Wikipedia:Edit filter manager

Edit filter manager is a user group that allows users to view and edit the details and code of edit filters, as well as view the logs of such filters, including private filters. The right may be self-granted by administrators, or granted based upon community consensus at the edit filter noticeboard. This page details the right, the requirements for it, and the processes involved in granting and removing it. There are currently 146 edit filter managers on the English Wikipedia, some of whom are administrators, but the right is not built into the administrator toolset by default.

The right

Edit filter managers have the following rights enabled on their accounts:

• changetags which allows adding and removing tags on edits and log entries.
• managechangetags which permits use of the interface at Special:Tags to create and deactivate tags. Documentation can be found here.
• oathauth-enable which allows the enabling and disabling of two-factor authentication on the user's account.
• abusefilter-modify which permits the modification of both public and private filters and viewing of their logs at Special:AbuseFilter. This implicitly includes abusefilter-view-private, which is included in the edit filter helper group, negating the need to grant both groups for access to private filters.
• abusefilter-access-protected-vars which allows viewing of filters with protected variables enabled.

Edit filter managers that are not administrators cannot set edit filters to block users or to revoke autoconfirmed status.

Granting the right

The edit filter manager right may be granted in the following circumstances:

1. An administrator may self-grant this right to themselves.
2. An administrator, upon closing a request meeting all requirements and evaluating consensus to be in favor of the requester receiving the right as a non-administrator, may grant this right to such a user.
3. On the request of a former edit filter manager who has had the right removed on their own request or for inactivity and the right was removed under uncontroversial circumstances.

Process for requesting

Non-administrators that wish to request the edit filter manager right should create a new section at the edit filter noticeboard. The nominee must provide clear and compelling reasoning for their request, and may not be nominated by a third party. A notification should be made to the administrator's noticeboard in a neutral fashion. The discussion will be open for at least 7 days. The discussion will be closed by an uninvolved administrator, who will grant the right if the request was successful.

Requirements for granting

The assignment of the edit filter manager user right to non-admins is highly restricted. It should only be requested by and given to highly trusted users, when there is a clear and demonstrated need for it. Demonstrated ability that one can and will use it safely is absolutely critical. This is because widespread disruption of the entire encyclopedia can easily occur—even unintentionally—with the smallest of mistakes in changing edit filters.

The candidate must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated knowledge of edit filter syntax and an understanding of crafting regular expressions
2. No recent blocks or relevant sanctions
3. A comprehensive understanding of account security
4. A demonstrated need for access
5. Trusted by the community to use this right safely and responsibly
6. Sufficient ability with the English language to understand notes and explanations for edit filters

This is a right that can cause severe disruption across the encyclopedia if used carelessly or maliciously. Meeting all the above criteria does not guarantee a request will obtain consensus support to pass. Above all, noticeboard regulars look for indicators that an editor can be trusted. Trust is important because private edit filters reveal the detection strategies for tracking long-term abusers, and also private edit filter logs often contain revision deletable or oversightable information. This is a subjective measurement and the editors participating in a given request will have their own criteria to judge whether an editor is sufficiently trustworthy for this user right.

Criteria for revocation

If an edit filter manager is misusing the user right, the concern should first be raised with them directly. If discussion does not resolve the issue, a request for discussion or removal of the user right may be made at the edit filter noticeboard. Additionally, the right may be automatically revoked by any administrator from an edit filter manager who has been inactive for a duration of 12 full months.

Use of the right

Have a strong password

See also: Wikipedia:User account security

If you have the edit filter manager user right, please ensure you have a strong password and follow appropriate personal security practices. A compromised EFM account will be blocked and have its privileges removed on grounds of site security, as reckless editing of the edit filter can result in sitewide disruption. In the unlikely event that your account is compromised, notify an administrator immediately, so they can block your account and remove any sensitive privileges to prevent damage.

Editing filters

Edits to filters should be thoroughly tested before implementing them. Filters 1 (hist · log) (for testing public filters) and 1231 (hist · log) (for testing private filters) exist, as well as various tools such as Special:AbuseFilter/test and FilterDebugger. Testing of edit filter changes is a good best practice to ensure your edits do not cause widespread disruption.

Expect to be held accountable for all changes you make. You are expected to answer, when reasonably possible, the concerns of other editors regarding your use of the right. Ill-considered filter changes may be considered grounds for revocation of the right, based on the wide reach of the edit filter.

When editing filters that use the disallow action in particular, remember that all code in the filter will be checked against edits, and that reckless editing of a filter with the disallow or block-autopromote action configured can disrupt the editing of thousands of editors. This right is considered akin to the administrator right in the responsibility that the bearer has to ensure their actions are justifiable to the community.

See also

• Wikipedia:Edit filter helper
• {{User wikipedia/Edit filter manager}}, a userbox for editors with the edit filter manager permission.
• {{User edit filter manager since}}, a template to indicate having the edit filter manager permission since.
• {{Edit filter manager topicon}}, a topicon for editors with the edit filter manager permission.
• The abuse filter maintainer page on Meta.