Video summary
The 2026 Coolest Tool Award celebrates innovation within the Wikimedia movement by recognizing tools that make participation more intuitive, accessible, and impactful for contributors globally. Last year's winners focused on streamlining moderation and infrastructure, but this year's recipient, Lexica, addresses a different challenge: simplifying the complex process of contributing lexicographical data to Wikidata. Created by Wiki Collabs in Indonesia with support from Wikimedia Deutschland under the Software Collaboration for Wikidata Framework, Lexica was specifically designed to overcome the difficulties mobile users face when editing specialized data that typically requires understanding concepts like lexemes, senses, and forms.
Lexica transforms these technical editing tasks into simple, guided activities using a user-friendly card-based interface that functions seamlessly on mobile devices. Instead of overwhelming contributors with complex structural requirements, the tool breaks down contributions into single-focus tasks such as linking lexeme senses to items, adding script variants for multi-script languages, and providing hyphenation data. This approach allows users to preview changes before submission or skip a task if they are unsure, ensuring that participation is accessible to anyone with a moment of free time regardless of their location or technical expertise.
The tool operates securely by utilizing Wikimedia's existing authorization system, meaning it never stores login credentials and only receives permission for specific edits chosen by the user. Contributors can select from dozens of supported languages and engage in activities like matching lexemes to items, defining alternative written forms, or segmenting words into syllables. Through a collaborative effort involving volunteers who provided translations, feedback, and testing, Lexica has expanded its language support and refined its features, ultimately helping to build and improve the completeness of Wikidata's lexical data through many small, manageable edits.
The award ceremony concludes with congratulations to the entire Lexica team for their significant service to the community, highlighting how their work empowers a diverse group of people to contribute effectively. Raisa from Wiki Collabs expressed deep gratitude to Wikimedia Deutschland for their assistance and to all community members who helped translate the tool, offered feedback, and actively use it. By making lexicographical editing approachable and mobile-friendly, Lexica demonstrates how technology can remove barriers and turn curiosity into meaningful contribution, setting a high standard for future tools in the movement.
Read the full video transcript
Knowledge grows through contributions
and contributions are powered by people
and the tools that support them.
Across Wikimedia, developers and
volunteers are building technology that
simplifies complexity, removes barriers,
and helps more people turn curiosity
into contribution. Last year, the
winning projects were AbuseFilter
Analyzer, Database Report, and Paulina.
They helped communities navigate
moderation more effectively,
demonstrated the power of evolving
infrastructure, and expanded the
boundaries of what a Wikimedia tool
could be.
>> [music]
>> This year, we celebrate even more
innovation. Today, we recognize the
tools making participation more
intuitive, more accessible, and more
impactful for contributors around the
world. Welcome to the 2026 Coolest Tool
Award.
>> [music]
>> This year's Greatest Service to the
Community Award goes to Lexica, a
mobile-friendly contribution tool
created by Wiki Collabs in Indonesia
under the Software Collaboration for
Wikidata Framework in collaboration with
Wikimedia Deutschland. Contributing
lexicographical data on Wikidata can be
challenging, especially on mobile
devices. Editing often requires
contributors to understand concepts such
as lexemes, senses, forms, and
Wikidata's editing structure. Lexica
simplifies this process by turning
specialized editing tasks [music] into
guided activities. Using a card-based
interface, contributors can link lexeme
senses to Wikidata items, add script
variants, and contribute hyphenation
data. Each activity focuses on a single
task, making edits easier to understand,
review, and complete. Contributors can
preview changes before submitting them
or skip a task if they are unsure.
Designed with a mobile-first approach,
Lexica makes it possible to contribute
wherever and whenever it is convenient.
Tasks [music] take only moments to
complete, making participation more
accessible. The tool has been improved
through collaboration between Wiki
Co-labs, Wikimedia Deutschland, and
volunteers across the Wikimedia
movement. Community members have helped
test features, provide feedback,
contribute translations, and [music]
expand language support. By making
lexicographical editing more
approachable,
Lexica helps more contributors
participate in building and improving
Wikidata's lexical data, one small edit
at a time.
Lexica helps contributors make small,
guided contributions to Wikidata
lexicographical data. To get started,
sign in with your Wikimedia account.
Lexica uses Wikimedia's authorization
system, so it never sees or stores your
login credentials. It only receives
permission to make the edits you choose.
Choose from dozens of supported
languages and select an activity.
In Lexeme to Item, contributors review a
lexeme card, compare suggested Wikidata
items, confirm the correct match,
preview the edit, and submit it.
In Script Variants, contributors add
alternative written forms for languages
that use multiple scripts through a
guided workflow.
In Hyphenation, contributors divide
words into syllables, adding structured
word segmentation data to Wikidata. As
with every activity, contributors can
review changes before submitting or skip
a card if they're uncertain.
>> [music]
>> Each contribution takes only moments.
Together, these small edits improve the
quality and completeness of Wikidata's
lexicographical data. Congratulations to
the Lexica team for winning the 2026
Coolest Tool Award for greatest service
to the community. [music]
>> Hello everyone. I'm Raisa from Wiki
Co-labs, the team behind Lexica.
We are very grateful for Wikimedia
Deutschland for all the help and also
especially for all community members who
help us translate [music] Lexica, give
us feedback, and also use the tool.
Thank you so much, everyone.
>> [music]