explanatory supplement to the partial blocks section of the blocking policy
Explanatory essay
Partial blocks may be applied by administrators to prevent a user from editing some part(s) of Wikipedia, in contrast with a sitewide block. Partial blocks may be applied to user accounts, IP addresses, as well as IP address ranges.
Partial blocks can prevent a user from:
- Editing specific pages
- Editing all pages within a namespace
- Emailing other users
- Creating other accounts
- Uploading files (including overwriting files)
- Creating new pages (including uploading new files)
- Moving pages and files
- Sending thanks
Partial blocks are used to prevent damage or disruption to Wikipedia, not to punish users (see Wikipedia:Blocking policy § Purpose and goals). Any user may report disruption and ask administrators to consider blocking a disruptive account or IP address (see Wikipedia:Blocking policy § Requesting blocks).
Partial blocking is separate from banning, which is a formal retraction of editing privileges on all or part of Wikipedia. Like sitewide blocks, partial blocks may be used to enforce a ban.
Partial blocks were enabled on the English Wikipedia as a result of a December 2019 RfC.
Purposes
- Partial blocks may be used at the discretion of any administrator in accord with the blocking policy, or community consensus.[1]
- Partial blocks may be used to enforce editing restrictions.[1][a]
- Partial blocks may be used as a requirement for conditional unblocks.[1]
Blocking
Placing blocks
Consider placing a template such as {{Uw-pblock}} on the talk pages of the users you block. You can use an automated tool such as Twinkle to automate the process of partially-blocking users as well as templating them.
Technical considerations
- When blocking a user from editing specific pages, there is a limit of 10 pages that may be specified.[2] If conditions require additional blocking, a conversion to a standard sitewide block should be considered. Any number of namespaces may be blocked.
- Blocks of a page or a talk page do not automatically apply to the corresponding page in its companion namespace, though someone may be blocked from both a page and its talk page as separate entries.
- Multiple blocks with different durations cannot be placed at the same time; it is only possible to adjust settings of the current block or to set a new partial block.
- When applying a partial block with the autoblock option enabled, the IP address that the account was last using will be autoblocked with the same partial blocking restrictions as the account; any subsequent IP addresses the account tries to edit from that are within the partial block's restrictions will also be autoblocked, and with the same partial block. If a different non-exempt user account logs in from an autoblocked IP address and tries to edit within the partial block's restrictions, that account will also be autoblocked and with the same partial block. It does not affect their ability to edit pages outside of the partial block's restrictions.
- Applying a partial block to an IP address or range with the "prevent logged-in users from editing from this IP address" option set will disallow all non-exempt user accounts from editing pages while logged in from the blocked IP address or range during the duration of the block, but only those pages that are within the original partial block's restrictions. They can edit pages that are not within the original partial block's restrictions as they would normally.
- If the target page of a partial block is deleted, the block remains visibly in place, but completely loses its effect. The user can re-create the deleted page and edit it through the block.
Blocking account creation from an IP range
Partial blocks can be leveraged to only block account creation from an IP or IP range, but permit normal editing. To do this, simply impose a partial block but leave the "Pages" and "Namespaces" fields blank.
Viewing blocks
Active partial blocks may be viewed at Special:BlockList.
Unblocking
If editors believe a block has been improperly issued that affects them, they can request a review of that block by following the instructions at the Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard. Alternatively, the affected editor may request an unblock following the procedures at Wikipedia:Blocking policy § Unblocking, using the {{unblock}} template. Either way, the editor should read Wikipedia:Guide to appealing blocks to see how to formulate the request. Administrators can unblock a user when they feel the block is unwarranted or no longer appropriate, in accordance with the blocking policy.
Notes
- ^ Existing editing restrictions should not be converted to partial blocks without consensus to do so.[1]
