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To change MediaWiki’s menus and system labels, open the Language Settings panel or Special:Preferences, choose an interface language, and save. This changes controls such as Edit, Talk, and navigation messages; it normally does not translate the article or page text. Logged-out visitors can make a request-level change with a uselang URL parameter, while administrators can add a site-wide language menu with the LanguageSelector extension.
What “interface language” means in MediaWiki
MediaWiki has separate language layers. The interface layer contains software-generated text: menus, buttons, tabs, labels, links, warnings, preference headings, and other system messages. The content layer is the text written on the page you are reading. Selecting German, French, Japanese, or another interface language changes the first layer, not automatically the second.
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- Interface messages: MediaWiki controls and system text can appear in the selected language when a translation is available.
- Page content: An article, help page, or wiki document usually remains in the language in which that page was written.
- Page language and variants: A wiki can define a page’s content language or offer language variants independently of your personal interface setting.
- Fonts and input methods: Universal Language Selector (ULS) may also offer web-font and keyboard/input-method controls. Those settings are separate from display language.
This separation explains the common result in which the buttons change language but the article does not. It is normal behavior, not a failed translation.
Interface translation is also message-by-message. A wiki may have a complete translation for common controls but leave a newer extension message in the site’s default language. Your account setting does not create missing translations; it only tells MediaWiki which available messages to request.
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Change the interface language while signed in
On Wikimedia projects and other wikis that enable Universal Language Selector, a logged-in user normally has a persistent language preference. The exact location depends on the skin, whether the wiki has interlanguage links, and which extensions are enabled.
Use the Language Settings panel
- Sign in. Wikimedia’s interface-language selector is generally available to logged-in users. If you are not signed in, use the temporary URL method described later.
- Open Language Settings. Look in the sidebar’s language area. On a wiki without interlanguage links, the entry may instead be in the personal toolbar or account menu. Skins can place this control differently.
- Open the display-language section. Depending on the version and skin, this may be labeled Display, Language, or a similar tab within the panel.
- Choose a language. Select it from the short list. If it is not shown, open the extended language list or use the panel’s search control.
- Apply the choice. Confirm or save the selection when prompted. Reloading the current page can make remaining cached labels update.
The Universal Language Selector FAQ describes this function directly: “The language used to display the MediaWiki interface messages can be changed using the Language Settings panel of ULS.” The setting is associated with your account, so it normally follows you when you sign in on that wiki again.
The preference is per wiki account. Changing the language on one Wikimedia project does not necessarily change it on a separately installed wiki or on another account. If several tabs are open, refresh them after saving so each request uses the new setting. A page that was already rendered or held in a browser cache may show old labels until it is reloaded.
Use Special:Preferences
The preference page is a useful fallback when the selector is hard to find or when you want to inspect the account setting directly.
- Open
Special:Preferenceson the wiki. You can usually reach it through your account menu, or enter the special-page address directly. - Open the User profile or Internationalisation section. The wording varies by MediaWiki release and installed extensions.
- Find the preference for interface, display, or user language.
- Select the desired language from the available list.
- Save the page or use the confirmation control provided by the wiki.
MediaWiki’s preferences help documentation summarizes the route as: “From your preferences you can select what language you would like the interface to be in.” After saving, controls such as Edit and Talk should use the selected interface language when translations exist.
If the page has several language-related controls, choose the one describing the interface or user language, not a content-language or input-method option. Browser language, keyboard layout, and page-language settings can coexist with the interface preference and do different jobs.
Change the language without logging in
An anonymous visitor cannot rely on an account preference, but MediaWiki supports a request-level override through the uselang URL parameter. Add a language code to the page address, for example:
https://example.org/wiki/Main_Page?uselang=deReplace de with the language code you need and replace the example host and page with the wiki you are visiting. The parameter affects the interface messages generated for that request. It does not translate the page body, create an account preference, or guarantee that the choice will persist on later pages.
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To return to the wiki’s normal behavior, remove ?uselang=de from the address. If the URL already has a query string, append the parameter with &uselang=de instead of adding a second question mark.
For example, a search URL such as /w/index.php?title=Help:Contents becomes /w/index.php?title=Help:Contents&uselang=fr. Use the language code accepted by that wiki; a code that is valid in MediaWiki may still be omitted from a site’s offered language list. URL encoding should be left intact when you copy a link from a browser.
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https://example.org/wiki/Main_Page?uselang=qqxWith qqx, many interface strings expose their system-message identifiers rather than ordinary translated text. Administrators and translators can use those identifiers to locate an untranslated or incorrectly configured message. It is a troubleshooting view, not a normal reading language.
