Wikipedia:Guide to appealing blocks

This essay contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia users. Essays may represent common ideas, or ideas that many users would not support. They are not rules. Think carefully about what they say before following them.

Shortcuts: WP:GAB WP:APPEAL

This is a guide to making believable unblock requests.

Users may be blocked from changing Wikipedia by administrators to stop damage or disruption to Wikipedia. Blocks are cancelled if they are not (or no longer) needed to stop such damage or disruption.

You, as a blocked user, are responsible for convincing administrators:

• that the block is in fact not needed to stop damage or disruption (i.e., that the block violates our blocking policy); or:
• that the block is no longer needed because you understand what you are blocked for, you will not do it again and you will make good changes instead.

Making convincing unblock requests is also important for other reasons:

• If your request doesn't help us find out whether your block was justified or not, the reviewing administrator may decline your request out of hand.
• In complicated situations, the reviewing administrator may not want to spend a long time reading your whole talk page and all of your changes. They may instead choose to review only the issues that you raise in your unblock request. Arguments made elsewhere may not be read.
• If you make repeated invalid or abusive unblock requests, you may lose access to your talk page or your talk page may be protected from changing, which means that you may never be unblocked.

To make an unblock request, copy the following text to the bottom of your user talk page: {{unblock|1=Insert your reason to be unblocked here}}. Don't forget to insert your own reason. We will talk about what your reason should and shouldn't have below.