This is the first draft of a "cheat sheet" for administrators who are willing to consider granting IP block exemption requests.
This cheat sheet is based on typical activities that CheckUsers will carry out when considering an IP block exemption request. The actions below are all within the scope of administrators. CheckUsers may also carry out other actions, which may include using checkuser-only tools. If an administrator is asked to grant IP block exemption and does not feel comfortable in doing so, the request can always be referred to a checkuser, either directly or via the Checkuser VRT queue.
Some basics
- Administrator accounts all have IP block exemption built in to their standard permission package. Administrators, having been through a vetting by the community, are considered to be trusted users. It is pretty much impossible for an administrator to "abuse" IPBE without breaching the Administrators policy in a much more significant way.
- Please do not grant "INDEFINITE" IPBE. Even checkusers will only grant for a limited period, to ensure that the exemption is periodically reviewed, with extremely rare exceptions.
- Administrators are encouraged to grant short-term IP block exemptions, with a usual "first" or "trial" period of 3 months, and generally no longer than a normal school term.
- IP block exemption can only be applied to registered accounts. If a user requires both account creation and IPBE, they should be referred to the Checkuser VRT queue. This applies whether or not they have an existing account on another Wikimedia project.
- If you receive a request to grant IPBE but do not feel comfortable doing so, or if you are uncertain if the editor qualifies, you can always refer the editor to the Checkuser VRT queue.
- There are very few situations where IPBE has, in fact, been abused. Most of those situations have involved a new editor from a geography that requires IPBE to edit (so there is no significant editing history to review), and they most frequently involve promotional editing and/or obvious disinformation.
- Just like any other advanced permission that can be granted by an administrator, IPBE can be removed quickly and easily at the User Rights Management page.
- If you believe it is necessary to remove IPBE from an account when another administrator or a checkuser granted the IPBE, please leave a courtesy message on the granter's talk page so they can review any additional information.
| Examples of reasons for request | Review process | Action to consider | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editor plans travel | Use standard review prompts below | Short-term IPBE for slightly longer than expected length of trip. No indefinite IPBE. | Many editors who do not normally use VPNs or other webhosts may do so when traveling, for multiple logical reasons including security, necessity, or need to access websites only available in their home region. |
| Editor's educational institution is hard-blocked | Use standard review prompts | Short-term IPBE 3-6 months. Consider an 8-month IPBE for full school year. | Many educational institutions are now using VPNs or other types of webhosts as requirements for using their internet connections, and some of these are hard-blocked, so just logging in is insufficient to avoid the block.
If you have a concern about the block, it is reasonable to ask the blocking admin why exactly the IP/IP range is hard-blocked. |
| Editor is using workplace-owned equipment that requires them to use VPN /colocation/ other webhost | Use standard review prompts | Short-term IPBE 3-6 months, referring them to CU queue if they need to renew. | We are seeing an increasing number of editors who only have "employer-owned" equipment. Frequently that equipment has mandatory-use software installed by the employer that acts as the equivalent of a VPN/ colocation/ webhost. |
| Editor regularly edits in locations that would use VPN or similar and has recurrent blocked-IP/IP range encounters | Use standard review prompts | Short-term IPBE 3-6 months, referring them to CU queue if they need to renew. | These locations include libraries, coffee shops, many employers, hotspots, shelters. Some of those "VPN type" IPs and IP ranges are hardblocked. May also apply to users who primarily edit using a mobile phone, as some mobile phone ranges have also been hardblocked. |
Standard review prompts
- Check to see if the editor extended-confirmed, and has at least 3 months of editing.
- Look for a clean block log, or only a "minor" block in the last 2 years. (Example of "minor" block - 3RR 18 months ago, no repeat.)
- Check deleted edits to see if the editor had material deleted due to promotional editing and/or copyright violation. (If yes, this would normally be a hard decline.)
- Take a look at the user's talk page (and possibly their recent talk page archives) to see if there are concerning messages that would make you reconsider granting any other advanced permission.
- Check the user's global account to see if they are blocked on any other project. If yes, attempt to discern the reason to see if it is something that would normally lead to a decline if the same block was in the recent user history on English Wikipedia. This would include promotional editing, copyright violation, user harassment, sockpuppetry. Keep in mind that other projects have different thresholds for blocking accounts.
Granting extensions to IP block exemptions
- Administrators can grant extensions to IPBE that were initially made by another administrator or a checkuser, provided that they review the general nature of the activity of the account since the initial IP Block exemption. The standard review prompts apply equally to granting extensions.