Install a MediaWiki skin by placing its code in your wiki’s skins/ directory and enabling it with wfLoadSkin( 'SkinName' ); in LocalSettings.php. Set $wgDefaultSkin to the skin’s lowercase symbolic name only after checking release compatibility, dependencies and a preview with ?useskin=.
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What a MediaWiki skin controls
A skin supplies the presentation layer around MediaWiki content: page structure, navigation, typography, responsive behavior and the visual treatment of interface elements. It is installed as PHP, template, stylesheet and asset code inside the wiki rather than as a page-level theme.
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Installing a skin has two separate parts. The files must be in the wiki installation’s skins/ directory, and MediaWiki must be told to register the skin in LocalSettings.php. A skin that is copied into the right folder but never loaded is not available for use; a load statement pointing to a missing or incorrectly named directory will fail.
The safest sequence is therefore:
- Match the skin to the MediaWiki release.
- Read that skin’s own installation and dependency notes.
- Copy the skin into
skins/with the required directory name. - Add one
wfLoadSkin()statement for every skin you want available. - Preview it with
?useskin=skinname. - Change
$wgDefaultSkinonly when the preview and production checks pass.
Check compatibility before downloading anything
Match the MediaWiki release
Skin code is tied to MediaWiki’s registration APIs, templates and resource-loading behavior. If you obtain a skin from Git, check out the branch or tag that corresponds to your MediaWiki release. A branch intended for a different release can install cleanly yet fail when MediaWiki loads a changed class, template or configuration field.
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Release matching is especially important after an upgrade. Do not assume that a skin that worked on the previous MediaWiki version is still compatible. Check the skin’s documented release support and select the relevant REL branch or tag when the project provides one.
Read the skin’s instructions
The standard registration pattern is similar across skins, but individual projects can require dependencies or extra configuration. The skin’s documentation takes precedence over the generic workflow. Look for required extensions, asset packages, PHP requirements, configuration variables, logo settings and any instructions that differ from the normal wfLoadSkin() call.
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Do not enable an unfamiliar skin directly on a public production wiki when its documentation has not been checked. A missing dependency can produce a fatal error, an incomplete layout or a page that appears unstyled even though the files are present.
Identify the wiki installation root
The correct destination is the skins/ directory belonging to the MediaWiki installation that serves your site. It is not a user home directory, a web server document root chosen at random, or a directory inside an extension. If your server hosts more than one wiki, verify which installation contains the active LocalSettings.php before copying files.
Ways to obtain a skin
A standard MediaWiki tarball already includes several skins. For additional choices, use a distribution method documented by the skin or by MediaWiki:
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| Method | What you receive | Checks before installation |
|---|---|---|
| Skin included in a MediaWiki tarball | Skin code packaged with that MediaWiki release | Confirm the skin is present in the extracted skins/ directory and use its documented registration name. |
| Additional tarball | A release archive for a skin | Choose an archive compatible with your MediaWiki release and preserve the directory structure when unpacking it. |
| Wikimedia Git | The project’s repository, including release branches or tags | Check out the branch or tag matching the running MediaWiki version rather than using an unrelated development branch. |
| ZIP archive | Skin files compressed for download | Inspect the extracted top-level directory; ZIP tools sometimes add a version suffix that does not match the registered skin name. |
mediawiki-skins-cli workflow |
Skin code obtained through the documented command-line workflow | Follow the tool and skin’s version requirements, then verify the resulting directory and registration instructions. |
After extraction, inspect the directory before enabling it. The folder you place under skins/ must be the folder expected by the skin’s instructions, and the name passed to wfLoadSkin() must be the skin’s registered name. A downloaded archive name is not necessarily the registered name.
Install and enable a skin
Use this procedure for a skin whose release compatibility and prerequisites have been confirmed.
- Download or extract the code. Obtain the compatible tarball, Git checkout, ZIP archive or documented CLI output. Keep the complete directory tree; do not copy only the visible PHP files.
- Place the directory under
skins/. Copy the skin’s directory into theskins/directory of the active MediaWiki installation. The result should be a path such as/path/to/mediawiki/skins/SkinName/, with the skin’s own subdirectories intact. - Confirm the directory and registration names. Use the spelling and capitalization specified by the skin. If the project says its registered name is different from the archive name, follow the project’s registration name and directory requirements rather than guessing.
