages yourself]].
; User pages or user space
: All of these pages are your user pages or user space. While you [[WP:OWN|do not "own" them]], by custom you may manage them as you wish, so long as you do so reasonably and within these guidelines.
: You also have subpages ending {{nowrap|in <code>.js</code>}} {{nowrap|and <code>.css</code>}} to store any [[Wikipedia:user scripts|user scripts]] and [[WP:CSS|skin customizations]] that you may wish to have when you edit Wikipedia. Only you and [[WP:INTADMIN|interface administrators]] can edit such pages, although anyone can view them.

== Creating a subpage ==

[[File:Tutorial on starting a sandbox article on Wikipedia.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=1|Video tutorial on creating a user page sandbox]]
You can create subpages of your ''User page'' and your ''Talk'' page. To create a subpage, type the following into the Wikipedia search box and press the {{key press|Enter}} key, replacing "Your_Wikipedia_Name" with your username:
<pre>
User:Your_Wikipedia_Name/subpage_name
</pre>
This will bring you to a page with the title '''User:Your_Wikipedia_Name/subpage_name'''. Now click the "Create" button next to the Wikipedia search box and the editing window will open. Enter a few test words and save the new page. You will notice that different from your user page, a subpage contains a backlink to your user page, which looks like this:
<pre>
&lt; User:Your_Wikipedia_Name
</pre>
Clicking on the backlink will bring you to your user page. But, contrary to what you might expect, no new tab has been created for "subpages", for example, containing a list of all of your subpages; everything on your user page'' is unchanged. So how do you navigate to your subpage? As a method of last resort, you can always go back to your subpage by adding the title of your subpage to the URL of your user page:
<pre>
If your home page URL is:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Your_Wikipedia_Name
just add the name of your subpage:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Your_Wikipedia_Name/subpage_name
</pre>
There is, of course, an easier method, but it has to be done manually. Copy and modify the following text and put it on your user page:
<pre>
[[Special:Prefixindex/User:Your_Wikipedia_Name]]
</pre>
After saving your user page, clicking on this link will provide you with a list of all pages containing the string "User:Your_Wikipedia_Name", which in our case includes the sandbox, the user page and, of course, the newly created subpage.

== User talk notification ==
{{shortcut|WP:ORANGE|WP:NEWMESSAGE}}
[[File:November 2020 user talk page message notification.png|thumb|right|upright=1.5|The message notification as it would appear for registered users]]
Users will be notified when someone else edits their user talk page. Since 30 April 2013, registered users receive a notification through the new [[Wikipedia:Notifications]] system (see image right); unregistered users still receive notifications with the old-style Orange Bar. Registered users wishing to add back the functionality of the Orange Bar notification may do so through [[User:Writ Keeper/Scripts/orangeBar|this script]].

For users not editing with an account (unregistered users), the alert below is automatically displayed on all pages until they view their user talk page. If they click "new message," it will direct them to the bottom of their talk page. If they click "last change," it will show them the last edit done to their talk page. Creating a fake message banner that misleads readers into thinking they have new messages is [[#Simulation and disruption of the MediaWiki interface|prohibited]].

<div class="usermessage" style="width: 50%;">{{int:new-messages|[[Special:MyTalk|{{int:new-messages-link-plural|1}}]]|<span class="plainlinks">[{{fullurl:Special:MyTalk|diff=cur}} {{int:new-messages-diff-link-plural|1}}]</span>|1|1}}</div>

The links [[Special:MyPage]] and [[Special:MyTalk]] are shortcuts that take any user to '''their own''' user and user talk pages. If someone is to visit ''your'' (or someone else's) user or user talk pages, a proper page link will be needed (e.g., <nowiki>[[User talk:Example]]</nowiki>). In practice, user and user talk pages are mostly visited by clicking on [[Wikipedia:Signatures|user signatures]] in discussions, and links shown in [[Help:Page history|page histories]] and [[Help:Diff|diffs]].

===Own user talk edits in watchlist===
In your watchlist, you may wish to make edits to your user talk page more noticeable, so that you can check these – since they might be more urgent – before you check the other changes. To highlight all edits to your user talk page, place this CSS rule in {{yourcss}}: <syntaxhighlight lang=css>/* make it easier to pick out edits to own user talk page */
li.mw-changeslist-ns3-{{subst:REVISIONUSER}} {
  background-color: #fef6e7;
  border: 1px solid #edab00;
  color: #000;
}</syntaxhighlight> To restrict the highlighting to just those edits which you have not yet viewed, use this rule instead: <syntaxhighlight lang=css>/* make it easier to pick out edits to own user talk page, but only if not yet visited */
li.mw-changeslist-line-watched.mw-changeslist-ns3-{{subst:REVISIONUSER}} {
  background-color: #fef6e7;
  border: 1px solid #edab00;
  color: #000;
}</syntaxhighlight> If your user name contains spaces, you will need to make a second edit to replace these spaces with underscores.

== Options available from user pages ==
{{seealso|Help:User contributions|Wikipedia:Emailing users|Help:Preferences}}
In addition to the usual information accessible from an article page such as [[H:PH|page history]], "[[WP:Talk page|Discuss this page]]" and the like, users visiting user and user talk pages can also click "[[Help:User contributions|User contributions]]" (in the sidebar or at the bottom of the page) to see what contributions you have made at Wikipedia over time, and "[[WP:LOG|Logs]]" to see records of other events related to your editorship, done by yourself and by others. (Note that having your user page deleted does '''not''' delete any list of your wider contributions.)

Visitors to your user page can also click "[[Wikipedia:Emailing users|Email this user]]" if you have opted in [[Special:Preferences|your user preferences]] to be able to send and receive email. Your email address will remain private unless you reveal it yourself, select the option to reveal it (in preferences), or reply using an email system outside Wikipedia.

{{Anchor|UPGOOD}}

== <span id="What may I have on my user page?"></span>What ''may'' I have in my user pages? ==
{{Anchor|UPYES}}{{shortcut|WP:UPYES}}
There is no fixed use for user pages, except that usually one's user page has something about oneself, and one's talk page is used for messaging. Provided other users can quickly and easily find the pages they need, users may, within reason, freely organize their user pages as they choose.

Users may include a user page notice on their own user pages, user talk pages, or both. Placing the template <code>{{tl|User page}}</code> at the start of a user page clearly identifies the nature of the page for readers, and also helps if people find the labeled page in [[Wikipedia:Mirrors and forks|copies of Wikipedia elsewhere]] (more about this below) and want to locate the original.

