MediaWiki Advanced Wikitext — Tables, Lists, Collapsible Sections, and Magic Words

In this tutorial, you will learn about MediaWiki Advanced Wikitext. We cover key concepts, practical examples, and best practices to help you master this topic.

Advanced wikitext in MediaWiki includes tables with sorting, nested and definition lists, collapsible sections, magic words for page metadata, and conditional content that transforms static pages into dynamic documents — the same techniques used on Wikipedia for complex infoboxes and navigation templates.

What You'll Learn

• Creating sortable tables with row and column spans
• Building nested lists, definition lists, and mixed lists
• Adding collapsible sections for long content
• Using magic words for page behavior and metadata
• Combining these techniques in a real documentation page

Why It Matters

Wikitext is the language of MediaWiki. The basic syntax gets you started, but advanced wikitext is what separates a plain wiki from a professional one. Sortable tables let readers reorder data. Collapsible sections keep long pages manageable. Magic words give you control over how pages behave. These are the tools Wikipedia editors use every day to create those polished, information-rich pages.

Real-World Use

A DodaTech product documentation page uses a sortable table listing all API endpoints with versions, status, and deprecation dates. Below it, a collapsible section hides verbose changelog entries until the reader clicks "Expand." Magic words handle automatic category sorting and prevent the page from appearing in search results during a draft review.

Learning Path

flowchart LR
  A["01: What is MediaWiki?"] --> B["02: Installation"]
  B --> C["03: First Page"]
  C --> D["04: Linking & Categories"]
  D --> E["05: Templates"]
  E --> F["06: Namespaces"]
  F --> G["07: Users & Permissions"]
  G --> H["08: Extensions"]
  H --> I["09: Maintenance"]
  I --> J["10: FAQ"]
  J --> K["11: Advanced Wikitext"]
  K:::current
  L["12: Image & Media"]
  M["13: Transclusion"]
  N["14: Parser Functions"]

  K --> L --> M --> N

  classDef current fill#38bdf8,color#0f172a,stroke-width:2px

Advanced Tables

Basic tables use {|, |-, |, and |}. Advanced tables add sorting, spanning, and styling.

Sortable Tables

Add the sortable class to make any table sortable by column:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Software Versions
! Name !! Version !! Release Date !! Status
|-
| MediaWiki || 1.42 || 2025-12-01 || Stable
|-
| PHP || 8.2 || 2024-11-30 || Stable
|-
| MariaDB || 11.4 || 2025-06-15 || Stable
|-
| Python || 3.13 || 2026-03-01 || Beta
|}

Renders as a table where readers click any column header to sort ascending or descending. The sortable class adds clickable arrows to each header automatically.

Row and Column Spanning

Use rowspan and colspan to merge cells:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Feature Comparison
! Feature !! Free !! Pro !! Enterprise
|-
| Users || 1 || colspan="2" | Unlimited
|-
| Storage || 5 GB || 50 GB || rowspan="2" | Unlimited
|-
| API Access || No || Yes
|}

The colspan="2" cell spans across Free and Pro columns. The rowspan="2" cell spans across 50 GB and Yes rows. This reduces repetition and makes tables more readable.

Styled Cells

Apply inline CSS to individual cells:

{| class="wikitable"
! Status !! Count
|-
| style="background#ffebee;color#b71c1c" | Failed || 3
|-
| style="background#e8f5e9;color#1b5e20" | Passed || 47
|}

Each cell can have its own background color, text color, font weight, or any CSS property. Use this sparingly — too many colors make tables harder to read.

Advanced Lists

MediaWiki supports three list types that can be nested to any depth.

Nested Bullet Lists

* Level 1
** Level 2
*** Level 3
** Another Level 2
* Back to Level 1

Each extra asterisk indents one level deeper. You can go as deep as you need, though four levels is usually the practical limit for readability.

Nested Numbered Lists

# Step 1: Install
## Step 1a: Download
## Step 1b: Extract
# Step 2: Configure
## Step 2a: Edit settings
### Step 2a-i: Database settings
### Step 2a-ii: Cache settings
## Step 2b: Run installer

Numbered lists renumber automatically at each level. If you insert a new step between 2 and 3, all subsequent steps renumber without manual intervention.

Mixed Lists

# Step 1: Prepare
* Download the package
* Verify checksum
# Step 2: Install
* Extract files
* Run setup
# Step 3: Verify
#* Check version
#* Test connection

A #* creates a bullet under a number. A *# creates a number under a bullet. This is useful for procedures that have sub-steps or notes.

