explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:Header text

2026-04-16T11:17:52Z

SectorCorruptor:

;Why does the "reading modes released" header text now show only on [[3228:Day Counter]] but not on any other comic, including [[3227:Creation]]?

;Where is the header text?

Ummmm the header text just disappeared. --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 00:39, 8 January 2026 (UTC)

nvm it came back --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 23:03, 8 January 2026 (UTC)
:Do you have any sort of proof of this? A web archive snapshot would be preferred but any proof is okay. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]][[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|'''''converse''''']] 17:55, 15 April 2026 (UTC)

;Localized versions

Currently to me the header text is in German (as I live in Germany):
:Triff Randall Munroe in Berlin am 15. Oktober 2019!
:Hier die deutsche Ausgabe vorbestellen!
(Meet Randall Munroe in Berlin on 15th of October 2019! Preorder the german version here) where "Hier" (here) is a link.
4 odd things I noticed about this:
*It mentions the German version, but not the German verison of what. The book isn't even mentioned.
*When I (re)load the page, for a moment I get the image about winning a stick-figure-sketch of myself.
*XKCD does not use means like other pages (e.g. [[713: GeoIP]] to identify my language. As I am using a swedish VPN, I usually get advertisements in swedish (and redirections to swedish homepages, etc.). Maybe it is my browser settings which are set to German. Can someone identify the method used?
*The link leads to "https://www.xkcd.com/%22https://www.randomhouse.de/Buch/HOW-TO-Wie-man-s-hinkriegt/Randall-Munroe/Penguin/e547637.rhd?utm_source=autorenblog&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=how_to\%22" - a 404 page. (getting rid of the part before the 2nd https gets you to the page of the german publisher.
Someone got an idea on how to put this into the wiki properly? Are there other language versions as well? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:38, 16 August 2019 (UTC)

Yeah there is, in the UK the text changes to "I'll be coming to the UK for [https://xkcd.com/how-to/#tourdates the book tour]." There is Javascript in the page which sends a request to https://c.xkcd.com/how-to/news which is simply redirected (for me to https://xkcd.com/ukNews ) presumably based on GeoIP, definitely not a browser locale setting. Not sure how you would get them all, maybe iterate country codes through the start of the URL? I tried deNews which worked. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.172|162.158.34.172]] 17:57, 30 August 2019 (UTC)

;Black lives matter

As a note to whoever archieves this (I don't have the time to do it properly myself right now), today I noticed the first time, that the header text, which I think was empty recently changed to a cueball stating "black lives matter" and a link "how to help" to joincampaignzero.org. It might have been up for a few days. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:48, 4 June 2020 (UTC)

{{done}}; sorry I didn't notice your post here on the talk page before adding it. It seems like we should feature this article page more prominently somehow so people become aware of it. I'm not sure how that should be accomplished. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 19:00, 9 June 2020 (UTC)
:No need to be sorry. I could've done it myself, but there seems to be (as you mention in the post below) a quite formal structure to the page, and currently I don't find the time to spend as much time on this wiki as I used to, so instead I just thought I'd put together a note, in case it is noticed in the future, to then have a rough starting date.--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:01, 10 June 2020 (UTC)

;Formatting this page as a visual gallery?

It seems like there would be a lot of value in having this page as a visual archive of all of the header illustrations, not merely reducing them to plain text. Is there a reason that approach was not chosen, and are there any thoughts about how best to format and manage it? [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 19:01, 9 June 2020 (UTC)
:I guess it is because it is a much larger task to include all those images. But feel free to begin. I have created most of he text on this page, so I have already used a lot of time. There are links to the web archive where they can be seen. This was seen by me as a transcript of these, so it is possible to search for text bites. It will be a very long page to load if you include pictures directly here as well. But a link to the images placed in another page could be a possibility. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:53, 20 July 2020 (UTC)

;Recent BLM edits

I disagree with most of [[:User:Kynde]]'s [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=xkcd_Header_text&oldid=194829 edits] from just now:
* Links to "Black Lives Matter" should remain to the url https://blacklivesmatter.com/ rather than hiding it behind an anchor, as [https://blacklivesmatter.com/ Black Lives Matter], because "Black Lives Matter" is not a clear unambiguous entity, and where the point is to show the URL, we should do so.
* That necessarily implies https://joincampaignzero.org should get the same treatment.
* By removing the June 17 section and combining into the June 3 section, it makes no sense to now say "The link goes to" and list where it went on June 3–16 but went elsewhere from June 17–present.
* "Fill it in when it changes" just looks bad. It is a comment to editors, not readers, and the wiki is for readers. It should be deleted or restored to a comment.

I would make all of these changes, but they have the appearance of edit warring, so I wanted to raise them here first. Thank you. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 18:02, 18 July 2020 (UTC)
:I just tried to use the same format I have used on all the other changes to header texts over the last couple of years. I have also inserted link like this before. I can see this matter is much more sensitive than any previously used in the header (or at least where any noticed this page.). If you feel strongly about this, then please feel free to change it back, or change my edits somehow. I would prefer this entry does not diverge from the format of all the others, but since this header means a lot to many people, I will not change it back if you think it should be formatted differently than the rest. If you really wish, undo my changes, I will not redo them then. But I think this is just the same header, with a new link and thus did not warrant a new entry. I have done similar with other headers where just a small thing changes (yes I know the link is the important part here, and thus not a small change, but it did not change the header text or image!) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:57, 20 July 2020 (UTC)

;Ideas about the Jan 31, 2022 countdown?
It seems like the countdown's code is on github: https://github.com/munvoseli/xkcd-countdown
I can't seem to find any hints there what it's about, though.
--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.29|162.158.159.29]] 13:01, 11 January 2022 (UTC)
Nevermind, that's just the code of a progress tracker at https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ .
--[[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.173|172.70.90.173]] 13:19, 11 January 2022 (UTC)

;1047

Comic 1047 (Approximations) has unique header text. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.245|172.70.110.245]] 16:12, 31 January 2022 (UTC)

;Missing "A Smarter Planet comics unique header text

The [https://web.archive.org/web/20190102070937/https://xkcd.com/asmarterplanet archived page of xkcd.com/asmarterplanet] shows this header text: "Bonus xkcd comics done for IBM's "[http://asmarterplanet.com/ A Smarter Planet]" initiative.", and it's missing fromt the page --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 09:10, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

;Word salad
This sentence in the header is not comprehensible: "In recent times there has been very long between the old go to text has been used for extended periods though." I'm not actually sure enough what it means to correct it. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 14:15, 18 November 2024 (UTC)
:I'm guessing something like "In recent times there has '''not''' been very long between '''changes. T'''he old go'''-'''to text has been used for extended periods''',''' though."
:i.e., there have been rapid turn-arounds (to a topical update, then back to 'normal'). But, more time than not, it tends to sit on a more general non-topical message.
:I've not actually checked if this is true, or what edits might have been incrementally made to saladise the words that are there. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.200|172.69.195.200]] 15:33, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

;Comic-specific section incomplete

The section on comic-specific headers seems to be missing many examples. I found quite a few from just a couple minutes of browsing random comics (405, 432, 433, 826, 896), so I suspect a thorough search would turn up a lot more. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.136|162.158.146.136]] 15:21, 3 July 2023 (UTC)
:Unfortunately you're right. This page needs much more attention, I added an incomplete tag. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:31, 3 July 2023 (UTC)

After crawling the API, I have what I believe is a comprehensive [https://gist.github.com/conjuncts/22e5da17266031775f93336f041456b3 gist of comic-specific headers]. I think this could be turned into a category? [[User:Conjuncts|Conjuncts]] ([[User talk:Conjuncts|talk]]) 02:45, 9 June 2025 (UTC)

:Holy shit this is huge! I @'ed Kynde. Thanks so much! Are there any other magic things you can do with the API? This could make the work much easier for everyone! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:38, 10 June 2025 (UTC)
::Great, how many do we miss in the current version? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:20, 13 June 2025 (UTC)

:::We are missing exactly 33. There are 56 total and we've only explained 23. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 12:34, 13 June 2025 (UTC)

----

Note: I moved over the discussion page from my [[User talk:FaviFake|talk page]], which is where the project was organized. The topic below (but not the other topics) was originally created on [[User talk:FaviFake]]. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:11, 27 July 2025 (UTC)

== Restructuring [[Header text]] as a table ==


"yeah, best not suggest that..." - 162.158.216.41

"Nobody is ever going to do that by hand." - FaviFake

Let's just say.... [[Countdown in header text]] was just a warm-up.

bet. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 21:00, 22 April 2025 (UTC)
:Oh jeez no way. No way man. That'd be incredible. And insane. hahaha
:But seriously, if you really want to do this, feel free to shoot me a message! [[Header text]] is a huge beast, and I think we could even redesign it completely like what if. Imagine a huge table, sortable by date, comic number, alphabetical order of header text, with a ton of templates to manage...
:Ok the last one isn't tempting. But seriously we could turn it into the most beautiful list of header texts the world has ever seen! I'm already excited! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:12, 22 April 2025 (UTC)
::I already got the first header text done! The table idea sounds super fun though. I'm on board. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 21:16, 22 April 2025 (UTC)
:::Shoot you were so fast i didn't even see it! Ok we need to seriously think about it now. A few questions come to mind:
:::#How many columns (date, ? What are all the possible things we can display in a useful way that are common to every header text?
:::##How do we handle the section titles? We should definitely use a template to keep the <nowiki>[[#Anchor links]]</nowiki>, but should we keep the ad-hoc section titles?
:::#How many tables? Two tables for comic specific and general changes, or just 1 mega table?
:::#We definitely need a template to mimic the all caps font that Randall uses. Ideas for what else it could do (like contain parts of the table code, color the cell background...)?
:::#Would it be useful if some columns were color-coded? Like on what if? ("back to standard text", "what if promotion", "xkcd store updates", ...)?
:::I have so many questions! If anyone who's reading or watchlisted this talk page wants to chime in and suggest anything at all please do! I'll go sleep now, I guess we'll organise tomorrow? --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:38, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Sounds good. Date as a column probably won't work because of stuff like permanence. 'Timeframe'(e.g. temporary/permanent) could work though. I guess it could look something like this for comic-specific:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Comic !! Timeframe !! Header text !! Explanation !! Purpose
|}
::::And this could be used for the global headers:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date !! Header text !! Explanation !! Purpose
|}

::::I think we should do two tables, with a small blurb before each one explaining what 'comic-specific' means. For the global header text, 'timeframe' could be replaced with 'date'. Color-sorting does sound good (that would be what the column 'purpose' does).
::::'comic' would just be like '2916: Machine'. 'Header text' is just what the text says. 'Explanation' is self-explanatory. 'Purpose' documents the reason.
::::For the color codes, we could do 'book promotion', 'Store updates', 'Credits' (e.g. The supporter credits on the April Fools' Comics), maybe fundraisers, he's done those.
::::I made a test table, with most of the wikitext taken from the what if chapters table and the help:table article on Wikipedia [[Testing area | here]]
::::Have a good night! [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 22:23, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Oh and also I got another one done heehee [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 22:27, 22 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Nummer tree dun. I made a little test table so we can experiment with it without putting it on the actual page ([[Testing area | over here!]][[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 15:55, 23 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::Hey this is great! I'll reply tomorrow cuz I don't have time now but it seems to me you might be deleting some stuff that's actually worth keeping. For example, in [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Header_text&diff=next&oldid=374464 this] and [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Header_text&diff=prev&oldid=374464 this edit] I thought most of the info you removed could be useful. But as i said i don't have much time, I'll read and reply tomorrow. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 16:19, 23 April 2025 (UTC)
::::::Yeah these columns sound good! We could also add "Comic" to the global one, to mark which comic was up when it changed. We should definitely use a template for Comic, so we can link to the explanation, create an automatic #Anchor link tag, and also link to xkcd.com to view the header. It could be the same template, and the first parameter switches between the "global header text" (1) and the "comic-specific header text" (2) modes.
::::::I'm however more and more concerned with the amout of time it would take to rewrite EVERYTHING. If the main goal is to make this easy to visualise and to sort, I think the best way to do it would be to fill these columns with the info, and keep the original text that Kynde wrote. We could simply erase all bullet points automatically and make it look like a normal paragraph, even if it isn't coherent. We will worry about that later, if we even manage to do the former. Does this sound good Dollar?
::::::I removed the rewritten ones and moved them to the testing page to avoid losing info. If we want to do what we did for what if?, we have to use another page until it's ready. I told Kynde about this page to let her know, since she's the main contributor on [[Header text]]. Here's what I imagine it could look like:

::::::This would be for '''comic-specific''':
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Comic
! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" | Timeframe
! rowspan="2" scope="col" data-sort-type=text | Header text
! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" | Explanation
! colspan="4"| Purpose
|-
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Book Promotion
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Store Promotion
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Credits
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Fundraiser
|-
| [[472: House of Pancakes]] {{xkcd|472|''(View the header text on xkcd.com)''}} || Permanent || (Today's comic is a parody of '''[https://www.amazon.com/House-Leaves-Mark-Z-Danielewski/dp/0375703764 House of Leaves]'''.) || This comic's header notes its status as a parody. Only on the days this comic was the newest was this header featured on the front page of xkcd for instance as seen here the day after release on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06]. But it was only on this comic. The commercial for his new t-shirt was on all the other pages, also on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06] and presumably returned to the front page with the next comic. But there is a gap in the archive after this comic.|| || || {{Yes}} ||
|}

