Commons:Categories for discussion

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This page provides a centralized place to discuss the naming convention of categories. Currently the naming conventions for categories are spread over the following pages:

Commons:Rename a category
Commons:Categories
Wikipedia:Naming conventions (from the English Wikipedia)

Alternatives

For simple category rename requests, one can put the {{Move|New name|Reason|2024-11-07}} template in the source category. These can be discussed on the category's talk page or Category talk:Requested moves.
For non-controversial requests (e.g. inappropriate/ incorrect use of capital letters, plural forms of nouns, obvious misspellings, etc.) you may file a request at User talk:CommonsDelinker/commands.
Deletion requests for categories are also found in Category:Non-media deletion requests. These should be listed here as well.

Listing a single category on this "Categories for discussion" page

Starting requests

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You can nominate individual categories directly by going to the category page and clicking on Nominate category for discussion in the Tools menu on the left. This link is provided by the AjaxQuickDelete gadget, which is enabled by default, but it can be disabled in the gadgets tab page of your preferences in the maintenance tools section.

By hand

I.	Add {{subst:cfd}} tag:
	Add the following code to the top of the category page. {{subst:cfd}} The easiest way for doing the next steps II, III and IV: After saving the category with {{subst:cfd}} the template will have created a link on cyan background. Click it (for step II), the template will create a subpage with instructions for editing and links (you must open it in new tabs or windows) for further steps.
II.	Create a subpage of "Commons:Categories for discussion" :
	Enter the name of the category that you wish to nominate for discussion, click on "Create the subpage", and follow the instructions given there. (eg Commons:Categories for discussion/2009/02/Category:Comics)
III.	Add a link to the sub-page in the "Discussion Request Log":
	To make your discussion visible here you have to add the newly created sub-page to Commons:Categories for discussion/2024/11. The log is sorted by date. Add the following code at the bottom without erasing the existing requests. Remember to save the page. {{Commons:Categories for discussion/2024/11/Category: CATEGORY-NAME }} (Where CATEGORY-NAME is the name of the category you tagged with {{Cfd}}.) (eg {{Commons:Categories for discussion/2009/02/Category:Comics}})
IV.	Notify the creator with {{Cdw}} tag:
	Sometimes it makes sense to notify the creator of a category on their talk page. Use the notify text suggested in the box at the top of the sub-page created in (II) above. {{subst:cdw\|Category:CATEGORY-NAME}} --~~~~ (Where CATEGORY-NAME is the name of the category you tagged with {{Cfd}}.) (eg {{subst:cdw\|Category:Comics}} --~~~~)

Listing multiple categories on this "Categories for discussion" page

Perform all the operations above for the first category, then tag all the other related categories with

{{subst:cfd|Category: FIRST-CATEGORY-NAME }}

(eg {{subst:cfd|Category:Comics}} to Category:Comic strips)

Note that if you want to have modifications in this list appear in your watchlist, for each new month and for each new item in the list you want to watch, you have to open the item for editing and click the watch tab.

Note that the {{Cdw}} tag notifying the creators is not fully adapted to multiple discussion.

Closing a discussion

Typically, only users experienced in category discussions should close a discussion. However, if the discussion has led to a very clear consensus, other users should feel free to do so. The following is the normal process to close a discussion. Not all steps are necessarily required nor need they be done on the same day, but in general this is the appropriate order.

Generally, wait at least two weeks since the discussion was started.
Assess the discussion and write a conclusion at the end of the page; use "----" on a line above your conclusion to separate it from the general discussion.
- Notification of closure is helpful for some users, especially those who may not maintain a watchlist, and especially if the closure implies category moves that you are not going to complete yourself. Consider using {{Cfdc}}, {{Ping}}, or {{U}} in closing to notify participants that a resolution can be proceeded with.
Add the templates {{Cfdh}} (Category for discussion header) and {{Cfdf}} (Category for discussion footer) to the top and bottom (respectively) of the discussion
If necessary, make the relevant changes to categories (e.g. rename the categories, request the category renames at COM:CDC, add {{category redirect|preferred name}} to the no longer used category name or synonyms, add {{bad name|preferred name}} to categories renamed for misspellings and the like)
Remove the cfd notice from the categories pages and cross-reference the discussion on the category talk page(s) if the associated categories still exist. E.g., if the category was nominated for deletion:
{{kept|2=Commons:Categories for discussion/2009/10/Category:Drawers or draughtsmen or draftsmen|Categories for discussion (2009-10)}}
or in general:
{{Archive box|*[[Commons:Categories for discussion/2009/10/Category:Drawers or draughtsmen or draftsmen|Categories for discussion (2009-10)]]}}
or simply:
{{Categories for discussion/2009/10/Category:Drawers or draughtsmen or draftsmen}} so that the whole discussion is copied to the talk page.
Update category descriptions or Commons:Categories if needed.
Adjust the Wikidata item if needed. If a category gets a redirect or will be deleted: judge whether the category should be changed or removed from the Wikidata item (at two places); if it is about a category with two or more subjects as well, add P971 (category combines topics) for each subject (see question 15 in Commons:Wikidata infobox help).

Current requests

Expanded view of current requests

Older requests

These requests are older than six months and still active.

Archived requests

See Commons:Categories for discussion/Archive