Editing Incubator escapee wiki:Protection policy (section)

== Protection types ==
=== Edit protection ===
Edit protection restricts editing of a page, often due to vandalism or disputes, ensuring only experienced users can make changes (see above for more information).

=== Creation protection (salting)<span class="anchor" id="salt"></span><span class="anchor" id="create"></span><span class="anchor" id="Creation protection"></span><!--former tag allows section referencing while accommodating section name changes. DO NOT REMOVE IT.--> ===
[[File:Create-protection-shackle.svg|64px|upright=0.4|right|alt=Blue padlock|link=]]
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Administrators can prevent the creation of pages. This type of protection is useful for pages that have been [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy|deleted]] but repeatedly recreated. Such protection is case-sensitive. There are several levels of creation protection that can be applied to pages, identical to the levels for edit protection. A list of protected titles can be found at [[Special:ProtectedTitles]] (see also [[WP:Protected titles/Historical|historical lists]]).

Preemptive restrictions on new article titles are instituted through the [[WP:Title blacklisting|title blacklist]] system, which allows for more flexible protection with support for [[substring]]s and [[regular expression]]s.

{{Anchor|Salted}}Pages that have been creation-protected are sometimes referred to as "[[salting the earth|salted]]". Editors wishing to re-create a salted title with appropriate content should either contact an [[Wikipedia:Administrators|administrator]] (preferably the protecting administrator), file a [[WP:RFUP|request for reduction in protection level]], or use the [[Wikipedia:Deletion review|deletion review]] process. To make a convincing case for re-creation, it is helpful to show a [[WP:Drafts|draft version]] of the intended article when filing a request.

Create protection of any duration may be applied to pages being repeatedly recreated in violation of policy using the lowest protection level sufficient to stop the disruption (autoconfirmed, extended-confirmed,<ref name="ECPRFC2"/> or full). Due to the implementation of [[WP:ACPERM|ACPERM]], non-confirmed editors cannot create pages in [[WP:MAINSPACE|mainspace]]; thus, semi-creation protection should be used only for protection of pages outside of mainspace.

While creation-protection is usually permanent, temporary creation protection can be applied if a page is repeatedly recreated by a single user (or [[WP:SOCK|sockpuppets]] of that user, if applicable).

=== Move protection<span class="anchor" id="move"></span><!--former tag allows section referencing while accommodating section name changes. DO NOT REMOVE IT.--> ===
[[File:Move-protection-shackle.svg|64px|upright=0.4|right|alt=Green padlock|link=]]
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Move-protected pages, or more technically, fully move-protected pages, cannot be moved to a new title except by an administrator. Move protection is commonly applied to:

* Pages subject to persistent page-move [[Wikipedia:Vandalism|vandalism]].
* Pages subject to a page-name dispute.
* Highly visible pages that have no reason to be moved, such as the [[Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard|administrators' noticeboard]] and articles selected as "[[Wikipedia:Today's featured article|Today's featured article]]" on the main page.

Move protection of any duration may be applied to pages being repeatedly moved in violation of policy using the lowest protection level sufficient to stop the disruption (extended-confirmed or full). Non-confirmed editors cannot move pages so semi-move protection has no effect.

Fully edit-protected pages are also implicitly move-protected.

As with full edit protection, protection because of edit warring [[:meta:The Wrong Version|should not be considered an endorsement of the current name]]. When move protection is applied during a requested move discussion, the page should be protected at the location it was at when the move request was started.

All [[WP:FILE|files]] and [[WP:CATEGORY|categories]] are implicitly move-protected, requiring [[WP:File mover|file movers]] or administrators to rename files, and [[WP:Page mover|page movers]] or administrators to rename categories.

=== Upload protection<span class="anchor" id="upload"></span><!--former tag allows section referencing while accommodating section name changes. DO NOT REMOVE IT.--> ===
[[File:Upload-protection-shackle.svg|64px|upright=0.4|right|alt=Purple padlock|link=]]
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Upload-protected files, or more technically, fully upload-protected files, cannot be replaced with new versions except by an administrator. Upload protection does not protect file pages from editing. It can be applied by an administrator to:
* Files subject to persistent upload [[Wikipedia:Vandalism|vandalism]].
* Files subject to a dispute between editors.
* Files that should not be replaced, such as images used in the interface or transcluded to the main page.
* Files with common or generic names. (e.g., [[:File:map.png]])

As with full edit protection, administrators should avoid favoring one version over another, and protection should not be considered an endorsement of the current version. An exception to this rule is when they are protected due to upload vandalism.