::::::And this could be used for the '''global headers''':
This is for comic-specific:
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" | Appeared on...
! rowspan="2" scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Comic
! rowspan="2" scope="col" data-sort-type=text | Header text
! rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" | Explanation
! colspan="4"| Purpose
|-
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Book Promotion
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Store Promotion
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Credits
! scope="col" data-sort-type=number | Fundraiser
|-
|| 01-01-2009 || {{xkcd|472|''View archived page of the header text''}} (This global header appeared while [[123: Example comic]] was up.) || Hey all, the new tshirts at the example [[Store|xkcd store]] are now available! || This comic's header notes its status as a parody. Only on the days this comic was the newest was this header featured on the front page of xkcd for instance as seen here the day after release on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06]. But it was only on this comic. The commercial for his new t-shirt was on all the other pages, also on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06] and presumably returned to the front page with the next comic. But there is a gap in the archive after this comic.|| || {{Yes}} || ||
|}

::::::The first 3 collumns (except Timeframe and Appeared on) would use a custom-made template which would only need (1) the number: Name of the comic and (2) the header text to make it look all caps. Thoughts?--[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:42, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::::This looks great! Good job with the font, looks incredible! It does seem to me that maybe we could shorten the 'purpose' category into one column, with different fill colors for different purposes. That way, the cell would contain the purpose instead of the word 'yes'. Also, the purpose would be in the cell instead of the headers. The tables are super long, especially with global headers, so the purpose being there would prevent people from needing to scroll all the way to the top to figure out which category it is. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 15:55, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::Yeah you're right that'd be too long. But if we do that idk how people will be able to sort tha table? Is there a better way that keeps sorting and is compact? --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:08, 24 April 2025 (UTC)]

::::::::I wonder if there's a way to sort by color? That way they could sort by book promotion/store promotion etc. first? [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 17:24, 24 April 2025 (UTC)
:::::::::You can't sort by non-content formatting of any kind ''per se'', but if you use [https://m.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Sortable_tables#Specifying_a_sort_key a data-sort-value=] alongside the cell's pre-content formatting, associated to it either by (careful) manual matching or by the same procedural method that procedurally set the background hue, then that column can be made to sort ''as if'' by colour. e.g., whatever makes a cell red also gives it <code>data-sort-value=0</code>, whatever makes it green gives <code>=1</code>, etc. (Though would be good to further refine the value, in such a case, to be integer+decimals, such that the decimals produce a further logical sorting ''within'' any given run of hue, if that is in any way more logical than not worrying about it.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.130|141.101.99.130]] 17:58, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::Alternatively, we could make it so everything is shown in one unsortable column, but it could expand into multiple sortable columns like the graphs you made. I will also say that I absolutely suck at basi--[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:01, 25 April 2025 (UTC)cally any wikitext more advanced than creating a table. This is the reason it depends whether I do the repetitive work. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 17:28, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::::I'm gonna start to bring explanations over and add them to the table on the sandbox page. The project continues! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]] 18:57, 24 April 2025 (UTC)
:::::::::Oh ok you're just going for it! I wanted to make sure everything was ready and decided before starting, just so we don't have to lose our work if we change our minds later! For example, I'm not really sure what "permanent" and temporary means for the comic specific?
:::::::::Also, I thought of something for the sorting of purpose. We could use extremely narrow columns, just one letter, and also colorthe cell? And for clarity we could say "C<nowiki> </nowiki>R" instead of the full "credits" to avoid wasting space? Like the one in [[1608:_Hoverboard#Table_with_references]]? --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 20:53, 24 April 2025 (UTC)
::::::::::'Permanent' basically just means that the header text has always been there since the comic's release, while 'temporary' means that the header text was only up for a shorter period of time before being replaced by a typical header. I think the narrow columns are a good idea, but I don't really see where they would be used. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]][https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices] 03:38, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
{{Outdent|::::::::::}}
Hmm.

> ''Permanent' basically just means that the header text has always been there since the comic's release.

This i understand; makes sense! Maybe could be reworded.

> ''temporary' means that the header text was only up for a shorter period of time before being replaced by a typical header.

I'm not sure I understand this? Don't comic-specific header texts (let's call them CS from now on) never expire? I thought they overrode the global headers (GL).

Anyways, still awaiting input from Kynde on this. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:02, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

:Hi... Was alerted to this by FaviFake.
:Yes it is my baby, anything with the design of the xkcd page was made by me to begin with. And I have done a huge job finding the different regular header text in the archive.
:I do think a table could be good. However, the current version means you have a chance of jumping to a specific header just by looking in the TOC. A table would make this very difficult. Also there are quite a lot of info for some of these header text, and it could be hard to get into the table.
:I have also done quite a lot to make a transcript with descriptions of images etc. And would hate to see that go for a table. And it will fill quite a lot in the table.
:I certainly think the permanent header text should have their own section. Question is if they should have their own page. So there is Header Text (the current page) with a link to a new page with Permanent Header texts.
:Not sure there are many individual header text that was not permanent. So I think the permanent column is not needed, especially since I do not think we should mix the permanent with the real header text! But I still think a table of the permanent should have a date, the day they first appeared. And in a table this would be useful to sort in the order they came out.
:For the not permanent I think there should also be a end date. From date and end date. Maybe a duration calculated from this.
:Not quite sure what we would sort on... But if it should be sort-able, then the last column with purpose, could just be a single word, so you can sort on Store, Promotion, etc. Then it would only take up one short column.
:I'm not going to help with the actual work of moving to a table. But if you manage to do it in a smooth way that do not loose all the information I have gathered and the transcripts I have made, then go for it. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:47, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

::''(i wrote this response before Dollar and IP commented.)''
::Thank you!
::> ''The current version means you have a chance of jumping to a specific header just by looking in the TOC. A table would make this very difficult.
::This is true, but this can easily be fixed using a template. For example, if you go to [[What If? chapters#123]] right now, the link will bring you directly to the table row for #123, even though there isn't a heading! The same is true if you use the name of the article, like [[What If? chapters#Cassini]] brings you to "Cassini". The only downside is that we would have to manually keep the TOC up-to-date (or maybe there could be a way to automate that too? But i doubt it.)

::>'' I have also done quite a lot to make a transcript with descriptions of images etc. And would hate to see that go for a table.
::Yeah that would definitely not be removed. We can either add the transcript at the bottom of the explanation or make another column, it depends on how many headers have a transcript, I haven't looked.

::>'' I certainly think the permanent header text should have their own section.
::>'' I think the permanent column is not needed
::>'' But I still think a table of the permanent should have a date, the day they first appeared. And in a table this would be useful to sort in the order they came out.
::1: Agree, 2: agree, and 3: defintely! Luckily the way you formatted the dates (YYYY-MM-DD) is already perfect for sorting, and they're already hyperlinked too!
::> ''For the not permanent I think there should also be a end date. From date and end date. Maybe a duration calculated from this.
::Yeah I had forgotten about this! The <nowiki>{{date}}</nowiki> template could look something like this:
{| class="sortable wikitable"
!Date
|-
|From [https://web.archive.org/web/20140723180600/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-07-23] (during [[1398: Snake Facts]]) until [https://web.archive.org/web/20140901113916/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-01] (during [[1415: Ballooning]])
|}

::> ''But if it should be sort-able, then the last column with purpose, could just be a single word, so you can sort on Store, Promotion, etc. Then it would only take up one short column.
::Yeah you're right, I think we might end up going for this. As you said, we should give the explanation enough space.

::> ''But if you manage to do it in a smooth way that do not loose all the information I have gathered and the transcripts I have made, then go for it.
::Thank you! As I said previously, I wanted to shift the focus from removing the bullet points to reorganising the info and leaving the existing te there for now:
:::''"If the main goal is to make this easy to visualise and to sort, I think the best way to do it would be to fill these columns with the info, and keep the original text that Kynde wrote. We could simply erase all bullet points automatically and make it look like a normal paragraph, even if it isn't coherent. We will worry about that later, if we even manage to do the former."''

::So i guess this is the new proposed design?

:::::: '''Comic-specific''': ''(updated by FaviFake on 21:54, 25 April 2025 (UTC) with suggestion from Kynde below)''

{| class="sortable wikitable"
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" |Date & Comic
! scope="col" data-sort-type="text" |Header text
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |Explanation
!Purpose
|-
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06]
[[472: House of Pancakes]]
{{xkcd|472|''(View the header text on xkcd.com)''}}
|(Today's comic is a parody of '''[https://www.amazon.com/House-Leaves-Mark-Z-Danielewski/dp/0375703764 House of Leaves]'''.)
|This comic's header notes its status as a parody. Only on the days this comic was the newest was this header featured on the front page of xkcd for instance as seen here the day after release on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06]. But it was only on this comic. The commercial for his new t-shirt was on all the other pages, also on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06] and presumably returned to the front page with the next comic. But there is a gap in the archive after this comic.
|style="background-color: #aa55a5;" | Credits
|}

:::::: '''Global headers''': ''(updated by FaviFake on 21:54, 25 April 2025 (UTC) with suggestion from Kynde below)''

{| class="sortable wikitable"
! Date & Comic
! scope="col" data-sort-type="text" |Header text
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |Explanation
! scope="col" data-sort-type="number" | Purpose
|-
|From [https://web.archive.org/web/20140723180600/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-07-23] {{nowrap|(during [[1398: Snake Facts]])}} until [https://web.archive.org/web/20140901113916/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-01] (during [[1415: Ballooning]])
|Hey all, the new tshirts at the example [[Store|xkcd store]] are now available!
|This comic's header notes its status as a parody. Only on the days this comic was the newest was this header featured on the front page of xkcd for instance as seen here the day after release on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06]. But it was only on this comic. The commercial for his new t-shirt was on all the other pages, also on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06] and presumably returned to the front page with the next comic. But there is a gap in the archive after this comic.
|style="background-color: #ccffcc;" |Store promotion
|}

::We could add a number column to show how many times it has changed?--[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 14:07, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:::I reply here to the above. It is very difficult to find out what I was replying to if I put it in ath the end. The next message and many below written before this:
:::I like the idea from you table. But you missed the release date on the permanent. Still think that is important.
:::I was also thinking of two columns for start and end, but your idea my be fine. Could it be easy to add the number of days the header have been up then?
:::What will the number represent? We do not have the first, and we do not have the last... Unless it is automatic numbering, so the newest is number 1 and the rest gets higher automatic, like in a bullet list, I think it will make no sense?
:::My input to the above --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:27, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

::::Don't worry, this page is already a mess. Yes, I forgot the release date! I guess we'll put it above the comic in the column "Comic", since the order is the same if we sort by date or by comic number. I also thought about two columns for start and end, but I figured it wouldn't really make sense because the sorting would be the same. Plus, by using just one column we save horizontal space! We can definitely add the duration, that'll be another parameter in the template.
::::Yeah you have a good point, the number column wouldn't make sense. I removed it. But we might need another column: where do we put the current heading that appear in the TOC? Should we add another column? If so, where would we put that column? I hadn't thought about this. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:54, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:::::Not always the same with number vs date, as at least one of the comics did not get the permanent text when released. But it may not be that important.
:::::Yes what to do for the heading I have given the different headers...? The number you suggested may not have worked, but in the header bullet lidt it is nice to be able to see there are 110 (3 of which are placeholders, so 107 changes documented) and also the number of permanent individial headers. (23). That info would be lost in a table. I think it is not possible to move into a table without loosing info. Also it will be much more difficult to add new info, as you have to edit the whole table, rater than now, just the post above or below the one you wish to enter a new header. It would be a massive page to edit. I know it is nice to be able to sort, but it will be difficult or even impossible for someone to add new thing to it... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 16:53, 26 April 2025 (UTC)

::::::Yes, as I said we would have to update the TOC manually, but it would still be these in some form. We would simply use # to create a numbered list, which would keep the number of total headers. So it wouldn't be lost. Also, editing the table wouldn't be that difficult in my opinion, you'd just have to fill the templates, something like this:

! Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder

| <nowiki>{{Date| 2024-05-15 | 2933: Elementary Physics Paths | 2024-10-15 | 2998: Ravioli-Shaped Objects}}</nowiki>

| {{Header text| Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF?—revised and annotated with brand-new illustrations and answers to important questions. Preorder now!

| The first link goes to the page for the what if? book on xkcd and the other link is to the HarperCollins page for the 10th anniversary edition of the book, rest of the explanation...

|<nowiki> {{What If promotion}}</nowiki>

::::::Also, I just realised we could just put the title you gave in the very first column, before the date! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:20, 27 April 2025 (UTC)

::You do have a good point there. Actually, all of these are good points. Maybe we could take out the 'timeframe' column for the CS table and replace it with 'start and end date' for the GL table. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]][https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices] 13:43, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

::Not that I'm taking any part in this conversion (excelt for giving ideas, when they occur to me), but how about: Table has one (small) column contents act as an #anchor-link to the appropriate extended header-defined information below. The beauty (YMMV) of the tabular/sortable overview being developed whilst retaining the table-incompatible "long descriptive" bits (perhaps with a similar back-anchor to the table-rows so that a minimal amount of table-worthy detail need be included in the long-header.
::And though that ''could'' be done with "[a], [b], [c]" or "[n1], [n2], [n3]" inbuilt wiki-references, I think maybe just plain <code><nowiki>[[#itemFoo|Foo]]</nowiki></code> sort of thing for the Comic or Purpose cell contents. If that works well within a collapsing text area, that might make it available (but not obtrusive to the casual view). Or perhaps send it to a <code>Header text/fuller descriptions]]</code>-ish new sub-page.
::This ''does'' mean a bit more to remember if updating with new instances (add 'line' to table ''and'' add at least a placeholder into the headered paragraphs, not just one or the other) but that much might be made more obvious as a reminder (to those who 'know') or a guide (to newer editors) by a commented out row+paragraph template at the end of each.
::Or is it unfair of me to complicate things further by essentially suggesting both approaches to be carried forward..? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.186|172.70.85.186]] 14:01, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

:::Sorry but I didn't understand any of that. What are you suggesting? For the missing TOC problem, I thought we would solve it by using a template to create an HTML anchor, and then manually creating the TOC. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 14:11, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
::::Do you need it explained longer, or shorter..?
::::Trying (mostly) shorter: Retain "TOC"ed version (additional: though not ''necessarily'' still TOCed, could be redone as ";"ed, instead of "==...=="ed — we don't need any TOC list, 'cos the table will do that), but without most of the repeating short info you're putting into the table. Don't have huge "Details" column, just bare bones. But #anchor-link each entry to the longer-form original sections in their more prosaic forms. So you've a table that's not too busy, but all the hard-won case study info is also elsewhere, just not clogging up the table itself.
::::The rest of what I said was a lot of optional mini-variations of this general idea. Because TIMTOWTDI. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.34|141.101.98.34]] 16:32, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

::::: Now I understand! Usually a good way to read your comments is to just mentally remove all parenthesis, but it didn't work this time. I don't really think the text is so much that we have to link to it? The example above is the average length (is much shorter when you remove the bullet points), and it doesn't seem to take up much space.

