Use case for mass importation and copying of all metadata from Flickr

In a recent in-person discussion with George Oates at the AI Sauna in Helskinki, we talked about how flickypedia was working with a project scope different than flickr2commons. Flickypedia focuses on singleton or small-batch upload of images to support an immediate need for use in specific Wikipedia articles. I noted that there are use cases for large-batch uploads, so I thought I'd present a concrete example of this for the developers to consider:

• The National Book Festival in the United States is a large event each year that is run by the Library of Congress (LOC).
• Photographers employed by the LOC take photos of famous book authors that are then released to the public domain/CC0. By default, their images and metadata are CC0, and they publish their photos with such a license on flickr.
• In these cases, we want to do a wholesale import of all of their images which are high quality, well-described, and are all CC0. After the ingestion into a Wikimedia Commons category, we can then add SDC, run bots to re-format the description to break out the photographer names, etc. So in this case, it's an example of an extract-load-transform (ELT) workflow.

• Here's the example from this year: https://www.flickr.com/photos/library-of-congress-life/albums/72177720319888020/with/53956246001

• After ingestion and metadata enrichment, they might be cropped or re-categorized. They are then either directly placed into infoboxes or biographical articles, or the Wikidata item has the P18 (image) property updated with these photos, and this gets reflected in Wikidata-driven infoboxes in various languages across the Wikipedia editions. Downstream, this will usually result in appearance in Google searches and their knowledge panels.

While the UploadWizard does have support for flickr ingestion including using the title and description, it is limited to 50 images at a time. The image set from LOC is more than 100, and it is not uncommon to want to ingest 100s of images at a time for festivals, concerts, or other event coverage. Thanks. - Fuzheado (talk) 18:50, 13 September 2024 (UTC)

Interesting case - I would like to have seen a reply. I'm trying to load 5 or 6 cc by sa images but Flickypedia thinks that I really want to add a different title and description for each one (like its 2005). I look at the discussions and see that I'm not alone... its insistent and uncooperative. If you had an assistant who was this unhelpful then you'd probably find it quicker to work alone. I love this project... but it doesnt seem to realise that I'm a volunteer trying to do good stuff. Sorry if I'm missing something. I keep returning and I leave again unsatisfied. Victuallers (talk) 12:18, 5 July 2025 (UTC)

pretty but not upto Flickr2commons ease of use,and its arrogant

I could add comments but they are already recorded above. Editors above have made useful comments. They dont want to just load stuff but they are not going to put up with creating a new title for dozens of photos trying to second guess a title checker. After having my title variations rejected 3 times I chose "Flicypedia wont allow my choice of title" and that was accepted. The program needs to give more respect to Wikipedia volunteers. I know that quality can be improved by stopping us contributing, but you are stopping us contributing. Victuallers (talk) 11:03, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

@Victuallers

1. title is controlled by MediaWiki:Titleblacklist. flicky is merely relaying the error message that you would also get if you use Special:UploadWizard. what were the titles that could not be accepted?
2. https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/532097 🤫 :)

RoyZuo (talk) 13:20, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

@RoyZuo

I forget now Roy, I felt that I was jousting with an automoton, not an assistant. The system gives no clue to its decisions. I see in the blacklist that it says "# File names with no letters, except for some meaningless prefix:".... presumably because the designer of the list needs to remember what the logic is.... maybe telling the end user that their title was rejected because "# File names with no letters, except for some meaningless prefix:" was the reason?? might help. However this wouldn't help me, as Flickypedia is ,I feel, preferring to prioritise preventing misuse over being helpful. Its a valid decision but its contrary to the ethos that created Wikipedia IMO. That is the ethos that makes Magnus's tools popular and I'm not seeing it (yet) in Flickypedia. I read the greasy fork link but, Where? Victuallers (talk) 09:53, 18 April 2025 (UTC)

Follow this comment at your own risk!

@Victuallers: first you need a script manager such as Tampermonkey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tyjJD65zws .

Then you go to the greasyfork page and install the script.