Contributions can also be given a wider license – for example releasing them into the [[public domain]] or [[Wikipedia:Multi-licensing|multi-licensing]] them – by putting a notice to this effect on one's user page, or on a subpage linked from it. Note that it is not possible to give them '''narrower''' licensing: '''all''' edits on Wikipedia, including all userspace edits, are licensed for use under the [[Creative Commons license|Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License]] and in most cases the [[GNU Free Documentation License]] as part of Wikipedia.

User pages may be [[Wikipedia:Mirrors and forks|mirrored]] by other sites. If there is material you do not want copied, reposted, or reused, '''do not post it on the site'''.

Certain kinds of material must not linger indefinitely in user space; see [[#NOT|below]] for details.

Besides communication, other legitimate uses of user space include (but are not limited to):

* '''Significant editing disclosures''' (voluntary but recommended)
** Things other editors may find helpful to understand, such as [[Wikipedia:Sock puppetry#Legitimate uses|alternative accounts]] (if publicly disclosed)
** <p>If you are editing for or on behalf of a company, organization, group, product, or person (etc.) which you wish to be open about in order to gain a good working relationship with the editing community.</p><p>(Editing must always be neutral and within encyclopedia norms. Editors tend to distrust concealed [[Wikipedia:Conflict of interest|conflicts of interest]] and agendas. Openly disclosing such interests increases respect, invites others to help, and shows a desire to edit appropriately.)</p>
* '''Notes related to your Wikipedia work and activities'''
** Current or planned articles, topic areas, to-do lists, reminders, articles worked on, [[Wikipedia:Barnstars|accolades]] and other successes, collaborative works, draft proposals, (constructive) thoughts on Wikipedia articles or policies and how they should be changed, etc.
** Expansion and detailed backup for points being made (or which you may make) in discussions elsewhere on the wiki.
* '''Work in progress or material that you may come back to in future''' (usually on subpages)
** Drafts, especially where you want discussion or other users' opinions first, for example because of [[Wikipedia:Conflict of interest|conflict of interest]] or major proposed changes
** Drafts being written in your own user space because the target page itself is [[Wikipedia:Protection policy|protected]], and notes and working material for articles (Some content may not be kept indefinitely).
* '''Useful links, tools, and scripts'''
* '''User space archives'''
** Old talk page threads, etc. (Some content may not be kept indefinitely in userspace if unused.)
* '''Matters that are long enough, or active enough, to allocate them a page of their own'''
* '''Personal writings suitable within the Wikipedia community'''
** Non-article Wikipedia material such as reasonable Wikipedia humor, essays and perspectives, personal philosophy, comments on Wikipedia matters
** Disclosures of important matters such as absences or self-corrections that you would like other editors to know about, etc.
** Statements of congratulations or condolence for major events, especially if related to Wikipedia editorship or major life-events.(Make sure the user wants these to be publicly mentioned on the wiki, they may wish it to be private.)
* '''Experimentation''' (usually on subpages)
** Trial pages for [[Help:Template|templates]], unfamiliar or specialist [[Wikipedia:How to edit a page|markup]] (including [[Help:Displaying a formula|LaTeX]]), etc., as a kind of personal [[Wikipedia:About the Sandbox|sandbox]].
** Pages to test [[Wikipedia:Bots|bots]] and [[Wikipedia:Scripts|scripts]] without doing harm.  User pages and user subpages can be [[Wikipedia:Transclusion|transcluded]] and [[Wikipedia:Substitution|substituted]], so they behave like templates, and can be tested as such.
* '''Limited autobiographical content'''
** For example, languages you know (see [[Wikipedia:Babel]]) or fields you have knowledge in.
* '''A ''small and proportionate'' amount of suitable unrelated material'''
** A number of users have Wikipedia and sister project content such as (free use) pictures from [[Wikimedia Commons]], favorite Wikipedia articles, or quotations that they like.
** '''Pages used for blatant [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a soapbox or means of promotion|promotion]] or as a [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a soapbox or means of promotion|soapbox]] or [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a battleground|battleground]] for unrelated matters are usually considered outside this criterion.''' For example: a five-page résumé and advertising for your band will probably be too much, a brief three-sentence summary that you work in field X and have a band named Y will be fine.
** Editors may not use their userspace to solicit compensation for their Wikipedia contributions.

You are also welcome to include a simple link to your personal home page, although you should not surround it with any promotional language. However, if a link to your home page is the ''only'' thing on your userpage, this may be seen as an attempt at self-promotion.

User pages are also used for administrative purposes, to make users aware of [[Wikipedia:Blocking policy|blocks]], warnings, or other sanctions if they happen, and to notify of matters that may affect articles you have worked on or editorial issues you have been involved with. Others may also edit your user pages, for instance awarding you a [[Wikipedia:Barnstars|barnstar]] or leaving notes and images for you, or adding comments and questions. Although you have wide leeway to edit your user pages, a few of these matters should not be removed (see below).

=== Userspace and mainspace ===
Details about yourself should '''not''' normally go in the main encyclopedia [[Wikipedia:Namespace|namespace]] (reserved for encyclopedia articles '''only'''), and encyclopedia articles should '''never''' link to or [[wp:transclusion|transclude]] any userspace pages.

In the rare case that you or something closely connected to you may have an article in the encyclopedia, that is always treated as '''completely separate''' from you '''as an editor'''. You should very carefully read the guidance on [[WP:COI|conflict of interest]] and generally '''avoid''' editing about yourself or matters closely related to you in any article.

If you would like to draft a new article, [[Help:Userspace draft]] provides a standard template and useful guidance to help you create a draft in your userspace, and the [[Wikipedia:Article wizard|Article Wizard]] can walk you through all stages of creating an article with the option to save as a userspace draft too. You can use the template {{tl|userspace draft}} to tag a userspace draft if it is not automatically done for you.

=== Personal and privacy-breaching material ===
{{see also|Wikipedia:On privacy, confidentiality and discretion}}
Some people add personal information such as contact details (email, instant messaging, etc.), a photograph, their real name, their location, information about their areas of expertise and interest, likes and dislikes, etc. Once added, this information is unlikely to ever become private again. It could be copied elsewhere or even used to [[WP:HARASS|harass]] you in the future. '''You are cautioned to think carefully before adding non-public information to your user page, because you are ''highly unlikely'' to be able to completely retract it later, even if you change your mind and no longer wish for the information to be public'''.