- Edit
LocalSettings.php. Add the skin’s load statement after the normal MediaWiki configuration is available:
wfLoadSkin( 'SkinName' );Replace SkinName with the exact registered name. Every skin you want users to be able to select needs its own load statement. The MediaWiki skin configuration documentation states: “For any skin in your /skins directory that you wish to use, you must enable it in your LocalSettings.php file.”
- Save the configuration and load the wiki. Visit a normal page while logged in as an administrator. If MediaWiki reports a missing class, dependency or configuration error, stop and follow the skin’s troubleshooting notes instead of changing the default.
- Preview the skin. Add
?useskin=skinnameto a page URL, using the lowercase skin name accepted by the preview parameter. Check ordinary articles, talk pages, special pages, forms and logged-in navigation before rollout.
For skin development and template inspection, the skin documentation also describes ?useskin=json, which exposes template data in the JSON-oriented view. It is a diagnostic option, not a replacement for checking the normal rendered interface.
Set the default skin without removing user choice
Once the skin works in preview, set the site-wide default in LocalSettings.php with the lowercase symbolic name from the skin definition:
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$wgDefaultSkin = 'vector';The value in this example is the symbolic name vector, not necessarily the directory’s display label. Substitute the lowercase name documented by the skin you are deploying.
Changing $wgDefaultSkin changes the default experience for the wiki. Existing users who were using the previous default are switched when this value changes. Users can still choose another enabled skin from Preferences unless the administrator has suppressed alternative skins.
Keep the wfLoadSkin() line for every skin you intend to offer. Setting one default does not automatically enable that skin, and removing all alternatives is a separate availability decision. If you want a single controlled interface, review your site’s preference restrictions after confirming the new default works for anonymous and authenticated visitors.
Preview safely before a public rollout
Use the URL override
Appending ?useskin=skinname to a page URL lets you inspect an enabled skin without changing the site-wide default. Use a representative set of URLs:
- A long article containing headings, tables, images and references.
- A talk or discussion page with signatures and nested sections.
- A special page that contains forms or paginated results.
- A page viewed while logged out and while logged in.
- A narrow mobile viewport and a wide desktop viewport.
Check navigation, search, action tabs, edit controls, notifications, language links, category links and footer content. A skin can look correct on a simple article while failing on a form or a page that loads a less common interface module.
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Check permissions and user preferences
Preview as an administrator, a regular logged-in user and an anonymous visitor where possible. Compare the controls each role is expected to see. Also inspect Preferences after enabling more than one skin so users can select only the alternatives you intend to support.
Disable, remove and restore skins
Disable a skin temporarily
Remove or comment out that skin’s wfLoadSkin() line in LocalSettings.php. The skin files can remain in skins/ while you investigate a problem or prepare a later re-enablement. Users will no longer be able to select a skin that is not enabled.
Remove an unused skin
After disabling it, remove the skin’s directory from skins/ if it is no longer needed. Removing the files after removing the load statement avoids a configuration reference to code that no longer exists. Keep a copy of any local modifications if you may reinstall it.
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Re-enable it later
Re-adding the compatible files and restoring the wfLoadSkin() statement makes the skin available again. The core skin documentation indicates that re-enabling a skin does not lose users’ skin settings. Compatibility and dependency checks still apply when you restore it, particularly if MediaWiki has been upgraded in the meantime.
Customize skins with wiki pages
For CSS and JavaScript overrides, use MediaWiki namespace pages rather than editing distributed skin files. This keeps local customizations separate from code updates.
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| Page | Scope |
|---|---|
MediaWiki:Common.css |
CSS applied across skins. |
MediaWiki:Common.js |
JavaScript applied across skins. |
MediaWiki:Vector.css |
CSS specific to the Vector skin. |
MediaWiki:Vector.js |
JavaScript specific to the Vector skin. |
MediaWiki:Minerva.css |
CSS specific to the Minerva skin. |
MediaWiki:Minerva.js |
JavaScript specific to the Minerva skin. |
User:<name>/<skin>.css and User:<name>/<skin>.js |
Per-user overrides for an individual skin. |
Put a rule in a skin-specific page when it should affect only that skin; use the common pages only when the behavior genuinely belongs across skins. This prevents a layout fix for one skin from changing navigation or spacing in another.
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There is no universal “best” skin. Compare candidates against the wiki’s content, audience and maintenance capacity rather than judging only the desktop screenshot.
