Elite Dangerous Wiki:Bots
A bot is a computer program that automates certain tasks, which in this case is editing this wiki. Additionally, given that there is a potential for bots to malfunction or vandalise, the community must carefully regulate their operation to prevent them from damaging the wiki.
Process
To apply for a bot account, you the community must have approved usage of the bot. The reason for the bot creation should be made clear and why another bot account is needed. When requesting for a new bot approval, the specification should include:
- A detailed reason why another bot account is needed and what the bot will do,
- How often it will run,
- Who will be able to access it, and
- Where the source code is located given that it runs a custom app.
Once you've gotten approval of the community, you or an admin can request to have this bot approved and get it a bot flag.
Guidelines
General guidelines goes as follows:
- Bots must be on a separate account from their creators,
- A contact page for the creator and administrators must be listed in the bot's profile page,
- If a bot is switched to another owner, the bot must switch to a different account, and
- Common sense.
Source code
If your bot has plans on using custom bots, the source code must be included in the discussion to have the bot approved, and on the bot's profile page. The source code should have been tested and looked over by other members of the community, and publicly stated as such, before you're allowed to put it to use.
Local approval and operation
Make a request on this page's talk page and link the proposed account, operator, task, expected edit rate and test results. Existing source-code and community-review requirements above still apply. Only a user with the configured permission can grant a bot flag; the flag does not approve unrelated tasks. See Special:ListGroupRights and Project:Requests for permissions.
Begin with a small, reviewable trial. Use bounded request rates, respect server limits, log failures and provide a way for the operator to stop the task. Stop when the bot produces unexpected edits or an administrator requests a pause. Discuss a material change of task before resuming. Do not publish passwords or access tokens in source code or logs.
Task approval queue
Start new task and trial requests at Project:Bot requests. Existing discussions on this page's talk page remain valid. A bureaucrat or site operator implements an agreed bot-flag change. Project:Discussion and archiving explains closures and the local housekeeping bot.