Commons:Rollback

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This page is considered an official guideline on Wikimedia Commons. It illustrates standards or behaviors which most editors agree with in principle and generally follow. Feel free to update the page as needed, but please use the discussion page to propose major changes.

The rollback tool is an anti-vandal tool that lets users undo the most recent consecutive edits by a single user to a page, reverting the page back to the last revision by a different user. It is quicker to use than the standard "undo" function, which allows only the undoing of a single edit at a time.

The tool is made available by default to all Commons administrators, and trustworthy non-admin users can obtain the tool on request, as described below.

How to apply for rollback permission[edit]

Administrators have the rollback right by default, and do not need to request the right separately.
Users with global rollback may use that tool on Commons.

Rollback is for users who need the tool and have sufficient history of positive contributions to Commons to show that they will not misuse it. Admins will typically not grant the permission to users whose contributions to Commons do not establish a need for rollback permission on this wiki. The fact that you may have admin or rollback rights on some other wiki is not in itself sufficient, although that may be taken into account provided a reasonable level of contributions here can also be shown.

By personal request/at administrator discretion[edit]

Established Commons users who are known to be trustworthy may be granted the rollback permission by any administrator on personal request. This may be done at the administrator's discretion, without any need for formal process, provided that the request is uncontroversial. Users who are relatively new to Commons, and established users with a history of inappropriate behaviour, should be discussed on Commons:Requests for rights.

Assigning the right can be done by any administrator, using Special:UserRights. Type in the username (e.g. Username) to be taken to a Special:UserRights/Username page. Then check "rollbacker" and click "save user groups". Please put a link to the request or similar in the reason box.

By formal request, with user-feedback[edit]

Users who have had their rollback permission revoked or have been denied it by an administrator must apply for rollback more formally on Commons:Requests for rights. Contentious requests should remain on that page for at least seven days (longer if necessary) awaiting feedback from other users. An admin will eventually close the request as successful or unsuccessful, depending on consensus. Uncontentious applications may be closed as successful straight away.

When to use rollback[edit]

The use of rollback should normally be limited to combating vandalism, but the tool can also be used to roll back your own mistaken edits or the clearly mistaken edits of another user. It should only be used for clear-cut cases, as an automatic edit summary is provided without the opportunity for adding custom text (unless you use a script such as User:Kanonkas/rollbackSummary.js).

How it works[edit]

If a user makes more than one consecutive edit, an undo might not work. Rollback can revert all consecutive edits by a user, on a specific page (unless the user is the sole contributor to a page). The automatically-generated edit summary for rollback looks like this: m Reverted edits by Test one (talk) to last revision by Test two. The edit is automatically marked as minor (m).

Revocation of rollback permission[edit]

Users misusing the rollback tool to revert constructive edits may have their rollback permission revoked. The same applies for its use for edit warring or content disputes. Removal can be done by an administrator at any time, at their discretion. Advance notice is not required, but may be given. Users who have had their rollback permission revoked may not be re-granted the permission without a formal application on Commons:Requests for rights. Users may choose to resign their rollback permission at any time simply by asking an administrator.

Misuse of rollback permission[edit]

You can report misuse of the rollback tool by leaving a note at the administrators' noticeboard.

Current rollbackers[edit]

List of all rollbackers (currently 714).
All administrators have access to the rollback tool as well (currently 189).