::::: Sounds pretty good! I'm just going to continue getting more texts summarized and ported over to the sandbox, because I have no idea how to use wikitext more advanced than tables and <nowiki><nowiki></nowiki> and <nowiki></nowiki>. I am trying to learn <nowiki></nowiki> though. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]][https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices] 17:23, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

:::::: Wait, I thought we were ''not'' doing that? I wrote the message below and I thought you agreed, but I must've misread your response. Here's the relevant part:
::::::: ''"I'm however more and more concerned with the amout of time it would take to rewrite EVERYTHING. If the main goal is to make this easy to visualise and read (and to sort, as a bonus), I think the best way to do it would be to fill these columns with the info, and keep the original text that Kynde wrote. We could simply erase all bullet points automatically and make it look like a normal paragraph, even if it isn't coherent. We will worry about that later, if we even manage to do the former."
::::::In short, I think we would make the page much more useful if, instead of using grammatically correct sentences, we simply reorganised it and chenged how it looks. I think this is a huge enough task already, and I think it would benefit the wiki more than rewriting everything. Thoughts? --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:43, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
::::::To be clear, I already have a perfectly good way of removing all bullet points in less than a minute. The downside is, of course, that the paragraphs would be impossible to read: not because the sentences aren't coherent but because they're not organised. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

{{Outdent|:::::::}}

{{Header text|I've created a template that makes any text look like a header text, to kickstart the project. It's called {{tl|Header text}}. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:45, 28 April 2025 (UTC)}}
:I shall unleash my american-ness on your incomprehensible British intellect to say: HELL YEAH, BROTHER!!!!!!! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 19:40, 30 April 2025 (UTC)
::Also, yeah you're right. Maybe you could take out all the bullets and I can make them more coherent and add them. But why are we keeping the text Kynde wrote? Isn't the entire point of this project to replace that with something more coherent? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 19:44, 30 April 2025 (UTC)

:::(Kindly change your signature to comply with {{w|WP:SIGAPP}}.) That was the initial goal, yes, but I believe our efforts would benefit the wiki much more if we made it easy to browse the page. And, in a sense, we would still edit her messages, by moving the date, comic, and HT text to different columns. I just think it's much easier than rewriting everything: what's the point of making every sentence follow grammatical rules if reading the page is as uninteresting as it is now? As I said previously, we could try to pursue the initial goal after the page is tuned into a table, if we still have the strength to keep going.

:::The reason I haven't yet removed every bullet is because they're needed to understand what is the {{Header text|actual header text}} and what is the explanation for said HT. My plan is that, once a HT explanation is inserted into the table, then I'll remove the bullet points because they'll no longer be needed. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 12:57, 1 May 2025 (UTC)
::::{{Header link|And this is to make text look like the links!}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]][[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|converse]] 13:20, 15 October 2025 (UTC)

Header text

2026-04-16T11:15:04Z

SectorCorruptor: /* 2026-04-16 - Back to standard text */

<noinclude>{{xkcd.com}}[[File:xkcd_header.png|thumb|right|250px|The [[Design of xkcd.com#Header section|Header section]] is one of the [[Design of xkcd.com|four main sections]] of the [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com] website.]]The '''header text''' is usually updated when [[Randall]] has news to share or wants to add information about a specific comic. The default header text states:

</noinclude><div style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 500; font-size: 16px; width: 760px; line-height: 150%;" class="plainlinks">
:xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.</div><noinclude>

Usually, changes to the header text show up in all comics. However, for certain comics, its header text is changed permanently, which means that comic's page won't be affected by changes to the global header text like the rest of the comics. You can see the list of these [[#Comic-specific header text|Comic-specific header texts]] below.

Usually, the global header text is changed back to the default once the novelty of the news ends. Recently, the default header text has not been used for extended periods of time. The most recent header text change can be found at the top of the [[#Global header text|Global header text section]].

{{incomplete|Someone has created a full list of comic-specific header texts! We have only explained 28 so far, and '''28 are missing'''. [[Talk:Header_text#anc|The full list in on the Talk page!]]. (Also, if you have ''infinite'' spare time, please remove the bullet points on the page and use normal paragraphs.)}}

Use this list to quickly jump to a specific header text, or [[#Comic-specific header text|click here]] to jump to the most recent one.

__TOC__

==Comic-specific header text==
When editing the section, list the changes chronologically with the date of the web archive link and hyperlink each date. Include an internal link to the comic at the time of each change and describe the modifications with relevant information. Place the most recent changes at the top.


===[[2957: A Crossword Puzzle]]===
*This comic's header mentions that it has been inspired by an old comic (by accident, i.e. originally Randall was not aware of his inspiration).
**The comic was released on Wednesday 2024-07-10, but the special header text was first added to the comic and thus on the front page from Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20240711100451/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-07-11]. It stayed there until the next comic came out, so it was still there on Friday morning on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240712141422/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-07-12].
***Once [[2958: Hatchery]] came out later that Friday, the front page header text changed back to that which was currently active on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240712224230/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-07-12].
*The extra new text was added below the currently active hader, and the addition was:
**Today's comic accidentally inspired by [https://www.buttersafe.com/2011/02/17/crosswords/ this Buttersafe comic] from 2011!
*It makes it clear that Randall did not wish to take credit for this old idea.
**Although it seems like he did not know where he got the idea from at first, when he posted it.
**Because the addition of this header text was not posted together with the comic, when it was released on Wednesday 2024-07-10 and it was still not there in the early morning of Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20240711000851/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-07-11].
**That he is a fan of Buttersafe is made clear at the bottom of the xkcd page where it is on Randall's list of the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Comics_I_enjoy|Comics I enjoy]].
*As a special situation this special header did not replace the current header text, but was added below the active header text at the time [[#2024-05-15_-_Special_10th_anniversary_edition_of_WHAT_IF.3F_-_preorder|Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder]].
**This has not been the normal way to add comic-specific header text, even though it was something added later due to Randall realizing he had borrowed inspiration from another person.
**A similar situation happened with the comic [[1723: Meteorite Identification]], which got a similar change to the header text, as can be seen [[Header_text#1723:_Meteorite_Identification|here]]. But that did not incorporate this text into the current header text.
*Since this header was related only to explain the inspiration for this comic, it was removed from the frontpage header, when the next comic was released.
**But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen here [https://web.archive.org/web/20240714152507/https://xkcd.com/2957/ 2022-07-14], two days after it stopped being on the front page.
**Randall never got around to fixing this, so it would only show the new line, so as of this edit it is still like that as can be seen in the most recent version saved [https://web.archive.org/web/20260408143657/https://xkcd.com/2957/ 2026-04-08].
*So the actual full permanent header text for this comic is now:
** [https://xkcd.com/what-if/ Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF?]—revised and annotated with brand-new illustrations and answers to important questions you never thought to ask—coming from November 2024. Preorder [https://bit.ly/WhatIf10th here]!
**Today's comic accidentally inspired by [https://www.buttersafe.com/2011/02/17/crosswords/ this Buttersafe comic] from 2011!



===[[2916: Machine]]===
*This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together.
**It was on the front page from Saturday [https://web.archive.org/web/20240406163326/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-04-06] (although it was supposed to have been a Friday release according to the xkcd archives) until the next comic to come out Monday 2024-04-08, but the earliest archived version of the next comic is from Tuesday [http://web.archive.org/web/20240409060444/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-04-09].
***It probably changed late on Monday the 8th, but Machine was still up late on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240408225854/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-04-08].
***It may be like previous years because this was an April fools' Day comic, and Randall wished it to stay on the front page longer?
**When [[2917: Types of Eclipse Photo]] was released the front page returned to normal header.
**The previous comic [[2915: Eclipse Clouds]] was still on the front page Saturday [https://web.archive.org/web/20240406053609/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-04-06]. So a very late Friday release...
*The text:
**Today's comic was created with [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://github.com/spyhi Ed White], [https://twitter.com/uh_oh_thats_bad Alex Garcia], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin Cotrone], [http://burningcandle.io/ Conor & Ami Stokes], [https://liranuna.com/ Liran Nuna], [https://www.instagram.com/fading_interest/ Patrick], [https://manishearth.github.io/ Manish Goregaokar], [https://github.com/benley Benjamin Staffin], [https://github.com/ayust Amber], and [https://github.com/dyfrgi Michael Leuchtenburg] with physics by [https://rapier.rs/ Rapier].
*It thanks those that helped Randall create that years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]].
**All have a link to their name, either to Instagram page or X or their own home pages. Some of them have also helped with the two previous [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]], see below, but there are many more involved in this one than any of the previous.
**Also the Fast 2D and 3D physics engine for the Rust programming language, Rapier, is mentioned as standing for the physics of the comic.
*Since this header was related only to the Fools' comic, it was removed from the frontpage header, when the next comic was released.
**But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen two days after it stopped being on the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240409010518/https://xkcd.com/2916/ 2022-04-09].


===[[2765: Escape Speed]]===
*This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together.
**It was on the front page from Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20230420203744/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-04-20] (although it was supposed to have been a Wednesday release according to the xkcd archives) until Friday [https://web.archive.org/web/20230421082400/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-04-21], when the next new comic was released (very late, possibly because this was an April fools' Day comic, and Randall wished it to stay on the front page longer?)
***When [[2766: Helium Reserve]] was released the front page returned to normal header. This seems to have not happened until Saturday as the earliest archive is form [https://web.archive.org/web/20230422121650/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-04-22] with the new comic.
*The text:
**Today's comic was put together with help from [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://www.instagram.com/fading_interest/ Patrick Clapp], [https://amberyu.st/ Amber], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin], [https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin], and [https://www.aiweirdness.com/ Janelle Shane].
*It thanks those that helped Randall create that years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]].
**All have a link to their name, either to Instagram page or Twitter or their own home pages. Most of them have also helped with the two previous April Fools' Day comic, see below.
*Since this header was related only to the Fools' comic, it was removed from the frontpage header, when the next comic was released.
**But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen two days after it stopped being on the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20230423150206/https://xkcd.com/2765/ 2022-04-23].


===[[2601: Instructions]]===
*This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together.
**It was on the front page from Friday [https://web.archive.org/web/20220401210146/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-04-01] until Tuesday [https://web.archive.org/web/20220405031003/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-04-05], when the next new comic was released (very late, possibly because Instructions was an April fools' Day comic, and Randall wished it to stay on the front page longer?)
***When [[2602: Linguistics Degree]] was released the front page returned to normal header This seems to have not happened until Tuesday as the earliest archive is form [https://web.archive.org/web/20220405125644/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-04-05] with the new comic.
*The text:
**Today's comic was created with [https://twitter.com/fadinginterest Patrick], [https://twitter.com/Aiiane Amber], [https://twitter.com/chromakode @chromakode], [https://twitter.com/dyfrgi Michael], [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat], [https://twitter.com/xDirtyPunkx Conor], [https://twitter.com/zigdon @zigdon], and [https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin].
*It thanks those that helped Randall create that years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]].
**All have a link to their name, the first with an Instagram page, the other seven with a link to their Twitter account. Five of those also helped with the previous April Fools' Day comic, see below.
*Since this header was related only to the Fools' comic, it was removed from the frontpage header, when the next comic was released.
**But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen two days after it stopped being on the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220406021357/https://xkcd.com/2601/ 2022-04-06].


===[[2445: Checkbox]]===
*This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together.
**It was on the front page from Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20210401232108/https://xkcd.com/ 2021-04-01] until Monday [https://web.archive.org/web/20210405130031/http://xkcd.com/ 2021-04-05], until the new comic was released on Monday.
*The text:
**This comic was put together by [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://twitter.com/fadinginterest Patrick], [https://twitter.com/Aiiane Amber], [https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin Cotrone], [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat], and [https://twitter.com/dyfrgi Michael Leuchtenburg].
*It thanks those that helped Randall create that years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]].
**All have a link to their name, the first with a personal home page, the other six with a link to their Twitter account. Five of those also helped with the previous April Fools' Day comic, see below.
*Since this header was related only to the Fools' comic, it was removed from the front page header, when the next comic was released, here from the day after that release Tuesday [https://web.archive.org/web/20210406143023/http://xkcd.com/ 2021-04-06].
*But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen two days later on [https://web.archive.org/web/20210407203547/https://xkcd.com/2445/ 2021-04-07].


===[[2288: Collector's Edition]]===
This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together, and gives links to all of their Twitter profiles, except
Christopher Nights'. It was on the front page only for about a day around April 3rd and
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200404014814/http://xkcd.com/#-370,-277vApril 4th 2020].
The header text says:
<blockquote>
Today's comic was put together by [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://twitter.com/Aiiane Amber],
[https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin],
[https://www.instagram.com/fading_interest/ @fading_interest], [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat],
[https://twitter.com/zigdon @zigdon], and Christopher Night.
</blockquote>
The header text thanks those who helped Randall create the 2020 [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]], which had taken
two extra days before it was released due to the complex nature of the comic.
Due to the delay, the next comic, [[2289: Scenario 4]], was released the day after the April Fool's comic, [[2289:_Scenario_4#Trivia|on a Saturday]].
Since this header was related only to the April Fools' comic, it was removed from the front page header when the next comic was released,
but it stayed up as a permanent header for this comic.