Privacy-breaching non-public material, whether added by yourself or others, '''may be removed''' from any page upon request, either by administrators or (unless impractical) by purging from the page history and any logs by [[WP:SIGHT|oversighters]] (see [[WP:RFO|requests for oversight]]).

=== Userboxes ===
[[Wikipedia:Userboxes|Userboxes]] are fun little boxes you can put in your user page to express yourself. They are rectangular and usually contain a picture and text. Here is an example:
{{userbox|orange|yellow|[[File:Crystal kthememgr.svg|40px]]|A userbox is a small rectangular box that looks like this.}}
{{clear}}

=== Sticky decorative elements ===
{{shortcut|WP:STICKYDECO|WP:DECOFLOAT}}
A reasonable amount of decorative elements which follow the reader down the screen are only allowed on user and user talk pages, where they must not be overly annoying (e.g. blinking) or interfere with communication between editors.

Some editors find these elements distracting or otherwise irritating. If included, they must be wrapped in a {{tl|sticky decoration wrapper}} or the equivalent CSS class. Editors who do not wish to see these may hide them by ticking {{Preferences|Gadgets|Appearance|uncheck={{int:Gadget-remove-sticky-decoration}}}}.

This section does not apply to functional elements such as {{t|skip to top and bottom}}.

== <span id="NOT"></span><span id="What may I not have on my user page?"></span>What may I ''not'' have in my user pages? ==
{{See also|Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons#Non-article space}}
{{shortcut|WP:UP#NOT|WP:UPNOT|WP:UPBAD}}
Generally, '''you should avoid substantial content on your user page that is unrelated to Wikipedia.''' [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a blog, webspace provider, social network, or memorial site|Wikipedia is not]] a general hosting service, so your user page is not a personal website. Your user page is about you as a Wikipedian, and pages in your user space should be used as part of your efforts to contribute to the project.

In addition, there is broad agreement that '''you may not include in your user space material that is likely to bring the project into disrepute''', or which is likely to give widespread offense (''e.g.'' [[racism|racist ideology]]). Whether serious or [[Internet troll|trolling]], "[[WP:SOAP|Wikipedia is not a soapbox]]" is usually interpreted as applying to user space as well as the encyclopedia itself, and "[[WP:NOT#CENSORED|Wikipedia is not censored]]" relates to article pages and images; in other namespaces there '''are''' restrictions aimed at ensuring relevance, value, and non-disruption to the community. You do have more latitude in user space than elsewhere, but [[Wikipedia:Don't be inconsiderate|don't be inconsiderate]]. ''Extremely offensive material may be removed on sight by any editor.''

The Wikipedia community is generally tolerant and offers fairly wide latitude in applying these guidelines to regular participants. Particularly, community-building activities that are not strictly "on topic" may be allowed, especially when initiated by committed Wikipedians with good edit histories. At their best, such activities help us to build the community, and this helps to build the encyclopedia. But at the same time, if user page activity becomes disruptive to the community or gets in the way of the task of building an encyclopedia, it must be modified to prevent disruption.

=== Excessive unrelated content ===
Unrelated content includes, but is not limited to:

<!-- Per WP:BEANS, please don't suggest others, as this may only encourage some users to try it out. -->
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! {{anchor|GOALS}}Writings, information, discussions, and activities <u>not closely related</u> to Wikipedia's goals
|
{{shortcut|WP:UP#GOALS}}
* A [[weblog]] recording your non-Wikipedia activities.
* Extensive discussion not related to Wikipedia.
* Extensive personal opinions on matters unrelated to Wikipedia, wiki philosophy, collaboration, free content, the [[Creative Commons]], etc.
* Extensive writings and material on topics having virtually no chance whatsoever of being directly useful to the project, its community, or an encyclopedia article. (For example, in the latter case, because it is [[Wikipedia:No original research|pure original research]], is in complete disregard of [[Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources|reliable sources]], or is clearly [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not|unencyclopedic]] for other clear reasons.)
* Communications unrelated to Wikipedia, with people uninvolved with the project or its related work.
{{shortcut|WP:UP#GAMES}} {{anchor|GAMES}}
* Games, roleplaying sessions, secret pages and other things pertaining to "entertainment" rather than "writing an encyclopedia". Such activities are generally frowned upon by the community. Games of no educational value relevant to the project are routinely deleted at [[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion|MfD]]. (Compare [[:Category:Wikipedia games]] and [[:Category:Wikipedia Word Association]].)
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! {{anchor|PROMO}}Promotional and advocacy material and links
|
{{shortcut|WP:UP#PROMO}}
* Advertising or promotion of an individual, business, organization, group, or viewpoint unrelated to Wikipedia (such as commercial sites or referral links).
* Extensive self-promotional material, especially when not directly relevant to Wikipedia.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! {{anchor|POLEMIC}}Very divisive or offensive material not related to encyclopedia editing
|
{{shortcut|WP:POLEMIC|WP:UP#POLEMIC}}
* [[Polemic]]al statements unrelated to Wikipedia, or statements attacking or vilifying groups of editors, persons, or other entities (these are generally considered divisive and removed, and reintroducing them is often considered [[Wikipedia:Disruptive editing|disruptive]]).
* Material that can be viewed as attacking other editors, including the recording of perceived flaws. The compilation of factual evidence (diffs) in user subpages, for purposes such as preparing for a [[Wikipedia:Dispute resolution|dispute resolution]] process, is permitted {{em|provided}} it will be used in a timely manner.
* Users should generally not maintain in public view negative information related to others without very good reason. Negative evidence, laundry lists of wrongs, collations of diffs and criticisms related to problems, etc., should be removed, blanked, or kept privately (i.e., not on the wiki) if they will not be imminently used, and the same once no longer needed.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! {{anchor|USERBIO}}Personal information
|
{{shortcut|WP:USERBIO}}
* Personal information of other persons without their consent.
* Inappropriate or excessive personal information unrelated to Wikipedia.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
! {{anchor|NOTSUITED}}Wikipedia content not suited to userspace
|
{{shortcut|WP:UP#NOTSUITED}}
* Images which are not free to use (usually [[Wikipedia:Nonfree content|fair use]] images; {{crossref|see [[#Non-free images|below]]}}).
* Categories and templates intended for other usage, in particular those for articles and guidelines.
|}

In general, if you have material that you do not wish others to edit, or that is otherwise inappropriate for Wikipedia, it should be placed on a personal web site. Many free and low-cost web hosting, email, and weblog services are widely available, and are a proper place for content unrelated to Wikipedia. For wiki-style community collaboration, you can download the [[MW:|MediaWiki]] software and install it on your own server if you want full control, or use one of many online [[wiki farm]]s.

