Hello,

As you may recall, Wikibase.Cloud launched in April as a closed beta for WBStack users. Since then, we’ve been working on migrating existing WBStack users to the new platform. We also created an application form (or waiting list) to invite more users once the migration of WBStack users was completed. (You can apply by filling out this form)

We’re excited to announce that we will begin onboarding new users to the Wikibase.Cloud closed beta.

Review criteria and timeline

We'll consider each application on its merits, but we'll give greater consideration to projects aligned with our movement and Linked Open Data strategies. Users will receive an invitation code with a link to go through the signup flow. From there you can set up your account with a limit of 6 wikis. We thank you for your patience in the meantime as we slowly invite users onto the platform.

• Invitations are being sent regularly from now on as we have capacity

• Existing people on the waiting list will have received invitations to join the Wikibase.cloud closed beta by the end of September

Based on the evaluation of the platform, we’ll keep sending out invites to those who submit an application before we open it up completely. Please note that we may revise this timeline during the course of the year.

Elasticsearch will be temporarily disabled for new users

We continue to face issues with Elasticsearch and have decided to temporarily disable the feature for all newly created Wikibases. As a consequence, search capabilities will be limited. 

For instance, when adding a statement, one can only find an item or property by referring to it by its Q-ID or P-ID, or by typing the exact correct name, e.g., "Patrick Swayze" (not "patrick swayze" or "patr"). We hope to have figured out a solution by the end of September, after which we will communicate a rough timeline for implementation.

Please don’t hesitate to reach us on our contact page if you have any questions or feedback.

We look forward to welcoming you to Wikibase.Cloud! 

Cheers,