To change MediaWiki’s menus and controls, open the Language Settings panel or Special:Preferences, choose an interface language, and save. This changes system messages such as Edit, Talk, navigation labels, and buttons; it normally does not translate the article or page text. If you are not signed in, add a uselang parameter to the page URL for a temporary interface-language override. Wiki administrators can install the LanguageSelector extension when anonymous visitors need a persistent language menu.
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What “interface language” means in MediaWiki
MediaWiki separates the language of its software interface from the language of the content stored on a page. Interface language covers MediaWiki-generated text: menu labels, action links, buttons, prompts, tabs, help text, and other system messages. Changing it can turn labels such as Edit, History, or Talk into the selected language while leaving the article body exactly as it was written.
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This separation explains the most common surprise: a page can show translated controls around an article that remains in its original language. Content language, page language, language variants, and interface language are separate settings. A wiki may use one language for its menus, another for a page’s content, and a variant system for regional spelling or script.
Universal Language Selector (ULS) can also expose web-font and keyboard or input-method settings. Those tools help you read or enter a language, but they are separate from the display-language choice. Changing a font or keyboard does not change MediaWiki labels, and changing the labels does not install a font or keyboard.
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Before you change anything
- Identify the target. Decide whether you need translated menus, a translated article, or better support for reading and typing characters. The procedures in this guide change the interface only.
- Know your access level. A logged-in user can normally save an account preference. An anonymous visitor can use a request URL. Only an administrator can install or configure a site-wide extension.
- Expect local variation. A wiki may not enable ULS, may offer only a selected group of languages, or may place the control differently in each skin.
- Have a recovery route. Keep the original page address or know how to open
Special:Preferences. Every user-level method is reversible, and removing a URL parameter restores the normal request.
If a language is not available in the selector, that does not necessarily mean MediaWiki has no translation for it. The site may be showing a shortened list, or its administrators may intentionally restrict the choices.
Choose the method that fits your situation
| Method | Who can use it | Persistence | What it changes | Important dependencies | How to undo it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language Settings panel (ULS) | Usually signed-in users on wikis that enable ULS | Saved to the user account | Interface messages and controls | Wiki configuration, skin placement, and available translations | Open the panel and select another language |
Special:Preferences |
Signed-in users | Saved as an account preference | Interface messages and controls | The wiki’s preference layout and enabled languages | Return to the preference and choose a different language |
uselang URL parameter |
Anonymous or signed-in visitors | Request-level override; it does not replace an account preference | Interface messages for the requested page | The wiki must accept the parameter and provide the language | Remove the parameter from the URL |
| LanguageSelector extension | Configured by administrators for anonymous and signed-in visitors | Depends on the extension’s detection and cookie configuration | Site-provided language menu and interface selection | Extension installation, caching, reverse proxies, and configuration | Change the cookie or configuration, or disable the extension |
The first two methods are the best fit for a regular account because the choice follows that account across pages. The URL method is fastest for a one-off check or account-creation screen, but it may need to be repeated. LanguageSelector addresses a site-design requirement rather than a personal preference: it gives a self-hosted wiki a menu that people can use before signing in.
Change the language while signed in with Universal Language Selector
On Wikimedia wikis, the interface-language selector is generally available after you sign in. Other MediaWiki installations may enable ULS differently, and skins can move the entry. The wording and location can therefore differ slightly while the underlying setting remains the same.
- Sign in. Account-based language preferences are normally available only after authentication.
- Open Language Settings. Look in the sidebar’s language area. On a wiki without interlanguage links, the entry may instead be in the personal toolbar.
- Open the display-language section. Depending on the ULS version and skin, this may be labeled Display or Language.
- Choose a language. Select one from the short list. If it is not shown, open the extended list or use the search control.
- Apply or confirm. Save or confirm the selection when prompted. MediaWiki should then render its interface messages in the chosen language.
