API:Watch
 | This page is part of the MediaWiki Action API documentation. |
| MediaWiki version: | ≥ 1.14 |
POST request to add or remove pages from a watchlist.
API documentation
Example
Making any POST request is a multi-step process:
- Log in, via one of the methods described on API:Login.
- GET a CSRF token.
The sample query above is for wikis running MediaWiki 1.24+.
For wikis running earlier versions of MediaWiki, tokens for this operation can be obtained via
action=tokenswithtype=watch(MediaWiki 1.20+), or by using the following query: - Send a POST request, with the CSRF token, to take action on a page.
The sample code below covers the final step in detail.
POST request
Add an article to your watchlist
Response
{
"batchcomplete": "",
"watch": [
{
"title": "Stone Forest",
"watched": ""
}
]
}
Sample code
Python
#!/usr/bin/python3
"""
watch.py
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Watch` module: Add a page to your watchlist
MIT license
"""
import requests
S = requests.Session()
URL = "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php"
# Step 1: Retrieve a login token
PARAMS_1 = {
"action": "query",
"meta": "tokens",
"type": "login",
"format": "json"
}
R = S.get(url=URL, params=PARAMS_1)
DATA = R.json()
LOGIN_TOKEN = DATA["query"]["tokens"]["logintoken"]
# Step 2: Send a post request to log in. For this login
# method, Obtain credentials by first visiting
# https://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BotPasswords
# See https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/API:Login for more
# information on log in methods.
PARAMS_2 = {
"action": "login",
"lgname": "username",
"lgpassword": "password",
"format": "json",
"lgtoken": LOGIN_TOKEN
}
R = S.post(URL, data=PARAMS_2)
# Step 3: While logged in, retrieve a CSRF token
PARAMS_3 = {
"action": "query",
"meta": "tokens",
"type": "watch",
"format": "json"
}
R = S.get(url=URL, params=PARAMS_3)
DATA = R.json()
CSRF_TOKEN = DATA["query"]["tokens"]["watchtoken"]
# Step 4: Post request to add a page to your watchlist
PARAMS_4 = {
"action": "watch",
"titles": "Stone forest",
"format": "json",
"token": CSRF_TOKEN,
}
R = S.post(URL, data=PARAMS_4)
DATA = R.json()
print(DATA)
PHP
<?php
/*
watch.php
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Watch` module: Add a page to your watchlist
MIT license
*/
$endPoint = "https://test.wikipedia.org/w/api.php";
$login_Token = getLoginToken(); // Step 1
loginRequest( $login_Token ); // Step 2
$watch_Token = getWatchToken(); // Step 3
editWatchlist( $watch_Token ); // Step 4
// Step 1: GET request to fetch login token
function getLoginToken() {
global $endPoint;
$params1 = [
"action" => "query",
"meta" => "tokens",
"type" => "login",
"format" => "json"
];
$url = $endPoint . "?" . http_build_query( $params1 );
$ch = curl_init( $url );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, "cookie.txt" );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, "cookie.txt" );
$output = curl_exec( $ch );
curl_close( $ch );
$result = json_decode( $output, true );
return $result["query"]["tokens"]["logintoken"];
}
// Step 2: POST request to log in. Use of main account for login is not
// supported. Obtain credentials via Special:BotPasswords
// (https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:BotPasswords) for lgname & lgpassword
function loginRequest( $logintoken ) {
global $endPoint;
$params2 = [
"action" => "login",
"lgname" => "bot_user_name",
"lgpassword" => "bot_password",
"lgtoken" => $logintoken,
"format" => "json"
];
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_URL, $endPoint );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_POST, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query( $params2 ) );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, "cookie.txt" );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, "cookie.txt" );
$output = curl_exec( $ch );
curl_close( $ch );
}
// Step 3: GET request to fetch watch token
function getWatchToken() {
global $endPoint;
$params3 = [
"action" => "query",
"meta" => "tokens",
"type" => "watch",
"format" => "json"
];
$url = $endPoint . "?" . http_build_query( $params3 );
$ch = curl_init( $url );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, "cookie.txt" );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, "cookie.txt" );
$output = curl_exec( $ch );
curl_close( $ch );
$result = json_decode( $output, true );
return $result["query"]["tokens"]["watchtoken"];
}
// Step 4: POST request to add a page to your watchlist
function editWatchlist( $watch_Token ) {
global $endPoint;
$params4 = [
"action" => "watch",
"titles" => "Sandbox",
"token" => $watch_Token,
"format" => "json"
];
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_URL, $endPoint );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_POST, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query( $params4 ) );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, "cookie.txt" );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, "cookie.txt" );
$output = curl_exec( $ch );
curl_close( $ch );
echo( $output );
}
JavaScript
/*
watch.js
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Watch` module: Add a page to your watchlist
MIT license
*/
var request = require('request').defaults({jar: true}),
url = "https://test.wikipedia.org/w/api.php";
// Step 1: GET request to fetch login token
function getLoginToken() {
var params_0 = {
action: "query",
meta: "tokens",
type: "login",
format: "json"
};
request.get({ url: url, qs: params_0 }, function (error, res, body) {
if (error) {
return;
}
var data = JSON.parse(body);
loginRequest(data.query.tokens.logintoken);
});
}
// Step 2: POST request to log in.
// Use of main account for login is not
// supported. Obtain credentials via Special:BotPasswords
// (https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:BotPasswords) for lgname & lgpassword
function loginRequest(login_token) {
var params_1 = {
action: "login",
lgname: "bot_username",
lgpassword: "bot_password",
lgtoken: login_token,
format: "json"
};
request.post({ url: url, form: params_1 }, function (error, res, body) {
if (error) {
return;
}
getCsrfToken();
});
}
// Step 3: GET request to fetch watch token
function getCsrfToken() {
var params_2 = {
action: "query",
meta: "tokens",
type: "watch",
format: "json"
};
request.get({ url: url, qs: params_2 }, function(error, res, body) {
if (error) {
return;
}
var data = JSON.parse(body);
watch(data.query.tokens.watchtoken);
});
}
// Step 4: POST request to add a page to your watchlist
function watch(watch_token) {
var params_3 = {
action: "watch",
titles: "Sandbox",
token: watch_token,
format: "json"
};
request.post({ url: url, form: params_3 }, function (error, res, body) {
if (error) {
return;
}
console.log(body);
});
}
// Start From Step 1
getLoginToken();
MediaWiki JS
/*
watch.js
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Watch` module: Add a page to your watchlist
MIT License
*/
var params = {
action: 'watch',
titles: 'Sandbox',
format: 'json'
},
api = new mw.Api();
api.postWithToken( 'watch', params ).done( function ( data ) {
console.log( data );
} );
Parameter history
- v1.25: Deprecated
uselang - v1.23:
- Introduced
continue,title,pageids,revids,generator,redirects,converttitles - Deprecated
title
- Introduced
- v1.21: Introduced
uselang
Additional notes
- When running the sample code via a bot, make sure that the bot has the Edit your watchlist option set to
true, by visiting the Special:BotPasswords page. - This module uses CSRF tokens, not watchlist tokens. CSRF tokens are generally used for POST requests and wiki-modifying actions throughout the Action API, whereas watchlist tokens are used specifically to view another user's watchlist.
- Unlike API:Watchlist, which allows you to read an account's private watchlist without logging in, this module requires you to log directly into the account you want to alter.
See also
- API:Watchlist - gets a watchlist
- API:Watchlist feed - gets an RSS or Atom feed of a user's watchlist