=== <span id="Statements of violence"></span>Advocacy or support of grossly improper behaviors with no project benefit ===
Statements or pages that seem to advocate, encourage, or condone these behaviors:<ref>Treatment such as excusing, trivializing, or normalizing these issues as tolerable or of little importance (for example, by explaining support of vandalism as being 'humor' or edit warring as being valid for resolving content issues) will generally be seen as having the same effect as condoning the behavior, and may also be removed.</ref> [[WP:VANDAL|vandalism]], [[WP:COPYVIO|copyright violation]], [[WP:EW|edit warring]], [[WP:HARASS|harassment]], [[Wikipedia:Harassment#Posting of personal information|privacy breach]], [[Wikipedia:Libel|defamation]], and [[Wikipedia:Responding to threats of harm|acts of violence]]. ("Acts of violence" includes all forms of violence but does ''not'' include mere statements of support for controversial groups or regimes that some may interpret as an encouragement of violence.)

These may be removed, redacted or [[:Template:Collapse top|collapsed]] by any user to avoid the appearance of acceptability for Wikipedia, and existing [[WP:CSD|speedy deletion criteria]] may apply. To preserve traditional leeway over userspace, other kinds of material should be handled as described [[#Handling inappropriate content|below]] unless otherwise agreed by consensus.

=== Categories, templates that add categories, and redirects ===
{{see | WP:Categorisation#Categorizing user pages|Wikipedia:User categories}}
{{anchor|CATTEMCATREDIR}}
{{shortcut|WP:CATTEMCATREDIR}}

Do '''not''' put your userpage or subpages, including draft articles, into [[WP:PROJCATS|content categories]]. Userpages and subpages may be placed in appropriate administrative categories, such as [[:Category:User essays]].

Especially note that templates often add categories themselves. You can prevent this while the article is being drafted, by putting '''<code><nowiki>tlx|</nowiki></code>''' between the <nowiki>{{</nowiki> and the template name, like this: '''{{tlx|tlx|stub|any parameters}}'''.

You can also force a portion of text to be ignored by adding <code>&lt;!--</code> in front of it and <code>--&gt;</code> after it, or by adding a colon before "Category", like this: <code><nowiki>[[:Category:Bridges]]</nowiki></code> to force a category link to act like a plain wikilink.

User talk pages '''should not redirect to anything other than''' the talk page of another account controlled by the same user. However, redirects from userspace subpages to mainspace are common and acceptable. Soft redirects are allowed on userpages.

===User pages that look like project pages===
Userspace is also not a substitute for project space (''Wikipedia:...''), nor should a userspace page be used as primary documentation for any Wikipedia policy, guideline, practice, or established concept. If your user page related to the project becomes widely used or linked in project space, or has functional use similar to a project page, consider moving it into project space or merging it with other similar pages already existing there.

===Content copied from mainspace===
{{anchor|COPIES}} <!-- Shortcuts with pound signs in them don't actually work. This creates the shortcut. -->
{{shortcut|WP:COPIES}}
Old copies of mainspace articles should be deleted. Mainspace material may be copied to userspace for short-term, active drafting or experimental purposes (the template {{tl|userspace draft}} can be added to the top of the page to identify these). Note the requirements of [[Wikipedia:Copying within Wikipedia]]. Satisfactory edits should be promptly incorporated into the mainspace article and the userspace copy deleted (use {{tl|db-u1}}), as content forking represents an attribution hazard.

===User pages that look like articles===
{{shortcut|WP:FAKEARTICLE}}
{{redirect|WP:FAKEARTICLE|deliberately deceiving articles|Wikipedia:Do not create hoaxes}}
Userspace is [[WP:NOT#WEBHOST|not a free web host]] and should not be used to indefinitely host pages that look like articles but are not [[Help:Userspace draft|intended for mainspace]]. It should also not be used as storage for [[WP:PAGE|old revisions]], deleted content, or your preferred version of disputed content. Userspace pages that look like articles should not be [[WP:NOINDEX|indexed]] for search engines, even if they may one day be moved into mainspace.

When a userspace page reaches a point where it can be included as an article, consider [[WP:MOVE|moving]] it into mainspace or using its content appropriately in other relevant articles. {{tl|Userpage blanked}} may be added to such pages that have not been edited for a considerable amount of time.

Actual fake articles should be deleted as incompatible with the purpose of the project. Pages that egregiously present false information may be tagged with {{tl|db-hoax}}. Blatant promotional content may qualify for {{tl|db-g11}} tagging. Clearly inappropriate content created by non-genuine contributors should be tagged with {{tl|db-u5}}. Pages that preserve material previously deleted, without an active attempt to address the reasons for deletion, if left live, may be deleted by tagging with {{tl|db-g4}}. Less blatant cases are routinely deleted at [[WP:MfD]].

===Old unfinished draft articles===
{{shortcut|WP:STALEDRAFT}}
Unfinished userspace drafts may be ignored, moved to [[Wikipedia:Drafts|draft namespace]] or listed at [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Abandoned Drafts]] for adoption by other editors if the original author no longer wants them or appears to have stopped editing.

Old drafting pages in the userspace of inactive users:
# If suitable for mainspace, move to mainspace;<ref>Userspace drafts which do not meet article content standards '''should not''' be moved to mainspace in order to seek deletion. If a userspace draft was moved to mainspace but is found not fit to be in mainspace, it '''must be''' returned to the parent location.</ref>
# if the draft is not problematic (e.g. no BLP, reliability, promotional issues) but not ready for mainspace, let it be;<ref name="Jan20RfC">[[Special:PermaLink/942788665#Is it acceptable to blank userspace sandboxes of long-term/established, but inactive editors?|January 2020 RfC]]</ref>
# if of some potential but problematic, then blank during periods of inactivity using {{tl|Userpage blanked}};<ref name="Jan20RfC"/>
# if the draft [[#COPIES|is an old copy from mainspace]], consider nominating it for deletion;
# if an actual draft version of a [[Wikipedia:Move#Fixing cut and paste moves|copy-pasted]] article, redirect if it was copied by the [[Wikipedia:Copying within Wikipedia#Where attribution is not needed|sole contributor]] (tag as {{tl|r draft}}), otherwise [[WP:RFHM|request a history merge]]; and finally,
# if the draft has no potential and is problematic even if blanked, [[WP:MFD|seek deletion]].
'''''Note''': Redirects from userspace subpages to mainspace are common and acceptable. [[Wikipedia:Soft redirect]] is an alternative considered preferable by some.''

