Notification that API queries using ?format=xml may stop working soon

Hello friend. You are receiving this message because technical logs indicate you have made more than a hundred API queries recently using ?format=xml, instead of the more standard ?format=json. This probably means you are using a script or bot with old code.

Do you have any idea which script/bot I'm talking about? And would you be willing to refactor your code to use ?format=json?

There is more info over in phab:T421973 and at mw:API:Data formats#Output, and you can also join the discussion in phab:T421973 if you'd like. Thanks! –Novem Linguae (talk) 08:50, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

@Novem Linguae: I have IMHO two tools with API-usage and XML usage.

• https://postcardcatfinder.toolforge.org
• https://thebook.toolforge.org/

There you can use the parameter "debug=1" to see more. Like:

• this
• this

The tool checkpersondata and checkwiki was build by me, but it is now maintained by other Wikipedians. Maybe there is also a API-request.

• https://checkpersondata.toolforge.org
• https://checkwiki.toolforge.org

There is no bot. I think this are all my working tools. I'd be willing to modify the tools, but I really don't have the time to do it. Why isn't "format=xml" allowed anymore? --sk (talk) 10:29, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

It's been marked as deprecated on the MediaWiki page for a long time. I'm not sure exactly why though. I'll see if I can find out, or get someone else to find out. It's a good question. –Novem Linguae (talk) 10:58, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Interested in categorization

Hi! I'm interested in the categorization project! How can I get involved? ProtoplasmaKid (talk) 06:29, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

@ProtoplasmaKid: This is easy. You can add your name Commons:WikiProject_Minimum_One_Category#Project_members. And then you can start categorizing for example images with Spanish description: see here: Language_templates_in_the_description (Like with this Searchpage or this Mediasearch page). - When I started then I categorizes all images around my home town. I build me a radius search and make the radius every time a little bit bigger. For example if you start with the city Monterrey the coordinate is "25.6844,-100.3181" and then you can build your own search request with a radius of 5km - 25km - 50km. - For a faster categorizing I use the both tools "Hotcat" and "Cat-a-lot". See Commons:WikiProject_Minimum_One_Category#Tools. Best regards --sk (talk) 08:55, 16 April 2026 (UTC)