===[[1928: Seven Years]]===
[http://web.archive.org/web/20171214171157/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-12-14]
It was released as a response to another cancer diagnosis, this is explained in the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Header_text|Header text]] which has replaced the standard ''xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.'' The new one is this one, with the active link included:
The text (with link):
* Becky Beaton, sister of fellow cartoonist Kate Beaton, has also been diagnosed with cancer. You can support her treatment [https://www.youcaring.com/beckybeaton-1008390 here].
{{w|Kate Beaton}} is the creator of the web comic [http://www.harkavagrant.com/ Hark! A Vagrant].
* Although this comic is not one on Randall's list of ''[[Design_of_xkcd.com#Comics_I_enjoy|Comics I enjoy]]'', he is clearly much influenced by another cancer diagnosis among someone in his own creative field.below.
On [https://web.archive.org/web/20190817141450/https://www.xkcd.com/1928/ 2019-08-17], close to two years later, the message was still there and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20211226120634/https://xkcd.com/1928/ 2021-12-26] just past four years later.
* There was the possibility that it would be removed, when the support page was discontinued...
* But as that already happened before [http://web.archive.org/web/20181106124430/https://www.youcaring.com/beckybeaton-1008390 2018-11-06] it seems like it will be there to stay.
* Last archived version was from [http://web.archive.org/web/20180305022301/https://www.youcaring.com/beckybeaton-1008390 2018-03-05].
* Randall has previously done something similar for another friend, Emily, but [[#2014-11-27_-_Help_Emily|that header]] was not made permanent.



===[[1830: ISS Solar Transit 2]]===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170428041338/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-04-28]
This header links back to [[1828: ISS Solar Transit]], a comic with the same joke setup released on the Monday of the same week


===[[1723: Meteorite Identification]]===
Randall realized that his comic was almost a copy of some other person. And he has since then acknowledged this on the comics specific page see more [[1723: Meteorite Identification#Trivia|here]].
At the time of this post, in the newest saved version on the archive from [http://web.archive.org/web/20161010215516/http://xkcd.com/1723/ 2016-10-10] it is still there and says:
* Note: Jolyon, founder of [http://www.mindat.org/ mindat.org], made a similar chart way before me!


===[[1679: Substitutions 3]]===
This comic is the third installment of the [[:Category:Substitution]] series, and as Randall did with [[#Substitutions 2]],
the header text links to the previous comics in the series, and tells the user about Chrome Browser extensions for substitution.
The header text reads:
<blockquote>
(Previously: {{xkcd|1288|Substitutions}} and {{xkcd|1625|Substitutions 2}}) 
Note: There are various [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/replacerator/gaajhenbcclienfnniphiiambbbninnp?hl=en browser extensions] for this.
</blockquote>
This header text was on the main page while the comic was on the main page, for instance on
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160512102325/http://xkcd.com/ 2016-05-12]. It remains on the comic page.



===[[1663: Garden]]===
This comic had a header text to help people use the comic when it came out.
For some time this text was the main header text, but after a while is disappeared from the main header, but remained as the header for Garden.
* See more [[xkcd_Header_text#2016-04-04_-_Protip_on_Garden|below]] or on the Garden page [[Garden#Header_text_after_release|here]]
Today and as of the newest saved version on the archive from [http://web.archive.org/web/20161231231600/http://xkcd.com/1663/ 2016-12-31] it is still there and says:
* Protip: If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
* You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.


===[[1625: Substitutions 2]]===
This was the second installment of Substitutions and Randall links to the first and tells about browser extensions for this:
The text:
* (Previously: {{xkcd|1288|Substitutions}})
* Note: There are various [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xkcd-substitutions/jkgogmboalmaijfgfhfepckdgjeopfhk?hl=en browser extensions] for this.
** He did the same when [[xkcd_Header_text#Substitutions_3|Substitutions 3]] came out, linking to the two previous.
It was on the main page while the comic was up, for instance here on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160104171722/http://xkcd.com/ 2016-01-04].


===[[1079: United Shapes]]===
The header text was unique for this comic on the day it came out:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120709045709/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-07-09].
It read:
<blockquote>
There's a larger version of this map [http://xkcd.com/1079/large/ here] (Colorado is [http://xkcd.com/1079/colorado/ here]). 
It's also available as a [http://store.xkcd.com/xkcd/#StateMap poster].
</blockquote>
([https://web.archive.org/web/20120709045709/http://store.xkcd.com/xkcd/#StateMap Archived store link, 2012-07-22])

This header text only appeared with the comic, as on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120709004956/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-07-09],
at a time before this comic was released, the previous
[[xkcd_Header_text#2012-04-09 -_Standard_text_plus_store_link|promotion of the store]] header text was still on the main page.

As this comic was still on the main page the day after ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120710063424/http://xkcd.com/ 2012-07-10]),
a new [[Header_text#2012-07-10_-_New:_what-if.xkcd.com|header text promoting Randall's new what if? blog]]
was not shown on the main page.
The what if? promotion was added to this comic's header text the next day,
on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711123734/http://xkcd.com:80/1079/ 2012-07-11].
However, the part about Colorado was lost in this edit. This is the version still shown on {{xkcd|1079}} today, including the
what if? promotion.
<blockquote>
There's a larger version of this map [http://xkcd.com/1079/large/ here]! It's also available as a
[https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters/products/united-shapes-poster poster]. 
New: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/1/ what-if.xkcd.com]: abusing science to answer hypothetical questions. 
I'll answer a new reader question every Tuesday.
</blockquote>
([https://web.archive.org/web/20121203164246/https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters/products/united-shapes-poster Archived store link, 2012-12-03])

The what if? promotion links to the very first ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|1|Relativistic Baseball}}'' which was released on 2012-07-10, the day after this comic was released, but before the next comic [[1080: Visual Field]] was released on 2012-07-11.

There is no archived version of comic {{xkcd|1080}} while it was on the front page, so it is not possible to tell what the front page looked like on the 11th and 12th of July 2012. Most likely it was the what if? promotion.
* Maybe there was a time with the final version of the header text the front page, but seems like Randall put the new header text there by hand, and forgot to delete it after, so he probably first changed it when the new comic came out.
* Since the new header was important, promoting his new ''what if'' blog, Randall likely did not wish to have a recent page/the main page without it.
* But this makes it a special unique header, as a relic from the past header text is left together with the text that was supposed to be permanent. It should have been deleted when the link to ''what if'' 1 was removed.



===[[1047: Approximations]]===
It has a permanent text saying that many people emailed Randall about another approximation for one year than the one given in the comic.
* As it was already there from the release day on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120425220409/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-25] it seems unlikely that he actually received those e-mails before changing the header text for this comic!
The unique text:
* Lots of emails mention the physicist favorite, 1 year = pi x 107 seconds.
* 75^4 is a hair more accurate, but it's hard to top 3,141,592's elegance.
There was a different header on other comics even while this comic was on the front page with the unique text. See [[#2012-04-09_-_Standard_text_plus_store_link|Plus store link]].


===[[1037: Umwelt]]===
It has a permanent promotion of the store already from the release day on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120401151639/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-01]:
The unique text:
* You can get posters, prints, and t-shirts in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
It stayed on the front page while this comic was the most recent, so for instance also two days later on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120403223453/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-04-03]
* There was a different header on other comics even while this comic was on the front page with the unique text. See [[xkcd_Header_text#2012-03-28_-_Visiting_Newport_News|Visiting Newport News]].


===[[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]]===
In response to the idea of having you browser replace keyboard with leopard a reader made a script that could do just that.
Randall seem to have gotten this script before release (or at least on the day of release) as it was already the header text on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120319130702/http://xkcd.com/ 2012-03-19] the day the comic was released.
The unique text is:
* A helpful reader has provided an [https://userscripts.org/scripts/show/128626 s/keyboard/leopard/ user script].
** The link does not go anywhere useful any longer, but here is the archived version of the link from two days after the release of the comic on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120321174019/http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/128626 2012-03-21]
It was never changed on the other comics so was only on the front while this comic was up until 2012-03-21
* Here also shown on the second day it was up on its own page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120320143916/http://xkcd.com:80/1031/ 2012-03-20].
The next comic [[1032: Networking]] came out on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120321205835/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-03-21] and here the header text has returned to what it was before the leopard comic: [[xkcd_Header_text#2012-03-12_-_xkcd_Holistic_Browser|xkcd Holistic Browser]].
* Here are examples from dates around this showing it was not used on other pages:
** The last archived version of the front page from before the 19th was this version from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120317121834/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-03-17], but here is an example from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120318153256/http://xkcd.com:80/1030/ 2012-03-18] (from comic [[1030: Keyed]]), the day before leopard comic came out.
** Both on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120319174700/http://xkcd.com/1030/ 2012-03-19] (from comic [[1030: Keyed]]) and on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120320191039/http://xkcd.com:80/1012 2012-03-20] (from comic [[1012: Wrong Superhero]]) during the time leopard was up, the header text currently in used was still shown.


===[[996: Making Things Difficult]]===
To give context to the comic about cancer, Randall links to a [[Blag]] post about his family's struggle with cancer.
The header text says:
<blockquote>
Some context for the cancer comics:
[https://blog.xkcd.com/2011/06/30/family-illness/ https://blog.xkcd.com/2011/06/30/family-illness/]
</blockquote>
This header text appears on the oldest stored version of the comic page from [https://web.archive.org/web/20111229043804/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2011-12-29] when it was on the main page.


===[[980: Money]]===
Randall notes his thoughts about making it and makes a promotion of the poster.
The unique text:
* This one was fun (and exhausting) to make.
* There's a poster of it in the [https://store.xkcd.com/products/money-poster store]!
** It is both at the oldest stored version from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120404110059/http://xkcd.com:80/980 2012-04-04] and the newest at time of editing [https://web.archive.org/web/20220108132250/https://xkcd.com/980/ 2022-01-08].


===[[977: Map Projections]]===
Randall notes that a person had birthday on the release of this comic about maps, and this guy has maps on his homepage
The unique text:
* It turns out Monday was Steve Waterman's birthday. His [https://web.archive.org/web/20111118003418/http://www.watermanpolyhedron.com/ site] has posters of his map, plus maybe the world's only Winkel Tripel-critiquing poetry.
** The link goes to [http://www.watermanpolyhedron.com/ Waterman project] home page. Above the link goes to an archived version from around the time of release of the header text.
** It is at the oldest stored version with the comic on the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20111115231643/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2011-11-15].


===[[851: Na]]===
After Randall released this comic, he realized he could have "made it better," and did so.
He changed the header text alert people to this, saying:
<blockquote>
I can't ''believe'' I forgot Hey Jude.
I don't get do-overs, but I couldn't resist making [https://xkcd.com/851_make_it_better/ a fixed version].
</blockquote>
See more about it in that comic's [[851:_Na#Trivia|trivia section]].


===[[739: Malamanteau]]===
Randall notes that he has changed this comics license, so it can be used on Wikipedia.
The text:
* At Wikipedia's request, I release this comic under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ cc-by-sa] license.
** The link is to the page regarding {{w|Creative Commons license}} in the US.
** Specifically for Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-SA 3.0 US)
*** Usually xkcd is [[Design_of_xkcd.com#License_and_copyright|shared under]] [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License]. This does not allow commercial use, But the 3.0 does.
When the comic came out it had the normal header text from that time, as seen here two days after release on [https://web.archive.org/web/20100514072436/http://xkcd.com/ 2010-05-14].
* First archived version with the unique text is from [https://web.archive.org/web/20100913003146/http://xkcd.com/739/ 2010-09-13], but the previous archived version of this comic is from [https://web.archive.org/web/20100713160533/http://xkcd.com:80/739/ 2010-07-13].
* So it happened somewhere in the two months in between. But at least it was not there the first two months after release, but there before four month after release.


===577–580: [[:Category:The Race|The Race]]: Parts 1–4===
[[:Category:The Race|The Race]] was a 5-comic series published daily over the duration of one week, Monday through Friday. On comics
[[577: The Race: Part 1]], [[578: The Race: Part 2]], [[579: The Race: Part 3]], and [[580: The Race: Part 4]], parts 1–4 of the
series, Randall announced to users that xkcd would update once a day over the course of that week.

The header text for 577, published on Monday of that week, reads:
<blockquote>
For this week, xkcd will update once a day.
</blockquote>
The header texts for 578, 579, and 580, published respectively on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, read:
<blockquote>
For this week, xkcd will update once a day (through Friday).
</blockquote>

On comic [[581: The Race: Part 5]], this header text does not appear, likely because it wouldn't be useful to inform people of daily
updates for a week at the end of the week.


===[[563: Fermirotica]]===
The header text for this comic informs the reader of prints of this comic in the [[Store]], and gives an example sex calculation.
It reads:
<blockquote>
There are xkcd prints available in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ store]. 
[https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=sqrt(2%2F(pi*18000%2F(mi^2)*80%2Fyear*30+minutes) Example Google sex calculation].
</blockquote>
The first link is a link to the [[Store|xkcd Store]], which, as of early February 2026, is closed for the time being. The second link is a
Google Search link for an example sex calculation with the formula in the comic, where
''Pd'' = 18000/mi2,
''XF'' = 80/year, and
''Xd'' = 30 minutes.
This calculation results in ''r'' equaling ~142 meters.


