Wikipedia:Temporary accounts

This is an information page.

It is not a Wikipedia policy or guideline; rather, its purpose is to explain certain aspects of Wikipedia's norms or practices. It may reflect varying levels of consensus.

Shortcuts

This page in a nutshell: Logged-out editors are identified by a temporary account, such as ~2026-37801-68.

A temporary account is a type of user account, used by unregistered editors. A temporary—mostly numeric—username is assigned to the user and lasts for about 90 days before being replaced with another if the user remains active. Like with registered accounts IP address information is collected. While not displayed publicly, it is available to administrators and other users with the proper permissions.

How do temporary accounts work?

Account creation

Editing from a temporary account

When a logged-out user hits the "publish changes" button, an HTTP cookie is saved to the user's browser and a temporary account tied with this cookie is automatically created for them. For the next 90 days or until the user exits the session (whichever comes first), all subsequent changes published by the temporary account user will be attributed to this username, as long as the following remains the same:

same device (computer, smartphone, tablet etc.)
same user login on this device
same browser
and same browser profile

In other words, two people sharing the same IP address (perhaps because they use the same Wi-Fi connection) or the same computer can still edit using distinct temporary accounts as long as they don't share the same device, user login, web browser and browser profile.

A record of the IP address used at the time of each edit will be stored for 90 days after the edit. Users with the temporary account IP viewer (TAIV) user right are able to see the underlying IP addresses.

Temporary accounts are named with a tilde (~) followed by the year of creation, a dash, and an auto-generated serial number broken into two groups of up to five digits each separated by another dash; for example, ~2026-37801-68.^[a] Users have no control over the name of a temporary account, and temporary accounts cannot be renamed.

As long as the cookie exists, all edits made from this device and browser will be attributed to this temporary account, even if the IP address changes. The user can manually deactivate access to their temporary account by ending their session (see § Ending your session below). Any edits while in incognito or private browsing mode are associated with a cookie which expires as soon as the window is closed. Further edits would then create a new temporary account and set a new cookie. If your browser blocks cookie creation, each edit will be attributed to a new temporary account. If you keep editing after any action that ends your session you become subject to the limitations on creating new temporary accounts listed below. The cookie will expire 90 days after its creation; see § Account expiration below.

If you use a different device or browser, a new different temporary account will be created for you. You cannot access the same temporary account from different browsers or devices. Consider creating an account in order to be able to log in from different browsers or devices.

As a measure against vandalism, there are limitations on the creation of temporary accounts. A single IP address (or /64 range in the case of IPv6) can create a maximum of:^[b]

One temporary account within a period of 10 minutes,
Two temporary accounts within a period of 24 hours,
Four temporary accounts within a period of 7 days, and
Six temporary accounts within a period of 30 days

Any unregistered user that would exceed these limits on their IP (or /64 range) will see an error when trying to edit, if they are not already using a previously created temporary account.

Limitations

Temporary account users may read all Wikipedia pages (except restricted special pages), and edit pages that are not protected (including pending changes protected/move-protected articles).

Temporary accounts can only create pages in the Draft namespace and talk pages of all namespaces^[c]. They need to ask for help to create pages in some parts of the wiki: in particular they cannot create pages in the "User" namespace, including their own user page or subpages such as a personal sandbox. Temporary accounts also cannot edit protected pages, move pages, configure preferences, or maintain a watchlist.

Furthermore, they cannot upload files or images. They must answer a CAPTCHA if they wish to make an edit which involves the addition of external links, and click a confirmation link to purge pages.

If you want to create an account (and no longer rely on temporary accounts) please click here:

Create an account

To register an account, click on the "Create an account now" link and fill out the required fields. This will be logged, and your account will be created.

Communication

Temporary accounts can generally communicate with other editors in the same way as a registered account. They can use or create their own user talk page (not shared with other editors using the same IP address) and they can ping and be pinged.

However, while temporary accounts can be thanked they cannot thank others in return. Other ways of showing your appreciation (see Wikipedia:Expressing thanks) are open to every type of account.

Temporary account deactivation

The following lists the various ways your temporary account can be deactivated, making the account permanently inaccessible. Any logs of actions taken by the temporary account remain intact – the temporary account's edits and user talk page remain accessible and in page histories indefinitely.

A new temporary account will be created when a user with an inaccessible temporary account edits or performs a logged action again.

Ending your session

To permanently disable access to your temporary account, choose the "end your session" menu choice accessible under the user icon. You will never again be able to access that temporary account. Ending the session does not mark the account as expired; it will expire normally.

Other ways to end your session: visit Special:UserLogout or clear your cookies in your browser. Logging into an existing registered account (or creating a new account) also clears the cookie.

Account expiration

Temporary accounts will automatically expire 90 days after creation. As of March 2026^[update], you are given about one week's notification the temporary account you're using is about to expire.

Unregistered editors receiving a new temporary account every 90 days should not be understood as receiving a new anonymous identity every 90 days. Temporary accounts are only furnished a very basic level of privacy, and there are several circumstances where your edits with one temporary account will be publicly connected to edits with previous temporary accounts. For example, if you participate in a talk page discussion just as your temporary account expires, it is quite possible other editors will realize the new account is used by the same person as the old.

To help editors avoid sending messages to expired temporary accounts (because those messages are unlikely to be read by the intended recipient), expired temporary accounts are visibly ~~stricken~~ in page histories, diff pages, etc. This does not mean you cannot or aren't allowed to ping, thank or otherwise interact with expired accounts; just that you should be aware the editor that made the edits using that account is unlikely to ever get your communication.

Since sessions can be ended with no way for Wikipedia to know this (such as by closing a private browser window) there is no visual guidance planned to help editors avoid communicating with temporary account users whose sessions have ended.

