Reverting

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To revert a page is to undo all the changes made to that page after a specific time in the past. The result will be a page identical in content to the page as it was saved at that time. Reverting is a decision that should be taken seriously and is primarily used for fighting vandalism. If you are not sure whether reverting is appropriate, discuss it first using the discussion or talk pages rather than immediately reverting or deleting. If you feel an edit is unsatisfactory, try improving it rather than simply reverting or deleting it.


To revert a page to an earlier version:

  • On the page you wish to revert, click on the History tab. Then click on the time and date of the earlier version you intend to revert to. It will not work if you click on 'cur', 'last', or "Compare selected versions".
  • When the page displays, you will see text similar to this: (Revision as of 15:35, 21 December 2006;) at the top of the page below the page's title.
  • You can navigate backwards or forwards through the chronology of changes by using the '←Older revision | Current revision | Newer revision→' links.
  • Verify that you've selected the desired former version of the page, then click a link to edit the page as you would normally.
  • You'll get a prominent warning, displayed above the edit box, about editing an out-of-date revision.
  • Ignore this warning and save the page. Be sure to add the word "revert" (or "rv") to the edit summary.



Icon activity.jpg
Activity
Pseudo Vandalism - Testing the revert feature

In this activity you will attempt a "vandal" entry on your User page and correct this using the revert feature.
NB: You must make sure that this activity is done on your own User page

  1. Make sure you're logged in and go to your user page. (Click on your User name beside the User.gif image at the very top of any page).
  2. Click on the edit tab so you can make a change on your user page. Make sure that you are on your user page. You should see the heading: User:<your user name here>
  3. Enter the following text: "This is a dummy vandal entry"
  4. Click on the "Save page" button. You should now see your pseudo vandal entry on your user page.
  5. Now click on the history tab or link above the content area of your User page
  6. Check that the two most recent edits are highlighted in the radio buttons on the history page. Then click on the "Compare Selected Versions" button.
  7. Your most recent change, i.e. "This is a dummy vandal entry" should be displayed in red text.
  8. Click on the "Older edit" link above the left hand column on your page. This will take you back to the previous version of the page edit.
  9. You can preview to see whether the "vandal text" has been removed by scrolling down the page and checking that it shows the published view of the previous edit.
  10. Assuming you are happy with this version of the page, click on the "edit" link.
  11. Now click on the Save Page button without making any changes.
  12. Congratulations - you have now reverted your page back to a previous version, effectively removing your dummy vandal entry.