 | This is ahumorousessay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors and is made to be humorous. This page is not one ofWikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not beenthoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.This essay isn't meant to be taken seriously. |
Awikibreak,wikiholiday,wikivacation, orleave of wiki-absence is a period when even awikipediholic must be parted fromWikipedia, although possibly only temporarily.
The pain involved varies fromWikipedian to Wikipedian. Some find it easy to endure, whereas others find the separation agonizing and painful. Often the latter find themselves grasping at any opportunity to go online "just to checkwhat's going on".
The degree of coercion also varies. Some remarkable individuals are actually capable of taking avoluntary wikiholiday: they are to be admired for their strength and assertiveness of character. Some people have toenforce their departure for their own good. Others still are forced into it through circumstances beyond their control: it is often at such times that wikiholics discover their condition.
When taking a wikibreak, it is a good idea to inform your wikifriends that you are not active and indicate when you might be back. You can use the wikibreak template for this purpose. Let's sayExample wants to go on wikibreak until Christmas. They would then place{{wikibreak|Example|on December 25.}} on the top of their user or talk pages, and it produces:
 | Example is taking a shortwikibreak and will be back on Wikipedia on December 25. |
{{wikibreak-in-house}} produces:
 | Wikibreak is involved in Wikipedia training, an editathon,Wikimania, or a similar Wikipedia event. Though they may be editing, they could be too busy to respond to you until the event is over. Your patience will be appreciated. |
To keep a template that you can switch on or off, or even convert into many of the others shown below, use{{WikibreakSwitch|<status>}} where <status> may be OFF, ON, LONG, etc.
If your message isn't covered by any of the templates on this page, you can use the generic{{tmbox}} template to create a similar-looking box containing your text and one or two images.
An alternative for those weaning themselves more slowly from Wikipedia is the '{{Busy}}' template, which is designed for those who are being overtaken by "real" life (if you have one) work. Wikipediholics can use this template to assuage the guilt associated with long breaks from the Wiki. IfExample were using this template, they would place either{{busy|Example}} or{{busy|~~~}} at the top of their user page:
 | Example is busy inreal life and may not respond swiftly to queries. |
A topicon is also availableTemplate:Busy topicon. Use {{Busy topicon}} to use it.
There are times when one is having trouble being able to consistently make contributions for some reason. If you are inconsistently able to make edits, add{{Off and On WikiBreak}} to your userpage, which will produce:
 | Wikibreak is busy and is going to be on Wikipedia in off-and-on doses, and may not respond swiftly to queries. |
When you move to a new location there is no help for it; you have to stop editing until your computer is found or edit from public computers.{{Moving}} produces:
 | Wikibreak is currently in the process ofmoving and will resume normal levels of editing activities once they are done. |
Name auto adjusts as well as width.
When school beckons, use{{At school}} to get:
 | This user is inschool. This user is taking awikibreak and may be away or inactive for varying periods of time. |
When school beckons, but you still have opportunities to edit, use {{At school|occasional=yes}}. It produces:
| This user is inschool. This user is taking awikibreak and may be away or inactive for varying periods of time. |
Note: This template uses even more parameters as well, and has a syntax.Click here for a quick look.
Another template for those who have exams coming up soon, to add it just add{{exams}} at the top of your user page:
| Wikibreak is taking a shortwikibreak to get ready for exams and will be back on Wikipedia once the exams are over. |
Alternatively, you can use{{exams|date}} to specify the date that your exams finish. That will yield:
| Wikibreak is taking a shortwikibreak to get ready for exams and will be back on Wikipedia once the exams are over on date. |
For those of us who are sick or ill and would thus be partially inactive, Wikipedians can use{{user health inactive}} to indicate this.
 | Wikibreak is suffering from health issues. This may affect their ability to work on Wikipedia. Consequently, they may not be able to respond to talk-page messages or e-mails in a timely manner. Your patience is greatly appreciated. |
For those of us whose illness will sadly be likely to lead to their death and would thus be partially inactive, Wikipedians can use{{user terminally ill}} to indicate this.
| This user is experiencing health issues that arereasonably expected to lead to their death. This may affect their ability to work on Wikipedia. Consequently, this user may not be able to respond to talk-page messages or e-mails. Your patience is greatly appreciated. |
For those of us who got injured from an accident and would thus be partially inactive, Wikipedians can use{{user injured}} to indicate this.
| Wikibreak is suffering from injuries. This may affect their ability to work on Wikipedia. Consequently, they may not be able to respond to talk-page messages or e-mails in a timely manner. Your patience for the user's recovery is greatly appreciated. |
For those of us who are struggling withmental illness orpsychological problems and would thus be partially inactive, Wikipedians can use{{User mental health}} to indicate this.
  | Wikibreak iscurrently experiencingmental health issues, which may affect their Wikipedia editing in various ways. They may have difficulty with:
|
Note: NEVER add this to a user page that isn't your page, as this is potentiallylibelous (not to mention cruel).
