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Update CONTRIBUTING.md about wiki items and wiki links #1600

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extend section about wikiitems and wiki links in CONTRIBUTING.md
zbycz Jun 13, 2025
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Merge branch 'main' into patch-1
zbycz Dec 16, 2025
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5 changes: 4 additions & 1 deletion CONTRIBUTING.md
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Expand Up @@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ Icons from different sources (_icon sets_) can be used in the tagging schema. He
<img alt="Screenshot of a preset in iD with the information details open." src="https://github.com/openstreetmap/id-tagging-schema/assets/111561/13549318-cd7c-4dd1-9948-7a2d84662f04" width="400" />

iD and other tools provide users with a way to learn more about the main tag of a preset. It is important to provide good information in this information panel. Here are a few notes on how to do this:
- Does your tag have a OSM Wiki data item? Click the small pencil icon next to the text to open the data item on the OSM Wiki. Improve this wording if needed. If the data item is missing, [learn more about how to add it in "Current methods for creating new items"](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Data_items#Item_creation_process).
- Does your tag have a OSM Wiki data item? Click the small pencil icon next to the text to open the data item on the OSM Wiki. Improve this wording if needed.
- If the data item is missing, [learn more about how to add it in "Current methods for creating new items"](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Data_items#Item_creation_process).
- iD queries the `Tag:<key>=<value>` page or `Key:<key>` page and prefers the more specific variant. It then uses "wiki sitelinks" to get the data item from the page. These can be set [here](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Special:SetSiteLink//wiki), see the documentation in link above.
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@tordans tordans Jun 14, 2025

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I think I never did this before. Lets double check first if this is actually needed for the lookup … or only for the Wiki-Relation part.

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@tordans tordans Jun 15, 2025

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@harahu you added wiki data items for your last two PRs, did you add those SiteLinks described here? Or did it work with just the data item with the right values?

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@harahu harahu Jun 15, 2025

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I added the SiteLinks as described in the guide, but I don't know whether that was on the critical path to getting the description and picture to show up.

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@zbycz zbycz Jun 15, 2025

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For me it was crtitical to show the description, though i am not sure about the image.

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@zbycz zbycz Jun 15, 2025

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This comment helped me understand it is really needed and I also had to set the sitelink for all other wiki items i created.

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@k-yle k-yle Dec 21, 2025

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is this the only unresolved issue? I can confirm that Special:SetSiteLink is a required step.

and it's the hardest step to figure out imo, because the UI is broken1

Footnotes

  1. the link appears in the top right corner of the screen for a split second while the page loads (example). you have to be very quick to click it before it disappears ↩

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@1ec5 1ec5 Dec 21, 2025

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The link to Special:SetSitelink should be in the Tools section, alongside the link to the permalink. Depending on your skin and appearance preferences, it might be tucked away in a menu somewhere. The flash is because of the gadget (installed by default) that puts the link in Tools.

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@1ec5 1ec5 Dec 21, 2025

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To be pedantic, iD queries the wiki for data items that are linked to these page titles. It doesn’t run a separate query for the article then the data item. MediaWiki (Wikibase) handles all that for the client.

But to answer the original question, yes, setting a sitelink is necessary. It’s a bit confusing because there’s also typically a documentation wiki pages (P31) property listing all the different translations, but that only matters once the sitelink to the English version is established.

- See, for example: [building key](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Item:Q108) and [building=yes tag](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Item:Q6135)
- Does your tag have a Wiki page with a good image?
- Your preset might need [a `reference` property](https://github.com/ideditor/schema-builder?tab=readme-ov-file#reference) to force the system to use a specific tag for the information section.

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