===[[488: Steal This Comic]]===
Comic 488 advocates against {{w|Digital rights management}}, or <abbr title="Digital rights management">DRM</abbr>. In the header text, Randall notes that Amazon sells
DRM-free music. It reads:
<blockquote>
Note: the [https://www.amazon.com/MP3-Music-Download/b?ie=UTF8&node=163856011 Amazon.com MP3 store] sells DRM-free music. Kudos.
</blockquote>
The header text links to Amazon MP3 music. Here is an archived version of the store from
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081001083843/http://www.amazon.com/MP3-Music-Download/b?ie=UTF8&node=163856011 2008-10-01],
two weeks prior to the release of the comic.
The header text was on the comic from the release day, here seen the day after on the first archived version from
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081014232952/http://xkcd.com/ 2008-10-14].


===[[472: House of Pancakes|472: House of Pancakes]]===
This comic's header notes its status as a parody:
* (Today's comic is a parody of [https://www.amazon.com/House-Leaves-Mark-Z-Danielewski/dp/0375703764 House of Leaves].)
Only on the days this comic was the newest was this header featured on the front page of xkcd for instance as seen here the day after release on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06].
* But it was only on this comic. The commercial for his new t-shirt was on all the other pages, also on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06] and presumably returned to the front page with the next comic. But there is a gap in the archive after this comic.

==Global header text==
When editing the section, list the changes chronologically with the date of the web archive link and hyperlink each date. Include an internal link to the newest comic at the time of each change and describe the modifications with relevant information. Position the last comic displaying the header text below the other data and place the most recent change at the top.

===2026-04-16 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20260401210255/https://xkcd.com/ 2026-04-16].
*[[3233: Make It Myself]] came out when the header changed.
* The text:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* With this, the reading-modes update was removed from all comics, except the one introducing it: [[3227: Creation]]

===2026-04-07 - Reading Modes===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20260401210255/https://xkcd.com/ 2026-04-01].
*[[3227: Creation]] was released as the 2026 [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' comic]], but the real April Fools' was a new feature, which was explained in the global header text.
* The text:
** We're pleased to announce a major update to xkcd, with new reading modes to enhance user experience. Select a mode via the menu below the comic.
**Brought to you by our excellent design team: [https://github.com/ayust Amber], [https://github.com/benley Benjamin Staffin], and [https://github.com/cotrone Kevin]
*At first it would seem that this would be a text, only belonging to the new comic, but since the feature is active on all comics, it was not only on the front page, but on all other comics as well. And it stayed there after the next comic was released.
**So this is not a comic specific header text.

===2026-01-07 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20260107194433/https://xkcd.com/ 2026-01-07].
* [[3191: Superstition]] came out when the header changed.
* The text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* This was the first time since [[#2022-01-08_-_Back_to_standard_text|2022-01-08]] that the text had changed back to that, so exactly four years.
**Last time it only lasted a few days before the [[#2022-01-10_-_Standard_text_with_countdown|countdown]] started.
*It was also the first time since December 5th, 2024 that the header text had changed, a span of more than a year (13 months) making it by far the longest time the header text had been left unchanged.
* It was up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20260331171250/https://xkcd.com/ 2026-03-31] when [[3226: Home Solar]] was on the front page.
**Almost two months, a long stretch with the original title text in use!

===2024-12-05 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - order===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20241205201038/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-12-05].
* [[3020: Infinite Armada Chess]] came out when the header changed.
* The text:
** [https://xkcd.com/what-if/ Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF?]—revised and
** annotated with brand-new illustrations and answers to important
** questions you never thought to ask—Out now. Order it here! [https://bit.ly/WhatIf10th here]!
* The first link goes to the page for the what if? book on xkcd and the other link is to the HarperCollins page for the 10th anniversary edition of the book.
* Only difference in this header compared to the previous version is the last part after the final hypen.
* This header stayed up for exactly 13 months. See link at the bottom.
* With the [[#2024-05-15_-_Special_10th_anniversary_edition_of_WHAT_IF.3F_-_preorder|preorder]] version coming out in mid May 2024 the 10th anniversary edition ended up been in the header text almost 1 year and 7 month (except the month of [[#2024-10-16 - Promotion of Kamala Harris for president|endorsing Harris]]), thus it was on the header for 1.5 years in total.
* And before that what if? has been part of the header back to [[#2022-01-31 - What if? 2|2022-01-31]], when what if? 2 was announced.
* And three weeks before that the [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|countdown]] for what if? 2 began. Of course there was no what if? word on that header as it was a surprise. But it turned out this was also a promotion for what if?
* And up until the day before the countdown (when there was one day with the old standard text) there was promotion for the first what if? book starting on [[#2021-12-20 - What If in stock|2021-12-20]].
** To sum it up, the header has been used to promote what if? continuously from December 2021 until at least the start of January 2026 (except one month with endorsing Harris and three weeks countdown that was for what if?) So more than 4 years in a row, only with a month for something political and the 3 weeks of countdown was also a promotion for what if?
* It was up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20260106150417/https://xkcd.com/3190/ 2026-01-06] when [[3190: Tensegrity]] was on the front page.
**It had then been up for more than 13 months in a row by a day. There had been no change to the header text at all during 2025.

===2024-11-16 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20241116184702/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-11-16].
* [[3012: The Future of Orion]] was on the front page when the text changed.
* It returned to the exact same header text as before: [[#2024-05-15_-_Special_10th_anniversary_edition_of_WHAT_IF.3F_-_preorder|2024-05-15 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder]].
* It was up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20241204160618/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-12-04] when [[3019: Advent Calendar Advent Calendar]] was on the front page.
** The only change was that the last part after the last hyphen changed from when you had to preorder to now that you could order the book.

===2024-10-16 - Promotion of Kamala Harris for president===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20241017002108/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-10-17]
* For some reason the web archive failed to upload xkcd on the day it changed, but that it did change a day before can be seen in this other archive [https://web.archive.org/web/20241116184702/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-11-16].
* [[2999: Bad Map Projection: The United Stralia]] came out when this header was changed.
* Instead of text, it is a three part comic. In the first panel, [[Cueball]] (probably representing [[Randall]]) is shown walking, carrying a sign. In the second panel, he is seen hitting the sign with a hammer into the ground. In the third, Cueball is gone, and the front of the sign can be seen:
** <big>Harris for president</big>
* This is in reference to the 2024 presidential elections and shows that Randall endorses Harris.
* Randall posted the same image on his [https://x.com/xkcd/status/1853098106667114801 Twitter (formally X)] and [https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3la2jku6ace2f Bluesky] accounts on November 3rd, 2024, two days before the presidential election.
* It was up for a month until [https://web.archive.org/web/20241115181146/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2024-11-15] when [[3012: The Future of Orion]] was on the front page. It changed while that comic was still up back to the one from before.

===2024-05-15 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20240515200351/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-05-15]
* [[2933: Elementary Physics Paths]] came out when the header changed.
* The text:
** [https://xkcd.com/what-if/ Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF?]—revised and annotated with brand-new illustrations and answers to important questions you never thought to ask—coming from November 2024. Preorder [https://bit.ly/WhatIf10th here]!
* The first link goes to the page for the what if? book on xkcd and the other link is to the HarperCollins page for the 10th anniversary edition of the book.
* It was up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20241015192147/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-10-15] while [[2998: Ravioli-Shaped Objects]] was on the front page.
After a month of endorsing endorses Harris the heder text returned to this again, see [[#2024-11-16_-_Special_10th_anniversary_edition_of_WHAT_IF.3F_-_preorder|2024-110-16 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? -preorder]].

===2024-03-20 - What If? is on YouTube!===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20240320173158/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-03-20]
* [[2909: Moon Landing Mission Profiles]] came out when the header changed.
The only text version from the previous header was trimmed having some words removed taking it down from four to three lines (and solving the bad alignment that happened five days before at the end of the previous header text).
* The text:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/ What If?] is on YouTube! The first video answers
** “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LSyizrk8-0 What if we aimed Hubble at Earth?]” Follow the
** [https://www.youtube.com/@xkcd_whatif What If?] channel to be notified about new videos.
* The first link goes to the what if? page on xkcd and the other two links are to the YouTube channel and to its very first video.
The promotion of the what if? franchise continues for the second year running. A few words were taken off as the YouTube channel was no longer new at this point.
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240514034349/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-05-14], while [[2932: Driving PSA]] was on the front page. But the what if? promotion continued

===2023-11-29 - What If? is now on YouTube!===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20231129184009/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-11-29]
* [[2861: X Value]] came out when the header changed.
There was only text this time.
* The text:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/ What If?] is now on YouTube!
** Check out the first video for the answer to
** “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LSyizrk8-0 What if we aimed the Hubble Telescope at Earth?]”
** and follow [https://www.youtube.com/@xkcd_whatif xkcd’s What If? The Video Series channel] to be notified about each new video.
* The links goes to the what if page on xkcd and the other two links is to the new YouTube channel with videos of some of the what if articles and to the very first video.
This is thus not a promotion of the what if? 2 book but still promotion of the what if? franchise.
A small change happened on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240314113602/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-03-14], as the first two lines became one line which made the alignment worse. So it seemed strange to do this. It looked like normal up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20240313113429/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-03-13]. But it only lasted five days before a change was made that made it into a new although very similar header text.
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240319134138/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-03-19], while [[2908: Moon Armor Index]] was on the front page, but was replaced by a very similar what if? header.

===2023-08-31 - What if? 2 is now available in paperback in the UK!===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20230831200321/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-08-31]
* [[2822: *@gmail.com]] came out when the header changed.
* The image to the right stayed, but after more than a half year with no text, text was added to the left of the picture because the paper back was available in the UK.
** As opposed to the previous headers this was plain text and not a picture.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The text:
** What if? 2 is [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/#UK now available] in paperback in the UK!
** what if? 2
* The link goes to https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/#UK, the page on xkcd about the What if? 2 book, and directing to the UK order links where there now also it a paper back version.
This version was still up in the middle of November 2023 when this segment was updated.
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20231128174224/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-11-28], while [[2860: Decay Modes]] was on the front page, but was replaced by another What If? header.
* Although it was not specifically related to the new book. Thus it ended a more than 22 month long constant promotion of the book since the [[#2022-01-10_-_Standard_text_with_countdown|countdown]] began in January 2022.

===2023-02-17 - What if? 2 picture only===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20230217185629/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-02-17]
* [[2739: Data Quality]] came out when the header changed.
* For the first time in a very long time there is no real header text. Only the small red picture with the plane and the title of the what if? 2 book in the right section of the header. As it has been since [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]] stopped.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20230830064414/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-08-30], while [[2821: Path Minimization]] was on the front page, but was replaced by another What If? 2 header.

===2022-09-23 - What if? 2 Instant New York Times Bestseller===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220923182825/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-23]
* [[2675: Pilot Priority List]] was on the front page when the header changed.
** The header celebrates that the new what if? 2 book has become an instant New York Times bestseller.
* The header kept the same layout as the previous and thus still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at the plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are two lines of text, with the first line in very large bold letters.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** What if? 2
** Instant New York Times bestseller.
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20230216181705/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-02-16], while [[2738: Omniknot]] was on the front page, but was replaced by another What If? 2 header,

===2022-09-13 - What if? 2 is available now===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220913142432/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-13]
* [[2672: What If? 2 Flowchart]] was released as the header changed, even though it was a Tuesday.
** The header and the comic celebrates the release of the new what if? 2 book, that came out on this day.
* The header kept the same layout as the previous and thus still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at the plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are two lines of text, with the first line in very large bold letters
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** What if? 2 is available now!
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
This thus ended the pre-release promotion of the book, that began on [[#xkcd_Header_text#2022-01-31_-_What_if.3F_2|2022-01-31]], plus of course the three weeks of [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|countdown]] before. For a sum total of 8 months and three days.
* It will be interesting to see how long before any reference to what if? 2 will disappear from the header text.
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220922150042/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-22], but was replaced by another What If? 2 header, while [[2675: Pilot Priority List]] was on the front page.

===2022-09-12 - One day to What if? 2 comes out===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220912125617/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-12]
* This was while [[2670: Interruption]] was still up.
* The header is the same layout as the previous and thus still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at he plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are three lines of text. With the first line written in large bold letters. This also has a footnote star. And the footnote is then written to the right in smaller font over five lines of text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** One dayuntil what if? 2 comes out!
** <nowiki></nowiki>I'm going to spend the day with that Les Mis song stuck in my head, aren't I.
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
* The foot note refers to the [[2636: What If? 2 Countdown]]. For the date where the header changed 2022-09-12 it was ''F(99) where F(N) means sing all the verses of N Bottles of Beer On the wall followed by F(N-1)'' to release day.
** It is thus for certain this song Randall mentions will now be stuck in his head.
** Les mis song, referring to a song from the musical les miserables titled "One Day More", he now has stuck in his head.
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220913134002/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-13].
** This was while [[2671: Rotation]] was still up, early on the release day of the new book.

===2022-09-12 - Three days to What if? 2 comes out===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220911102450/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-11]
* This was while [[2670: Interruption]] was still up.
* The header is the same layout as the previous and thus still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at he plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are three lines of text. With the first line written in large bold letters. This also has a footnote star. And the footnote is then written to the right in smaller font over five lines of text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** Three daysuntil what if? 2 comes out!
** <nowiki></nowiki>Assuming it's still Saturday. I'm a static png image and can't perceive time.
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
* The header only stayed the same for one day and [[2670: Interruption]] was still up when it changed to the next.

===2022-09-07 - Less than one week to What if? 2 comes out===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220907211736/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-07]
* This was while [[2668: Artemis Quote]] was still up.
* The header still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at he plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are four lines of text. With the middle line written in large bold letters. This also has a footnote star. And the footnote is then written to the right in smaller font over four lines of text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** Less than one weekuntil what if? 2 comes out!
** <nowiki></nowiki>Oh no, now I have that song stuck in my head.
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
* The foot note refers to the [[2636: What If? 2 Countdown]]. For the date where the header changed 2022-09-07 it was ''one pico-universe-lifetime'' to release day. But the next day 2022-09-08 it was ''The Baby Shark chorus for a family of 50,000 sharks''.
** It is thus for certain this song Randall mentions will now be stuck in his head.
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220910024549/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-10].
** This was while [[2670: Interruption]] was up.

