Good news, everyone!

A new Attribution API https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Attribution_API module is now available as a beta https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_APIs/Stability_policy on all Wikimedia Foundation hosted wiki projects. The purpose of this API is to make it easier to appropriately attribute Wikimedia project content when it’s presented or referenced in off-wiki contexts. This API directly supports the Wikimedia Attribution Framework https://wikimedia-attribution.toolforge.org/, which provides specific guidelines for how to appropriately attribute content across different reuse scenarios and form factors.

What does it do?

The Attribution API https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Attribution_APImakes it easy to follow the guidelines outlined in the Wikimedia Attribution Framework https://wikimedia-attribution.toolforge.org/. The API provides the information required by each attribution signal in a single, well-structured and easy-to-use endpoint. Although the recommended attribution information was largely already available through existing APIs, this approach significantly simplifies the process for developers, which we believe will make it more likely that developers will follow the recommended standards.

Who is it for?

Appropriate attribution is critical for all reuse scenarios where Wikimedia content will be presented off-wiki, as it ensures that the content is fairly credited and that external readers remain aware of the Wikimedia projects and communities it came from. This means that if you make games, offer search services, use project content for research, build alternative reader experiences, or contribute to anything else happening off-wiki, you probably need to properly attribute Wikimedia content!

This specific API is also primarily intended for mission-supporting users and use cases. Wikimedia Enterprise will offer similar information in their structured responses for scaled commercial reuse.

How do I participate?

We encourage everyone to try out the endpoints and give us your feedback on the project discussion page https://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Attribution_AP! Additionally, if you discover what you think might be a bug, please feel free to file an issue directly to the MediaWiki Interfaces Phabricator board https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/view/6931/.

Major changes will minimally be announced on the project page https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Attribution_API. If you are interested in this capability, we recommend that you add the page to your watchlist to stay informed with the latest changes and calls for targeted feedback. Some of these changes may also be announced here or through Tech News, but the nature of a beta does not guarantee broad communication of every change.

What should I expect?

This API is available on all Wikimedia projects, and is initially being released as a beta https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_APIs/Stability_policy. Reference documentation can be found in the REST API sandbox https://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Special:RestSandbox&api=attribution.v0-beta on any Wikimedia wiki (such as the REST API sandbox on English Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?api=attribution.v0-beta&title=Special%3ARestSandbox). Although available everywhere, the Attribution API only explicitly supports Wikipedia articles and media files hosted through either Wikipedia or Commons. We need your help testing and shaping additional project and content types to help inform how the information should be structured.

We are continuing to iterate and refine the API. Although we expect the interface itself to remain relatively stable, the specific returned values are subject to change over time. Breaking changes to adjust the interface or response structures may also occur during the beta period as we respond to emerging feedback and feature requests.

Following the beta period, we will elevate the API to a stable v1. This will be done after we are satisfied with meeting user expectations and when all high priority issues are resolved. Although there is not yet a firm date for when we will elevate this experience, we expect it to happen around September 2026, depending on the nature of requests that arise during the beta period. Additional communications will happen closer to the stable version launch date to ensure the community is aware of the upcoming change.

Please feel free to reach out directly here or post on the project discussion page https://www.mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Attribution_AP if you have any questions, comments or concerns! We look forward to your feedback and support in helping us refine this API, as well as the beta process itself.

Thanks, and happy attribution!

Halley

*Halley Coplin* (she/her) Sr. Product Manager, MediaWiki Interfaces Wikimedia Foundation https://wikimediafoundation.org/