Bug Report: Wikipedia Preview Fails to Generate Previews on Certain Wikipedia Namespaces & Cannot Be Disabled on Specific Links

[VDK]

When linking to Wikipedia pages in certain namespaces (e.g., User:, Wikipedia: for policies), the Wikipedia Preview plugin does not generate previews. Additionally, attempts to turn off link detection (e.g., by setting 'wikipediapreview_detectlinks' => false) do not reliably prevent preview popups. Unlike some WordPress lightbox plugins (where you can add class="nolightbox" to exclude specific links), there is currently no per-link opt-out mechanism for Wikipedia Preview.

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Steps to Reproduce

1. Install and activate the Wikipedia Preview WordPress plugin (version 1.14.3).
2. Create or edit a post and add a link to a Wikipedia “User:” page (e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Example) or a policy page in the “Wikipedia:” namespace (e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Some_policy).
3. Publish or preview the post.
4. Observe one of the following:
   • The plugin does not generate a preview for those links.
   • If you tried disabling detectLinks (via post meta or defaults), the plugin may still attach previews to other Wikipedia links.

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Expected Behavior

1. Namespace Coverage: Ideally, the plugin would either support previews in all namespaces (e.g., User:, Wikipedia:) or skip them gracefully.
2. Consistent Disable Option: When disabling link detection globally, no previews should appear unless specifically requested (via data-wikipedia-preview or similar).
3. Per-Link Exclusion: A documented, built-in way (e.g., class="no-wp-preview") to exclude certain Wikipedia links from triggering popups, even if detectLinks is on.

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Actual Behavior

• Links to “User:” and “Wikipedia:” pages do not show a preview (if the plugin even attempts to load them).
• Attempts to set detectLinks => false in the plugin defaults or post meta do not always disable previews for links that were previously detected.
• The plugin does not provide a simple method (like a custom class) to exclude specific links while leaving others enabled.

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Additional Context / Comparisons

• Other plugins (e.g., popular lightbox tools) allow site owners to add an attribute or class (nolightbox) on links to prevent unintended behavior.
• Some site owners want to link to their user profile or policy pages on Wikipedia. Without a preview, those links can appear broken or inconsistent with other previews.
• If you want partial coverage of Wikipedia links, there is no easy way to disable specific ones without disabling the entire plugin or hacking the plugin's code.

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Environment

• WordPress Version: 6.x (or above)
• Wikipedia Preview Plugin Version: 1.14.3
• PHP Version: 7.4 or 8.x
• Browsers Tested: Chrome, Firefox
• Relevant WordPress Setup: Using standard theme and a few other plugins (no known direct conflicts).

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Proposed Solutions

1. Namespace Detection: Officially clarify or extend support to include “User:” and “Wikipedia:” namespaces, or gracefully skip them if they’re not supported.
2. Per-Link Opt-Out: Add a recognized class or data attribute (e.g., class="no-wp-preview") that bypasses the detection logic.
3. Global Disable Reliability: Ensure that setting detectLinks => false always disables the preview for all posts unless explicitly overridden.

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Conclusion / Request

• Support or Skip: Please consider officially handling all Wikipedia namespaces or gracefully skipping those that are unsupported.
• Opt-Out Mechanism: Provide a documented way to exclude specific links (similar to nolightbox in the most popular lightbox plugin for WordPress).
• Reliable Global Setting: Guarantee that detectLinks => false fully disables link detection.

Thank you for considering these improvements!

[hueitan]

I apologize for the late response. I have created a ticket for this suggestion at https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T396874 as a reference.

[roshninaktode]

Hi! I’d like to work on this issue. Could you please assign it to me? 😊

[hueitan]

Hi! I’d like to work on this issue. Could you please assign it to me? 😊

HI @roshninaktode feel free to submit the pull request. We will review it once we receive your pr, and will post it on https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T396874 for the review.