Editing Encyclopedia:Administrators (section)

=== Accountability ===
{{policy shortcut|WP:ADMINACCT}}

Administrators are accountable for their actions involving administrator tools, as unexplained administrator actions can demoralize other editors who lack such tools. Subject only to the bounds of [[Wikipedia:Civility|civility]], [[Wikipedia:No personal attacks|avoiding personal attacks]], and reasonable [[Wikipedia:Assume good faith|good faith]], editors are free to question or to criticize administrator actions. Administrators are expected to respond promptly and civilly to queries about their Wikipedia-related conduct and administrative actions, especially during community discussions on noticeboards or during Arbitration Committee proceedings. Administrators should justify their actions when requested.

Administrators who seriously or repeatedly act in a problematic manner, or who have lost the trust or confidence of the community, may be sanctioned or have their administrator rights removed by the Arbitration Committee. In the past, this has happened or been suggested for the following actions:
* "Bad faith" adminship ([[WP:SOCK|sock puppetry]], gross breach of trust,<ref>{{cite web| url = //en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard&diff=73659720&oldid=73657229| title = example}}</ref> etc.)
* Breach of basic policies (attacks, biting/civility, edit warring, privacy, etc.)
* Conduct elsewhere incompatible with adminship (off-site attacking, etc.)
* Failure to communicate<ref>[[Wikipedia:Requests for arbitration/Betacommand#Communication|Communication principle]]</ref>{{spaced ndash}}this can be either with editors (e.g., lack of suitable warnings or explanations of actions), or to address concerns of the community (especially when explanations or other serious comments are sought)
**While best practices are for administrators to have email and [[Help:Notifications|notifications]] enabled, they are not required to do so, nor are they required to read and/or respond if they are enabled. Administrators who do not have notifications enabled are strongly encouraged to indicate this on their user page.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Administrators&oldid=828824928#Should_one_of_the_expectations_of_administrators_be_to_have_email_enabled?| title = 2018 RfC on Admin Email requirements}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Administrators&oldid=1183142209#Are_admins_required_to_have_notifications_enabled?|title=2023 talk page discussion regarding notifications}}</ref>
* Repeated, consistent, or egregious misuse of a tool or user permission that is bundled with the administrator toolset (such as [[WP:FMV|moving files]] or the use of [[Wikipedia:Rollback|rollback]]) {{endash}} an administrator can be stripped of their administrative privileges completely just to remove access to a bundled user permission.
* Repeated or consistent poor judgment.