Why Are Some Cards Missing Data or Images in the Wikidata Card Game Generator?

Updated

The Wikidata Card Game Generator only displays information that already exists on Wikidata, so a card is missing data or images when the underlying Wikidata item is incomplete. The generator does not create, infer, or fill in missing values. If a card looks sparse, the fix is to add the missing statements or images to that item on Wikidata, then regenerate the game.

How the generator decides what goes on a card

The tool works in three steps, and each one can leave a card looking empty:

  1. Fetch items by topic. You paste a Wikidata entity ID (the Q... number) into the box, and the generator collects items that are instances of that topic or its subclasses. For example, the ID for chemical element is Q11344.
  2. Find the most common properties. It looks at the properties that appear most often across those items and treats them as the columns for the game.
  3. Select 32 cards. It picks the 32 items that have as many of those common properties filled in as possible.

Because of step 3, the generator already favors items that are well-populated. A card that still comes out with gaps is usually an item that was selected but is missing one or more of the common properties, or is missing an image.

Why a specific card is incomplete

What you see Likely cause on Wikidata
A property cell is blank That item has no statement for that property
No image on the card The item has no image (P18) or equivalent
Fewer useful columns than expected The property is rare across the topic, so it wasn't chosen as a common column
An item you expected is absent It lacked enough of the common properties to make the top 32

The generator's own guidance is direct: if your card is missing data or images, add that information to Wikidata.

How to fix missing data or images

  1. Open the Wikidata item for the card that looks incomplete (search its name, or follow the Q... ID).
  2. Add the missing statement or image:
    • For a blank property, add a statement using that property.
    • For a missing image, add an image statement (commonly P18).
  3. Save the edit on Wikidata.
  4. Return to the generator and click Generate again with the same topic ID.

The expected result is that the item now has more of the common properties filled in, so its card should show the new data or image. Note that adding data can also change which 32 items are selected, since selection depends on how many common properties each item has.

Practical things to know

  • You are editing a shared public database. Changes you make to Wikidata affect everyone, so add accurate, sourced information.
  • The topic ID matters. A broader topic tends to include more items and more varied completeness; a narrow topic may have fewer well-filled items to choose from.
  • Try the suggested topics if you want a starting point: capital, metro system, country, astronomical body, island, hackerspace, computer model, telescope, or card game.
  • Report tool bugs separately. The source code is on GitHub, where you can suggest ideas or report bugs — but missing card content is a Wikidata data issue, not a generator bug.

In short: incomplete cards reflect incomplete Wikidata items. Improve the item on Wikidata, regenerate, and the card fills in.