Then when you reach https://www.flickr.org/tools/flickypedia/prepare_info... , the script should be running and buttons will appear. Check whether the script is running by following the youtube video.--RoyZuo (talk) 12:28, 18 April 2025 (UTC)

Thank you and good to know that its a facility I could build in. However its not my main occupation so I'm loath to take the risk you identified of needing to invest installing/debugging time. I think it should be the default. Adding this code should be for those who refuse such help IMO. However its yr code. thx again Victuallers (talk) 09:54, 19 April 2025 (UTC)

Not working?

Hi, faced with flickr2Commons not working, I've been trying to use Flickypedia for a few hours, but I've been stuck on 0/23 uploaded for one lot, and then Internal Server Error for a batch of 56 photos on another... is this intended to actually work yet, or are we back to save and manual upload for Flickr photos for the time being? It'd be nice for the page to make it clear so users don't waste time and filling out all the info for individual files just for it to be a test product. Kingsif (talk) 01:08, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

@Kingsif what urls were you trying?

also https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/532097 🤫 :) RoyZuo (talk) 06:57, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

Album urls, and then the image ones - all the urls then worked going through regular Commons upload process, so the tool seems... not in a position to use at the moment. When it's more efficient and consistent, hopefully it'll really streamline. Kingsif (talk) 22:26, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

Cant tell what problem you had with this little info you gave.

The tool has not had a problem as i just used it 5 times or so. RoyZuo (talk) 07:17, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

Problem pops up here too with this file https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinb/49927540001/

iOS Safari Grunpfnul (talk) 15:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

I confirm for me it just keeps "Uploading..."

the tab would occasionally show that it refreshes. right after it refreshes it shows "1 of 1" but then goes back to "0 of 1".

@Alexwlchan. RoyZuo (talk) 17:11, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

Ah, I'm getting the same issue here. Tried last night with 62 images and got a 404 error, trying with a single image now and it's just hanging, get to "1 of 1" then goes back to "0 of 1". License is correct, I've uploaded through Flickr2Commons from this Flickr account before, using Chrome. Lirazelf (talk) 09:12, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

album was https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottishgovernment/albums/72177720316968544/with/53720492021, and single image is https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottishgovernment/53707869489/in/album-72177720316968544 Lirazelf (talk) 09:15, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

same here Artaxerxes (talk) 14:31, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

One possible faster way to get it fixed could be https://www.flickr.org/contact-us/ . RoyZuo (talk) 17:32, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

Hah, yup, I did this after posting my comment in this thread, I'm told that the team have seen the comments and will look into it. Lirazelf (talk) 15:02, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

@RoyZuo@Artaxerxes@Alexwlchan@Kingsif@Grunpfnul Hey folks - @Lirazelf with my work hat on - had an email exchange with the Flickr folks, this seems to be working now :) Sara Thomas (WMUK) (talk) 15:37, 13 May 2025 (UTC)

Did this stop working again? Just now I tried uploading a file, and it kept oscillating between "0 of 1" and "1 of 1" just like above. S5A-0043🚎^{(Leave a message here)} 01:40, 25 May 2025 (UTC)

Flickypedia box colour

The first file I saw with a Flickypedia tag, I thought was tagged for deletion because of its pink/red box resembling the invalid license warning, until I discovered it was just a box for a new style of flickr pic uploading. I've changed this to pale green, a more typical colour for acceptable license tags. - MPF (talk) 10:21, 14 June 2025 (UTC)

Good call. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 14:51, 14 June 2025 (UTC)

Added summary as 1st paragraph

now when users click thru Template:Uploaded with Flickypedia and get to this page, the 1st paragraph makes it abundantly clear what flickypedia is. i copied it from Commons:Flickypedia/About. RoyZuo (talk) 16:50, 20 June 2025 (UTC)

Automatically importing titles and descriptions?