Provide a language menu for all visitors (administrator method)
A self-hosted wiki that needs a visible language selector for both anonymous and logged-in visitors can deploy the LanguageSelector extension. This is a site configuration change, not a personal preference.
Install and load the extension
- Place the LanguageSelector extension directory in the wiki’s
extensions/directory. - Add this line to
LocalSettings.php:
wfLoadExtension( 'LanguageSelector' );- Configure the language codes offered to visitors and any detection behavior in
LocalSettings.php, following the extension’s documented configuration options. - Open
Special:Versionand verify that LanguageSelector appears in the installed extensions list. - Test the selector while logged in and in a private browser window where no account session is present.
The extension can use the browser’s Accept-Language information and cookies for anonymous visitors. Detection mode and the offered language list should be chosen deliberately: automatic browser detection and a manually selected cookie preference can produce different results.
Only offer languages that the wiki is prepared to maintain. A selector entry can change menus even when many extension or local-wiki messages have no translation, so explain that limitation in the site’s help text. Keep a backup of LocalSettings.php and deploy the extension in a staging copy first; a configuration typo can prevent the wiki from loading.
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LanguageSelector’s documentation warns that anonymous detection and cookie preferences may not work correctly when pages are cached or served through a reverse proxy. A cache can return a page generated for one language to a visitor who requested another. Before enabling the feature site-wide:
- Test first visits with several browser language settings.
- Test a visitor who changes the language and then opens multiple pages.
- Check whether the cache varies responses appropriately or bypasses caching where the extension requires it.
- Repeat the tests through the actual production proxy or CDN, not only on the origin server.
If the anonymous choice repeatedly disappears or pages show a previous visitor’s language, inspect cache keys, cookie handling, and proxy configuration before changing MediaWiki translation settings. Clear existing cache entries after configuration changes, and verify that a logged-in test is not masking an anonymous caching problem.
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Which method should you use?
| Method | Who can use it | Persistence | Scope | Operational dependencies | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language Settings panel | Logged-in users on wikis with ULS | Account preference | Interface messages | ULS enabled; location varies by skin and wiki layout | Open the panel and select another language |
Special:Preferences |
Logged-in users | Account preference | Interface messages | Preference section and labels vary by MediaWiki version and extensions | Change the preference again or restore the prior value |
uselang URL parameter |
Anonymous or logged-in visitors | Request-level override | Interface messages for the addressed request | Correct language code; behavior across later pages depends on the wiki and extensions | Delete the parameter from the URL |
| LanguageSelector extension | Wiki administrators configuring a menu for visitors | Site configuration, with cookies or browser detection for anonymous users | Interface selection for site visitors | Extension installation, configuration, and cache/proxy testing | Change configuration or disable the extension, then verify in Special:Version |
For a one-time check, the URL override is fastest. For regular work, an account preference is easier to recover and follows you on that wiki. The extension is appropriate only when you control the installation and need anonymous visitors to choose a language without editing links manually.
Why the language selector is missing
You are logged out
Many Wikimedia wikis expose the full interface-language preference only to signed-in users. Sign in and look again, or use uselang for a temporary change.
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The wiki does not provide ULS
ULS is an enabled feature, not a universal part of every MediaWiki installation. A self-hosted wiki may omit it or use a different language extension. In that case, check Special:Preferences for an interface-language field or ask an administrator whether a language selector is installed.
The skin moved the control
Language links may appear in the sidebar, personal toolbar, account menu, or another area depending on the skin and whether the page has interlanguage links. Search the page for “Language,” “Languages,” or “Language settings,” then check the account menu if the sidebar has no language area.
Mobile and desktop skins can expose different navigation. The absence of a sidebar link does not prove that language support is disabled; open the personal menu or the preferences page directly.
Why your language is not in the list
Open the extended language list or use the selector’s search box before concluding that a translation is unavailable. Administrators can intentionally restrict the offered languages, and a wiki may have translations for only part of the interface. A language code can also be valid in MediaWiki while not being enabled by that particular site or extension.
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Even when a language is listed, some messages may fall back to the wiki’s default language. This is especially noticeable in newly installed extensions or custom messages. Switching back and forth will not fill those gaps; an administrator or translator must supply the missing message translation.
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Menus changed, but the article did not
This is the expected result when you changed only the interface language. MediaWiki renders software messages and page content through separate systems. The selected language can change navigation, tabs, buttons, and warnings while leaving the article’s paragraphs untouched.
To read content in another language, use a translated page or an interlanguage link when the wiki provides one. A page’s language, content-language setting, and language variants are separate from your personal interface preference, so changing uselang is not a page-translation command.
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A uselang URL is intentionally temporary and may not carry over when you open a clean link. For a site using LanguageSelector, a selection that resets between pages can indicate cookie or cache handling rather than a missing translation.
