API:Block
 | This page is part of the MediaWiki Action API documentation. |
| MediaWiki version: | ≥ 1.12 |
POST request to block or unblock a user.
Blocking users
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 token. This token is equal to the edit token and changes at every login.
- Send a POST request, with the token, to block a user.
POST request
Example of blocking a user for 1 day, disabling account creation and email
api.php?
Response
{
"block": {
"user": "Example",
"userID": 2,
"expiry": "2015-02-25T07:27:50Z",
"id": "8",
"reason": "Time out",
"nocreate": "",
"noemail": ""
}
}
Sample code of blocking users
Python
#!/usr/bin/python3
"""
block_user.py
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Block` module: sending POST request to block user
MIT license
"""
import requests
S = requests.Session()
URL = "https://test.wikipedia.org/w/api.php"
# Step 1: GET request to fetch login token
PARAMS_0 = {
"action": "query",
"meta": "tokens",
"type": "login",
"format": "json"
}
R = S.get(url=URL, params=PARAMS_0)
DATA = R.json()
LOGIN_TOKEN = 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
PARAMS_1 = {
"action": "login",
"lgname": "your_bot_username",
"lgpassword": "your_bot_password",
"lgtoken": LOGIN_TOKEN,
"format": "json"
}
R = S.post(URL, data=PARAMS_1)
# Step 3: GET request to fetch CSRF token
PARAMS_2 = {
"action": "query",
"meta": "tokens",
"format": "json"
}
R = S.get(url=URL, params=PARAMS_2)
DATA = R.json()
CSRF_TOKEN = DATA['query']['tokens']['csrftoken']
# Step 4: POST request to block user
PARAMS_3 = {
"action": "block",
"user": "Example",
"expiry": "2015-02-25T07:27:50Z",
"reason": "Time out",
"token": CSRF_TOKEN,
"format": "json"
}
R = S.post(URL, data=PARAMS_3)
DATA = R.json()
print(DATA)
PHP
<?php
/*
block_user.php
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Block` module: sending POST request to block user
MIT license
*/
$endPoint = "http://dev.wiki.local.wmftest.net:8080/w/api.php";
$login_Token = getLoginToken(); // Step 1
loginRequest( $login_Token ); // Step 2
$csrf_Token = getCSRFToken(); // Step 3
block( $csrf_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 CSRF token
function getCSRFToken() {
global $endPoint;
$params3 = [
"action" => "query",
"meta" => "tokens",
"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"]["csrftoken"];
}
// Step 4: POST request to block user
function block( $csrftoken ) {
global $endPoint;
$params4 = [
"action" => "block",
"user" => "ABCD",
"expiry" => "2020-02-25T07:27:50Z",
"reason" => "API Test",
"token" => $csrftoken,
"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
/*
block_user.js
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Block` module: sending POST request to block user
MIT license
*/
var request = require('request').defaults({jar: true}),
url = "http://dev.wiki.local.wmftest.net:8080/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 CSRF token
function getCsrfToken() {
var params_2 = {
action: "query",
meta: "tokens",
format: "json"
};
request.get({ url: url, qs: params_2 }, function(error, res, body) {
if (error) {
return;
}
var data = JSON.parse(body);
block(data.query.tokens.csrftoken);
});
}
// Step 4: POST request to block user
function block(csrf_token) {
var params_3 = {
action: "block",
user: "ABCDEF",
expiry: "2020-02-25T07:27:50Z",
reason: "API Test",
token: csrf_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
/*
block_user.js
MediaWiki API Demos
Demo of `Block` module: sending POST request to block user
MIT License
*/
var params = {
action: 'block',
user: 'ABCD',
expiry: '2020-02-25T07:27:50Z',
reason: 'API Test',
format: 'json'
},
api = new mw.Api();
api.postWithToken( 'csrf', params ).done( function ( data ) {
console.log( data );
} );
Unblocking users
API documentation
Example
POST request
Unblocking Example and apologizing
api.php?
Response
{
"id": "16",
"user": "Example",
"userid": 2,
"reason": "Sorry Example"
}
Possible errors
| Code (Blocking) | Info |
|---|---|
| alreadyblocked | The user you tried to block was already blocked |
| cantblock | You don't have permission to block users. |
| cantblock-email | You don't have permission to block users from sending email through the wiki. |
| canthide | You don't have permission to hide usernames from the block log.
This feature has to be enabled explicitly in LocalSettings.php.
|
| invalidexpiry | Invalid expiry time |
| invalidip | Invalid IP address specified |
| invalidrange | Invalid IP range |
| notoken | The token parameter must be set. |
| nouser | The user parameter must be set. |
| pastexpiry | Expiry time "$1" is in the past. |
| permissiondenied | You don't have permission to block users.
On most wikis, blocking users is restricted to sysops, but other wikis may have stricter rules.
|
| rangedisabled | Blocking IP ranges has been disabled |
| Code (Unblocking) | Info |
|---|---|
| notarget | Either the ID or the user parameter must be set |
| notoken | The token parameter must be set. |
| idanduser | The ID and user parameters can't be used together |
| blockedasrange | IP address "address" was blocked as part of range "range". You can't unblock the IP individually, but you can unblock the range as a whole. |
| cantunblock | The block you specified was not found. It may have been unblocked already |
| permissiondenied | You don't have permission to unblock users.
On most wikis, unblocking users is restricted to sysops, but other wikis may have different rules.
|
Parameter history
- 1.29: Introduced
tags - 1.21: Removed
gettoken - 1.20: Deprecated
gettoken - 1.18: Introduced
watchuser - 1.14: Introduced
allowusertalk,reblock
See also
- API:User group membership - Add or remove users from a group
- API:Blocks - Lists all blocks