The Universal Language Selector FAQ describes this directly: “The language used to display the MediaWiki interface messages can be changed using the Language Settings panel of ULS.” If the page does not visibly refresh, reload it after confirming the setting; a skin or cached asset can delay the visual change.
Test the result on more than one page. Check a generated control such as Edit, Talk, or History rather than judging by the article body, which is normally unaffected. If one skin shows the setting and another does not, the difference is usually placement or enabled functionality, not a different account preference.
Use Special:Preferences instead
The account-preference route is useful when the selector is difficult to find or when a wiki does not expose the compact ULS panel. Open Special:Preferences, then locate the User profile or Internationalisation section. Choose the interface language and save the preference.
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- Navigate directly to
Special:Preferenceson the wiki. - Open the User profile or Internationalisation area.
- Find the interface-language field.
- Pick the desired language from the available list.
- Save the preference, then reload a page if labels do not update immediately.
MediaWiki’s preferences help documentation summarizes the setting as: “From your preferences you can select what language you would like the interface to be in.” The preference affects controls such as Edit and Talk, not normally the main page text.
If the preference page itself is difficult to read, open it with a uselang override first, then save the account setting in that temporary language. After saving, the account preference should apply on later pages where you are authenticated. If you later clear cookies or sign in to a different account, the visible language may differ because the saved preference belongs to the account, not the device.
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Temporarily change the interface without logging in
Anonymous visitors do not have an account preference to store. For a one-request override, append uselang and a language code to the page URL:
https://example.org/wiki/Main_Page?uselang=deReplace de with the code for the language you need and use the wiki’s own page URL. The parameter tells MediaWiki which language to use for interface elements while handling that request. It is especially useful when no preference settings apply, including account-creation pages.
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When a URL already contains a query string, add the parameter with an ampersand instead of a second question mark:
https://example.org/wiki/Main_Page?foo=bar&uselang=deThis is not the same as changing your account setting. The override is request-level, and its persistence behavior can vary with the wiki and installed extensions. To return to the normal behavior, remove ?uselang=... (or the corresponding parameter after an existing query string) from the URL. Because it is attached to one request, following an ordinary link may return to the wiki’s default or your saved account language.
The special value qqx is a diagnostic tool rather than a reader language. With uselang=qqx, MediaWiki exposes system-message IDs in place of normal labels. Administrators and translators can use those IDs to identify an untranslated or incorrectly configured message. Do not use qqx as a permanent interface choice; it is intended to reveal the message key.
Why the article text did not change
Changing interface language does not invoke machine translation and does not select a different article edition. It changes MediaWiki’s software messages around the page. The page body remains governed by its own content and page-language settings.
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For example, selecting German can translate the Edit link and navigation controls while an English article remains English. To read the subject in another language, use the wiki’s interlanguage links or navigate to a separately maintained page in that language, when one exists. A page’s language variants may also affect spelling or script independently of your interface preference.
ULS font and input controls solve different problems. A web font can make characters readable, and an input method can let you type them, but neither setting changes the language of MediaWiki’s menus. Treat these as three separate checks: display language for labels, content or page language for the text, and font/input settings for glyphs and typing.
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If your language is missing
Check the extended list
ULS often shows only a short list initially. Open the extended language list and search for the language instead of assuming it is unsupported. Search by the name displayed by the wiki, since a language may be listed under a local name rather than its English name.
Consider the wiki’s configuration
A site can intentionally restrict the languages it offers. An extension, local policy, or incomplete translation set may limit the choices even though MediaWiki supports additional languages elsewhere. A user cannot add a missing option from the preference screen; an administrator must change the site’s available-language configuration or install the relevant functionality.
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Language codes are not always obvious from their English names, and regional or script variants can appear as separate choices. Use the label presented by the wiki and, where available, its search control rather than guessing a code in the URL. If a guessed code is not offered by that wiki, the override may appear to do nothing.
