Reverting means reversing a prior edit, which typically results in the article being restored to a version that existed sometime previously. A partial reversion involves reversing only part of a prior edit, while retaining other parts of it.
Revert vandalism on sight, but revert an edit made in good faith only after careful consideration. Edit warring is prohibited. See three-revert rule. Editors should provide an explanation when reverting.
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What is a reversion?[edit]
A reversion is an edit, or part of an edit, that completely reverses a prior edit, restoring at least part of an article to what it was before the prior edit. The typical way to effect a reversion is to use the "undo" button in the article's history page, but it isn't any less of a reversion if one simply types in the previous text.
A single edit may reverse multiple prior edits, in which case the edit constitutes multiple reversions.
Technically, any edit can be said to reverse some of a previous edit; however, this is not the way the community interprets reversion, because it is not consistent with either the principle of collaborative editing or with the editing policy. Wholesale reversions (complete reversal of one or more previous edits) are singled out for special treatment because a reversion cannot help an article converge on a consensus version.
| Editor action | Classification |
|---|---|
| Alice re-phrases the wording in the first paragraph of an existing article. | A normal change, not a reversion. |
| Bob reverses all of Alice's changes in wording, restoring the article to the previous version. | A complete reversion. |
| Alice adds a new paragraph at the end of the article. | A normal change, not a reversion. |
| Bob removes most of the new paragraph, but leaves one sentence. | A partial reversion. |
When to revert[edit]
Reverting is mostly appropriate for vandalism. The Wikipedia edit warring policy forbids repetitive reverting, but you should avoid reverting edits other than vandalism most of the time.
Detailed advice on when reverting is and is not appropriate is in Revert only when necessary.
If you make an edit which is good-faith reverted, do not simply reinstate your edit – leave the status quo up, or try an alternative way to make the change that includes feedback from the other editor. If there is a dispute, editors are encouraged to work towards establishing consensus, not to have one's own way. Instead of engaging in an edit war, propose your reverted change on the article's talk page or pursue other dispute resolution alternatives. During a dispute, until a consensus is established to make a change, the status quo reigns.
Explain reverts[edit]
Edit summaries, always a good practice, are particularly important when reverting. Provide a valid and informative explanation including, if possible, a link to the Wikipedia principle you believe justifies the reversion. Try to remain available for dialogue, especially in the half-day or so after reverting.
A reversion is a complete rejection of the work of another editor and if the reversion is not adequately supported then the reverted editor may find it difficult to assume good faith. This is one of the most common causes of an edit war. A substantive explanation also promotes consensus by alerting the reverted editor to the problem with the original edit. The reverted editor may then be able to revise the edit to correct the perceived problem. The result will be an improved article, a more knowledgeable editor and greater harmony.
In addition to helping the reverted editor, providing information regarding the reversion will help other editors by letting them know whether – or not – they need to even view the reverted version, such as in the case of blanking a page. Explaining reverts also helps users who check edit histories to determine the extent to which the information in the article is reliable or current.
If your reasons for reverting are too complex to explain in an edit summary, leave a note on the article's Talk page. It is sometimes best to leave a note on the Talk page first and then revert, rather than the other way around; thus giving the other editor a chance to agree with you and revise their edit appropriately. Conversely, if another editor reverts your change without any apparent explanation, you may wish to wait a few minutes to see if they explain their actions on the article's or your user's talk page.
Edit wars are considered harmful[edit]
Reasons[edit]
Edit wars are usually considered harmful, for the following reasons:
- Edit wars destabilize the article in question, and may be off-putting to the observant and wary editors who would otherwise contribute stabilizing improvements to it.
- Edit wars tend to cause ill-will and probably delay editor development and reduce editor retention. An editor can feel a revert is "a slap in the face"—"I worked hard and someone reverted it!"
- Edit wars do waste space in the database, make the page history less useful, and flood recent-change lists and watchlists.
- Edit wars are often myopic, occurring while neither participant is familiar with the big picture. The editors involved tend to focus only on one part of an article without considering other sections of the article or other articles linked dependently to the area in question, resulting in inconsistencies with the big picture concerning the content in question. The noticeboard is part of the big picture too.
Resolutions[edit]
Editors should not revert simply because of disagreement. Instead, explore alternative methods, such as raising objections on a talk page or following the processes in dispute resolution.
Three-revert rule[edit]
As a means to limit edit wars, Wikipedia's policies and guidelines state that one may not revert any article more than three times in the same 24-hour period. This is a hard limit, not a given right. Attempts to circumvent the three-revert rule, such as making a fourth revert just after 24 hours, are strongly discouraged and may trigger the need for remedies, such as an editing block on one's account.
Exceptions[edit]
Edits that do not contribute to edit warring are generally considered to be exceptions to the three-revert rule. These include reverts of obvious vandalism, reverts of banned users, and removal of potentially libelous text.
Please request protection rather than reverting. Violation of the three-revert rule may lead to protection of the page on the version preferred by the non-violating party, blocking or investigation by the Arbitration Committee.