= Urgent Access Issue: 🚫 "Permission Error" on Wiki After Name Change =
Hello Support Team and Community, 👋
I hope this message finds you well.
I'm writing to request your help in restoring my editor and page creator permissions for the FamilySearch Wiki.
My name is Francois, and I am the dedicated editor for the Portuguese Wiki (@buscafamiliar ) <code>( https://www.familysearch.org/pt/wiki/Utilizador:@buscafamiliar )</code> and the Spanish Wiki (@buscafamiliar ).<code>( https://www.familysearch.org/es/wiki/Usuario:@buscafamiliar )</code>. As an editor and page creator for the @buscafamiliar project , my work involves correcting pages, evaluating content, and ensuring all pages comply with WCAG accessibility standards ♿ to make them accessible to everyone.
The issue seems to have started right after my name was successfully updated in the system through the Global Response 0800 telephone support line. 👤
While my password works perfectly for all other FamilySearch services - I can access this forum, my donations, and the main FamilySearch site without any problems - I now encounter a "fatal error" whenever I try to access the Wiki's editing functions, which I used to do daily.
For instance, when I attempt to edit the Bom Jardim da Serra, Santa Catarina, Brazil Genealogy <code>( https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Bom_Jardim_da_Serra,_Santa_Catarina,_Brazil_Genealogy )</code> page on the English wiki, I receive the following message:
🛑 Permission error: You cannot edit this page. Please review the following reasons: The action you have requested is limited to users in the group: editor.
This is particularly puzzling since I am one of the editors. In fact, I personally added many of the sources on that specific page (specifically sources #3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 15). I have never received any notification of a block or loss of my editing privileges.
This access issue has unfortunately halted our development of a major project: the Interactive Map of Brazil 🗺️<code>(https://www.familysearch.org/pt/wiki/Brasil)</code>, which is being modeled after the successful interactive map of Misiones Argentina.<code>( https://www.familysearch.org/es/wiki/Argentina_-_Genealog%C3%ADa )</code>
You can see my extensive contributions to this and other projects here.<code>( https://www.familysearch.org/pt/wiki/index.php?title=Especial:Contributions/@buscafamiliar &target=%40buscafamiliar&offset=&limit=1674 )</code>
Could you please investigate what might have caused this credential mismatch after my name change? I would be very grateful to have my access restored to the (pt) and (es) Wikis and to regain my editing rights on the (en) Wiki. 🔓
Thank you for your time and assistance in resolving this matter.
Best regards,
Francois
en (User: @buscafamiliar )
es (User:@buscafamiliar )
pt (User:@buscafamiliar )
Telegram <code>( https://t.me/buscafamiliar )</code>
Answers
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I am not connected with FamilySearch.
I have a vague recollection that I have read somewhere that the FamilySearch Wiki was to become a "closed Wiki" and only FamilySearch employees would be able to update. Perhaps I read this on this Community Forum?
In other ways it has ceased operating as other Wikis. For instance recently I wanted to look at the "View History" of a page to see when the page was started, to give me an idea of when the subject of the page was introduced (as this information not contained in the page text). To my amazement I was not able to look at his, although it was possible in the past. The error message was "You cannot view the history of this page. Please review the following reasons: The action you have requested is limited to users in the group: editor."
I looked for a Blog on the subject for the years 2024 and 2025, but there was nothing about any changes of any sort to the Wiki, let alone anything about these restrictive changes. As it no longer seems to be operating as other Wikis, but possibly is now a FamilySearch employee production, why not be upfront about this , and possibly give it a different name.
@SerraNola do you have any information about this?
0 -
@buscafamiliar Yes, all editing privileges have been suspended. See the red text at the top of FamilySearch Staff Contributor Training Sessions. You will need to contact the Wiki administration directly through the Feedback channels:
1 -
Francois,
I work in FamilySearch Wiki Support. I can see how you think the changes to your username has caused a problem with editing the Wiki. This is not the case. As of June 1, we have removed all editors from the language Wikis, including English. This is not because of anything you have done. It's because we can no longer allow community editors to add content or create a Wiki page. You have done a splendid job of editing and improving the English, Portuguese, and Spanish wikis over many years. We appreciate all of your efforts.You mentioned the WCAG requirements. FamilySearch is committed to improving accessibility to all Wiki pages in all 8 language Wikis. Wiki Support is still trying to figure out an efficient way to review all pages and fix incorrect content so that it can be official approved and published to the public. Thus, we have shut down all editing indefinitely.
I apologize for interrupting a project you were working so diligently on. The timing of this requirement has left everyone in a daze and we didn't have time to properly inform our editors on the language Wikis as well as we wanted to.
Moving forward, we will not be allowing individuals to freely edit any of the Wikis. We realize this is very different from the last 15 years of these Wikis and very frustrating to the few that did contribute to any of our Wikis.To communicate any content you feel needs to be added or fixed to a language wiki to us, please use this link. We will review the suggestions and add accordingly as soon as we possible can.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/FamilySearch_Wiki:Submit_Content_or_Report_a_Problem
If you have more questions, feel free to contact us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.
Sincerely,
Danielle
FamilySearch Wiki Support1