Check what is actually translated
Even when a language is selectable, individual extensions or newer messages may have no translation yet. A mixed-language interface can therefore be normal. Use qqx to identify a particular message before reporting it as a selector failure.
Set up a language menu for anonymous visitors (administrators)
A self-hosted wiki that needs a visible language menu for people who are not signed in can deploy the LanguageSelector extension. This is an administrator task; ordinary users cannot enable it from their preferences.
- Place the extension. Put the LanguageSelector extension in the wiki’s
extensions/directory. - Load it in LocalSettings.php. Add this line to the wiki configuration:
wfLoadExtension( 'LanguageSelector' ); - Configure the offered languages and detection. Adjust the language codes and detection behavior in
LocalSettings.phpas required by the site. - Verify the installation. Open
Special:Versionand confirm that LanguageSelector appears among the installed extensions.
The extension can use a visitor’s browser Accept-Language information and cookies for anonymous users. That convenience introduces an operational risk: page caching and reverse proxies can serve a cached response in the wrong language or prevent cookie preferences from behaving correctly. Test the cache path, proxy behavior, and selected detection mode before enabling the feature across the site.
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- Decide whether the browser’s
Accept-Languageheader should provide an initial choice. - Decide whether a cookie should remember a visitor’s explicit selection.
- Ensure caches vary appropriately or bypass caching where the language cookie affects the response.
- Offer only the translations the site is prepared to maintain.
Without this testing, an administrator may see a correctly selected language in one request but a different language after a cache hit, navigation, or proxy hop. Test at least a first anonymous visit, an explicit language change, a second page, and a return visit after the cookie has been set. Verify behavior through every reverse proxy or cache layer, not only from the origin server.
LanguageSelector is a site-wide operational choice, not a substitute for each user’s account preference. Keep the normal preference and uselang routes available so signed-in users and support staff have a reliable fallback while the extension is being tested.
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Troubleshoot a selector that does not work
The Language Settings entry is missing
- Confirm that you are signed in if you are trying to change an account preference.
- Check whether the wiki actually enables Universal Language Selector.
- Look in both the sidebar’s language area and the personal toolbar; skins place the control differently.
- For a self-hosted site, ask an administrator whether LanguageSelector or another language extension is installed.
If you are an administrator, confirm the installed extensions in Special:Version rather than relying on a menu that may be hidden by the current skin. If ULS is enabled but the entry is still absent, test another skin or open Special:Preferences directly.
The menu changed, but the page stayed in the old language
This is normally expected. The interface and page content are separate layers. Use a language-specific page or the wiki’s content-language tools when the goal is to read the article itself in another language.
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On a wiki using LanguageSelector, inspect page-cache and reverse-proxy settings. Anonymous detection and cookie preferences may fail when a proxy serves a cached response without varying it for the relevant language state. Administrators should test both a first visit and a return visit after selecting a language. Also compare a direct origin request with the public URL to locate the layer that is discarding or ignoring the cookie.
Characters appear as empty boxes (“tofu”)
The ULS FAQ calls these missing-glyph boxes “tofu.” They usually mean that a suitable font is unavailable locally. Enable an available web font through ULS or install a font that contains the required characters. This is a font-coverage issue, not evidence that the interface language selection failed. If text can be copied and the message IDs change correctly, the language setting is working even while glyphs are missing.
Some labels remain untranslated
Translations can be incomplete, or a local extension can provide a message that has no translation in the selected language. Add uselang=qqx to the page URL to expose the system-message IDs. Those IDs let an administrator or translator locate the specific message for investigation. Check several labels before concluding that the entire language failed; a small number of fallback messages is possible.
The URL override appears ineffective
- Check that the parameter is spelled
uselangand uses a language code the wiki offers. - Place it correctly when the URL already has query parameters: use
&uselang=...after the first question mark. - Reload the page and test a MediaWiki-generated label rather than the article body.
- Remember that a request override may not persist to every link or page.
