API:Random

MediaWiki version:

≥ 1.12

GET request to view a list of random pages.

This module can be used as a generator .

API documentation

list=random (rn)

(main | query | random)

• This module requires read rights.
• This module can be used as a generator.
• Source: MediaWiki
• License: GPL-2.0-or-later

Get a set of random pages.

Pages are listed in a fixed sequence, only the starting point is random. This means that if, for example, Main Page is the first random page in the list, List of fictional monkeys will always be second, List of people on stamps of Vanuatu third, etc.

• https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/API:Random

Specific parameters:

Other general parameters are available.

rnnamespace

Return pages in these namespaces only.

Values (separate with | or alternative): 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 90, 91, 92, 93, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 486, 487, 710, 711, 828, 829, 1198, 1199, 2600, 5500, 5501

To specify all values, use *.

rnfilterredir

How to filter for redirects.

One of the following values: all, nonredirects, redirects

Default: nonredirects

rnredirect

Deprecated.

Use rnfilterredir=redirects instead.

Type: boolean (details)

rnlimit

Limit how many random pages will be returned.

Type: integer or max

The value must be between 1 and 500.

Default: 1

rncontinue

When more results are available, use this to continue. More detailed information on how to continue queries can be found on mediawiki.org.

Examples:

Return two random pages from the main namespace.

api.php?action=query&list=random&rnnamespace=0&rnlimit=2 [open in sandbox]

Return page info about two random pages from the main namespace.

api.php?action=query&generator=random&grnnamespace=0&grnlimit=2&prop=info [open in sandbox]

Example

GET request

List 5 random pages

api.php?action=query&format=json&list=random&rnlimit=5 [try in ApiSandbox]

Response

{

"batchcomplete": "",
    "continue": {
        "rncontinue": "0.559881820010|0.559881954661|47659388|0",
        "continue": "-||"
    },
    "query": {
        "random": [
            {
                "id": 32381675,
                "ns": 0,
                "title": "Mallabhum Institute of Technology"
            },
            {
                "id": 25126452,
                "ns": 3,
                "title": "User talk:96.232.132.176"
            },
            {
                "id": 1440028,
                "ns": 0,
                "title": "Hyundai Epsilon engine"
            },
            {
                "id": 35446805,
                "ns": 15,
                "title": "Category talk:Ukrainian card games"
            },
            {
                "id": 12613,
                "ns": 0,
                "title": "Grue"
            }
        ]
    }
}

Sample code

Python

#!/usr/bin/python3

"""
    get_random.py

    MediaWiki API Demos
    Demo of `Random` module: Get request to list 5 random pages.

    MIT License
"""

import requests

S = requests.Session()

URL = "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php"

PARAMS = {
    "action": "query",
    "format": "json",
    "list": "random",
    "rnlimit": "5"
}

R = S.get(url=URL, params=PARAMS)
DATA = R.json()

RANDOMS = DATA["query"]["random"]

for r in RANDOMS:
    print(r["title"])

PHP

<?php
/*
    get_random.php

    MediaWiki API Demos
    Demo of `Random` module: Get request to list 5 random pages.

    MIT License
*/

$endPoint = "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php";
$params = [
    "action" => "query",
    "format" => "json",
    "list" => "random",
    "rnlimit" => "5"
];

$url = $endPoint . "?" . http_build_query( $params );

$ch = curl_init( $url );
curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true );
$output = curl_exec( $ch );
curl_close( $ch );

$result = json_decode( $output, true );

foreach( $result["query"]["random"] as $k => $v ) {
    echo( $v["title"] . "\n" );
}

JavaScript

/*
    get_random.js

    MediaWiki API Demos
    Demo of `Random` module: Get request to list 5 random pages.

    MIT License
*/

var url = "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php"; 

var params = {
    action: "query",
    format: "json",
    list: "random",
    rnlimit: "5"
};

url = url + "?origin=*";
Object.keys(params).forEach(function(key){url += "&" + key + "=" + params[key];});

fetch(url)
    .then(function(response){return response.json();})
    .then(function(response) {
        var randoms = response.query.random;
        for (var r in randoms) {
            console.log(randoms[r].title);
        }
    })
    .catch(function(error){console.log(error);});

MediaWiki JS

/*
	get_random.js

	MediaWiki API Demos
	Demo of `Random` module: Get request to list 5 random pages.

	MIT License
*/

var params = {
		action: 'query',
		format: 'json',
		list: 'random',
		rnlimit: '5'
	},
	api = new mw.Api();

api.get( params ).done( function ( data ) {
	var randoms = data.query.random,
		r;
	for ( r in randoms ) {
		console.log( randoms[ r ].title );
	}
} );

Parameter history

• v1.26: Previous limit of 10/20 on rnlimit was increased to standard 500/5000 limits.
• v1.26: Deprecated rnredirect
• v1.26: Introduced rnfilterredir
• v1.14: Introduced rnredirect

Additional notes

• Unlike most modules in the Action API , the default number of pages returned is 1, not 10.
• Pages are returned in a fixed sequence; only the starting point is actually random.
• The default behavior is to pick pages from across the entire wiki, including talk pages, user pages, and so on. If you are looking for similar functionality as Special:Random, i.e. pick random articles, restrict rnnamespace to 0.
• If the number of pages is fewer than rnlimit, the request will simply return all available pages. It will not repeat pages to pad out the response up to the limit.

See also

• Manual:Random page - describes how to configure the API on the backend.