Wikidata For Wikimedia Projects/Projects/Databox

Introduction

Is a lightweight, fully automated infobox that displays facts and information directly from Wikidata. It's designed to work on wikis such as Wikipedia, Commons, Wiktionary and Wikisource, making it easy to reuse Wikidata's data without needing to configure or maintain complex Templates or Parser functions.

This documentation is hosted on Wikidata and should be the Source of Truth for Databox, but Databox is meant to be copied and installed on other Wikimedia Projects

What Databox does

The Databox Module: and Template: automatically build infoboxes on the page where invoked. The information and facts populating the infobox come from the Wikidata Item linked to the article page (or different Items can be specified in the Template: wikitext). They require very little manual setup, they work the same way across Wikis, and can be used for a variety of topics and themes.

Curious for more information?

See how Databox is being used to help smaller-language Wikipedias - YouTube video (32mins)

Module: Databox

The module serves as the backend of the Databox template; it stores the Lua code locally that allows the Databox to retrieve data from the connected Wikidata item and format and display it.

To function, the Module: code must be copied from Wikidata, and pasted into it's own Module:Databox page on the client Wiki.

Install Databox module to local Wiki

Go to the Wikidata page and click Edit

Module:Databox

Copy all content from the edit window and paste it to a blank page on the target wiki with the title: Module:Databox (or locally translated variant)

new.wikipedia.org/wiki/Module:Databox

Save the page. Congratulations, Databox is now installed on the local wiki...but before you can use it, you also need to create the Template:Databox page.

Please don't forget to add the newly-created Module: page to the Module:Databox item's sitelinks:

Wikidata item - Module:Databox Item (Q53931871)

Template:Databox

Like other {{templates}}, to get a Databox to display on the desired article/page, simply invoke the {{Databox}} template in the Source editor and databox will appear.

Like Module:Databox, Template:Databox has to exist as it's own page on the Wiki you want it to appear on.

Add Databox Template to local Wiki

Open a new page on the target wiki, with the domain:

new.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Databox

(or local translation of Template and Databox) Enter the source editor and add this Wikitext to the page:

{{#invoke:Databox|databox}}

To use the new Parameters we have added and described below, use the following code instead

{{#invoke:Databox|databox|useImage={{{useImage|}}}|excludeProperties={{{excludeProperties|}}}}}

Save the page and now Databox is ready to use!

Please don't forget to add the newly-created Template: page to the Template:Databox item's sitelinks:

Wikidata item - Template:Databox Item (Q20702632)

What Databox displays

When invoked, the Module code searches the connected (or specified) Wikidata Item for facts and information.

Title – uses the Wikidata item’s label, or if none exists, the page title.
Image – Present an image if one exists for P18 image property.
Section title – As a separator between the image (P18) and the general facts, uses the P31 (Instance of) property.
Main Data table – Lists the properties and values from the Wikidata item, with the following rules and exceptions...
Display Order - The order of properties displayed in the data table follows the SortedProperties page. Display values that have Preferred Rank and if none present, revert to Normal (but may result in multiple values displayed). Kartographer Map - If the property is a coordinate location (P625), a map will be dynamically created using the Kartographer extension.

...and won't display

External Identifiers
Commons media files: Wikidata properties that describe types of media on Commons. See full list.
Quantities - see this help page for more information.
Any hidden Properties, mentioned in the beginning of the Module: page, declared under

local site_excluded_properties = {

'P360', --is a list of

'P4224', --category contains

etc.

}

Changes to Databox

The Wikidata For Wikimedia Projects team has been working on implementing some requested changes or improvements, suggested through user research interviews.

Our Goals for improving Databox

Improve editors experience, Databox is easier to install, use and offers more customisation.
Inform, what databox is and does
Add and Translate, Wikidata content is being expanded and into local-languages
Increase Databox use, more editors, more Wikis, more articles are using Databox

The first of these changes will be tested on select pilot Wikis from October 2025.

From Wikidata clickable link and Wikidata logo

A small Wikidata logo and accompanying text to clearly show the reader where the information contained with the Databox is sourced.

This is helpful as for those unfamiliar with Wikidata or Databox, they may want to edit information presented in the Databox but be unable to find it, as it is not stored locally but transcluded from Wikidata.

Choose which image to display

Tracked in Phabricator:
Task T400318

We have added a parameter useImage which when invoked wth the Databox template, will allow you to specify which image file to display

{{Databox|useImage=Hubble_Ultra_Deep_Field_part d.jpg}}

Will show the image (P18) value specified by the filename.

Locally-invoked property exclusion list

Tracked in Phabricator:
Task T400319

The new parameter excludeProperties allows you to hide Properties from appearing on the invoked Databox, for example...

{{Databox|excludeProperties=P1290,P66}}

will stop these properties from being displayed in the databox on the local page only. Other databoxes will not be affected.

P1290 (godparent) and P66 (ancestral home)

Using both new parameters

The new parameters useImage and excludeProperties can be combined. separate them using the | pipe character. For example...

{{Databox|useImage=image_file.jpg|excludeProperties=P123}}

Help test the new Databox

Copy Module code Leave feedback

The Databox changes mentioned above are now available for testing on the following Wikis:


Wiki	Pages
Dagbanli Wikipedia	Module:Databox Template:Databox List of databoxes
Igbo Wikipedia	Module:Databox Template:Databox List of databoxes
Breton Wikipedia	Module:Databox Template:Databox List of databoxes
Telugu Wikipedia	Module:Databox Template:Databox List of databoxes
Atikamekw Wikipedia	Module:Databox Template:Databox List of databoxes
Twi Wikipedia	Module:Databox Template:Databox List of databoxes
Gurene Wikipedia	Module:Databox Template:Databox List of databoxes
Kiswahili Wikipedia	Module:Databox Template:Databox List of databoxes

It’s important that this new feature fits into existing workflows without disruption or extra-effort, remains easy to use, and works well for editors, no matter their experience or familiarity with templates.

Write a help page in your language

Links to further information

Still to do...

Layout and Visual-Customisation

Untranslated Properties
T400328 - Update Visual style or offer greater personalisation and customisation

Awareness

T400802 - PR Campaign - to explain the visual and tech changes.
- differences from 'base' version
- how to update to new version
- showcase examples of new version on select topics
- work with partner-communities

Documentation

T400320, T400321 - Review and improve existing documentation, guides and questions
Facilitate creation/translation of documentation where missing in other languages