Definition Lists

; MediaWiki
: The software that runs Wikipedia
: Free and open-source

; Wiki
: A collaborative website
: Anyone can edit

The semicolon defines the term. The colon defines the description. Multiple colons after one term create multiple definitions. This is ideal for glossaries and key-value displays.

Collapsible Sections

Collapsible sections hide content behind a clickable "Expand" link. This is essential for long pages with optional detail.

Basic Collapsible Table

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+ Detailed Changelog (click to expand)
! Version !! Changes
|-
| 1.0 || Initial release
|-
| 1.1 || Bug fixes
|-
| 1.2 || Security patch
|}

Add mw-collapsible to any table. The table shows collapsed by default with an "Expand" link. Add mw-collapsed to start collapsed:

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ Click to expand
| Hidden content here
|}

Collapsible Divs

Wrap any content in a collapsible div:

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border:1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;">Troubleshooting Steps (click to expand)</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Step 1: Check the log file.<br>
Step 2: Restart the service.<br>
Step 3: Contact support if the issue persists.
</div>
</div>

The inner mw-collapsible-content div contains the hidden content. You can put any wikitext inside — tables, lists, images, even other collapsible sections (though nested collapsibles can be confusing for readers).

Magic Words

Magic words are special strings that MediaWiki recognizes and acts on. They control page behavior and insert dynamic information.

Behavior Switches

Behavior switches are magic words that change how a page is displayed:

__NOTOC__      Hides the table of contents
__FORCETOC__   Forces the table of contents to appear
__NOEDITSECTION__  Hides edit links next to sections
__NEWSECTIONLINK__  Adds a "+" tab to start a new section
__NONEWSECTIONLINK__  Removes the "+" tab
__NOGALLERY__  Shows file categories as lists instead of galleries
__HIDDENCAT__  Hides this category from users
__INDEX__      Allows search engines to index this page
__NOINDEX__    Prevents search engines from indexing this page

Place these anywhere on the page, usually at the top or bottom. Each one is a double-underscore word that MediaWiki intercepts during rendering.

Variables

Variables display information about the current page or wiki:

{{CURRENTYEAR}}    2026
{{CURRENTMONTH}}   06
{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}}  June
{{CURRENTDAY}}     28
{{CURRENTTIME}}    14:30
{{SITENAME}}       My Wiki
{{PAGENAME}}       Advanced Wikitext
{{NAMESPACE}}      (empty for main namespace)
{{FULLPAGENAME}}   Advanced Wikitext
{{REVISIONID}}     12345
{{REVISIONUSER}}   Admin

These are useful in templates. For example, a "Last updated" notice can use {{REVISIONUSER}} and {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} to show who last edited the page and when.

Page Name Manipulation

{{BASEPAGENAME}}   Returns the page without subpage (e.g., "Advanced" from "Advanced/Wikitext")
{{SUBPAGENAME}}    Returns the subpage name (e.g., "Wikitext" from "Advanced/Wikitext")
{{ROOTPAGENAME}}   Returns the top-level page name

These are essential for breadcrumb navigation in subpage structures. A template can use {{BASEPAGENAME}} to generate a "Back to parent page" link automatically.

Putting It Together: A Documentation Page

Let's combine all techniques into one page. Create a page called "API Documentation" with:

__NOINDEX__
= API Documentation =

== Endpoints ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Endpoint !! Method !! Version !! Status
|-
| /api/v1/users || GET || 1.0 || Stable
|-
| /api/v2/users || GET || 2.0 || Beta
|-
| /api/v1/posts || GET || 1.0 || Deprecated
|-
| /api/v2/posts || GET || 2.0 || Stable
|-
| /api/v2/posts || POST || 2.0 || Stable
|}

== Changelog ==

<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div style="font-weight:bold;">View full changelog</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

=== Version 2.0 ===
* Added /api/v2/ endpoints
* Deprecated /api/v1/posts GET
* Fixed pagination bug

=== Version 1.0 ===
* Initial API release
* Basic CRUD operations

</div>
</div>

== Related Pages ==

; API Reference
: Full parameter documentation
; SDK Guide
: Client library usage examples
; FAQ
: Common troubleshooting questions

''Last updated by {{REVISIONUSER}} on {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}.''

This page uses six advanced wikitext features: __NOINDEX__ magic word, sortable table, collapsible div, definition list, revision variable, and date variables. The result is a professional, dynamic documentation page.

