Help:Archiving
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In order to clean up talk pages and keep discussions focussed, it is necessary to archive entire talk pages from time to time. Archiving is generally done after a discussion page has ten or more sections, but this may vary depending on the length of each section. Archiving is quite simple to do and is made easier through the use of the {{Talk archive}} template.
Archiving a page for the first time
If the discussion has never been archived before, follow these steps to create a new archive.
- 1. First, open the page you are archiving for editing and copy all the code for the page. Save this code to a document for safe keeping.
- 2. Add the template to the top of the page:
{{Talk archive
| arc1name = Archive 1
| arc1link = Talk:PageName/Archive 1
}}
- 3. Remove all the content from the page, except any headers or templates that are still necessary, such as the header on the Wiki Discussion page.
- Note: Be sure to create an edit summary that explains that you are archiving the page.
- 4. Save your changes, this will create the template on the page, now with a link to a page that does not exist.
- 5. Open the page that does not yet exist by clicking the red link in the Talk archive template. This page is the new archive.
- 6. Paste all the code from the page you are archiving and save it to the new page.
Now the discussion page should be blank except for the archive template and any headers, and the template should link to the archived discussion.
Adding a new archive
If the discussion page already has been archived once before, your job is made easier.
- 1. Open the discussion page for editing and copy all the code for the page except the talk archive template and any headers. Save this code to a document for safe keeping.
- 2. Add two more lines to the Talk archive template to create a new archive:
{{Talk archive
| arc1name = Archive 1
| arc1link = Talk:PageName/Archive 1
| arc2name = Archive 2
| arc2link = Talk:PageName/Archive 2
}}
- 3. Remove all the content from the page, except any headers or templates that are still necessary, such as the header on the Wiki Discussion page.
- Note: Be sure to create an edit summary that explains that you are archiving the page.
- 4. Save your changes, this will add the new link to the template, which links to a page that does not exist.
- 5. Open the page that does not yet exist by clicking the red link in the Talk archive template. This page is the new archive.
- 6. Paste all the code from the page you are archiving and save it to the new page.
Now the discussion page should be blank except for the archive template and any headers, and the template should link to the archived discussions.
