API:Watchlist feed

This page is part of the MediaWiki Action API documentation.

MediaWiki version:

≥ 1.9

GET request that returns a Manual:Watchlist feed.

API documentation

The following documentation is the output of Special:ApiHelp/feedwatchlist, automatically generated by the pre-release version of MediaWiki that is running on this site (MediaWiki.org).

action=feedwatchlist

(main | feedwatchlist)

This module requires read rights.
Source: MediaWiki
License: GPL-2.0-or-later

Returns a watchlist feed.

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/API:Watchlist_feed

Specific parameters:

Other general parameters are available.

feedformat

The format of the feed.

One of the following values: atom, rss

Default: rss

hours

List pages modified within this many hours from now.

Type: integer

The value must be between 1 and 72.

Default: 24

linktosections

Link directly to changed sections if possible.

Type: boolean (details)

allrev

Include multiple revisions of the same page within given timeframe.

Type: boolean (details)

wlowner

Used along with token to access a different user's watchlist.

Type: user, by username

wltoken

A security token (available in the user's preferences) to allow access to another user's watchlist.

wlshow

Show only items that meet these criteria. For example, to see only minor edits done by logged-in users, set show=minor|!anon.

Values (separate with | or alternative): !anon, !autopatrolled, !bot, !minor, !patrolled, !unread, anon, autopatrolled, bot, minor, patrolled, unread

wltype

Which types of changes to show:

edit: Regular page edits.
new: Page creations.
log: Log entries.
external: External changes.
categorize: Category membership changes.

Values (separate with | or alternative): categorize, edit, external, log, new

Default: edit|new|log|categorize

wlexcludeuser

Don't list changes by this user.

Type: user, by any of username, IP, Temporary user, interwiki name (e.g. "prefix>ExampleName") and user ID (e.g. "#12345")

Examples:

Show the watchlist feed.: api.php?action=feedwatchlist [open in sandbox]
Show all changes to watched pages in the past 6 hours.: api.php?action=feedwatchlist&allrev=&hours=6 [open in sandbox]

Example

If no user is specified via the wlowner parameter, this API defaults to showing you your own watchlist feed -- or, at least, the watchlist feed of the account you are currently logged in as.

GET request

Get the watchlist feed for the account making the request.

api.php?action=feedwatchlist [try in ApiSandbox]

Response

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
    <channel>
        <title>Wikipedia - Watchlist [en]</title>
	<link>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Watchlist</link>
	<description>Watchlist</description>
	<language>en</language>
	<generator>MediaWiki 1.33.0-wmf.13</generator>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 22 Jan 2019 16:20:52 GMT</lastBuildDate>
        <item>
            <title>Article on Watchlist</title>
            ...
        </item>
    </channel>
</rss>

Sample code

Python

#!/usr/bin/python3

"""
    get_my_watchlist_feed.py

    MediaWiki API Demos
    Demo of `Feedwatchlist` module: Get the watchlist feed
    for the account making the request.
    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://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": "user_name",
    "lgpassword": "password",
    "format": "json",
    "lgtoken": LOGIN_TOKEN
}

R = S.post(URL, data=PARAMS_2)

# Step 3: Request the account's own watchlist feed
PARAMS_3 = {
    "action": "feedwatchlist"
}

R = S.get(url=URL, params=PARAMS_3)
DATA = R.text

print(DATA)

PHP

<?php

/*
    get_my_watchlist_feed.php

    MediaWiki API Demos
    Demo of `Feedwatchlist` module: Get the watchlist feed
	for the account making the request.

    MIT license
*/

$endPoint = "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php";

$login_Token = getLoginToken(); // Step 1
loginRequest( $login_Token ); // Step 2
get_watchlist_feed(); // Step 3

// 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: Request the account's own watchlist feed
function get_watchlist_feed() {
	global $endPoint;

	$params3 = [
		"action" => "feedwatchlist",
		"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 );

	echo( $output );
}

JavaScript

/* 
    get_my_watchlist_feed.js
 
    MediaWiki API Demos
    Demo of `Feedwatchlist` module: Get the watchlist feed 
    for the account making the request.

    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_1 = {
        action: "query",
        meta: "tokens",
        type: "login",
        format: "json"
    };

    request.get({ url: url, qs: params_1 }, function(error, res, body) {
        if (error) {
            return;
        }
        var data = JSON.parse(body);
        loginRequest(data.query.tokens.logintoken);
    });
}

// Step2: Send a post request to login. 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_2 = {
        action: "login",
        lgname: "bot_username",
        lgpassword: "bot_password",
        lgtoken: login_token,
        format: "json"
    };

    request.post({
        url: url, 
        form: params_2,
    }, function(error, res, body) {
        if (error) {
            return;
        }
        getWatchlistFeed();
    });
}

// Step 3: Request the account's own watchlist feed
function getWatchlistFeed() {
    var params_3 = {
        action: "feedwatchlist"
    };

    request.get({ url: url, qs: params_3 }, function(error, res, body) {
        if (error) {
            return;
        }
        console.log(body);
    });
}

// Start From Step 1
getLoginToken();

Parameter history

v1.27: Introduced wltype: categorize
v1.25: Introduced wlshow: unread, wlshow: !unread
v1.24: Deprecated linktodiffs
v1.22: Introduced wltype
v1.19: Introduced wlexcludeuser
v1.17: Introduced linktodiffs
v1.16: Introduced wltoken, wlowner
v1.12: Introduced allrev
v1.11: Introduced hours

Additional notes

This API also allows you to access another user's watchlist feed, via their private watchlist token. You can view or reset your own watchlist token by visiting Special:Preferences, under "Manage tokens".
The wlexcludeuser parameter only accepts one value; it is not possible to exclude multiple users in a single query.
This API does not return JSON -- the response will always be an xml object representing the feed, regardless of whether you add format=json to your query.
The feed only displays the most recently modified pages. You will not be able to view pages modified more than 72 hours ago via the API.
Although ordinary accounts are granted the right to view their own watchlist by default, bots work differently. You must manually grant the bot this right yourself. You can do so by checking off the "View your own watchlist" right on Special:BotPasswords.