Is there a way to automatically import the title and description of a photo, like Flickr-to-Commons does? Ixfd64 (talk) 05:04, 6 July 2025 (UTC)

Description, source, date etc not transferring over when cropped

The Description, Date, Source, and Author are not transferring over when an image is cropped. For example, this original image imported via Flickypedia () and this cropped one (). This data is only saved as "structured data" meaning that the summary section on the "file information" tab is empty: when you click edit it only shows "{{Information | description = }}". This means the data is not passed on to cropped images. This needs fixing. Gaia Octavia Agrippa (talk) 15:01, 7 July 2025 (UTC)

Is anyone monitoring this page? This is a major issue. Gaia Octavia Agrippa (talk) 12:00, 4 August 2025 (UTC)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons_talk:CropTool/Archive_4#c-Schlurcher-20230529185400-Structured_Data

more of a problem of croptool, still pending fix.

maybe, User:SchlurcherBot or User:BotMultichillT, which is already adding com:sdc, can take on this new task of copying sdc from source file to derived file which has no sdc. RoyZuo (talk) 08:39, 6 August 2025 (UTC)

@Gaia Octavia Agrippa the descriptions aren't included because those are allegedly unlicensed and not compatible with PD CC0 licensing used in the captions (see this comment by Alexwlchan in the thread above). See also Commons:Village pump/Copyright/Archive/2025/06#Copyright status of descriptions for images from Flickr (no ultimate conclusion reached). JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 07:34, 3 November 2025 (UTC)

Exceptions might be if the image descriptions are too short and not original, so {{PD-text}}), and those of US government uploads may fall under {{PD-USGov}}. But having separate license tag for Flickr descriptions is an overkill and can lead to more harm than good (confusion of license tags as detected by machines or bots, confusion for reusers who may not be aware of these technicalities in content licensing, and the worst case, the reusers won't read the licenses at all due to "license tag blindness" in the same way as "talk page banner blindness" in the talk pages of enWiki articles). JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 07:39, 3 November 2025 (UTC)

Most recent tagged uploads

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&tagfilter=OAuth+CID:+6361 RoyZuo (talk) 21:13, 30 October 2025 (UTC)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&tagfilter=OAuth+CID:+17291%7COAuth+CID:+6361 RoyZuo (talk) 09:01, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

Uploading highest resolution for old Flickr uploads

Is it planned to automatically upload the highest resolution of photos from Flickr for old uploads on Commons? There have been some bots that do that, but still some of my photos on Commons from Flickr are not in the highest resolution. Antti T. Leppänen (talk) 10:25, 1 November 2025 (UTC)

Cannot login

I always got "401 Unauthorized - Something went wrong logging in to Wikimedia Commons! Please try logging in again." callback page. OAuth login didn't work. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 07:42, 3 November 2025 (UTC)

Same issue for me Bluerasberry (talk) 15:09, 3 November 2025 (UTC)

Same issue: 401 Unauthorized – Flickypedia -- Cl3phact0 (talk) 07:47, 11 November 2025 (UTC)

PS: Has anyone tried contacting them at the email provided in the above link (hello@flickr.org.)? -- Cl3phact0 (talk) 07:51, 11 November 2025 (UTC)

I just dropped them a note. - Jmabel ! talk 18:01, 13 November 2025 (UTC)

Hello! I'm from the Flickr Foundation, the builders of Flickypedia. Thanks for letting us know about the 401 issue with OAuth stuff. I've just tried it myself (to auth into Wikimedia Commons for Flickypedia) and it doesn't work for me either. I'll see what I can find out and report back! Gloweave (talk) 10:43, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

I'll add FYI that since @Alexwlchan has left the team, it's possible that something's changed underneath with our auth credentials. We're going to look into it. Gloweave (talk) 10:49, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

I've just tracked this down to the Wikipedia API changes that now require a User-Agent and fixed the problem in Flickypedia - do let us know if you have more problems! Jontywareing (talk) 19:14, 21 November 2025 (UTC)

Thank you. It's working again for me (just added File:Rincon Towers.jpg as a quick test). Cheers, Cl3phact0 (talk) 07:38, 22 November 2025 (UTC)

@Jontywareing thanks! JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 08:35, 22 November 2025 (UTC)

The user-agent was always required, but it is now being enforced (we will collectively thank AI bots). —TheDJ (talk • contribs) 15:18, 22 November 2025 (UTC)

Uploaded with Flickypedia template and License Review

{{Uploaded with Flickypedia}} doesn't say anything about whether the template can be used in place of {{Flickrreview}} or {{FlickreviewR}}. Since Commons:License review requires review of externally hosted files to be reviewed by either two humans (uploader and reviewer) or one human and one bot (uploader and a bot) has reviewed the license. (image-reviewers may not review their own uploads unless the account is an approved bot. This ensures that at least two individuals, or one individual and a bot, have checked that the license choice is correct. - COM:LR#Instructions for reviewers) I see past discussion about this but that doesn't seem like settled the status of the license review... :P