{{User stress}} produces:
 | Wikibreak is currently experiencing significantstress that may affect their ability to work on Wikipedia. They may choose to work in quieter areas and avoid complicated tasks or areas prone to conflict. They may also respond to talk page or email messages more slowly than usual, and your patience is greatly appreciated. Thank you. |
{{vacation}} produces:
 | Example user is away onvacation and may not respond swiftly to queries. |  |
{{vacation|holiday=yes}} produces:
| Example user is away onholiday and may not respond swiftly to queries. | |
{{vacation|[[User:John Doe|John]]|from=08 April 2025|until=22 April 2025}} produces:
| John will be away onvacation until 22 April 2025 and may not respond swiftly to queries. | |
{{out of town}} produces:
 | Wikibreak isout of town and may not respond to queries. | |
{{out of town|fishing=yes}} produces:
 | Wikibreakhas gone fishin' and may not respond to queries. | |
{{Computer death}} produces:
 | Wikibreak is temporarily without a computer, so they are taking a shortwikibreak. |
{{No Internet}} produces:
 | Wikibreak has no Internet access and will be taking awikibreak of indeterminate length. |
{{No-power}} produces:
 | Wikibreak is experiencing a power outage and has no immediately available Internet access. As such, they will be taking awikibreak of indeterminate length. |
{{Storm-break|storm=foo}} produces:
 | Wikibreak might go on awikibreak due to impending weather related tofoo and will be back at their earliest convenience. |
If you are suffering a loss and you are grieving, you may use{{User grieving}}.
 | Wikibreak has recently suffered a significant loss and isgrieving. Consequently, their ability to work on Wikipedia and their time available to do so may be affected – an unplanned shortwikibreak is also possible. Your patience with delays in handling Wikipedia responsibilities and in responding to talk page messages or e-mails is appreciated, as is your compassion and understanding. Thank you. |
{{bonked}} produces:
 | Wikibreakis currentlywikibonked and is operating at a lower edit level than usual.Hitting the wall is a temporary condition, and the user should return to normal edit levels in time. |
The{{bonked|superbonked=yes}} can be used when you have been wikibonked so much that you will have to leave Wikipedia.
| Wikibreakis currentlysowikibonked that they have gone tosleep.Hitting the wall is a temporary condition, and therefore the user should return to Wikipedia in time. |
{{User contempt}} produces:
 | Wikibreak is currently experiencingcontempt and may temporarily be less active on Wikipedia. |
For those users who have been disheartened by the wikiprocess through failure, edit wars, bullying, and other acts of not assuming good faith towards the user. They may also be suffering from a sense ofwikifailure. Wikipedians displaying{{Discouraged}} may periodically check their watchlist, but will not engage in editing. Wikipedians will typically return to their regular contributing activity once their faith in the wikicommunity has been restored or their existential wikistress has been resolved.
 | Wikibreak is currently feelingdiscouraged about Wikipedia and is taking an off-and-onwikibreak due to loss of motivation. Your help in cheering this user up would be appreciated. |
{{User frustrated}} produces:
 | Wikibreak is currentlyfrustrated and may be unresponsive to certain discussions. |
{{Personal issues}} produces:
| Due to personal issues, Wikibreak will be away from Wikipedia for an undefined period of time. |
 | This section containsmaterial that is kept because it is consideredhumorous. Such material is not meant to be taken seriously. |
A semi-wikibreak is a Wikibreak taken by Wikipedians who are not fully on a wikibreak but are not fully editing. There are many possible reasons for asemi-wikibreak, such as:
{{Wikibreak|type=semi}} produces:
| Wikibreak is taking asemi-wikibreak and will fully return to Wikipedia later. |
We hope this never happens, but sometimes good things must come to an end. If you are retiring from Wikipedia you can use the{{retired}} template.
{{Retired|EXAMPLE}} produces:
{{Semi-retired}} produces:
{{Almost retired}} produces:
