User:DWalden (WMF)/Blocking

Types of block

 * Account block
 * Special:Block against a user account.


 * Autoblock
 * When creating an account block, you can optionally check an option . This creates an IP block against the IP of the account. This differs from a normal IP block because it is not meant to show information about an account's IP. The account needs to have performed some action first (e.g. editing a page) in order for the system to know what their IP address is. See Autoblock.


 * Hidden block
 * For a Special:Block account block which has an indefinite expiry you can check the option . Only users with the hideuser right (on enwiki this is users in the Oversighters group) will be able to see these blocks in Special:BlockList, Special:Log/block (and perhaps other places) and the account name will be hidden from normal users (e.g. in revision history).


 * IP block
 * Special:Block against an IP (e.g.,  ).


 * Range block
 * Special:Block against an IP range (e.g.,  ).


 * Global IP
 * Special:GlobalBlock against an IP.


 * Global Range
 * Special:GlobalBlock against an IP range.


 * System block
 * There are several configuration variables which can block IP addresses/ranges, for example $wgProxyList, $wgSoftBlockRanges. Add these to.

Ways blocks can be applied

 * Logged in
 * If you have an account block or autoblock applied to an account you are logged in as.


 * Public IP
 * Your public IP address is blocked.


 * Cookie
 * If an account with an autoblock logs in they will have a cookie added to their browser. Even if they log out, the account block will still be applied to them, until the cookie expires. See Manual:$wgCookieSetOnAutoblock and Autoblock.


 * X-Forward-For (XFF)
 * If a blocked IP address is in their XFF header and  is true.

Example matrix of test block scenarios
There are large number of possible combinations of blocks a user can have affecting them at any one time. Below is just a small sample. Pick combinations you think represent realistic or interesting scenarios.

Description of scenarios

 * 1) You are logged in an account which is blocked (but not autoblocked) and your public IP is globally blocked.
 * 2) You share the same public IP as an account which is autoblocked and that IP is in a globally blocked range.
 * 3) You have just logged out of an account which is autoblocked (so a cookie has been set on your browser) and you have an IP address in your XFF header which is in a globally blocked range.