MediaWiki version:
≥ 1.14

POST request to add or remove pages from a watchlist.

API documentation

Special:ApiHelp/watch

Example

Making any POST request is a multi-step process:

  1. Log in, via one of the methods described on API:Login.
  2. GET a {{ll|Manual:Edit token|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=tokens with type=watch (MediaWiki 1.20+), or by using the following query:

  3. 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
  • 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
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