This task represents the work with enabling the full suite of Usability Improvements default-on features for everyone (logged in + out), including the in-line Thank feature, at English Wikipedia.
Timeline
| Milestone | Date | Responsible | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft announcement copy | 2 July 2026 | @Quiddity | |
| Finalize announcement copy | 6 July 2026 | @ppelberg | |
| Publish announcement | 9 July 2026 | @Quiddity | Post |
| Deploy changes | Week of 13 July 2026 | Editing Engineering | |
Announcement
For reference, see draft @Trizek-WMF put together in T379264 (and the version actually posted)
== Discussion Tools usability improvements becoming default ==
Thumbnail image - "Screenshot showing the Usability Improvements enabled at en.wiki"
Next week, a set of incremental design and functional changes will become available by default for Wikipedia’s talk pages. You can opt-out of these changes at any time in user preferences. More details below.
For context: since 2023, 85,000+ volunteers at en.wiki have been trying these features via Beta Features. English Wikipedia is the last wiki where these changes haven't yet been deployed to.
Details: Usability Improvements for Discussion Tools are a set of incremental design and functional changes to Wikipedia’s talk pages, aimed at making these spaces more intuitive and accessible for all contributors, especially newcomers. The improvements focus on visual clarity, easier navigation, and better tools for communication. Some earlier research shows these changes lead to more productive participation and fewer reverts. These changes complete the talk pages improvements by addressing long-standing usability issues identified in the 2019 Talk Pages Consultation. They align with Wikimedia’s goal to make editing more inclusive and accessible.
These are the main improvements that will be added to talk pages by default:
- Visual Clarity: Sans-serif fonts and lines placed above H2 section-titles, and clearer action buttons (reply, subscribe, new topic), make talk pages more clearly different from articles.
- Metadata: We show the number of comments per topic, the date of the latest comment, and an improved table of contents (in Vector-2022) that highlights the number of replies.
- Action Tools: Easier-to-find buttons for subscribing, replying, starting new topics on an empty page, thanking contributors, copying a link, and reporting problems from the reading interface.
- Backward Compatibility: Usability Improvements apply to all skins, on both mobile and desktop experiences. Some elements can be disabled in user preferences.
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding these improvements.