- Confirm whether the problem occurs only when logged out. If logged-in users retain the setting, focus on anonymous handling.
- Check that the browser accepts the site’s cookies and that a privacy tool is not deleting them immediately.
- Test with a private window and several pages to separate browser state from site behavior.
- Ask the administrator to inspect reverse-proxy and page-cache rules. The extension’s anonymous detection and cookie preferences can be unreliable when cached responses do not vary correctly.
If only one link loses the language, inspect that link for a missing parameter or a redirect that strips the query string. If every page resets, the likely causes are cookie scope, cache variation, or an extension detection mode rather than the selected language code.
Fix missing characters or “tofu” boxes
If translated labels appear as empty squares or boxes, the problem is usually a missing glyph in the available font, not a bad language selection. The ULS FAQ calls these boxes “tofu.”
- Enable an available web font through the wiki’s font controls if ULS offers one.
- Install a local font that contains the required script when you control the device.
- Try another browser or operating-system font configuration to confirm that the issue is local to the device.
A font change does not alter the selected interface language; it only supplies characters needed to display it. Input methods are likewise separate: enabling a keyboard or input tool helps you type a script but does not translate existing labels or article text.
Find untranslated messages with qqx
When one label remains in the wrong language, append ?uselang=qqx (or &uselang=qqx if the URL already contains parameters). The page can then show system-message IDs in place of ordinary labels. Record the identifier and give it to the wiki administrator or translator; it identifies the message that needs investigation.
After diagnosing the message, remove qqx to return to normal display. The identifier view is intended for troubleshooting and does not itself add a translation. If only a custom skin or extension label is affected, include the skin or extension name when reporting the message so the administrator can inspect the correct configuration.
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Administrator checklist before enabling a selector
- Confirm the extension version is compatible with the wiki’s MediaWiki version.
- Place the extension in
extensions/and load it fromLocalSettings.php. - Limit the offered language codes to those the site intends to support.
- Choose browser detection, cookie behavior, or another supported mode deliberately.
- Verify installation in
Special:Version. - Test logged-in and anonymous sessions separately.
- Test through every production cache and reverse proxy.
- Check that selecting a language changes interface messages without implying that page content has been translated.
Quick decision guide
- You have an account and want a lasting personal setting: use Language Settings or
Special:Preferences. - You are visiting briefly or cannot sign in: append
uselang=<language-code>to the page URL. - You administer a self-hosted wiki and need a public menu: install and configure LanguageSelector, then test cache and proxy behavior.
- You need the article itself translated: look for a translated page, interlanguage link, page-language variant, or a separate translation workflow; interface-language controls do not perform that task.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change MediaWiki’s interface language without logging in?
Yes. Add a language code such as ?uselang=de to the page URL. It changes interface messages for that request, but it is not an account preference and may not persist when you open another link.
Why did the menus change but the article stay in the original language?
MediaWiki treats interface messages and page content as separate layers. Language settings translate controls, tabs, and system text; they do not translate the paragraphs of an article. Open a translated page or use an interlanguage link for different content.
Where is the Language Settings panel?
On many Wikimedia sites it is in the sidebar language area. On a wiki without interlanguage links, the control may be in the personal toolbar or account menu, and skins can move it. If you cannot find it, open Special:Preferences.
What should I do when my language is missing?
Open the extended language list or search control first. The site may restrict its offered languages, or only part of MediaWiki may be translated. If it remains unavailable, ask the administrator to enable it or select another listed language.
Why does my anonymous language choice keep resetting?
A URL override is request-level by design. On a wiki using LanguageSelector, resets can also result from blocked cookies, page caching, a reverse proxy, or a cache that does not vary responses by language. Administrators should test those layers in production.
What does uselang=qqx do?
It replaces many ordinary interface labels with their system-message identifiers. Use it to identify an untranslated or incorrectly configured message, then remove the parameter to return to normal reading.
Why do translated labels appear as square boxes?
Those “tofu” boxes usually mean the device lacks a font glyph for the selected script. Enable a suitable ULS web font or install a local font. This is a font issue, not a failed language preference.
Can an administrator add a language menu for logged-out visitors?
Yes. Install the LanguageSelector extension in extensions/, load it with wfLoadExtension( 'LanguageSelector' ); in LocalSettings.php, configure offered languages and detection, and verify it in Special:Version. Test browser detection, cookies, caches, and reverse proxies before rollout.
The Bottom Line
Use Language Settings or Special:Preferences for a persistent logged-in choice, uselang for a temporary URL-level override, and LanguageSelector when you administer a wiki that needs a public menu. These methods change MediaWiki’s interface messages—not the language of the article itself.
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