Is Ctrl+F allowed in WikiRace?
On WikiRace Online, yes. Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) only searches the article you already have open. It doesn't take you to another page, so it can't change your click count. It's also a browser feature that no website can reliably block, so we allow it for everyone, including on the daily leaderboard.
Some groups ban Ctrl+F in the strictest version of the game, to reward players who scan a page quickly. If you race in a classroom or on a stream with that rule, agree on it before the start: it's a house rule the game can't enforce. On long hub articles like United States or World War II, Ctrl+F saves more time than any other trick; our Wikipedia speedrun tips show how to use it.
What counts as WikiRace cheats?
The classic rules of WikiRace come down to one idea: you may only move by clicking a link in the article you're reading. Anything that moves you some other way is a cheat. The table shows where the classic rules and house rules differ, and what WikiRace Online allows.
| Move | Classic rules | On WikiRace Online |
|---|---|---|
| Clicking a link in the article | Allowed | Allowed: the only way to move |
| Ctrl+F on the current page | House rule | Allowed |
| Reading what the target is | Allowed | Allowed: the Hint button shows its summary |
| Going back a page | Allowed, costs a click | In-game Back costs one click; the No Back button rule turns it off |
| Wikipedia's search box | Cheat | Not in the game reader |
| Typing or editing a URL | Cheat | Not possible in the reader; the daily leaderboard rejects routes with jumps |
| Looking up a route in another tab | Cheat | Can't be detected: it's on your honor |
| Running a solver during the race | Cheat | Can't be detected; daily answers stay hidden until the day ends |
Is the back button cheating?
No. Backing out of a dead end is part of the game in almost every rule set, but it should cost you. On WikiRace Online the in-game Back button counts as one click, just like a forward link, so a wrong turn costs two clicks: one in and one out. For a stricter game, open a custom race and turn on the No Back button rule. Every click is then final.
WikiRace solvers: cheat or study tool?
A WikiRace solver searches Wikipedia's links for the shortest route between two articles. Path-finding sites such as Six Degrees of Wikipedia do this, and WikiRace Online runs its own solver to find the par, the fewest clicks possible, for every daily challenge and every one of the 300 levels.
Using a solver during a race is the clearest of all WikiRace cheats: it does the one thing the game asks you to do. After the race, it's the best teacher there is. That's why each daily answer page shows the solver's shortest route, published only after that day's challenge has closed. Put your route next to the shortest one and you'll see which hub you missed. Our solver checks every 1- and 2-click route and the most likely 3-click ones, so the routes on our hardest WikiRace routes list have no 2-click shortcut at all.
How WikiRace Online stops WikiRace cheats
- Articles open in the game's own reader. Only links to other Wikipedia articles can be clicked. Search, references, navigation boxes and external links are removed.
- Rules are enforced while you play. Banned articles won't open, the Back button disappears under No Back, and click and time limits end the race on the spot.
- Daily routes are checked on the server. When you submit a daily challenge finish, every click is checked against the live Wikipedia article it came from. If a page doesn't link to your next step, the run is rejected.
- The server keeps the time. Your start time is signed when the race begins, and a route finished faster than anyone could click it is rejected.
- One leaderboard run per account per day. Your first finish is the one that counts, so nobody can replay the daily until they get lucky.
Nothing can stop a player from opening a second tab. The leaderboard catches impossible routes; honest play does the rest.
Fair-play rules for racing friends
The quickest way to settle arguments about WikiRace cheats is to pick the rules before anyone clicks. Custom races support these:
| Rule | What it does |
|---|---|
| No United States | Bans the most common shortcut hub. |
| No countries | Bans every country article, United States included, so geography can't bridge every gap. |
| No Back button | Every click is final. |
| Click limit | Reach the target in 3, 5, 7 or 10 clicks or lose. |
| Time limit | 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 minutes on the clock. |
Set the rules in a custom race and share the link: everyone who opens it plays the same route with the same rules. Running a race for a class? The WikiRace for teachers guide has rule sets that work well with students.
FAQ
Is Ctrl+F cheating in the Wikipedia game?
Not on WikiRace Online. Ctrl+F only searches the article you already have open, so it can't skip a click. Some strict house rules ban it, so agree on it before the race starts.
Can you use the search bar in WikiRace?
No. Searching for the target would end every race in one move, so search is banned in every rule set. The WikiRace Online reader has no search box.
Are there WikiRace cheats that find the answer?
A solver can find the shortest route, but using one during a race is cheating. WikiRace Online publishes each daily answer after the challenge ends, so you can study the shortest route without spoiling anyone's race.
Can people cheat on the daily leaderboard?
Every submitted route is checked click by click against Wikipedia, the time is measured by our server, and each account gets one run per day. Looking up a route in another tab can't be detected, so the leaderboard still relies on fair play.