User space drafts have no expiration date and thus, cannot and should not be deleted on the grounds of their age alone.<ref>[[Special:Permalink/721038836#Should old user space drafts have an expiration date?|March 2016 RfC]]</ref> Furthermore:<ref>[[Special:Permalink/721040983|April 2016 RFC]]</ref>
* [[WP:GNG|GNG]] '''does not''' apply to drafts.
* User space drafts prevented from being moved to the main space only because of the GNG are not to be kept indefinitely.<ref>There is no consensus holding time.</ref>
* Drafts deemed fit to be articles can be moved across namespaces or submitted for AfC without the author's explicit permission if and only if the draft creator is reasonably inactive.
* Userspace drafts which do not meet article content standards '''should not''' be moved to mainspace in order to seek deletion.
* In case a userspace draft was moved to mainspace but is found not fit to be in mainspace, it '''must be''' returned to the previous location in userspace.
* Any editor who intends to improve old userspace drafts can move them ''provided'' the creator of said draft is "reasonably" inactive.

=== <span id="Non-free images"></span>Non-free files===
Do '''not''' include non-free files (''copyrighted files lacking a free content license'') on your user page or on any subpage thereof, per the [[Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria|non-free content policy]]. Non-free files found on user or user talk pages will be removed without warning and, if unused in a Wikipedia article, will be [[Wikipedia:CSD#F5|deleted entirely]]. Links to non-free files are acceptable—place a colon before the word "File" as in <code><nowiki>[[:File:Example.jpg]]</nowiki></code>.

=== Images that would bring the project into disrepute ===
There is broad consensus that you should not have any image in your userspace that would bring the project into disrepute and you may be asked to remove such images. Content clearly intended as sexually provocative (images and in some cases text) or to [[shock image|cause distress and shock]] that appears to have little or no project benefit or using Wikipedia only as a [[WP:NOT#WEBHOST|web host or personal pages]] or for [[WP:NOT#SOAPBOX|advocacy]], may be removed by any user (or deleted), subject to appeal at [[WP:DRV|deletion review]].<ref>The community has taken many nude and sexual galleries to [[WP:MFD|MFD]]. '''As a guide:'''
* Those created by known and respected long-standing contributors, whose aim is clearly more to showcase our work and [[WP:NOT#CENSORED]] and that are not designed for self-amusement or for sexual provocation may be kept but even so have at times been MFD'ed multiple times or closed as "no consensus".
* Those which use Wikipedia as personal webspace, are excessively focused upon sexual material, aim at "pushing the edge" on freedom to use userspace, or [[WP:POINT|make a point]], rather than project benefit, especially by editors with a lesser record of positive contribution and cases where non-free imagery is a problem ([[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/User:Kingstonjr/Work Gallery|1]]), tend to be deleted ([[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/User:Ewlyahoocom/WikiPr0n|2]], [[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Antigrandiose userboxes and other material|3]]).</ref> Context should be taken into account. Simple personal disclosures of a non-provocative nature (such as userboxes or statements about sexuality and relationship status) are unaffected.

=== Copyright violations ===
The same rules for [[WP:COPYVIO|copyright]] apply on userpages as in article space. Text must be either freely licensed or out of copyright; otherwise only a short quote can be used. If you use text from another source on your userpage, it should still be credited to the author, whether or not it is currently copyrighted.

===<span id="SMI"></span><span id="Simulated MediaWiki interfaces"></span>Simulation and disruption of the MediaWiki interface===
{{shortcut|WP:SMI}}
The Wikipedia community [[Wikipedia talk:User pages/UI spoofing|strongly discourages]] simulating the [[MediaWiki]] interface, except on the rare occasion when it is necessary for testing purposes. Fake [[Wikipedia:User pages#User talk notification|user talk notification banners]] that mislead readers into thinking they have new messages are also prohibited.<ref>[[WT:User pages/Archive 10#Simulating the MediaWiki interface (joke banners redux)|February 2012 RFC]]. The RfC covered only banners that closely resemble the one listed at {{section link|#User talk notification}} in both wording and color. {{As of|2013}}, the [[Wikipedia:Notifications|notification system]] has replaced user talk notification banners for registered users. It is still used for unregistered users and for registered users who have manually enabled it.</ref>

CSS and other formatting codes that disrupt the MediaWiki interface, for example by preventing important links or controls from being easily seen or used, making text on the page hard to read or unreadable (other than by way of commenting out), or replacing the expected interface with a disruptive simulation, may be removed or remedied by any user. Inappropriate internal or external links that unexpectedly direct the reader to unreasonable locations or violate [[WP:EL|prohibitions on linking]] may also be removed or remedied by any user. Text, images, and non-disruptive formatting should be left as intact as possible. Users of such code should consider possible disruption to ''other'' [[WP:SKIN|skins]], [[WP:DIFF|diffs]], and [[Help:Page history|old revisions]].

== <span id="OWN"></span><span id="Ownership and editing of pages in the user space"></span>Ownership and editing of user pages ==
{{shortcut|WP:UOWN}}
{{hatnote|This section applies to all pages within your user space.}}
Traditionally, Wikipedia offers wide latitude to users to manage their user space as they see fit. However, pages in user space belong to the wider community. They are '''not''' a personal homepage, and do not belong to the user. They are part of Wikipedia, and exist to make collaboration among editors easier.

You can alter your user page with either [[Source editor]] or [[WP:VE|Visual Editor]], but you can only edit user talk pages with Source Editor or the [[Wikipedia:reply tool|reply tool]].

Bots and other users may edit pages in your user space or leave messages for you, though by convention others will not usually edit your user page itself, other than (rarely) to address significant concerns or place project-related tags. Material that clearly does not somehow further the goals of the project may be removed (see [[#Editing of other editors' user and user talk pages|below]]), as may edits from [[WP:BAN|banned]] users. Most community policies including [[Wikipedia:No personal attacks|No personal attacks]] and [[WP:BLP|Biographies of living persons]] will apply to your user space, just as elsewhere. (Purely content policies such as [[WP:Original Research|original research]] and [[WP:NPOV|neutral point of view]] generally do not apply unless the material is moved into mainspace.)

