{"id":75902,"date":"2025-01-02T11:59:30","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T11:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.awardspace.com\/?p=75902"},"modified":"2025-01-06T12:52:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T12:52:16","slug":"enable-user-glow-in-mediawiki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.awardspace.com\/kb\/enable-user-glow-in-mediawiki\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Enable and Customize User Glow in MediaWiki"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now that you have installed MediaWiki<\/a> and logged in to the admin panel<\/a>, and you also learned how to add modules<\/a>, it is time to make your wiki a bit more engaging and user-friendly. There are numerous ways to customize your Wiki project and one handy approach is to add the User Glow effect to highlight users or groups dynamically within the platform\u2019s interface.<\/p>\n

In the following paragraphs, we explain User Glow in MediaWiki and how to implement It on your website.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is User Glow in MediaWiki<\/h2>\n

User Glow refers to the visual highlight of usernames within MediaWiki. The effect can include glowing text, colourful outlines, or any other eye-catching effect to make certain users stand out. In most cases, such an effect is used to outline the admins, moderators, VIP contributors, and others within a MediaWiki website.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to Implement User Glow in MediaWiki<\/h2>\n

In the following paragraphs, we share how to set up a user glow effect in your MediaWiki. The process is comprised of a few easy-to-follow steps and requires a few minutes of your time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 1: Identify Your User Groups<\/h3>\n

Before implementing technicality, it is first important to segment your user groups \u2013 decide which segments\u2019 names would be highlighted and in what design, so you know how to approach the technical aspect of the User Glow implementation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 2: Edit the Common.css File<\/h3>\n

In order to apply the glow effect for your user groups, you need to add a custom CSS sting to your Wiki. To do so, navigate to MediaWiki: Common.css within your root folder and add the following code (keep in mind that this is a sample code that adds a glowing green effect for admins and an orange glow for moderators. You can adjust the glowing effects and colours just the way it is most suitable for you):<\/p>\n

\/* Glow effect for admins *\/<\/strong><\/p>\n

.mw-userlink[data-user-group=”sysop”] {<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 text-shadow: 0 0 5px #00FF00, 0 0 10px #00FF00, 0 0 15px #00FF00;<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 font-weight: bold;<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 color: #00FF00;<\/strong><\/p>\n

}<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\/* Glow effect for moderators *\/<\/strong><\/p>\n

.mw-userlink[data-user-group=”moderator”] {<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 text-shadow: 0 0 5px #FF4500, 0 0 10px #FF4500, 0 0 15px #FF4500;<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 color: #FF4500;<\/strong><\/p>\n

}<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Step 3: Assign Users to Different Groups<\/h3>\n

After you have added the CSS code to your global stylesheet, it is time to assign the users to the groups you just customized. This can be done with Special: UserRights<\/strong> on your MediaWiki website.<\/p>\n

User groups are a built-in MediaWiki feature that allows you to distribute and categorize users and grant specific permissions to each group. By assigning users to different groups, you can control who gets the user glow effects on their username.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to assign users to groups in MediaWiki:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Access the User Rights Management Page<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Navigate to your wiki\u2019s Special: UserRights page. You can do so by typing the following into your web browser\u2019s address bar:<\/p>\n

    https:\/\/your-wiki-domain\/Special:UserRights<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Search for Users<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      In the search bar on the Special: UserRights page, type the username of the individual you want to assign to a group. Then, click the Edit User Groups button to access the user\u2019s group management settings.<\/p>\n

      Once you access the settings, you will see a list of various groups. Most commonly these default groups are:<\/p>\n