API:Watchlist
![]() | This page is part of the MediaWiki Action API documentation. |
MediaWiki version: | ≥ 1.9 |
GET request to list pages on the current user's watchlist that were changed within the given time period, ordered by time of the last change of the watched page.
This module can be used as a generator .
API documentation
![]() | The following documentation is the output of Special: |
list=watchlist (wl)
- This module requires read rights.
- This module can be used as a generator.
- Source: MediaWiki
- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Get recent changes to pages in the current user's watchlist.
- wlallrev
Include multiple revisions of the same page within given timeframe.
- Type: boolean (details)
- wlstart
The timestamp to start enumerating from.
- Type: timestamp (allowed formats)
- wlend
The timestamp to end enumerating.
- Type: timestamp (allowed formats)
- wlnamespace
Filter changes to only the given namespaces.
- Values (separate with | or alternative): 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 90, 91, 92, 93, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 710, 711, 828, 829, 1198, 1199, 2600, 5500, 5501
- To specify all values, use *.
- wluser
Only list changes by this user.
- Type: user, by any of username, IP, Temporary user, interwiki name (e.g. "prefix>ExampleName") and user ID (e.g. "#12345")
- wlexcludeuser
Don't list changes by this user.
- Type: user, by any of username, IP, Temporary user, interwiki name (e.g. "prefix>ExampleName") and user ID (e.g. "#12345")
- wldir
In which direction to enumerate:
- newer
- List oldest first. Note: wlstart has to be before wlend.
- older
- List newest first (default). Note: wlstart has to be later than wlend.
- One of the following values: newer, older
- Default: older
- wllimit
How many total results to return per request.
- Type: integer or max
- The value must be between 1 and 500.
- Default: 10
- wlprop
Which additional properties to get:
- ids
- Adds revision IDs and page IDs.
- title
- Adds title of the page.
- flags
- Adds flags for the edit.
- user
- Adds the user who made the edit. If the user has been revision deleted, a userhidden property will be returned.
- userid
- Adds user ID of whoever made the edit. If the user has been revision deleted, a userhidden property will be returned.
- comment
- Adds comment of the edit. If the comment has been revision deleted, a commenthidden property will be returned.
- parsedcomment
- Adds parsed comment of the edit. If the comment has been revision deleted, a commenthidden property will be returned.
- timestamp
- Adds timestamp of the edit.
- patrol
- Tags edits that are patrolled.
- sizes
- Adds the old and new lengths of the page.
- notificationtimestamp
- Adds timestamp of when the user was last notified about the edit.
- loginfo
- Adds log information where appropriate.
- tags
- Lists tags for the entry.
- expiry
- Adds the expiry time.
- Values (separate with | or alternative): comment, expiry, flags, ids, loginfo, notificationtimestamp, parsedcomment, patrol, sizes, tags, timestamp, title, user, userid
- Default: ids|title|flags
- wlshow
Show only items that meet these criteria. For example, to see only minor edits done by logged-in users, set wlshow=minor|!anon.
- Values (separate with | or alternative): !anon, !autopatrolled, !bot, !minor, !patrolled, !unread, anon, autopatrolled, bot, minor, patrolled, unread
- wltype
Which types of changes to show:
- edit
- Regular page edits.
- new
- Page creations.
- log
- Log entries.
- external
- External changes.
- categorize
- Category membership changes.
- Values (separate with | or alternative): categorize, edit, external, log, new
- Default: edit|new|log|categorize
- wlowner
Used along with wltoken to access a different user's watchlist.
- Type: user, by username
- wltoken
A security token (available in the user's preferences) to allow access to another user's watchlist.
- wlcontinue
When more results are available, use this to continue. More detailed information on how to continue queries can be found on mediawiki.org.
- List the top revision for recently changed pages on the current user's watchlist.
- api.php?action=query&list=watchlist [open in sandbox]
- Fetch additional information about the top revision for recently changed pages on the current user's watchlist.
- api.php?action=query&list=watchlist&wlprop=ids|title|timestamp|user|comment [open in sandbox]
- Fetch additional information about the top revision for recently changed pages on the current user's watchlist, including when temporarily watched items will expire.
- api.php?action=query&list=watchlist&wlprop=ids|title|timestamp|user|comment|expiry [open in sandbox]
- Fetch information about all recent changes to pages on the current user's watchlist.
- api.php?action=query&list=watchlist&wlallrev=&wlprop=ids|title|timestamp|user|comment [open in sandbox]
- Fetch page info for recently changed pages on the current user's watchlist.
- api.php?action=query&generator=watchlist&prop=info [open in sandbox]
- Fetch revision info for recent changes to pages on the current user's watchlist.
- api.php?action=query&generator=watchlist&gwlallrev=&prop=revisions&rvprop=timestamp|user [open in sandbox]
- List the top revision for recently changed pages on the watchlist of user Example.
- api.php?action=query&list=watchlist&wlowner=Example&wltoken=123ABC [open in sandbox]
Example
GET request
Response
{
"batchcomplete": "",
"query": {
"watchlist": [
{
"ns": 1,
"old_revid": 898447862,
"pageid": 5858,
"revid": 898447924,
"title": "Talk:Software",
"type": "edit"
},
{
"ns": 0,
"old_revid": 896386764,
"pageid": 18934886,
"revid": 897854521,
"title": "Proprietary software",
"type": "edit"
},
{
"minor": "",
"ns": 0,
"old_revid": 894771707,
"pageid": 1721496,
"revid": 897348916,
"title": "Free and open-source software",
"type": "edit"
}
]
}
}
Sample code
Python
#!/usr/bin/python3
"""
get_watchlist.py
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Watchlist` module: Get the currently logged-in user's watchlist.