As with all other edits, user space contributions are irrevocably licensed for copying and reuse under the [[WP:CC-BY-SA|Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License]] and [[Wikipedia:Text of the GNU Free Documentation License|GNU Free Documentation License]].

Finally, a few specific notices and tags, if placed, may not be moved to a less visible subpage or deleted without discussion.

=== <span id="CMT"></span><span id="Removal of comments, warnings"></span>Removal of comments, notices, and warnings ===
{{redirects here|WP:BLANKING|other uses|Wikipedia:Blanking}}
{{redirects here|WP:REMOVE|removal of content|Wikipedia:CANTFIX}}
{{shortcut|WP:BLANKING|WP:REMOVED|WP:NOTWALLOFSHAME}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Don't restore removed comments|#Deleting your user page or subpages|#Deletion of user talk pages}}

Policy does not prohibit users, whether registered or unregistered, from removing comments from {{strong|their own}} talk pages, although [[Help:Archiving a talk page|archiving]] is preferred. If a user removes material from their talk page, it is normally taken to mean that the user {{strong|has read}} and {{strong|is aware}} of its contents; this is true whether the removal was manual or automatic. There is no need to keep them on display, and usually users should not be forced to do so. It is often best to simply let the matter rest if the issues stop. If they do not, or they recur, then any record of past warnings and discussions can be found in the [[Help:Page history|page history]] if ever needed, and these [[Help:Diff|diffs]] are just as good evidence of previous matters.

A number of important matters may {{strong|not}} be removed by the user—they are part of the wider community's processes:
* Declined [[Wikipedia:Appealing a block|unblock requests]] regarding a currently active block.{{shortcut|WP:KEEPDECLINEDUNBLOCK}}
* [[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion|Miscellany for deletion]] tags for the user talk page itself<ref name="deletion">This only applies in the rare case that the user talk page itself has been nominated for deletion. Notifications ''about'' deletions may be removed at any time.</ref> (while the discussion is in progress).
* [[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion|Speedy deletion]] tags for the user talk page itself<ref name="deletion"/> and requests for uninvolved administrator help (an administrator will quickly determine if these are valid or not; use the link embedded in the notice to object and post a comment, do {{strong|not}} just remove the tag).
* For IP editors, templates and notes left to indicate other users share the same IP address. This includes schools, military installations, WiFi hotspots, and other {{strong|shared}} IP addresses, but not dynamic IP addresses. Very old content on these pages may be removed.

'''Note:''' Restoring talk page notices, even if they should not be removed, is '''not''' a listed exception to the [[WP:3RR|three-revert rule]].<ref>In such cases it ''may'' be appropriate to request revocation of talkpage access.</ref>{{anchor|noban}}

=== Editing of other editors' user and user talk pages ===
{{shortcut|WP:USERTALKSTOP|WP:NOBAN}}
In general, one should avoid substantially editing another's user and user talk pages, except when it is likely edits are expected and/or will be helpful. If unsure, ask. 

If an editor asks you not to edit their user pages, such requests should, within reason, be respected. However, editors [[WP:SOMTP|should not make such requests lightly]], especially concerning their talk pages, as doing so can impede the ordinary communication which is important for the improvement and smooth running of the project. Also, a user cannot avoid administrator attention or notices and communications that policies or guidelines require to be posted merely by demanding their talk page not be posted to. That said, repeatedly posting on a user's page without good reason after being asked not to, may be seen as [[WP:HARASSMENT|harassment]] or a similar kind of disruptive behavior. When in doubt, ask for help from another experienced editor or uninvolved administrator. See also [[Wikipedia:Dispute resolution]] for tips on resolving disputes. 

{{Dablink|Further information on this area is at [[Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines]], in particular the sections on [[WP:TPG#YES|appropriate conduct]], [[WP:TPG#NO|inappropriate conduct]], and norms related to [[WP:TPG#EDIT|editing your own and others' comments]]. These apply to user talk pages as well as all other discussion pages on Wikipedia.}}

=== <span id="Removal of inappropriate conten"></span><span id="What to do if you find someone else's user page being used inappropriately"></span>Handling inappropriate content ===
{{Shortcut|WP:USERTALKBLOG|WP:USERPAGEBLOG}}
==== On your user pages ====
If the community lets you know that they would rather you delete some content from your user space, you should consider doing so—such content is only permitted with the consent of the community. Alternatively, you could move the content to another site, and link to it.

Although other editors will aim to respect your user space, if corrective action is needed and not undertaken, the inappropriate content will eventually be removed, either by editing the page (if only part is inappropriate), by redirecting the page to your main user page (if entirely inappropriate), by community discussion at [[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion]], or possibly by the application of [[WP:CSD#U5. A non-contributor's misuse of Wikipedia as a web host]]. Inappropriate content may be removed from any page in your user space, including your user talk page.

==== On others' user pages ====
The best option if there is a concern with a user's page is to draw their attention to the matter via their talk page and let them edit it themselves, if they are agreeable. In some cases a more experienced editor may make substantive edits to another user's user space, in which case that editor should leave a note explaining why this was done. This should not be done for trivial reasons. If the user does not agree, or does not effectively remedy the concerns, or the matter is unsure or controversial, then other steps in this section can be taken including [[WP:UNINVOLVED|uninvolved user]] opinions or proposing the page for deletion.

If the material must be addressed urgently (for example, unambiguous copyright, attack, defamation, or [[WP:BLP|BLP]] reasons, etc.), the user appears inactive, your edit appears unlikely to cause problems, and you are quite sure the material is inappropriate, then [[WP:BRD|remove or fix]] the problem material minimally and leave a note explaining what you have done, why you have done so, and inviting the user to discuss if needed. If the entire page is inappropriate, consider {{strong|blanking}} it, or {{strong|redirecting}} the subpage to the userpage, or to the most relevant existing mainspace or project space page.

Unsuitable pages, media and images in userspace may also be nominated for deletion or (if appropriate) [[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion|speedy deleted]], but special care should be taken, as the user may be expecting leeway and take it personally, and there are a few exceptions. Users with a strong editing record and/or most of their contribution edits outside their user space should be given a little more leeway in this regard than users whose edits consist [[WP:SPA|solely or mostly of user space edits or promotional-style activity]]. See [[#DELETE|Deleting user pages]] below.