Account deletion

Wikipedia accounts (temporary as well as registered) cannot be deleted.

The simplest way to permanently inactivate your current temporary account is to exit the session. Any messages on its user page and user talk page will remain, as will a permanent record of all its activity, but the account can never be used again. It isn't deleted, and will not show up as expired before the 90 day period is over, but for all practical purposes the account has been rendered permanently inactive.

Using multiple temporary accounts

Since it is quite easy for unregistered editors to end up using several temporary accounts (intentionally or by accident), it is possible other editors might assume one person is operating several accounts. Consider creating an account to avoid this. See § Rules about IP information disclosure below, and our policy on misusing multiple accounts at Wikipedia:Sockpuppetry.

History

Temporary accounts were enabled on English Wikipedia on November 4, 2025.^[d] This replaced the older system of IP users, which is now deprecated across all of Wikipedia. Unregistered users used to be referred to as "IP" (IP address) editors because their edits were publicly identified by their IP address. Unregistered users used also to be referred to as "anonymous" editors, because edits publicly identified by a certain IP address could have been made by anyone connected to the Internet with that same IP address regardless of device, browser or computer login.^[e] Whenever you see a reference to "anons" or "IP edits", this is talking about what are now "TA edits": edits made using a temporary account.

The transition away from IP edits increases privacy and was intended to help unregistered editors avoid political persecution in territories with animus toward Wikipedia and its editors while additionally providing a layer of prevention hindering denial-of-service attacks against editors.

Users with access to the CheckUser tool can query for the IP addresses of all users and can list all contributions made by accounts from a specific IP address or range; this ability can only be used in the limited circumstances defined by the CheckUser policy. In addition, administrators and users in the temporary account IP viewer (TAIV) user group, can look up the IP address of temporary accounts specifically.

Technical details

Notes

^ Serial numbers are derived from the temporary account's ordinal value in the sequence of all temporary accounts created across all WMF wikis in the current year, which is then remapped to another number with the same number of digits to avoid confusion between accounts created close together in time. As a result, the digits after the year in a serial number do not necessarily tell you which of two temporary accounts is older.
^ The limits shown below have been in effect since December 2025 and may be adjusted based on evaluations by the English Wikipedia community.
^ Unless the pages are salted
^ The first edit using a temporary account on English Wikipedia was made at 08:12, 4 November 2025; see User talk:~2025-31096-01
^ This meant that edits from two people in the same building, such as a residence or school, could get the same attributation. The template {{subst:Shared IP advice}} once existed to post the following message on IP talk pages: If this is a shared IP address, and you did not make the edits, consider creating an account for yourself or logging in with an existing account so you can avoid further irrelevant notices.

[1] Serial numbers are derived from the temporary account's ordinal value in the sequence of all temporary accounts created across all WMF wikis in the current year, which is then remapped to another number with the same number of digits to avoid confusion between accounts created close together in time. As a result, the digits after the year in a serial number do not necessarily tell you which of two temporary accounts is older.

[2] The limits shown below have been in effect since December 2025 and may be adjusted based on evaluations by the English Wikipedia community.

[3] Unless the pages are salted

[4] The first edit using a temporary account on English Wikipedia was made at 08:12, 4 November 2025; see User talk:~2025-31096-01

[5] This meant that edits from two people in the same building, such as a residence or school, could get the same attributation. The template {{subst:Shared IP advice}} once existed to post the following message on IP talk pages: If this is a shared IP address, and you did not make the edits, consider creating an account for yourself or logging in with an existing account so you can avoid further irrelevant notices.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[e]

v t e Wikipedia accounts and governance
Unregistered users	Why create an account? Create an account Request an account Unregistered editors are human too Temporary accounts
Registered users	New account Logging in Reset passwords Username policy Changing username Usernames for administrator attention Unified login or SUL Alternative account
Account security	Password strength requirements User account security Personal security practices Two-factor authentication 2FA for AWB Committed identity On privacy, confidentiality and discretion Compromised accounts How to not get outed
Blocks, bans, sanctions, global actions	Blocking policy FAQ Admin's guide Tools Autoblock Appealing a block Guide to appealing blocks UTRS Unblock Ticket Request System Unblock Wizard Blocking IP addresses Range blocks IPv6 Open proxies Banning policy ArbCom appeals Sanctions Personal sanctions General sanctions Contentious topics and Log Essay Indef ≠ infinite Long-term abuse Standard offer Global actions
Related to accounts	Sockpuppetry Single-purpose account Sleeper account Spam-only account Vandalism-only account Wikibreak Enforcer Retiring Courtesy vanishing Clean start Quiet return Account deletion
User groups and global user groups	Requests for permissions Admin instructions Admin guide Account creator PERM (Auto) confirmed PERM Autopatrolled PERM AutoWikiBrowser PERM Bot Request Edit filter helper Request Event coordinator PERM Extended confirmed PERM File mover PERM IP block exempt Request Mass message sender PERM New page reviewer PERM Page mover PERM Pending changes reviewer PERM Rollback PERM Template editor PERM Temporary account IP viewer PERM Global rights policy Volunteer Response Team
Advanced user groups	Administrator RfA Bureaucrat RfB CheckUser and Oversight Request Edit filter manager Request Interface administrator Request Founder Importer Researcher
Committees and related	Arbitration Committee Bot approvals group Functionaries Clerks SPI clerks ArbCom clerks
Governance	Administration FAQ AI Formal organization Editorial oversight and control Quality control Wikimedia Foundation Board Founder's seat Meta-Wiki Proposals WikiProjects Elections Policies and guidelines Petitions Noticeboards Consensus Dispute resolution Reforms