===2022-08-27 - Preorder What if? 2 - with image - again===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220827232205/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-27]
* [[2664: Cloud Swirls]] came out when it changed.
* The header [[#2022-08-16 - Preorder What if? 2 - with image|changed back]] to the preorder image from the previous header, when Randall's book tour ended. See the link.
It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220906191403/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-06].
* This was while [[2668: Artemis Quote]] was up.

===2022-08-17 - What if? 2 book tour===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220817161136/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-17]
* [[2659: Unreliable Connection]] was out when it changed.
* The header still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. Inside this there is text to the left. Then Cueball is seen flying by holding on to a single balloon (like in [[1110: Click and Drag]]). He flies over five mountain peaks with snow, with three clouds and three distant birds in front of him, as he drifts to the right, as shown with movements lines behind him. In front of him is a dark feature at the bottom of the frame. Above this is a blue square (like a button) with white text.
* The text:
** I'm going on a what if? 2 book tour!
** Click to see where
** what if? 2
*** The image to the left is a link to [https://xkcd.com/events/ randall munroe: events] page on xkcd. Which at the time showed the calendar with the planned stop for his book tour, which covered the US and London.
*** As always the link button in blue is not the only part of the image that is a link, as he just mentioned in the [[#2022-08-11 - Preorder What if? 2 - with image|previous header text]], and several times before...
*** The right image is a link that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
This header thus continues the promotion of the new book, which was at the time was only 27 days away (or [[2636:_What_If%3F_2_Countdown|6 dog months]]).
* It will be interesting to see how long it takes before promotion for the book disappears from the header. It may still take months.
The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220826202043/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-26].
* This was while [[2663: Tetherball Configurations]] was up.

===2022-08-11 - Preorder What if? 2 - with image===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220811055445/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-11]
* [[2657: Complex Vowels]] came out as it changed.
The message in the header was not really changed, but the meaning of the text from the previous header was now written in an image, although the text did change somewhat.
* The header thus still consist of two parts. To the left the new image with an picture of the book and text. And to the right the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. Inside this to the right is the new text. To the left is a picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at he plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** Preorder what if? 2 and enter for a chance to win a comic inspired by your question! Click here to learn more. Or click wherever. This whole image is a link because html is hard.
** what if? 2
*** In the left image there is a blue link font on the word "here" in click here. However the entire left image is a link to the [https://sites.prh.com/whatif2 what if 2 contest]. As explained he did not only make the word a link because html is hard! This is something Randall [[xkcd_Header_text#2014-07-23_-_what_if.3F_book_tour|often comments on]].
**** The link in the text goes to a contest page that starts with the words:
**** [https://web.archive.org/web/20220718171904/https://sites.prh.com/whatif2 Want Randall Munroe to answer you What If? question?]
**** Here above the web archive version of the link, in case the link from the text goes dead in the future.
*** The right image is a link that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220816124823/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-16].
** This was while [[2659: Unreliable Connection]] was up.

===2022-07-19 - Preorder What if? 2===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220719153239/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-07-19]
* [[2647: Capri Suns]] came out as it changed.
The header looked a lot like the previous one, only part of the text changed.
* The header thus still consist of two part. To the left a line of text (split up, most likely over four lines for most users). And to the right the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The text:
** Preorder What If? 2 (all US preorders eligible) and [https://sites.prh.com/whatif2 enter our contest] for a chance to win a dedicated comic and What If blog post!
** what if? 2
*** The image is a link that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
** The link in the text goes to a contest page that starts with the words:
*** [https://web.archive.org/web/20220718171904/https://sites.prh.com/whatif2 Want Randall Munroe to answer you What If? question?]
*** Here above the web archive version of the link, in case the link from the text goes dead in the future.
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220810034709/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-10].
** This was while [[2656: Scientific Field Prefixes]] was up.

===2022-01-31 - What if? 2===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220201000434/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-02-01]
* [[2575: What If? 2]] came out as it changed, and then it [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/36/Countdown_in_header_text_page_when_what_if_comic_came_out.png looked like this] already on 2022-01-31. But there is no archived version from that day after the header changed.
** This was what [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]] had been counting down to.
** An announcement that Randall had written a sequel to the first ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book, based on his blog.
* The header consist of two part. To the left a line of text (split up, most likely over three lines for most users). And to the right the window also used in the countdown, but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plan ia the book title in white text.
* The text:
** What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions comes out 9/13. Preorder [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ here!]
** What If? 2:
*** The link goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about what if? 2: the book. The image is also a link to this page.
*** The entire comic that came out along with the new header text is also a link to that page.
* At the same time the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#xkcd_links|xkcd links]] in the top left section of xkcd also changed to include links to books, and especially this new book.
It will be interesting to see how long this version of the promotion for the new books stays up. But most likely there will be promotion for the book until release, and then more after the release.
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220718145816/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-07-18], for more than 5,5 month. This was while [[2646: Minkowski Space]] was up.
** The change was rather small, but part of the text changed. The promotion continued though.

===2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10].
* [[2565: Latency]] was still up when the [[Countdown in header text]] was added.
* The text was still the standard xkcd header: xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* But a countdown was added. This was inserted in a rectangular box, placed at the end of the standard header text.
** In some browsers the box forces the last word "Friday" to jump down to the next line.
* Inside the box the following time was displayed in the version in the link:
** 20d 20h 27m
*** This clock will also count down every minute, although it will return to the time at the time of archive when reloaded!
*** While this was edited into this wiki the time had changed to 20d 19h 12m. So it was a very fresh download in the web archive, only about 1 hour old when it was updated to this wiki.
*** The minutes change without refreshing the page, and follows this editors computers clock exactly, so it will end at 59 minutes, not at a full hour.
** It looks like it started on [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ 01-10 17:00 UTC].
*** A calculation shows that this countdown will reach zero on Monday 2022-01-31 at 14:59 (2:59 PM) {{w|UTC}}.
*** This will be at 9:59 (9:59 AM) in [[Randall]]'s home town
**** The last ten minutes it switched to seconds for the last minute so it made the switch 15:00 UTC 10:00 in Boston!
*** From that it can be deduced that the count started at 20d 22h 0m
**** The first image on the archive thus came 1h 33m after the count began.
* At [https://web.archive.org/web/20220111153818/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-11] a diagonal black bar appeared in the lower left-hand corner of the countdown box.
** After that the [[Countdown in header text]] page was created and any further development on the count down will be mentioned on that page.
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220131124817/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-31] when [[2574: Autoresponder]] was on the front page.
* This archived version was when the counter was at 0d 2h 11m, and the last normal frame was already up at this time.
** It stayed like this until the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/17/Countdown_in_header_text_page_0_seconds.png counter ran out].
*** Then for a few minutes the final frame, that revealed that all this was a promotion for Randall's new book what if? 2 was up [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/48/Countdown_in_header_text_page_just_after_countdown.png while the Friday comic was still up].
*** Then when the new Monday comic came out with the promotion for what if? 2, the header changed.

===2022-01-08 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220108044654/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-08].
* [[2565: Latency]] came out around the time the new header text appeared, on a Friday!
* The text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* This was the first time since [[#2018-11-07 - Back to standard text|2018-11-07]] that the text had changed back to that, and at that time it lasted until 2019-02-05.
** That is 1067 days (less than a month short of three years) without the standard text! (Can it be called standard anymore?)
* It was only left in the complete standard version until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220109030513/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-09] when Latency was still on the front page.
** Then the next day a [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|countdown]] was added to it.
*** That was after the weekend on Monday but before the Monday comic came up.
*** So only during the weekend was it normal standard header text.

===2021-12-20 - What If in stock===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20211220211220/https://xkcd.com/ 2021-12-20].
* [[2557: Immunity]] came out around the time the new header text appeared.
* The text:
** For anyone trying to find What If? this year, it's in stock at [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-if-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/1118864093 Barnes & Noble], [https://m.booksamillion.com/p/What-If/Randall-Munroe/9780544272996 Books-a-Million], and [https://bookshop.org/books/what-if-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-9781483041827/9780544272996 Bookshop]
* Each store name is a link to the corresponding store's page for ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]''.
It was last seen on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220106100957/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-06] when [[2564: Sunshield]] was up.

===2020-06-03 - Black Lives Matter===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200604003700/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-06-03].
* [[2315: Eventual Consistency]] came out as a new header text was finally inserted after almost two months without one.
* Cueball is standing to the left and speaks a single line of text: "Black Lives Matter"
* To the right is a gray link button with text: "[https://www.joincampaignzero.org/ How To Help]."
* As always, the entire image (which is only below the xkcd logo) is a link
** The button is thus not needed, but it will also work when clicking the location of the button.
* The link goes to [https://www.joincampaignzero.org/ Join Campaign Zero].
** {{w|Black Lives Matter}} is a loose, grassroots, decentralized confederation of groups and individuals advocating for racial justice. It arose in 2013 after the acquittal of {{w|George Zimmerman}}, who took the life of {{w|Trayvon Martin}}.
** Randall's featuring Black Lives Matter came on the heels of the {{w|Killing of George Floyd}} on May 25th 2020, which had sparked {{w|George Floyd protests|protest in the US}}
** Floyd died while saying "{{w|I can't breathe}}," which was already used due to other Black men's killings, the first was from the {{w|Killing of Eric Garner}}, back in 2014.
It stayed like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20200616114945/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-06-16] when [[2320: Millennium Problems]] was up.
* Then on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200617131438/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-06-17] the link changed to [https://blacklivesmatter.com/ Black Lives Matter]. [[2320: Millennium Problems]] was still on the front page on that day.
On April 1st 2021 the front page header changed to mention who made the April Fools' Day comic.
* But this was only for this comic [[#Checkbox|Checkbox]].
* The rest of the pages kept the BLM header and it returned to this on the front page once the next comic was released on April 5th. At that time it will have been up for 13 months, making it the longest header different from the standard header.
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20211219202204/https://xkcd.com/ 2021-12-19] when [[2556: Turing Complete]] was on the front page.
* At that time it had been up for 564 days or 1,5 year plus 16 days! This is most likely a record.

===2020-04-05 - Empty header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200405042955/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-05].
* [[2289: Scenario 4]] came out and the header belonging to the previous comic was removed.
* But no new header was inserted. Not even the go to [[#Header text|Header text]] about the release days of xkcd.
** Since the previous header was related only to the [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] [[2288: Collector's Edition]], and that had stopped the promotion of the [[How To]] book, after first experiencing problems with its release, it seems Randall forgot what he usually put in the header.
It stayed empty like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20200602213017/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-06-02] when [[2314: Carcinization]] was on the front page.
* So almost two month without a header. This had not happened before.

===2020-04-04 - Put together by===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200404014814/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-04].
* [[2288: Collector's Edition]] came out and the header changed.
* The text:
** Today's comic was put together by [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://twitter.com/Aiiane Amber], [https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin], [https://www.instagram.com/fading_interest/ @fading_interest], [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat], [https://twitter.com/zigdon @zigdon], and Christopher Night.
*** All names have links except the last.
* It thanks those that helped Randall create this years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]], which had taken two extra days before it was released due to the complex nature of the comic.
Due to the delay the next comic, [[2289: Scenario 4]], was released already the day after the Fool's comic, even though it was thus [[2289:_Scenario_4#Trivia|on a Saturday]]!
* Since this header was related only to the Fool's comic, it was thus removed from the general header, but it stayed up as [[#Collector.27s_Edition|one of]] the permanent [[#Unique_header_text|unique header texts]].
** However, when it was removed from the general header, the header was left empty.
** Unlike some other headers that stayed on a given comic, this one was on all comics for the duration of the time it stayed on the front page, see for instance the previous comic on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200403232031/https://xkcd.com/2287/ 2020-04-03].

===2020-04-02 - Technical Reasons===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200402234828/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-02].
* [[2287: Pathogen Resistance]] was up when the header changed.
Randall turned out to, again, have problems with his complicated and interactive [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] for 2020.
* The text:
** Note: For technical reasons Wednesday's comic will be posted Thursday instead. Apologies for the delay!
This finally stopped the promotion of the [[How To]] book.
* It had then been part of the header for well over a year since [https://web.archive.org/web/20190206060904/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-06].
It stayed up a day longer than planed as the fool's comic, [[2288: Collector's Edition]] was first released on Friday, so the note was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200403012612/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-03].
* [[2287: Pathogen Resistance]] thus stayed two extra day on the front page, and the third comic of that week, [[2289: Scenario 4]] was released already the day after the Fool's comic, even though it was thus [[2289:_Scenario_4#Trivia|on a Saturday]]!

===2020-01-16 - How To explores - again===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200116190038/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-01-16].
* [[2255: Tattoo Ideas]] was still up when the header changed.
* The ongoing promotion of the book continued but here more than three weeks after Christmas the reference to Christmas was removed.
* The header then returned to the one from before Christmas:
** [[#2019-11-22 - How To explores|How To explores]] - see that for all other details.
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200401221435/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-01] when [[2287: Pathogen Resistance]] was on the front page.
* It was the problems with [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] of 2020 that finally stopped the promotion of the [[How To]] book.
* It had then been part of the header for well over a year since [https://web.archive.org/web/20190206060904/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-06].

===2019-12-02 - Into Science===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191202223745/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-12-02].
* [[2236: Is it Christmas?]] came out when the header changed. Fitting as the change is about Christmas list.
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, continuing to make the image a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book] page on xkcd.
** The links below to order are the same as in the previous header.
** Actually most of the header stays the same with the same four images and the same layout. But the text above has changed completely and the two main text sections between the drawings has changed but only slightly. The description of the images is thus left out, see below. Only new thing is that there are now two red circles connected with a red arrow. The first circle is around the word How To at the end of the first text with the arrow going from that circle to the second circle drawn around the picture of the book.
* The text:
** Is there someone on you Christmas list who's into science? They might like my new book '''''How To'''''
** It explores ridiculous ideas for applying scientific research to everyday problems...
** ...And illustrates what would happen if you tried them.
** ''Boom''
** You can get it here:
** [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound], [https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target]
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200115155040/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-01-15] when [[2255: Tattoo Ideas]] was on the front page.

