diff --git a/tools/test_wiki.rb b/tools/test_wiki.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..14a8a535
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/test_wiki.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'mediawiki_api'
+
+# this is the action api, documented here: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikibase/API
+# e.g. https://recordsincontexts.wikibase.cloud/w/api.php?action=wbgetentities&ids=Q73&format=json
+# https://recordsincontexts.wikibase.cloud/wiki/Special:ApiSandbox
+
+client = MediawikiApi::Client.new 'https://recordsincontexts.wikibase.cloud/w/api.php'
+client.log_in 'Regineheberlein@gmail.com', 'Wikinu1sance!'
+# get labels for two items
+# item = client.action :wbgetentities, ids: ['Q73', 'Q74'], format: 'json'
+# item.data['entities'].values.each do |item|
+#     puts item['labels']['en']['value']
+# end
+
+# #protect an item
+# #id takes an integer, which doesn't correspond to the item number though
+# protect = client.action :protect,
+#     :title => 'Item:Q74',
+#     :protections => 'edit=sysop',
+#     :reason => 'Wikidata entity',
+#     :token => false
+
+# protect an array of pages
+# items = ["Item:Q28","Item:Q29","Item:Q30","Item:Q31","Item:Q33","Item:Q34","Item:Q35",
+# "Item:Q36","Item:Q37","Item:Q57","Item:Q68","Item:Q69","Item:Q70","Item:Q71","Item:Q72",
+# "Item:Q73","Item:Q74","Item:Q75","Item:Q76","Item:Q77","Item:Q78","Item:Q79","Item:Q80",
+# "Item:Q81","Item:Q82","Item:Q83","Item:Q84","Item:Q85","Item:Q1204","Item:Q1207"]
+# items.each do |item|
+#     client.action :protect,
+#         :title => "#{item}",
+#         :protections => 'edit=sysop',
+#         :reason => 'Wikidata entity',
+#         :token => false
+# end
+
+# get a property label
+item = client.action :wbgetentities, ids: ['P5'], format: 'json'
+item.data['entities'].each_value do |item|
+  puts item['labels']['en']['value']
+end