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|---|---|---|
| Release compatibility | Does the project publish a branch or tag for the MediaWiki release you run? | A mismatch can break registration, templates or resource loading during installation or a later upgrade. |
| Maintenance status | Is the project maintained and does its documentation identify supported releases? | An abandoned skin increases the chance that future core changes will require local fixes. |
| Extension integration | Do the extensions your wiki relies on document compatibility with the skin? | Navigation, forms and extension-provided interfaces may depend on skin-specific templates or styles. |
| Responsive and mobile behavior | Does the layout remain usable at narrow widths, and are touch controls clear? | A skin that works only on a wide monitor can make reading and editing difficult on phones. |
| Accessibility and right-to-left support | Are keyboard navigation, contrast, labels and right-to-left layouts handled correctly? | These affect whether every reader can navigate and edit the wiki. |
| Customization surface | Can the needed changes be made with documented CSS, JavaScript and template hooks? | Clear override points reduce the need to maintain a private fork. |
| Performance and assets | How many assets and dependencies does the skin load, and do they fit your deployment? | Extra dependencies increase installation and troubleshooting work. |
| Upgrade migration | How much work is likely when the MediaWiki release changes? | A skin requiring repeated manual adaptation has a higher long-term cost. |
Use the ?useskin= preview to make the comparison on the same pages and with the same user roles. Record compatibility findings and required customizations before selecting a default.
Diagnose a broken skin after an upgrade
MediaWiki’s upgrade guidance notes that some older skins were not adapted to the newer skin registration system. Treat every core upgrade as a skin compatibility event and check these items in order:
- Verify the branch or tag. Confirm that the installed code matches the new MediaWiki release. A skin left on an older release branch is a common first check.
- Verify registration. Confirm that the skin uses the registration method expected by the current release and that
LocalSettings.phpstill contains the correctwfLoadSkin()call. - Check dependencies. Re-read the skin’s instructions for extensions, packages or configuration values that changed with the upgrade.
- Check logo settings. A logo path or asset setting can be valid in one layout and fail after a skin or core change. Confirm that the configured logo is present and referenced as documented.
- Inspect the rendered layout. Test articles, special pages, editing, navigation and mobile widths rather than relying on one successful page load.
- Use a known-good skin as a control. If the default or another enabled skin renders normally, the problem is more likely to be skin-specific than a general wiki outage.
| Symptom | Checks to make |
|---|---|
| The skin does not appear in Preferences | Confirm its directory is directly under skins/, the directory name is correct, and its wfLoadSkin() line is present and spelled exactly as documented. |
| MediaWiki reports a class or dependency error | Check the skin’s release branch, required extensions and any extra installation steps before editing unrelated configuration. |
| The page loads with missing styles or broken controls | Check asset dependencies, registration compatibility and browser rendering on both an article and a special page. |
| The logo is missing or misplaced | Verify the logo setting, file path and the skin’s current instructions; then test the header at desktop and mobile widths. |
| The layout broke only after a core upgrade | Compare the installed skin branch with the new release, look for registration-system changes and test a maintained compatible version. |
If the skin prevents normal administration, disable it by removing its wfLoadSkin() line and restore a known-good default. Keep the skin files until you have identified whether the failure is code, dependency or configuration related; delete them only when you are sure the skin is no longer required.
Production checklist
- The skin’s branch or tag matches the running MediaWiki release.
- All documented dependencies and extra configuration steps are complete.
- The skin directory is directly inside the active installation’s
skins/directory. - The registration name and
wfLoadSkin()statement match the skin’s instructions. - Every skin intended for user selection has its own load statement.
?useskin=skinnamehas been tested on representative articles, special pages and user roles.- The lowercase symbolic name used by
$wgDefaultSkinis correct. - Common and skin-specific CSS or JavaScript overrides are stored in the appropriate wiki pages.
- Logo, responsive, accessibility and right-to-left behavior have been checked.
- A rollback path exists: remove the load statement, restore a known-good default and investigate before re-enabling.
Key takeaway
MediaWiki skin management is a configuration and compatibility task, not simply a file copy. Keep compatible skin code under skins/, register each available skin with wfLoadSkin(), preview it with ?useskin=, and use the lowercase name with $wgDefaultSkin only after testing. Recheck the branch, registration method, dependencies, logo and rendered layout whenever MediaWiki itself changes.
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