⛓ Ensure language fallback works for labels of linked entities
Open, Needs TriagePublic8 Estimated Story Points
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Authored By

	Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE
	Jan 2 2026, 9:24 AM

Description

We want to add the language fallback functionality to GraphQL but make it optional, i.e., it is NOT the default but there is a new field added to the schema that users can explicitly request for.

New field schema in SDL:

  # ...
  labelWithLanguageFallback(languageCode: LanguageCode!): LabelWithLanguage
}

type LabelWithLanguage {
  languageCode: LanguageCode!
  value: String!
}

The user can ask for the label in a certain language and they get back a value and a language code. This language code is either the one they asked for if a label in that language exists, or the language code of the label it fell back to. If there weren't any labels for the languages in the fallback chain, it returns null.

This new field would go into any types that implement LabelProvider. Not sure about the name of the return type - LabelWithLanguage vs LabelInLanguage?

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Status	Assigned	Task
Open	None	T413655 ⛓ Ensure language fallback works for labels of linked entities
Open	Jakob_WMDE	T422122 ⛓ Add labelWithLanguageFallback to the Item type
Open	Dima_Koushha_WMDE	T422124 ⛓ Create BatchGetItemLabelsWithLanguageFallback use case
Open	Jakob_WMDE	T422125 ⛓ Create BatchGetPropertyLabelsWithLanguageFallback use case
Open	None	T422126 ⛓ Support labelWithLanguageFallback in all item fields
Open	Jakob_WMDE	T422128 ⛓ Support labelWithLanguageFallback in all property fields
Open	None	T422129 ⛓ Add labelWithLanguageFallback to the LabelProvider interface

Event Timeline

Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE created this task.Jan 2 2026, 9:24 AM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptJan 2 2026, 9:24 AM

Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE added a project: Wikibase Reuse Team.Jan 2 2026, 9:25 AM

Maintenance_bot added a project: Wikidata.Jan 2 2026, 9:30 AM

Nylki subscribed.Jan 2 2026, 11:26 AM

Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE moved this task from Incoming tickets outside WPP to Backlog on the Wikibase Reuse Team board.Jan 8 2026, 10:06 AM

Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE moved this task from Backlog to To polish on the Wikibase Reuse Team board.Feb 20 2026, 11:35 AM

Notes from polishing:

Maybe this needs a new field language_fallback?
Question - wouldn't people always want that to be yes?
Would also need to give the language code of the fallback language
Default on or off? (if we stick with the way REST API was done, the default will be off) - we decided that we'll have it default turned off

Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE moved this task from To polish to Polished on the Wikibase Reuse Team board.Feb 24 2026, 2:56 PM

WMDE-leszek updated the task description. (Show Details)Feb 26 2026, 11:21 AM

WMDE-leszek set the point value for this task to 8.Feb 26 2026, 11:25 AM

WMDE-leszek moved this task from Polished to Ready for planning on the Wikibase Reuse Team board.

Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Feb 26 2026, 11:57 AM

Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE moved this task from Backlog to Happening now on the Wikibase GraphQL board.Mar 3 2026, 3:18 PM

Ifrahkhanyaree_WMDE moved this task from Happening now to Next on the Wikibase GraphQL board.

WMDE-leszek moved this task from Ready for planning to Sprint 66 on the Wikibase Reuse Team board.Wed, Apr 1, 9:27 AM

WMDE-leszek edited projects, added Wikibase Reuse Team (Sprint 66); removed Wikibase Reuse Team.

Here's my suggestion for the schema of this new field:

  # ...
  labelWithLanguageFallback(languageCode: LanguageCode!): LabelWithLanguage
}

type LabelWithLanguage {
  languageCode: LanguageCode!
  value: String!
}

This new field would go into any types that implement LabelProvider. Not sure about the name of the return type - LabelWithLanguage vs LabelInLanguage?

Jakob_WMDE renamed this task from Ensure language fallback works for labels of linked entities to ⛓ Ensure language fallback works for labels of linked entities.Thu, Apr 2, 7:56 AM

Jakob_WMDE created subtask T422122: ⛓ Add labelWithLanguageFallback to the Item type.Thu, Apr 2, 10:13 AM

Jakob_WMDE created subtask T422124: ⛓ Create BatchGetItemLabelsWithLanguageFallback use case.Thu, Apr 2, 10:16 AM

Jakob_WMDE created subtask T422125: ⛓ Create BatchGetPropertyLabelsWithLanguageFallback use case.

Jakob_WMDE created subtask T422126: ⛓ Support labelWithLanguageFallback in all item fields.Thu, Apr 2, 10:21 AM

Jakob_WMDE created subtask T422128: ⛓ Support labelWithLanguageFallback in all property fields.

Jakob_WMDE created subtask T422129: ⛓ Add labelWithLanguageFallback to the LabelProvider interface.

Jakob_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Thu, Apr 2, 10:26 AM