=== Blocked and banned users ===

Users who are site-blocked or site-banned should rarely use their talk pages for anything other than unblock requests or conversation leading toward such a request. Though blocked or banned users retain much of the wide latitude afforded to all users in their own user space, they may lose access to their user talk page if they violate policies (e.g., [[WP:PROXYING]]) or otherwise continue acting disruptively.

=== User pages and leaving Wikipedia ===
When a user leaves Wikipedia, their user and user talk pages are usually unaffected and may be edited again at any future time. Some users place the {{tl|retired}} template on their user and talk page to let others know that they are away for an extended period or permanently. A user may blank their user and user talk pages (i.e. overwriting with a blank page) provided non-removable notices (if any) are left intact.

====Courtesy vanishing====
Wikipedia's community traditionally offers a [[WP:RTV|courtesy vanishing]] to users who are {{strong|permanently departing Wikipedia and will sever all ties with the site}}.

Summary of key points: While some help can be given, it is {{strong|not}} possible for your edits to be removed entirely, and account deletion would potentially violate [[WP:LICENSE|copyrights]] by allowing for inaccurate attribution and authorship claims. Certain important templates may need to be retained on user and user talk pages. Also, pages that may be of value to the wider community or whose deletion is opposed by other users might be undeleted during a [[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion|deletion discussion]]. Pages remain licensed for reuse even after deletion, and may occasionally be cited or deemed to contain useful content. If a "vanished" user returns, old pages associated with them may be undeleted or unblanked, and could be linked to any new account they create and disclosed at [[WP:RFA|RFA]]; if this would be a problem, consult [[WP:AC|ArbCom]] by email {{em|beforehand}}. Of course, the return of users in good standing or reformed "problem users" is welcomed if they happen to change their mind.

Users who have left Wikipedia may be added to [[Wikipedia:Missing Wikipedians]] after a certain amount of time, usually one year without an edit.

== <span id="PROTECT">Protection of user pages</span> ==
{{shortcut|WP:UP#PROTECT}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Protection policy#User pages}}
As with article pages, user pages are occasionally the targets of [[Wikipedia:vandalism|vandalism]], or, more rarely, [[Wikipedia:Edit warring|edit wars]]. When edit wars or vandalism persist, the affected page should be protected from editing.

Most user page vandalism occurs in retaliation for a contributor's efforts to deal with vandalism. Administrators may protect their own user pages when appropriate, and are permitted to edit protected pages in user space. Sometimes a non-administrator's user page may be targeted for vandalism. Some of this vandalism is prevented through [[Special:AbuseFilter/803|a filter]], as unregistered and [[WP:CONFIRMED|unconfirmed]] editors are not permitted to modify other editors' primary user pages.<ref>Please refer to [[Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Protect user pages by default]] and [[Wikipedia talk:Requests for comment/Protect user pages by default|its talk page]] for community discussion related to a preventative measure for user pages.</ref>

In cases in which the filter is insufficient in preventing vandalism to a non-administrator's user page, an editor may create a .css suffixed sub-page containing their user page content within their user space, transclude the sub-page into their main user page, then request that an administrator fully protect their user page. (For instance, create User:Example User as <nowiki>{{User:Example User/userpage.css}}</nowiki>.) This method will completely prevent further vandalism by limiting user page editing to yourself and [[Wikipedia:Interface administrators|interface administrators]], since ".js" and ".css" pages in userspace can only be edited by them. Note that the addition of inappropriate content to your user page after locking other editors out is considered a serious offense.

Repeatedly inserting copyrighted content or other inappropriate material on your own user pages after being notified not to do so, or misusing user space following a block (e.g., for [[WP:NPA|personal attacks]] or [[WP:TE|tendentious editing]]) are both considered disruptive and may lead to the pages being [[WP:PROTECT|protected]] to prevent further disruption. User pages may also routinely be protected in the event of a [[WP:BAN|ban]].

Vandalism of talk pages is less common. Usually, such vandalism should merely be reverted. [[Wikipedia:Blocking policy|Blocks]] should be used for repeated vandalism of talk pages, where policy permits. In rare cases, protection may be used but is considered a last resort given the importance of talk page discussions to the project.

== <span id="DELETE"></span><span id="Deleting user pages and subpages"></span><span id="Deleting your user pages"></span><span id="Deleting your user talk pages"></span>Deletion of user pages ==
{{shortcut|WP:UP#DELETE}}
{{hatnote|For deletions of sensitive material, see {{section link||Personal and privacy-breaching material}}.}}
{{hatnote|For deletions of copyrighted material from the edit history of a user page, see [[WP:REVDELREQUEST]].}} 
: ''If you wish to delete your own page, tag the top of the page with {{tl|db-u1}}, and an administrator will delete it for you. However, note that user talk pages are normally not deleted.''

===Deleting others' user pages===
{{shortcut|WP:DELETEOTHER}}

In general, other users' user pages are managed by that user. Except for blatant or serious matters, it is preferable to try contacting the user before deletion (see above). However, '''unambiguous''' copyright violations, attack pages, promotional text, and privacy or [[WP:BLP|BLP]] violations can be [[WP:CSD|speedy deleted]] using a suitable [[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion#Marking an article for speedy deletion|template]], such as {{tl|db-attack}}, {{tl|db-copyvio}} or {{tl|db-spamuser}}; other pages likely to require deletion (or where remedial action is not taken) may be submitted to [[WP:MFD|deletion discussion]].

Take special care to [[WP:BITE|speak appropriately]] and explain the concern; many users will take it as a personal affront or [[WP:NPA|attack]] if an unknown user announces they are going to delete a userspace image or page, and an [[WP:CIVIL|uncivil]] or [[WP:AGF|heavy duty]] approach can discourage new users who are unaware of expectations and might enjoy contributing. Remember that a limited amount of personal information (perhaps a ''short'' biography) and a freely licensed tasteful personal photograph or two are usually allowed if the page reasonably complies with other requirements.

Use of a user page as a personal web page unconnected with Wikipedia's mission may be a [[WP:CSD|speedy deletion criterion]], as is clear advertising and promotional use. '''A user's contributions that consist solely of a lone edit to their user page should not normally be speedy deleted unless it consists solely of spam or other speedy deletable material.''' Test edits and the re-creation of deleted material (within limits) are permitted in user space.

