What Can Make Your Wikipedia Account Get Blocked?

It is no secret that having a Wikipedia account blocked is rather annoying. Therefore, this brings us to the main questions

1) What are the reasons why your Wikipedia account would be blocked?

2) How do you appeal a blocked on Wikipedia?'

When creating a Wiki page, sometimes you will get notifications such as speedy deletion after submitting your article for review or before your Wiki page is approved. Most likely, this will be followed by an email stating that your account has been blocked. There are several reasons why Wikipedia would choose to take this action. Some reasons are purely based on your previous behavior or edits on Wikipedia, while others might be due to proxies you are using. And so, in today's post, we will discuss these reasons along with what you should do to get unblocked.

But before diving into why, let's first define what the term "block" refers to in this context.

What is a block?

A 'block,' therefore, refers to a measure used by Wikipedia to prevent possible improper activities that are in breach of editorial policies. This means a blocked user will not be able to edit, rename, create or even contribute to pages on Wikipedia. Wikipedia has a well-drafted Blocking Policy that stipulates all these in detail that either apply across Wikipedia or only on certain pages.

And with that said, let's get on to the reasons why Wikipedia would block your account.

Reasons Why Wikipedia Would Block Your Account

If your Wikipedia account is blocked, then it would likely fall into one or a couple of these four categories. Basically, these are the most common causes.

1. Problem with your Wikipedia behavior or editing

Unethical behavior on Wikipedia that goes against their guidelines will put your account in bad books. Furthermore, having multiple wrong edits in any way will also lead to your account being blocked. This applies to any account or IP address related to the specific activity in question.  

2. Username problem

Having what I can call an "unsuitable" username may easily lead to your account being blocked. But 'what does unsuitable username mean?' you may ask. Well, an unsuitable username can be the one that is:

• Offensive, disruptive or violent
• Promotional in nature
• Long, similar to other account users, or deliberately deceptive
• Imply the intent to spam, disrupt, troll, or vandalize

Be sure to check out policies that govern username creation to avoid getting blocked.

3. Using any anonymizing proxy service, i.e., VPN

Wikipedia is always specific and the security of its site is of paramount importance. Therefore, if you're using any services that use a proxy or using VPN, your Wikipedia account is highly likely to get blocked.

So, I recommend that you disable or disconnect this service before editing any Wiki page or article. Furthermore, you can request a Wikipedia IP block exemption if you want open proxy access.

4. If you unintentionally trigger the anti-vandalism systems

This is another rare yet possible cause that may trigger Wikipedia to block your account.

The anti-vandalism systems (known as "collateral damage") are a set of measures used to manage IP addresses. Therefore, if your IP address matches another IP address already blocked, you will automatically be blocked.

The good you can request the CheckUser or administrator to unblock you, which they will have to do an investigation first.

How to Appeal a Block on Wikipedia

Here are simple steps you can take to appeal a block on Wikipedia.

Step 1: Try editing the Sandbox:

This step essentially helps you to check whether your block has expired or not.

Step 2: Why are you blocked?

Understanding why Wikipedia blocked you in the first place will help you determine what steps to take when appealing. From the message or notice left on your talk page, you can read and understand why the administrator blocks you because they usually explain why they've chosen to take that action.

Step 3: Read policies and guidelines as stipulated by Wikipedia.

Getting acquainted with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines is essential at this point. More importantly, be sure to go through the policies that were against you to make a sound judgment when appealing.

Step 4: Go through the block appealing guide given by Wikipedia.

This Wikipedia guide will give you all you need to know about the appealing process. So, be sure to check the appealing guide.

Our post on how to appeal a blocked Wikipedia account will give you a complete insight into this process, so check it out. You should know that Wikipedia lifts blocks if they are not or are no longer considered necessary in preventing specific disruption or damage. Therefore, you, as the editor, have the task of convincing administrators that:

• Block is no longer necessary as you've learned what and where you got and assured not to do that in future
• The block wasn't necessary, and it violates blocking policies
• The conduct for which you're blocked is not related at all to your Wikipedia behavior or edits. For example, if your IP address is blocked simply because you're using a new device in which its address is already blocked by Wikipedia.
• The reason or the background on which your account is blocked isn't clear enough to warrant a block
• 
  

FAQs on how to unblock a blocked Wikipedia account

1. Wikipedia blocked my IP address is blocked; what should I do?

Let's assume that you're not logged-in in the first place, and it shows that your IP address is blocked. You can start by checking your IP address 'contributions' page via Special: MyContributions.

On the contribution page, you will be able to see:

• The latest block log entry for your IP,
• Bloc settings,
• listing time, and
• The block expiry date

So, what should you do?

• If the block says "anon. only," you can bypass this by creating or logging in to your account
• However, if it says "account creation blocked," you will have to request an account. This is simply because you can create an account 

What if it doesn't say any of the above?

If this is the case for you, then you're probably using an open proxy (i.e., VPN). Therefore, it will probably help solve your Wikipedia block issue if you stop using any of these proxies.

2. My phone IP address is blocked from creating a Wikipedia account; What should you do?

If you are experiencing such a problem, even though you have never created or tried to create a Wikipedia account with that device, you're not alone. This is quite one of the most common Wikipedia blocking issues that most people face. So, what's the reason behind this?

Each mobile phone and computer has an IP address that helps identify it while accessing the internet. The device providers are, therefore, the ones that allocate these IP addresses to each device. And so, if these providers allocate a Wikipedia-blocked IP address to your device, you're blocked automatically. Another thing is if your IP address falls in a range of IP addresses that were blocked due to an IP hopping vandal, then you will also have a blocked IP address.

Now, what should you do?

Well, there are a couple of solutions you can apply in this case, and they include:

• Contact the Wikipedia support team - the administrator or CheckUser to unblock you.
• Try creating an account using another device, then log in with your device.
• You can email to request an account to be created for you.

3. What should you do if you receive a Wikipedia account block with no expiration date?

Before you consider yourself banned, or basically before they say you are banned, there are two possible solutions you can opt for.

First, if your Wikipedia editing or behavior violates Wikipedia policies and guidelines, then you will probably have to wait to take action. In this case, it is recommended that you wait for six months before submitting an appeal for unblocking. The administrators will discuss your appeal; they might reverse their decision or stand by it, meaning you will be considered banned.

Secondly, most accounts that usually have usernames that violate the Wikipedia username policies will tend to have a block with no expiry date. If that's your case, then you can request to rename your account. To do this, navigate to Special: GlobalRenameRequest.

4. How do I get unblocked if I'm blocked indefinitely and cannot edit my talk page?

The UTRS and ArbCom are the only available processes that you can use to get unblocked when you can't edit your talk page.

5. Forgot my Username: How do I request an unblock?

If your Wikipedia account is blocked and you've forgotten your username, the best thing to try is to use the "reset password" form. Using the email related to your account, you will be able to get both your new login details. Log in and then appeal a block on Wikipedia to prevent your account from getting permanently banned.

6. How long will it take to get unblocked on Wikipedia?

It is essential to note that Wikipedia administrators are volunteers, and they are the ones responsible for handling these issues. Furthermore, Wikipedia hasn't stipulated timelines for your appeal to be reviewed and your account to get unblocked.