What You Learned

• Sortable tables let readers reorder data by clicking column headers
• Rowspan and colspan merge table cells to reduce repetition
• Nested lists, mixed lists, and definition lists structure complex information
• Collapsible sections keep long pages manageable
• Magic words control page behavior and insert dynamic content

In the next lesson, you'll learn how to upload and manage images and media files on your wiki.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why It Happens	How to Fix
Table not sorting	Missing sortable class	Add class="wikitable sortable" to the table opening tag. Without sortable, headers are not clickable.
Collapsible section not working	Missing mw-collapsible class	Every collapsible element must have the mw-collapsible CSS class. The mw-collapsed class is optional for starting collapsed.
Magic word shows as text	Wrong syntax or location	Magic words use double underscores (__NOTOC__) or double curly braces ({{CURRENTYEAR}}). Place behavior switches on their own line.
Nested list breaks	Mixed indentation	Use consistent prefix characters. A # after * requires no space: *# item. Any space between them creates a new list.
Definition list displays incorrectly	Extra blank lines	Definition lists require the term and description on consecutive lines. A blank line between ; Term and : Description breaks the pairing.
{{PAGENAME}} returns wrong name	Page move without update	{{PAGENAME}} always reflects the current page title. If you move the page, the magic word updates automatically.
Table cell spans too far	Wrong rowspan or colspan value	Count the actual cells in each row. A rowspan="3" cell occupies space in three rows, so those rows need one fewer cell each.

Practice Questions

1. What CSS class makes a table sortable, and how does the sort behavior work with different data types like dates?
2. How would you create a collapsible section that starts expanded but has a collapsible subsection inside it?
3. Write the magic word combination to display "This page was last edited by {{username}} on {{date}}" using variables.
4. Challenge: Create a single page that includes a sortable table with rowspan spanning, a collapsible FAQ section with 5 questions, a definition list of 3 terms, and a footer using __NOINDEX__ and {{REVISIONUSER}}. The page should be formatted as a product documentation page for an imaginary software tool called "DodaSync."

FAQ

Can I use HTML tables instead of wikitext tables?

Yes, MediaWiki supports HTML tables. However, wikitext tables are preferred because they are more readable in the source editor and work better with the VisualEditor. HTML tables work but cannot use sortable, mw-collapsible, or other MediaWiki-specific classes.

How deep can I nest lists?

MediaWiki supports up to around 10 levels of nesting, but practical readability limits you to 3-4 levels. Beyond that, lists become hard to read on both desktop and mobile. Consider using subsections instead of deep nesting.

Do magic words work in templates?

Yes, magic words work inside templates and are often used there. For example, a template might use {{NAMESPACE}} to behave differently depending on which namespace it is called from. Magic words are evaluated when the page is rendered.

What is the difference between mw-collapsible and mw-collapsed?

mw-collapsible enables the collapsing behavior. mw-collapsed makes it start in the collapsed state. If you use mw-collapsible without mw-collapsed, the content starts expanded and can be collapsed by the reader.

Can I create custom magic words?

Custom magic words require a MediaWiki extension. The MagicWord extension or the Variables extension allows you to define custom variables. For behavior switches, you would need to modify MediaWiki core or write a custom extension.

Why does my sortable table not sort numbers correctly?

MediaWiki sorts columns as text by default. Numbers like 10 appear before 2 because 1 comes before 2 alphabetically. To fix this, add data-sort-value attributes to cells to provide numeric sorting values.

Mini Project

Goal: Create a comprehensive product comparison page using all advanced wikitext techniques.

1. Create a page called "DodaTech Tools Comparison"
2. Add a sortable table with columns: Tool Name, Category, Price, Platform, Rating
3. Include at least 6 tools (Doda Browser, DodaZIP, Durga Antivirus Pro, DodaSync, DodaBackup, DodaAnalytics)
4. Use rowspan to group tools by category (Browsers, Utilities, Security)
5. Add a collapsible "Detailed Specifications" section below the table
6. Add a definition list of 3 key terms
7. Use __NOTOC__ and display the current date with {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}
8. Verify the table sorts correctly by clicking each column header

What's Next

Now that you've mastered wikitext, your pages will look professional. But text alone is not enough — you need images, diagrams, and media to make your wiki engaging.

Continue to Lesson 12: Image & Media — learn how to upload files, create galleries, and manage media settings.