Manual:Interface/en

The MediaWiki interface is the entirety of the output HTML code of a wiki page except the body text itself. The interface includes the tabs above each page, the side bar, and personal links.

Localizing the interface
The default interface for many languages is defined in the MediaWiki localization files, and will update automatically if the language set by  or if a user's preferences is changed.

You can edit the text strings and images displayed for the current user interface language via the special page Special:Allmessages. For more information on this page and editing these messages, please see:


 * Help:System messages
 * meta:Help:System messages
 * translatewiki.net, the MediaWiki localisation project

Customizing the interface
Depending on one's requirements and programming expertise, there are several different customization techniques available:


 * System messages: Most look and feel customizations can be done by modifying system messages using the Special:AllMessages page. Editing interface messages is typically straightforward, just like editing a normal wiki page. These messages set defaults for various parts of the user interface and contain a combination of plain text, wiki markup, CSS and JavaScript. For details, see the documentation of the individual messages.
 * Skins: Fundamental changes to the layout of the interface may require attaching functions to one or more skin hooks and/or the creation of a custom skin. For more information, please see.
 * /JavaScript: improve browser behavior using some scripts. Includes a list of JavaScript variables.
 * /Stylesheets: improve layout and design using CSS.
 * /IDs and classes: a list of common IDs and classes.