=== <span id="Deleting your own sub pages"></span><span id="Deleting your user subpages"></span>Deleting your user page or subpages ===
{{Shortcut|WP:DELETEOWN|WP:DELETEYOURS}}
You can request the deletion of your user page or subpages, by adding {{tl|db-user}} to the top of the page. User space pages tagged for deletion will be deleted if there is no overriding reason the page must be kept. For reasons explained in {{slink||Deletion of user talk pages}}, your talk page and user talk archives created by [[WP:MOVE|page move]] may '''not''' be deleted in this way.

Pages which were moved into your user space from somewhere else may also not be deleted upon your request: These must be listed at [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion|Articles for deletion]] if they originated as articles, or [[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion|Miscellany for deletion]] for anything else. If you want to move such pages back to where they came from but are unable to complete the move for technical reasons, you can request technical help at [[Wikipedia:Requested moves/Technical requests]].

You can also [[WP:BLANKING|blank]] any pages in your user space (other than the few items that must not be removed). Note that blanking one of your user pages is not interpreted as a request to delete that page—see the [[WP:G7|G7 speedy deletion criterion]]. If you want it deleted, use {{tl|db-user}}. While blanking your talk page is generally allowed, there may be specific circumstances that disallow you from exactly blanking it, i.e. you may only remove some but not all of the content—see {{slink||Removal of comments, notices, and warnings}} for content which may not be removed.

Alternatively, you might consider simply making the page [[wikipedia:redirect|redirect]] to your user page or your talk page. This is normally sufficient for most people's needs. Note that while you may redirect your user page and its subpages to your talk page, you may not redirect your talk page to another page in your user space.

=== <span class="anchor" id="DELTALK"></span><span class="anchor" id="Deleting your user page or user talk page"></span>Deletion of user talk pages ===
{{See also|Help:Archiving a talk page|Wikipedia:Blanking}}
{{further|Wikipedia:Oversight|Wikipedia:Criteria for redaction|Wikipedia:Speedy deletion}}
{{redirect|WP:DELTALK|the speedy deletion policy for a talk page with no corresponding subject page|WP:G8}}
{{shortcut|WP:UP#DELTALK|WP:DELTALK}}User ''talk'' pages and user talk archives created by [[WP:MOVE|page move]] are generally '''not''' deleted; they are usually needed for reference by other users. Individual revisions, log entries, and other user space material '''may''' be deleted or [[wikt:redaction|redacted]] for privacy reasons or because of harassment, threats, gross offensiveness, and other serious violations. Exceptions to this can be and are made on occasion for good reason. In addition, nonpublic personal information and potentially libelous information posted to a user talk page may be removed as described above.

==User special pages==
{{Shortcut|WP:UPSPECIAL}}
The [[Help:Special page|Special namespace]] contains many personal pages generated by software on demand. The virtual content of some special pages depends on [[Help:Preferences|preferences that have been set by the user]], e.g. classic or enhanced Recent Changes, the number of titles in Recent Changes and the watchlist, etc.
* [[Special:UserLogin|Special:UserLogin (Log in)]]: to log in to Wikipedia. [[Special:UserLogin/signup|Special:UserLogin/signup (Create account)]] to create an account. See [[Help:Logging in]].
* [[Special:UserLogout|Special:UserLogout (Log out)]]: to log out of your account.
* [[Special:CentralLogin|Special:CentralLogin (Central user log in)]]
* [[Special:ChangePassword]], [[Special:ChangeEmail|Special:ChangeEmail (Change or remove email address)]], [[Special:ConfirmEmail|Special:ConfirmEmail (Confirm email address)]] and [[Special:ResetTokens]]
* [[Special:Preferences]]: allows you to view and modify your personal settings. See [[Help:Preferences]].
* [[Special:Contributions|Special:Contributions  (User contributions)]]
** [[Special:MyContributions]]: links to your contributions page. See [[Help:User contributions]].
* [[Special:MyUploads|Special:MyUploads (File list)]]: lists files you have uploaded.
* [[Special:MyPage]]: links to your [[WP:User page|user page]].
* [[Special:Notifications]]: links to your [[WP:notifications|notifications]] page
* [[Special:MyTalk]]: links to your user talk page.
* [[Special:Watchlist]]: shows recent changes to the pages you are watching. See [[Help:Watching pages]].
* [[Special:EditWatchlist]] and [[Special:EditWatchlist/raw]]: To edit your watchlist.
* [[Special:MergeAccount|Special:MergeAccount (Login unification status)]]: to create a unified account to log on to any Wikimedia project. See [[meta:Help:Unified login|Help:Unified login]].

==User page search==
By default, [[Help:Searching|Wikipedia's search engine]] is restricted to the Article namespace. Typing the project page prefix <code>User:</code> (User followed by a colon) will provide search results for the "User namespace". You can also use the [[Special:Search]] box below to locate User pages. See [[Help:Searching]] for more information.
<div class="inputbox-hidecheckboxes">
<inputbox>
type=fulltext
width=20
namespaces=User**
searchbuttonlabel=Search User namespace
break=no
placeholder=e.g. Jimbo Wales
</inputbox>
</div>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== See also ==
* [[:Category:Wikipedians]]
* [[Wikipedia:How to use your user space]]
* [[Wikipedia:User page design guide]]
* [[Wikipedia:Userfication]]
* [[Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration/Tobias Conradi#Userspace|Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration/Tobias Conradi § Userspace]] – affirms much of the stated guideline, although consensus has subsequently added or tightened some details.
* [[Wikipedia:Template messages/User talk namespace]] – templates that can be used for informational or warning purposes on others' talk pages.
* [[Wikipedia:User pages/RfC for stale drafts policy restructuring]]
* [[mw:Extension:GlobalUserPage|GlobalUserPage]]

===Templates===

* For user pages:
** {{tl|User info}}
** {{Tl|User page}}
** {{Tl|Userpageblue%26round}}, ''i.e.'', Userpageblue&round
** {{Tl|User page mini}}
** {{Tl|Userpage bar}} for not mentioning a mirror
* For user talk pages:
** {{tl|User info talk}}
** {{Tl|Usertalk bar}} for not mentioning a mirror
* For drafts in the user namespace:
** {{Tl|Userspace draft}}

{{Wikipedia policies and guidelines}}
{{Wikipedia technical help|collapsed}}
[[Category:Wikipedia user space|*]]
[[Category:User talk namespace]]