Reverting

To revert a page is to undo all the changes made to that page after a specific time in the past. The result will be a page identical in content to the page as it was saved at that time. Reverting is a decision that should be taken seriously and is primarily used for fighting vandalism. If you are not sure whether reverting is appropriate, discuss it first using the discussion or talk pages rather than immediately reverting or deleting. If you feel an edit is unsatisfactory, try improving it rather than simply reverting or deleting it.

To revert a page to an earlier version:

• On the page you wish to revert, click on the history tab. Access the earlier version of the page by clicking on the time and date of the earlier version you intend to revert to.
• When the page displays, you will see text similar to this: "Revision as of 15:35, 21 December 2006 by...", in light grey at the top of the page below the page's title.
• You can navigate backwards or forwards through the chronology of changes by using the '←Older revision | Latest revision | Newer revision→' links.
• Verify that you've selected the desired former version of the page, then click a link to edit the page as you would normally.
• You'll get a prominent warning, displayed above the edit box, about editing an out-of-date revision.
• Ignore this warning and save the page. Be sure to add the word "revert" (or "rv") to the edit summary.

Activity

Pseudo Vandalism - Using the undo link to revert a page to a previous version In this activity you will add a "vandal" entry on your user page and correct this using the "undo" function. Important Note: You must make sure that this activity is done on your own user page. Make sure you're logged in and go to your user page. (Click on your username beside the image at the very top of any page). Click on the edit tab so you can make a change on your user page. Make sure that you are on your user page. You should see the heading: User:<your user name here> Enter the following text: "This is a dummy vandal entry." Click on the Save page button. You should now see your pseudo vandal entry on your user page. Click on the history tab above the content area of your user page. Check that the radio buttons for the two most recent edits are highlighted green on the history page. Click on the Compare selected revisions button. Your most recent change, i.e. "This is a dummy vandal entry.", displays in red text in the right hand version. Click the undo link above the right hand version of the comparison, to the right of the "Latest revision as of..." heading. A new comparison displays with the "vandal entry" on the left and a blank area on the right. This new right hand version is a preview and is not yet saved. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, noting that the summary window automatically describes the "undo revision". Edit the summary as desired. Click on the Save page button. Congratulations - you have now reverted your page back to a previous version, effectively removing your dummy vandal entry. Need more help? Let us show you how.

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