Wikipedia:Rough guide to semi-protection

The official policy related to applying and removing semi-protection is located at . This rough guide describes how the semi-protection policy is currently being applied by administrators.

Note: Every case is different. Even if a page matches each of the § General considerations and § Criteria for semi-protection, it does not mean that page must be protected. Administrators may use their discretion on a case-by-case basis.

Both an editor considering requesting semi-protection for a page at (WP:RFPP) and an administrator considering applying semi-protection must assess each situation individually before deciding on a course of action.

Articles subject to heavy and continued vandalism can be semi-protected. There are no explicit rules that determine the level of vandalism that is necessary to trigger semi-protection. Administrators should use their best judgment to determine if semi-protection is warranted. Here are some criteria that may be helpful to determine if semi-protection is appropriate:

If semi-protection is to be tried, its first application should be for a short duration, a few hours, a few days or a week depending on the type of page being protected and the level of disruption. If vandalism continues after the protection expires it can be added for a longer duration. At some point an administrator might determine that the semi-protection should be made indefinite. This is reserved for only the most vandalized articles, and any administrator is free to lift 'indefinite' protections.

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