I recall files uploaded via UploadWizard used to have special status (via {{FlickrVerifiedByUploadWizard}}, for example File:2015.11.10. 제70주년 해군창설 기념 함정체험 - 22294360283.jpg) before UploadWizard stopped using it and replaced it with usual {{Flickrreview}} (File:‘텐스토렌트와 전략적 협업’ LG전자, AI 반도체 역량 확 키운다.jpg: Special:Diff/957251118). — regards, Revi 05:44, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

Since Flickypedia does a license review itself, and there is always also a human making the request, wouldn't this meet the standard of "human plus bot"? On the other hand, I would think that anything marked with any sort of PD tag cannot be meaningfully reviewed by a bot, so presumably it should get a tag indicating the need for human review. - Jmabel ! talk 19:01, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

Integrity of flickypedia can be critiqued by anyone by checking the code https://github.com/Flickr-Foundation/flickypedia . RoyZuo (talk) 18:57, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

Failure to detect some duplicates

While Flickypedia does a good job and can detect many duplicates that are already existing here, it fails to detect some dupes. For example, it prepared details for upload for this image, unknowingly that File:Navotas Fishport - Flickr.jpg already exists, which was imported using standard WikiCommons upload tool. Flickypedia should have a better job at detecting all duplicates that exist on WikiCommons, so to avoid needless accidental imports that will eventually be tagged with {{Duplicate}} anyway. JWilz12345 (Talk|Contributions) 02:33, 28 November 2025 (UTC)

No new uploads since 13 Feb

Hi @Gloweave, it seems there has been no new uploads since the site moved to https://flickypedia.flickr.org . i was trying to upload 2 photos just now and the tool just stayed at the stage "Uploading...". RoyZuo (talk) 13:24, 23 February 2026 (UTC)

It's been a PITA too for me. Tried uploading some photos. They failed to add any description, author, etc.. And all the time I spent describing and categorizing, lost :-( Bedivere (talk) 14:32, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

Flickr2Commons won't help either. It is also failing. Bedivere (talk) 14:33, 9 March 2026 (UTC)

At least Flickr upload from Upload Wizard (Commons:Upload Wizard/Flickr) works OK. Jklamo (talk) 09:05, 31 March 2026 (UTC)

@Gloweave it appears that 2.0 is working since 5 March https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?tagfilter=OAuth+CID%3A+17291&title=Special:RecentChanges

but com:sdc, all info about dates, author, etc., are missing e.g. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cookie_Factory_Main_Entrance.jpg&action=history ! RoyZuo (talk) 09:29, 28 March 2026 (UTC)

401 Unauthorized

I'm experiencing the same issue described at #Cannot login. I've previously been able to log in. Wracking (talk) 16:22, 29 March 2026 (UTC)

Videos

flickr.com is restricting com:v2c right now. unsure how long this will last.

so, how do videos get transferred to commons efficiently? are users expected to manually download them to their devices and then upload here? RoyZuo (talk) 09:19, 13 April 2026 (UTC)

I believe they're restricting Toolforge IPs by rate limiting all the requests (my hypothesis) and thus I had to move FlickrResourcesBot to my server Special:Diff/1196201794 -- DaxServer (talk) 19:11, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

Bot to add Flickrreview template

I just noticed that Flickypedia does not add {{Flickrreview}} template and thus the licence review was never done for the files under Category:Uploads using Flickypedia, see incategory:"Uploads using Flickypedia" -hastemplate:Flickrreview. My bot FlickrResourcesBot only works on those that pass the review to add SDC. I've filed a bot request for a task to add that template to those files so that they'll be reviewed and thereafter be hydrated with SDC. See Commons:Bots/Requests/FlickrResourcesBot 2. Looking forward to hear any feedback to improve! -- DaxServer (talk) 19:05, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

• I think Flickypedia does a license check. If so, we would only need further check (and necessarily by a human) if the license on Flickr was Pd-mark. - Jmabel ! talk 23:15, 16 April 2026 (UTC)