===2019-11-22 - How To explores===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191122214439/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-11-22].
* [[2232: Hotel Room Party]] was up when the header changed. It most likely changed when the comic appeared. Earlier on that day it was the previous header over the previous comic.
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, here again making the image a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book] page on xkcd, after it previously was a link to where to listen to the audio book.
** The links below to order returns to the same as in the header before the previous header with links to audio books, except that the link to an exclusive edition has been removed.
** The header consist of an image with text above five small drawings with two text parts in between them. To the left is the closed How To book which is black with a blue readable title, How To, and unreadable white text below this as well as below the unreadable blue author name, which are below the image. The image shows Cueball putting in a light-bulb with drones under each foot while Megan, holding a ladder, and White/Black Hat are looking up at him. To the right of the book is a drawing of Ponytail pole-vaulting with two black helium filled balloons. Next to her is the first text segment. Then after that is the drawing, seen before in the header text, of a truck towing a house up a steep hill. This truck goes above the second text segment, with Cueball somersaulting above the text. Furthest right, above and just right of the text is an explosion with the sound written inside. Below the header image is some black text and then the links to where to get it as regular blue link text.
* The text:
** My new book '''''How To''''' explores the science behind spacecraft heat shields, butterfly metabolisms, and land border surveys...
** ...By imagining ridiculous ideas for applying the research to you everyday life...
** ...And illustrating what would happen if you tried them.
** ''Boom''
** You can get it here:
** [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound], [https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target]
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191201191025/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-12-01] when [[2235: Group Chat Rules]] was on the front page.

===2019-11-06 - Audio clip===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191106204314/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-11-06].
* [[2224: Software Updates]] was still up when the header changed, but the first archive version was first from after the next comic came out [[2225: Voting Referendum]].
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, here making the image a link to the How To book on Penguin Random House's audio book, where an audio clip read by Wil Wheaton can be sampled.
** The links below to order have now changed to those with audio books.
** The header consist of an image with text, with a "blue link", above the How To book that is being folded out from closed; to partially open; to opened up on two full pages; this takes three images. The closed book is the black book with a blue readable title, How To, and unreadable white text below this as well as below the unreadable blue author name, which are below the image. The image shows Cueball putting in a light-bulb with drones under each foot while Megan, holding a ladder, and White/Black Hat are looking up at him. The partly open book still has this cover partly visible, but unreadable, as well as come unreadable text in the open side. The open book shows two pages with lots of unreadable text and three figures (maybe one is a table). Next to the open book there is an arrow to the right pointing at an audio icon with three audio lines in front. Below the header image are the links as regular text.
* The text:
** You can click here to hear a clip from the audio version of '''''How To''''', read by Wil Wheaton.
** [https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/how-to-absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world/id1475319694 Apple], [https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/how-to-absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world-problems/369279 Audiobooks], [https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/How-To-Audiobook/1473680360?qid=1574679523&sr=1-1&pf_rd_p=c6e316b8-14da-418d-8f91-b3cad83c5183&pf_rd_r=DX3EZ14M14CFQPP9GHJY&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1 Audible], [https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Randall_Munroe_How_To?id=LzSGDwAAQBAJ Google Play], and [https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780525635680 Libro.fm]
* The entire image is a link to the [https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/576760/how-to/ How To book on Penguin Random House] page, where the audio clip can he played.
** As always it is the entire picture that is a link, and not only the blue underlined text that says click here!
It was last on the archive on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191122044456/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-11-22] when [[2231: the Time Before And After Land]] was on the front page. But it was most likely still up when [[2232: Hotel Room Party]] came out. But then changed during the next day.

===2019-10-02 - Horse vs football team===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191002005854/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-10-02].
* [[2210: College Athletes]] was up when the header changed.
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, but seeing this is no longer close to the release day the focus has changed. This time the image seems to be from one of the How To explanations in the book.
** The links below to order are the same as the previous header.
** But new text is added after the links to promote two events with Randall in New York the two days after this header came up.
*** These links disappeared after a week leaving only the picture and the link to buy the book. See below.
** The header consist of an image with Cueball riding bareback on a horse. He comes from the left holding an American football. Running towards him from the right are eight American football players with helmets with three stars on the back of the helmet. Two of the players at the back are almost hidden by players in front of them. Beneath them is a line of text that belongs to the image, the period at the end of the sentence hangs in height with the center line of the last letter E... Then below the image follows the link and promotion of the NY events, these are written in regular.
* The text:
** My new book ''How To'' is out now! You can get it here.
** [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-randall-munroe/1130494832?ean=9780525686910#/ B&N Exclusive Edition], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound], [https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target] I'll be at New York Comic Con! I'm giving [https://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/Explore/Panels/Panels-And-Screenings/#/event/how-todo-anything-with-randall-munroe-creator-of-xkcd a talk on Thursday], and on
** Friday [https://smbc-comics.com/ Zach Weinersmith] and I will be hosting [https://www.caveat.nyc/event/how-to--absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world-problems-10-4-2019 an event at Caveat NYC].
* The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
** The link to Target still seems to go the main page rather than to [https://intl.target.com/p/how-to-by-randall-munroe-hardcover/-/A-76508342 their How To book page]... Probably a still undiscovered error on Randall's part?
This header changed, but so slightly that the changes will only be mentioned here rather than in a new section:
* The first link was last active on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191004014438/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-10-04]
* Then the day after only the second link remained from [https://web.archive.org/web/20191005041539/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-10-05]. [[2211: Hours Before Departure]] came out when it changed.
** But the text of this link changed as it had been a continues text from one to the other link. Also it was not entirely on it's own line, thus not as with the first link whose text was directly connected to the line with the links to buy the book.
** The new text of that link was:
*** [https://smbc-comics.com/ Zach Weinersmith] and I will be hosting [https://www.caveat.nyc/event/how-to--absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world-problems-10-4-2019 an event] Friday night at Caveat NYC!
*** The last link was the same, but now it only covered two words not the entire end of the sentence.
** This other link was last active on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191007042707/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-10-07].
* And then the last link was gone by [https://web.archive.org/web/20191008053609/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-10-08], when [[2212: Cell Phone Functions]] came out.
It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191105164001/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-11-05] when [[2224: Software Updates]] was up.

===2019-09-30 - Tons of fun===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190930234245/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-30].
* [[2209: Fresh Pears]] was up when the header changed.
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, but seeing this is no longer close to the release day the focus has changed to how much fun it was for Randall to write it and how proud he is of the result. Randall, as Cueball, is saying this in the new header image.
** The links below to order are the same, except a new has been added at the end.
** The header consist of an image with Cueball standing to the left of the book, shown as tall as he is. The book is opened up on two pages with lots of unreadable text as well as three drawings, only one of these, with a circle diagram, can clearly be seen. Cueball is speaking, and the text is above him and the book. Two words are blue with a line under as if they where a link. But as always the entire image is a link. Beneath the image is the links on where to order the book.
* The text:
** Writing my new book '''''How To''''' was tons of fun and I'm so proud of the result. It's out now-Click Here to order!
** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-randall-munroe/1130494832?ean=9780525686910#/ B&N Exclusive Edition], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound], [https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target]
* The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
** The new link to Target seems to go the main page rather than to [https://intl.target.com/p/how-to-by-randall-munroe-hardcover/-/A-76508342 their How To book page]... Probably an error on Randall's part.
It ended on October 2nd while [[2210: College Athletes]] where up. But there is no archived versions from the 1st of October and the one from the 2nd is with the next version. But the editor of this was making changes to the explanation of College Athletes before the next header change came along.

===2019-09-11 - How To available===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190911053115/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-11].
* [[2200: Unreachable State]] was still up when the header changed.
* The release day part of the promotion was changed to telling that the new [[How To]] book was available. With teasers about what is in the book below the heading. On either side of the text a picture of the book is still shown. Also the links below changed, adding three new and removing one old.
** The header consist of an image with the book shown both left and right of some text. Both books have blue title and author name, and white unreadable title and white drawing of Cueball flying on two quadcopters to put in a light-bulb in a ceiling lamp, while White/Black? Hat is watching together with Megan, who is holding a ladder. Beneath the image is the links on where to order it.
** Between the two books are two sections of text above each other, the lover with smaller font.
* The text:
** How To is available now!
** Learn how to open bottles with nuclear weapons and how to be on time for meetings by altering the Earths rotation. The book also features advice from real-life experts including Chris Hadfield and Serena Williams.
** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-randall-munroe/1130494832?ean=9780525686910#/ B&N Exclusive Edition], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible]
* The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
* {{w|Serena Williams}} is a famous tennis player who was also featured in one of the [[:Category:Book promotion|promotion comics]] for How To: [[2190: Serena Versus the Drones]]
* {{w|Chris Hadfield}} is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, and former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot. The first Canadian to walk in space, Hadfield has flown two Space Shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station.
** The new link to audible probably needs the user to be signed up, else it will go to the front page and ask yo to sign up. But from the archive the page can be seen [https://web.archive.org/web/20190923004816/https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 here].
Up till [https://web.archive.org/web/20190922143253/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-22] it looked like this.
* Then on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190923145251/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-23] and extra link was added after Audible:
** [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target].
* [[2205: Types of Approximation]] was up when this change occurred during a weekend.
It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190929223547/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-29] when [[2208: Drone Fishing]] was up.

===2019-09-04 - Happy Release Day - bookstore===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190904051509/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-04].
* [[2198: Throw]] was already up when the header changed slightly, as the text below Happy release day changed.
Most of the header stayed the same as the [[#2019-09-03 - Happy Release Day - calendar|day before]], but the reference to the Gregorian/Julian calendar was changed.
* The header consist of an image with the book shown both left and right of some text.Both books have blue title and author name, and white unreadable title and white drawing of Cueball flowing on two quadcopters to put in a light-bulb in a ceiling lamp, while White/Black? Hat is watching together with Megan comes who is holding a ladder. Beneath the image is the link on where to order it, now the preorder has been changed to order.
** Between the two books are two sections of text above each other, the lover with smaller font and in brackets.
* The text:
** Happy How To release day!
** Available wherever books are sold.
** (Mostly bookstores, I assume but you can always try your luck at Wendy's.)
* See below for any other details.
It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190909211737/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-09] when [[2200: Unreachable State]] was up.

===2019-09-03 - Happy Release Day - calendar===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190903051503/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-03]
* [[2197: Game Show]] was still up when the header changed, but it was for sure to coincide with [[2198: Throw]] which came out later on the release day while it still looked like in this version.
* Randall celebrated the release day of [[How To]], coming out the day the header changed.
** The comic is also a reference to a chapter in the book on how to throw things. A very complicated interactive comic where different persons or other living things can be chosen to throw dead or living things. The trow will then be shown below with distance measured in two units, normal and special. That is if the thrower can actually manage to throw the thing.
* The header consist of an image with the book shown both left and right of some text. The two black books have red stars around them, five on the outer side of the image and 6 on the inner, the stars are mirrored around left and right book. Both books have blue title and author name, and white unreadable title and white drawing of Cueball flying on two quadcopters to put in a light-bulb in a ceiling lamp, while White/Black? Hat is watching together with Megan, who is holding a ladder. Beneath the image is the link on where to order it, now the preorder has been changed to order.
** Between the two books are two sections of text above each other, the lover with smaller font and in brackets.
* The text:
** How To Randall Munroe
** Happy How To release day!
** (Gregorian calendar. The Julian edition doesn't come out for 13 more days.)
** How To Randall Munroe
** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
* The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
* Most of the world uses the {{w|Gregorian calendar}}, but before it was taken into use, the {{w|Julian calendar}} was in use.
** The Julian calendar does not take into account that every 100 years a leap year should be passed as in the Gregorian calendar, and thus it is at the moment 13 days behind, as it has has this many February 29th too many. Since there should actually be a leap year every 400 year, and the last of those was 2000, then it has been 13 days since 1900, and will stay like this until 2100 when it will become 14 days.
** The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
* Already the next day the part of the header below happy release day about the Gregorian calendar changed. See [[#2019-09-04 - Happy Release Day - bookstore|above]].

===2019-08-27 - Out in a week===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190827082224/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-27].
* [[2194: How to Send a File]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]], coming out a week from this header.
** It is only three lines of text
* The text:
** My new book, How To, comes out next week!
** Read an exclusive excerpt about transmission [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/26/how-to-send-a-file/ here].
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first words in black:] Preorder ''How To'': [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
* Later [https://web.archive.org/web/20190827184229/https://xkcd.com/2194/ on the same day], (and here for the next day [https://web.archive.org/web/20190828095401/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-27] for the front page), more text and links where added, plus the order of the text was changed.
* The later text was:
** My new book, [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To], comes out in a week! ([https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/23/book-tour-and-contest-winner/ Book tour info])
** You can preorder it now to get a copy when it's released:
** [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
** You can also read an exclusive excerpt about file transfers [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/26/how-to-send-a-file/ here].
* The link to the book tour also include the winner of the [[#2019-06-25 - People with books|contest]] to get Randall to add "your" city to his book tour.
** The winner was {{w|Juneau, Alaska}}.
It ended on the release day 2019-09-03, so this was last on the page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190902042108/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-02].

