View source for Vero - Wikipedia:Double redirects

{{Short description|Project page about double redirects}}
{{redirect-distinguish-for|WP:2R|WP:DBR||Wikipedia:RR (disambiguation)}}
{{information page|shortcut1=WP:2R|shortcut2=WP:DblR|shortcut3=WP:2RE|shortcut4=WP:2REDIR|shortcut5=WP:DOUBLE}}
{{nutshell|A double redirect is a redirect to another redirect. The MediaWiki software is not  programmed to follow these redirects. Double redirects are easily fixed by bots, and human editors should devote their efforts elsewhere. However, an editor should not leave behind the double redirects that they created themselves.}}

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A [[Wikipedia:Redirect|redirect]] is a special type of page that automatically causes another page to be displayed in its place. The displayed page is called a '''redirect target'''. A redirect that points to another redirect is called a '''double redirect'''. These pages are unwanted, because Wikipedia's MediaWiki software is currently configured to not follow the second redirect. The MediaWiki feature that would have allowed it [[phab:T32359|is declined]] as it is too hard to implement. If a page is redirected to a redirect, the chain stops after the first redirect, like in [[Wikipedia:Example of a double redirect|the example]]. These situations create unpleasant experiences for the reader and make the navigational structure of the site confusing.

Double redirects are usually created after a [[Wikipedia:Moving a page|page move]], when old redirects are left unchanged and pointing towards an old name. Although bots fix most of these within a few days from creation automatically, editors should take care not to manually create double redirects.

== How to fix a double redirect ==
{{shortcut|WP:A2R}} <!-- "avoid double redirect" is a useful edit summary -->
[[Image:Double-redirect.jpg|thumb|An example double redirect, having since been corrected by redirecting ''Morchella esculenta'' directly to ''Morchella'' without using ''Morel'' as a half-way point.]]
* Suppose page title A (''Morchella esculenta'' in the example to the right) redirects to B (''Morel''), in turn redirecting to C (''Morchella'').
* Upon following the link to A, you will see, as illustrated, a page containing:
** the page title B;
** a large link to C;
** a small notice saying "Redirected from A"
* Click the "A" in "redirected from A".
* You will see a page containing:
** the page title A;
** a large link to B.
* Click "Edit source" (or "Edit", if no "Edit source" tab is available) and change B to C.
* Consider using [[Template:R avoided double redirect]] to categorize A and inform other editors about its relation to B.

== Double redirects and bots ==
Double redirects are easily and automatically fixed by bots, and most are fixed within a few days of creation. Because of this, human editors would be best-off putting their time on other tasks that cannot be automated. However, bots cannot fix a double redirect if the redirect page is [[Wikipedia:Protection policy#Full protection|fully protected]]. The following bots fix double redirects:

{{BotS/Top}}
{{BotS|AvicBot|Avicennasis|inactive|Fixing double redirects, other tasks|22 July 2011}}
{{BotS|EmausBot|Emaus|active|Resolve double redirects|9 January 2011}}
{{BotS|RussBot|R'n'B|active|Fixing double redirects and disambiguation links,<br/>maintaining [[WP:DPM]], maintaining redirected categories|2 June 2005|[[Wikipedia talk:Bots/Archive 7#RussBot|1]]&nbsp;·&nbsp;[[Wikipedia talk:Bots/Archive 12#RussBot: proposed expansion|2]]}}
{{BotS|Xqbot|Xqt|active|Fixing double redirects, other tasks|13 December 2009}}
{{BotS/Bottom}}

This list was compiled from [[Wikipedia:Bots/Status]].

== Lists ==
Current list:
* [[Special:DoubleRedirects]]
** Alternate link showing <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:DoubleRedirects&limit=1000 1000 entries]</span>

Old lists:
* {{Section link|Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/Computing/Early#Cleanup projects}}

==Checking for double redirects==
Suppose you want to check whether there are any double redirects to page C.  Go to page C and click "What links here" (usually the first link in the "Toolbox" on the left-hand side of the page).  Double (or multiple) redirects are those pages appearing in the list with both of these properties:
*Indented at least one level in comparison to the page at the top of the list, {{em|{{strong|AND}}}}
*Labelled "''(redirect page)''".
Note that if you've just moved page C, then there might be only one page that is not indented, (the page at the top of the list), and everything else might be indented at least one level.

Once all double redirects have been fixed, the "What links here" page will have only three types of pages listed:
#Direct links from ordinary pages (not indented, {{em|{{strong|not}}}} labelled "''(redirect page)''").
#Direct links from redirect pages (not indented; labelled "''(redirect page)''").
#Indirect links from ordinary pages (indented one level, {{em|{{strong|not}}}} labelled "''(redirect page)''").

The first and third categories do not need to be fixed – see {{Section link|Wikipedia:Redirect#Do not "fix" links to redirects that are not broken}}.

== When MediaWiki will not automatically follow a redirect ==
{{anchor|When your computer will not follow a redirect}}<!-- anchored to keep section links to this section still come up to this art of this page (section renamed by LikeLakers2) -->
MediaWiki will not follow a redirect if:

*there are double redirects
*it is a redirect to a Special page
*it is a redirect to a non-existent page
*it is a redirect to an interwiki page{{efn|In the [[foundation:|Foundation Wiki]], it could redirect to a interwiki page in the past, but it cannot do so anymore.}}

==See also==
* [[Help:Self link]]
* [[Special:BrokenRedirects]]
* [[Special:DoubleRedirects]]
* [[Wikipedia:Example of a double redirect]]

==Notes==
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[[Category:Wikipedia maintenance|{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Wikipedia redirecting|{{PAGENAME}}]]