Wikipedia Simple English Toggle

WHAT IT DOES

This script adds a toggle button that lets you switch between the English Wikipedia and the Simple English Wikipedia for the article you're reading. When you're on an English Wikipedia article, a "Read in Simple English" button appears near the article title. Clicking it redirects you to the Simple English version (simple.wikipedia.org). If you're already on a Simple English article, the button changes to "Read in English," letting you go back. The script automatically detects whether a Simple English version exists by checking interlanguage links or using the Wikipedia API. If the article isn't available in Simple English, you'll see a message. An auto-redirect option can send you to the Simple English version automatically when it's available. A keyboard shortcut (Alt+S) provides quick access to the toggle.

WHERE IT RUNS

The script runs on all Wikipedia domains (*.wikipedia.org). It works on article pages on both the English Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) and the Simple English Wikipedia (simple.wikipedia.org). It supports both desktop and mobile views.

HOW TO USE

After installation, the settings panel appears on the left side of the screen with the gear emoji (⚙️). Open the panel to configure the script:

- The "Enable Simple English toggle" toggle enables or disables the button.

- Toggle "Auto-redirect to Simple English when available" to automatically redirect to the Simple English version when you visit a new article.

- Click "Toggle to Simple English" to manually switch to the Simple English version.

- Click "Check Simple English availability" to see if the current article is available in Simple English.

A button appears near the article title on any English Wikipedia article. Click it to switch to Simple English. Press Alt+S to toggle instantly.

TECHNICAL SECTION — REAL MECHANISM

The script detects article pages by checking for #firstHeading and excluding special pages. It extracts the article title from #firstHeading. The script checks if a Simple English version exists by first looking for the interlanguage link in the page's language sidebar (which contains a link to simple.wikipedia.org). If not found, it uses the Wikipedia API (https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&titles={title}) to check if the article exists on Simple Wikipedia. The toggle button is inserted next to the article title using DOM insertion. On click, the script constructs the Simple English URL (https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/{title}) and opens it using GM_openInTab. The auto-redirect option runs on page load if enabled. The keyboard shortcut is implemented using document.addEventListener('keydown') listening for Alt+S. The script stores the enabled and autoRedirect preferences via GM_setValue.

THE PANEL

The settings panel is built with BotGentz's BGPanel component. It is draggable via its header, allowing you to reposition it anywhere on the screen. The panel snaps to the left edge by default but can be moved freely. Click the gear emoji to collapse the panel into a small bubble, and click the bubble to expand it again. The panel remembers its position per page session. Press the Escape key to quickly close or minimize the panel. The panel includes a status flash bar that provides visual feedback when settings are changed or actions are performed. All settings save automatically via GM_setValue.

PLEASE NOTE

This script requires the free BotGentz browser extension to run. It does not function as a standalone Chrome extension and does not use chrome.* APIs. Wikipedia frequently updates its page structure, which may affect the selectors used to find the article title and language links. If the button stops appearing, please check for script updates. The script uses the English Wikipedia by default—for other language Wikipedias, the Simple English version may not exist. The interlanguage link detection relies on the page's language sidebar; if the page is cached or the sidebar is collapsed, detection may be delayed. The script stores only your preferences via GM_setValue. No data is sent externally except for the Wikipedia API request. The script never reads or writes password fields, hidden inputs, or file inputs. All DOM operations use safe methods (style properties, textContent, appendChild) and never use innerHTML.