Help:Custom namespaces

This is a copy of the master help page at m:Help:Custom namespaces. Do not edit this page. Edits will be lost in the next update from the master page. Either edit the master help page for all projects at Meta, or edit the project-specific text at Template:Ph:Custom namespaces. You are welcome to copy the exact wikitext from the master page at Meta and paste it into this page at any time.


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For information on custom namespaces on the Meta-Wiki, see m:Meta:Namespaces.

If you want to add a custom namespace, you need to do the following:

  1. Pick the names of your namespace and its talk page. Also pick numbers.
Note: Even numbers are for the main namespaces, odds for the talk pages. Custom pages start at 100. (Important: Do not include spaces in the name, use an underscore instead)
  1. Goto /includes/DefaultSettings.php and copy the variables $wgExtraNamespaces, $wgNamespacesWithSubpages, and $wgNamespacesToBeSearchedDefault into LocalSettings.php
    If $wgExtraNamespaces is not in DefaultSettings.php, you probably have an old version of MediaWiki (1.3.2 or older). You should upgrade to the current release, as there have been both bug fixes and some security fixes since then.
  2. Add to $wgExtraNamespaces the name of your namespace and its talk page, as it would appear in a link.
    • Example:
$wgExtraNamespaces =
       array(100 => "Foo", 
             101 => "Foo_Talk");
  1. If you want sub pages, add it to $wgNamespacesWithSubpages
    • Example:
$wgNamespacesWithSubpages = 
       array( -1 => 0, 0 => 0, 1 => 1, 2 => 1, 3 => 1,
              4 => 0, 5 => 1, 6 => 0, 7 => 1, 
              8 => 0, 9 => 1, 10 => 0,11 => 1,
              100 => 1, 101 => 1 );
  1. If you want the new namespace (or its talk page) searched by default, set $wgNamespacesToBeSearchedDefault
    • Example:
$wgNamespacesToBeSearchedDefault =
       array( -1 => 0, 0 => 1, 1 => 0, 2 => 0, 3 => 0,
               4 => 0, 5 => 0, 6 => 0, 7 => 0,
               8 => 0, 9 => 1, 10 => 0, 11 => 1,
               100 => 1, 101 => 1 );

Note:

  • (Wiki 1.5) Per example in includes/DefaultSettings.php:
    • (Also see w:NameSpaces for complete detailed list)
/** Which namespaces should support subpages?
* See Language.php for a list of namespaces.
* Make any customized lists in LocalSettings.php.
*/
$wgNamespacesWithSubpages = array(
	NS_TALK           => true,
 	NS_USER           => true,
 	NS_USER_TALK      => true,
 	NS_PROJECT_TALK   => true,
 	NS_IMAGE_TALK     => true,
 	NS_MEDIAWIKI_TALK => true,
 	NS_TEMPLATE_TALK  => true,
 	NS_HELP_TALK      => true,
 	NS_CATEGORY_TALK  => true
);
$wgNamespacesToBeSearchedDefault = array(
 	NS_MAIN           => true,
);

Note: Other pages for further Namespaces information: