Configure Timeline

Wikidata SPARQL query

SPARQL Query

Enter your SPARQL query to retrieve data from Wikidata. Your query should return results with at least a date/time field and a label.

Required fields:

A date field (e.g. ?date, ?birthDate)
A label field (e.g. ?itemLabel, ?personLabel)

Optional fields: descriptions, images, categories, and other properties will enhance the timeline experience.

Open in WDQS

Timeline title

Timeline Title

Enter a custom title for your timeline. This will be displayed at the top of the timeline and used as the page title.

If left blank, a title will be automatically generated from your query results.

Click to process the query and render the timeline

Merge duplicate results?

Merge Duplicates

Tick this box to merge duplicate results in your query into single items on the timeline.

When ticked, you must also fill out the Group by input box which appears.

Note: The system will only merge items that also have the same date. For example, a timeline of presidents can have the same person appearing more than once, but they will have different dates so will not be merged.

Group by:

Group By

Select the variable from your query that identifies each entity on the timeline — usually the Wikidata item or its label (e.g., item or itemLabel).

This value determines uniqueness. Results with the same value are grouped and merged into a single timeline item, with all data from each result retained.

Choose data fields (Optional)

Choose which query variables are used for the basic timeline data, colour code and filtering options. Leave any/all fields blank for auto detection.

Basic Event Data

Title:

Title

Select the name of a variable used in your query (e.g. itemLabel).

The values returned in the query results will be used for the title text on each timeline item.

Description:

Description

Select the name of a variable used in your query (e.g. itemDescription). This field is automatically populated when a query variable ends in "description".

The values returned will be used for the description text shown on timeline items and in the content panel.

Image URL:

Image

Select the name of a variable used in your query (e.g. image).

The values returned will be used as the image URL for each corresponding timeline item.

Required data type: URL

Dates

Start date:

Start Date

Select the name of a variable used in your query (e.g. birthDate).

The values returned will be used for the start date of each timeline item.

Required data type: Date/Time

Start precision:

Start Date Precision

Select the name of a variable used in your query (e.g. birthDatePrecision).

All start dates will have DAY precision if you leave this field blank.

Precision values:

11 = Day precision
10 = Month precision
9 = Year precision
8 = Decade precision
7 = Century precision

End date:

End Date

Select the name of a variable used in your query (e.g. deathDate).

The values returned will be used for the end date of each timeline item.

Tip: You can star events on the timeline to compare timespans (which are only shown for starred events and the currently selected event).

End precision:

End Date Precision

Select the name of a variable used in your query (e.g. deathDatePrecision).

All end dates will have DAY precision if you leave this field blank.

Uses the same precision values as start date precision.

Timeline Display

Event ranking:

Rank

Select the name of a variable used in your query (e.g. articleCount).

The order of your SPARQL query results will be used as rank if you leave this field blank.

The numerical value returned determines the importance of each timeline item (larger number indicates greater importance).

Items with the highest rank are always displayed in the most prominent position as you pan, zoom and filter the timeline.

Event density:

Event Density

This setting controls how many events are visible on the screen at one time.

Lower ranked events are hidden until you zoom in further towards them, allowing you to see a broad overview of the key events.

Low: Least cluttered timeline, most content hidden
Medium: Balanced view (recommended)
High: More events visible
All: Show everything without hiding by rank

Filtering & Grouping

Colour code by:

Colour Code By

Select one or more variables from your query using the multi-select dropdown. Their values will be used to create colour-coded groups on the timeline. A legend will be shown on the resulting timeline, which includes a dropdown for switching between the colour codes associated with each variable.

Example: Select population, gender, rank to create 3 different colour code options.

The datatype of the variables determines the type of colour code applied:

Numbers: Uses a colour scale to show relative size. The number of divisions (buckets) is determined by the Max colours setting.

Text/Other: Creates categories (one colour per value).

Max colours:

Maximum Number of Groups

Enter a whole number (e.g., 5).

Sets the maximum number of colour groups shown. If there are more, the extras are merged into an “Other” group.

Numeric variables: This number defines how many divisions (buckets) are used in the colour scale.

Filter by:

Filter By

Select one or more variables from your query using the multi-select dropdown. The values of the selected variables will be used to create filter options on the resulting timeline.

Examples: occupation (single) or occupation, gender, place_of_study (multiple).

One filter group is created for each variable you select.

Note on duplicates: SPARQL often returns multiple rows for the same item. You’ll almost always want to tick Merge duplicates and set Group by to the item’s unique ID (e.g., ?item) to collapse them into one item with all values.

Day Month Year

Test header

Filter the Timeline

Choose the type of filter you want to apply

Filter by type

Active Filters

Histropedia - Wikidata Query Timeline

Interactive timelines from Wikidata queries

Start with an example

Configure Timeline

SPARQL Query

Timeline Title

Merge Duplicates

Group By

Choose data fields (Optional)

Basic Event Data

Title

Description

Image

Dates

Start Date

Start Date Precision

End Date

End Date Precision

Timeline Display

Rank

Event Density

Filtering & Grouping

Colour Code By

Maximum Number of Groups

Filter By

Day Month Year

Test header

Filter the Timeline

Choose the type of filter you want to apply

Filter by type

Active Filters

Histropedia - Wikidata Query Timeline

Interactive timelines from Wikidata queries

Start with an example

Share & Embed

URL

Embed code

Configure Timeline

SPARQL Query

Timeline Title

Merge Duplicates

Group By

Choose data fields (Optional)

Basic Event Data

Title

Description

Image

Dates

Start Date

Start Date Precision

End Date

End Date Precision

Related Content

URL

Wikipedia

Wikidata

Commons Category

YouTube

Timeline Display

Rank

Event Density

Filtering & Grouping

Colour Code By

Maximum Number of Groups

Filter By