MIT License
"""
import requests
S = requests.Session()
URL = "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php"
# Step 1: Retrieve a login token
PARAMS_1 = {
"action": "query",
"meta": "tokens",
"type": "login",
"format": "json"
}
R = S.get(url=URL, params=PARAMS_1)
DATA = R.json()
LOGIN_TOKEN = DATA['query']['tokens']['logintoken']
# Step 2: Send a post request to log in. For this login
# method, Obtain bot credentials by visiting
# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BotPasswords/
# See https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/API:Login for more
# information on log in methods.
PARAMS_2 = {
"action": "login",
"lgname": "username",
"lgpassword": "password",
"format": "json",
"lgtoken": LOGIN_TOKEN
}
R = S.post(URL, data=PARAMS_2)
# Step 3: While logged in, get the watchlist
PARAMS_3 = {
"action": "query",
"list": "watchlist",
"format": "json"
}
R = S.get(url=URL, params=PARAMS_3)
DATA = R.json()
print(DATA)
PHP
<?php
/*
get_watchlist.php
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Watchlist` module: Get the currently logged-in user's watchlist.
MIT license
*/
$endPoint = "https://test.wikipedia.org/w/api.php";
$login_Token = getLoginToken(); // Step 1
loginRequest( $login_Token ); // Step 2
watchlist(); // Step 3
// Step 1: GET request to fetch login token
function getLoginToken() {
global $endPoint;
$params1 = [
"action" => "query",
"meta" => "tokens",
"type" => "login",
"format" => "json"
];
$url = $endPoint . "?" . http_build_query( $params1 );
$ch = curl_init( $url );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, "cookie.txt" );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, "cookie.txt" );
$output = curl_exec( $ch );
curl_close( $ch );
$result = json_decode( $output, true );
return $result["query"]["tokens"]["logintoken"];
}
// Step 2: POST request to log in. Use of main account for login is not
// supported. Obtain credentials via Special:BotPasswords
// (https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:BotPasswords) for lgname & lgpassword
function loginRequest( $logintoken ) {
global $endPoint;
$params2 = [
"action" => "login",
"lgname" => "bot_user_name",
"lgpassword" => "bot_password",
"lgtoken" => $logintoken,
"format" => "json"
];
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_URL, $endPoint );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_POST, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query( $params2 ) );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, "cookie.txt" );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, "cookie.txt" );
$output = curl_exec( $ch );
curl_close( $ch );
}
// Step 3: POST request to get the watchlist
function watchlist() {
global $endPoint;
$params4 = [
"action" => "query",
"list" => "watchlist",
"format" => "json"
];
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_URL, $endPoint );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_POST, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query( $params4 ) );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, "cookie.txt" );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, "cookie.txt" );
$output = curl_exec( $ch );
curl_close( $ch );
$result = json_decode( $output, true );
foreach( $result["query"]["watchlist"] as $k => $v ) {
echo( $v["title"] . "\n" );
}
}
JavaScript
/*
get_watchlist.js
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Watchlist` module: Get the currently logged-in user's watchlist.
MIT license
*/
var request = require('request').defaults({jar: true}),
url = "https://test.wikipedia.org/w/api.php";
// Step 1: GET request to fetch login token
function getLoginToken() {
var params_0 = {
action: "query",
meta: "tokens",
type: "login",
format: "json"
};
request.get({ url: url, qs: params_0 }, function (error, res, body) {
if (error) {
return;
}
var data = JSON.parse(body);
loginRequest(data.query.tokens.logintoken);
});
}
// Step 2: POST request to log in.
// Use of main account for login is not
// supported. Obtain credentials via Special:BotPasswords
// (https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:BotPasswords) for lgname & lgpassword
function loginRequest(login_token) {
var params_1 = {
action: "login",
lgname: "bot_username",
lgpassword: "bot_password",
lgtoken: login_token,
format: "json"
};
request.post({ url: url, form: params_1 }, function (error, res, body) {
if (error) {
return;
}
get_watchlist();
});
}
// Step 3: POST request to get the watchlist
function get_watchlist() {
var params_3 = {
action: "query",
list: "watchlist",
format: "json"
};
request.post({ url: url, form: params_3 }, function (error, res, body) {
if (error) {
return;
}
console.log(body);
});
}
// Start From Step 1
getLoginToken();
MediaWiki JS
/*
get_watchlist.js
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Watchlist` module: Get the currently logged-in user's watchlist.
MIT License
*/
var params = {
action: 'query',
list: 'watchlist',
format: 'json'
},
api = new mw.Api();
api.get( params ).done( function ( data ) {
console.log( data );
} );
Possible errors
Code | Info |
---|---|
wlnotloggedin | You must be logged-in to have a watchlist |
wlpatrol | patrol property is not available |
wlshow | Incorrect parameter - mutually exclusive values may not be supplied. |
Parameter history
- v1.24: Introduced
unread
,!unread
- v1.23: Introduced
wlcontinue
- v1.22: Introduced
wltype
- v1.18: Introduced
loginfo
- v1.17: Introduced
userid
- v1.16: Introduced
wluser
,wlexcludeuser
,parsedcomment
,notificationtimestamp
,wlowner
,wltoken
- v1.14: Introduced
patrolled
,!patrolled
- v1.12: Introduced
wlshow
- v1.11: Introduced
ids
,title
,flags
,sizes
Additional Notes
- This module should not be confused with API:Watchlistraw , which lists all the pages on the logged in user's watchlist, regardless of whether they were recently changed or not.
See also
- API:Watch - Edit the watchlist.
- API:Watchlistraw - Get all the pages on the logged in user's watchlist, regardless of whether they were recently changed or not.
- API:Watchlist feed - Get the RSS feed of a user's watchlist.