Template:Backlog

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This is the {{backlog}} message box.

It can be put at the top of pages and categories that have a backlog which require attention. A backlog is a list of things that need to be done and that have not been done for some time.

This template puts the pages into Category:Wikipedia backlog, where any editor can see where work needs to be done.

Usage

Usually this template is used without any parameters, then it is always visible until it is manually removed. Like this:

{{backlog}}

Which renders like this:

This template automatically shows the appropriate style depending on what kind of page it is shown on. The style above is for "other" pages such as "Wikipedia:" pages, and the style shown in the examples below is for category pages.

Autoreport

Often it is more efficient to handle several cases in a backlog at a time, since then we are up to speed with what needs to be done. Thus we often don't want to know about a backlog until it has reached some size.

When this template is placed on a category page it can count the number of items in the category (pages + images + subcategories). Then it can be set to automatically only report when the number of items is above some limit. The autoreport limit can be set to whatever value you prefer. Like this:

{{backlog|10}}

If the category has 10 or more items this template will render like this:

This page has a backlog that requires the attention of willing editors. This notice will hide when this category has fewer than 0 items. ()

(We fed 0 here to make it show in this documentation, but in real usage it would show the value 10.)

But if the category has less than 10 items then this template will not report the page (not categorise it into Category:Wikipedia backlog), and will instead render like this:

If this category has 10 items or more, it will report as a backlog. ()

Note that MediaWiki only parses the code when the category page is re-rendered. That is, when someone views the page and it is more than one week since it was last re-rendered. Thus it can take a week before this template changes when the number of items have changed. (But if no one visits the page then it can take forever.) To get an immediate change you can purge the page, for instance by clicking the () button in the template.

Related templates

• {{admin backlog}} - For backlog items requiring the attention of administrators.
• {{editsemiprotected}} - For requesting assistance from logged in editors (if you don't have an account yourself) to edit a semi-protected page.