- Try a fresh request without a cached page if the site uses a cache that may have stored an earlier response.
The setting changes on one device but not another
An account preference should follow the account, while a URL override, cookie, or local font may be limited to a particular browser. Confirm that you are signed in to the same account and that the second device is not using a different wiki domain or skin. For anonymous LanguageSelector behavior, compare cookies and browser language headers on both devices.
Which approach should you use?
You have an account
Use Language Settings for the quickest change, or Special:Preferences when you want to inspect and manage the saved account preference. Both are reversible and apply across pages where the wiki recognizes your account.
You are visiting briefly or cannot sign in
Use the uselang URL parameter. It is immediate and requires no account, but it is not a durable preference and may need to be added again on another page. It is also a practical way to view account-creation or sign-in screens in a language before you have a saved preference.
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Install and configure LanguageSelector only when anonymous language selection is a real requirement. Verify Special:Version, choose detection and cookie behavior deliberately, and test every cache and proxy layer before rollout. Do not assume that a correct origin response guarantees correct behavior for anonymous visitors through the public cache.
What to verify after changing the setting
- A MediaWiki-generated control, such as Edit or Talk, appears in the selected language.
- The article body remains unchanged unless you separately selected a translated page or content-language option.
- The setting behaves as expected on a second page.
- For account settings, the choice remains after signing out and back in.
- For anonymous settings, test a fresh visit and a return visit, especially when cookies or caches are involved.
- If glyphs are missing, check fonts and input methods separately from the display-language setting.
- If only some messages remain in the old language, use
qqxto identify those messages before changing configuration.
Quick decision checklist
- Need translated menus on your own account? Sign in and use ULS or
Special:Preferences. - Need a one-time change without signing in? Add
?uselang=LANGUAGE_CODEto the page URL. - Need a menu for all visitors? Ask a wiki administrator to deploy LanguageSelector and test caching, cookies, and browser-language detection.
- Need translated article text? Find a page in that language or use the wiki’s content-language features; interface settings alone will not translate it.
- Seeing boxes instead of characters? Address font coverage separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change MediaWiki’s interface language without logging in?
Yes. Add a supported language code as a uselang URL parameter, such as ?uselang=de. It affects that request and does not replace an account preference.
Why did the menus change while the article stayed in English?
MediaWiki keeps interface messages and page content separate. The setting translates controls such as Edit and Talk; it does not translate the article or select another language edition.
Where is the Language Settings panel?
On many Wikimedia wikis it is in the sidebar’s language area after sign-in. On wikis without interlanguage links, or with a different skin, it may be in the personal toolbar or another location.
What should I do if my language is not listed?
Open ULS’s extended list or search control. If it is still absent, the wiki may restrict its offered languages or lack the relevant translation. An administrator must change that site configuration.
How can an administrator let anonymous visitors choose a language?
Install LanguageSelector in the extensions/ directory, load it with wfLoadExtension( 'LanguageSelector' ); in LocalSettings.php, configure languages and detection, and verify it in Special:Version. Test page caches and reverse proxies because cookies and browser-language detection can be affected.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat is uselang=qqx for?
It exposes MediaWiki system-message IDs instead of normal labels. Administrators and translators use those IDs to diagnose an untranslated or incorrectly configured message; it is not a normal reader language.
Why do some characters show as boxes after I change languages?
Those boxes, called “tofu” in the ULS FAQ, usually indicate that the device lacks a font containing the characters. Enable a suitable web font or install one locally; this is separate from the interface-language setting.
The Bottom Line
For a personal, lasting change, sign in and select a language through Language Settings or Special:Preferences. For a temporary or anonymous change, use uselang in the URL. Remember that these methods translate MediaWiki’s interface, not the article body. If a self-hosted wiki needs a language menu for anonymous visitors, administrators can deploy LanguageSelector, but they must test browser detection, cookies, caches, and reverse proxies before rollout.
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