===2019-08-06 - Win a sketch===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190806052948/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-06].
* [[2185: Cumulonimbus]] was up when the header changed.
** Most likely the header changed when that comic came out on 2019-08-05. But the previous header was also out during that day.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]], now making a competition where you can win a stick figure sketch of yourself. (Although only for US residents!)
** The image shows Hairy, with a cat at his feet and Megan (or Danish?) with a samurai sword. They are standing with their backs towards each other, the cat on the left, Megan facing right with the sword towards the words.
** Below the drawing are links to places to preorder the book.
* The text:
** Want to win a sketch of yourself as a stick figure? [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/05/win-an-xkcd-sketch/ Click here] to find out how!
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first words in black:] Preorder ''How To'': [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
*** The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/05/win-an-xkcd-sketch/ link] to a [[Blag]] post: ''Win an xkcd sketch''
*** That is even though only the click here part of the text is in blue, like a link.
*** Cause as he often has written: I still haven't figured out HTML imagemaps, most recently in the [[#2019-07-09 - Drawings from How To|2019-07-09]] header.
The header stayed like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190826062701/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-08-26] when [[2193: Well-Ordering Principle]] was up.

===2019-08-03 - First look inside===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190803222711/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-03].
* [[2184: Unpopular Opinions]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]], now stating that it comes out next month.
** Set to be released on September 3rd 2019, this update was made exactly one month before.
** The image shows text to the left of three drawings of the book: First the closed book showing the black front cover with blue and white text and white drawings, then the book is partly opened, and finally it lays opened up showing two pages, with a readable heading on the right page.
** Below the drawing are links to places to preorder the book.
* The text:
** My new book comes out next month. Click here for a first look inside!
** [On the books front cover only two thins can be read:]
*** How To
*** Randal Munroe.
** [These two words can also partly be read on the opening book.]
** [Only the large heading can be read on the right page of the open book:]
*** How to Dig a Hole.
** [These two pages also became part of a special comic relased during the weekend when this header was up: [[Disappearing Sunday Update]].]
** [The [[Disappearing_Sunday_Update#Transcript|transcript of that comic]] describes the images in the open book.]
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first word in black:] Preorder:[https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
*** The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/02/how-to-chapter-list-and-introduction/ link] to a [[Blag]] post: ''How To: Chapter list and introduction''.
It stayed up like this while the special [[Disappearing Sunday Update]] came out on Sunday 2019-08-04, and was there still on Monday [ https://web.archive.org/web/20190805050812/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-08-05], at least during the time that the Sudan Update was still up.
* When the next comic came out late that Monday, it probably disappeared along with the Disappearing comic, but the first update with the next header is from Tuesday [https://web.archive.org/web/20190806052948/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-06], but the Monday comic [[2185: Cumulonimbus]] was still on the front page at that time,.

===2019-07-23 - Back to previous header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190723205152/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-23].
* [[2179: NWS Warnings]] was up when the header changed.
It returned to the previous header from before the ComicCon header, see [[#2019-07-10 - Adding links|2019-07-10]]
It stayed up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190802192259/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-02] while [[2184: Unpopular Opinions]] was up. The day after when it changed that comic was still up.

===2019-07-15 - ComiCon===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190715181016/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-15].
* [[2176: How Hacking Works]] was up when the header changed.
Randall tells that he will be at ComicCon and links to his plans there.
* The text:
** Going to San Diego Comic Con this week? I'll [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/07/15/san-diego-comic-con/ see you there]!
*** The link is to a [[Blag]] post about his plans for the ComicCon
* Randall appeared in a couple of panels, and gave a talk.
* Finally he also handed out signed copies of his new [[How To]] book more than a month before official release.
** So still promoting the book, also in this header...
It stayed up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190722192637/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-07-22] the day after the ComiCon ended, while [[2178: Expiration Date High Score]] was up.
* Then it returned to the previous header from before the ComicCon announcement when [[2179: NWS Warnings]] came out.

===2019-07-10 - Adding links===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190710165920/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-10].
* [[2173: Trained a Neural Net]] was still up when the header changed slightly from that fro the day before.
* Only change was that beneath the picture, see [[#2019-07-09 - Drawings from How To|2019-07-09]], there is now a list of four links to companies where the book can be preordered.
* The extra text:
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first word in black:] Preorder:[https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
Note that the day after this change, [https://web.archive.org/web/20190711172451/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-11], a link to [[How To]] was added to the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#xkcd_links|links]] in the top left corner of xkcd.
The header stayed like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190714175710/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-14] when [[2175: Flag Interpretation]] was up. When it changed the day after [[2176: How Hacking Works]] was up.

===2019-07-09 - Drawings from How To===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190709162102/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-09].
* [[2173: Trained a Neural Net]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]].
** The image shows a small picture of his book with text on either side.
** Below are what appears to be three drawings from the book. [[Ponytail]] pole vaultig with three baloons in one hand, then text, then a truck with a house behind it speeding fast up a hill then text and finally [[Cueball]] somersaulting towards an explosion.
** To the right there is a big blue button to click for preorder, with text below.
* The text:
** New book [Arrow points to book. Title can be read: How To]
** How To: Absurd Scientific Answers to Common Real-world Problems
** It's a guide to bad ways to do things...
** ...And what would happen if you tried them.
** ''Boom''
** Click here to preorder
** Or click anywhere. I still haven't figured out HTML imagemaps.
*** The entire picture is a [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ link] to the official [[How To]] page on xkcd: https://xkcd.com/how-to/
*** See [[1572: xkcd Survey]] where Randall mentions that he cannot make imagemaps.
It stayed up like this only for a day, then an extra line of links was added the day after while the same comic was still up, see [[#2019-07-10 - Adding links|2019-07-10]].
* But the general header stayed up first for five days, and then it returned again for 10 more days after a break to announce a [[#2019-07-15 - ComiCon|ComiCon visit]].
* So a total of 16 days with this drawing.

===2019-06-25 - People with books===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190625190843/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-25].
* [[2167: Motivated Reasoning Olympics]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]], and his book tour.
** The image now shows 15 people standing side by side each holding a book up in front of them with unreadable titles.
** From left: [[Megan]], [[Cueball]], a man with blonde hair, [[Jill]], [[Blondie]], [[Hairy]], another Hairy, [[White Hat]], a kid with curly hair, [[Hairbun]], another Cueball, another Megan, a guy with a knit cap, [[Ponytail]], and [[Beret Guy]].
** Above them is a text message.
* The text:
** Want to bring me to your town for my '''''How To''''' book tour? Click to find out how to enter the challenge!
*** The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/06/10/book-tour-announcement/ link] to the official book tour announcement posted on the [[Blag]], with all cities and dates listed with details.
*** In the link it is explained how to enter a competition on how to bring Randall to your city.
*** Make a story using only book titles and get the books used to be held up by different individuals.
*** A longer sentence will improve your chances.
**** This is indeed what this header picture shows.
The header stayed like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190708155517/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-08] when [[2172: Lunar Cycles]] was up. When it changed the day after [[2173: Trained a Neural Net]] was up.

===2019-06-15 - Adding dates===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190615100645/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-15]
* [[2163: Chernobyl]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall only made a small change to the one that had been up for four days at this time.
* The text only changed by adding a line below the first line:
** Announcing the '''''How To''''' book tour:
** [Click here for dates and tickets]
*** The rest of the header is exactly the same as on [[#2019-06-11 - Book tour|2019-06-11]], except everything is a bit smaller to make room in the same place for the extra line.
*** The link is not located on the blue part of the text and it was already there before this update.
*** Best guess is that not many clicked through and Randall then made it obvious that there was a link.
*** The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/06/10/book-tour-announcement/ link] to the official book tour announcement posted on the [[Blag]], with all cities and dates listed with details.
*** Randall has previously made it clear, in [[1572: xkcd Survey]], that he knows how to make an image a link, but not how to put the link only where he says to click. But it is easier to make a place for people to click than tell them this...
The header stayed like this until 2019-06-25, when it changed while [[2167: Motivated Reasoning Olympics]] was up. But this one was still up when that comic came out the day before [https://web.archive.org/web/20190624162740/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-24].

===2019-06-11 - Book tour===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190611031920/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-11]
* [[2161: An Apple a Day]] was up when the header changed.
** '''Note''' when this change happened two new links was added to the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#xkcd_links|xkcd links]] section of xkcd.
* Randall changed the header text to announce the official book tour for his newest book ''[[How To]]'' to be released 3 months later.
* The text:
** Announcing the '''''How To''''' book tour:
** [Below this header is a map of the mainland USA with 14 labeled black dots indicates the 14 cities that the book tour will take Randall to. One red dot with five red question marks above is located beneath the map to the left, indicating a 15th city to be chosen in a contest. Above the map to the right is a small picture of the book with the blue title on the black cover. Above the book is the release date and with an arrow pointing down to the book.]
** September 3rd
** How to
** Seattle
** Portland
** San Francisco
** Santa Cruz
** Los Angeles
** Salt Lake City
** Kansas City
** Ann Arbor
** Cincinnati
** Louisville
** Cambridge
** New York
** D.C.
** Raleigh
** ????? (Chosen by readers)
** [The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/06/10/book-tour-announcement/ link] to the official book tour announcement posted on the [[Blag]], with all cities and dates listed with details.]
*** In the link it is explained how to enter a competition on how to bring Randall to your city.
*** Make a story using only book titles and get the books used to be held up by different individuals.
*** Only US cities can apply.
* The header only stayed exactly like this for three days, and was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190614094729/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-14] when [[2162: Literary Opinions]] was on the front page.
** Then it changed slightly to indicate that the picture was a link which was not clear before. See above.

===2019-05-17 - Back to previous header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190517103928/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-05-17]:
* [[2150: XKeyboarCD]] was still up when the header changed.
It changed back to the exact same heading as before the one with Google reader here below.
* See [[#2019-02-06 - How to book|2019-02-06]] below for all details.
* It stayed up for more than three weeks and was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190610055519/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-06-10], while [[2160: Ken Burns Theory]] was still up on the day the next comic [[2161: An Apple a Day]] was to be released (where the new header could be found at least the next day, but maybe from the release of that comic?). Then it changed to announce the book tour for his new book.

===2019-04-23 - Google Reader===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190423155458/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-04-23]:
* [[2140: Reinvent the Wheel]] came out when it changed, ending a more than two and half month long [[#2019-02-06 - How to book|promotion]] of Randall's new book [[How To]].
* Randall changed the header text to ask if the reader still mourned the loss of {{w|Google Reader}} which closed on 2013-07-01, almost 6 years before this comic..
** He offers the possibility to sign up to receive the newest comic by e-mail.
* The comic may have relation to this, as some where using Google reader for different purposes when they closed it, without any chance of [https://www.google.com/reader/about/ getting your data out].
** The comic "Reinvent the Wheel" mentions that using external dependencies carry risks, such as Google closing down a feature. given the fact that the comic came out as the header changed it is probably not a coincidence.
* The text:
** Still mourning the demise of Google Reader? You can sign up to get new comics delivered by email [https://xkcd.com/newsletter/ here].
* The link is to https://xkcd.com/newsletter, where it is possible to submit your e-mail address and press a subscribe button.
** the following text is written above it:
** To receive the comic and news postings in your inbox, subscribe here.
* It stayed up for more than three weeks and was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190516100403/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-05-16], when [[2150: XKeyboarCD]] was up. Then it changed back to the promotion of his new book.

===2019-02-06 - How to book===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190206060904/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-06]:
* [[2107: Launch Risk]] was up at the time when it changed, having been up since Monday the 4th of February.
** Here it can be seen being on the front of xkcd on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190205050302/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-05], without the new text. This was also the last time the standard header text was used in several months.
** [[2108: Carbonated Beverage Language Map]] came up later on the day the header changed.
* Randall changed the header text to promote his newest book ''[[How To]]'' to be released 7 months later.
** He added an image of the book with large text next to it regarding the release and links on how to preorder it.
** There was no direct relation to the comics released at the time, except of course that he kind of launched his new book with all the risk it involves, while having a comic called launch risk up. It was though a very different and more real type of launch risk (of a human carrying space rocket) in the comic.
* The text:
** [The book is shown to the left as a black rectangle with large blue text and smaller gray text. On the book cover, in white drawings, are seen Megan with a ladder and either Black or White Hat (hard to say on black background). Both are looking up on Cueball who is floating in the air with a quadcopter beneath either leg, trying to plug in an electric light bulb in a naked lamp hanging down near him. It seems he has already removed the broken light bulb, as he has one in both hands. And now he tries to put in the new one. He could have let Megan use the ladder...]
** [The header in blue above it all:] How To.
** [Sub header in gray to the left of Cueball:] Absurd Scientific Answers to Common Real-world Problems
** [Author name in blue below the drawing:] Randall Munroe
** [Sub header to this below in gray:] Creator of xkcd
** [Sub header to this below in gray:] Author of what if? and Thing Explainer
** [Next to this book image are the following text:]
** [Large heading:] HOW TO
** [Normal size sub header:] Absurd Scientific Answers to Common Real-world Problems
** [In smaller gray font below:] Available September 3, 2019.
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first word still in gray:] Preorder:[https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
* It stayed up for more than two and a half month and was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190422030324/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-04-22], when [[2139: Email Settings]] was up. Then it finally changed to a new header without going back to the standard.

===2018-11-07 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20181107144453/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2018-11-07]
* The text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed like this until [[2107: Launch Risk]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190205050302/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-05], so two days less than three months.
** After this it did not return to the standard text for almost three years, but just short of a month before the third year without it, it returned on [[#2022-01-08 - Back to standard text|2022-01-08]].

===2018-11-06 - Election Day===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20181106122850/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-06]:
* [[2068: Election Night]] (on election day the day after this comic was released).
** It added a larger comic above the two links from the previous header. Those links of the previous header text was still up the day before [https://web.archive.org/web/20181105105855/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-05], when [[2067: Challengers]] was still up.
* Randall changed the xkcd header once more to try to make more people vote, and in this case help others to vote.
** Once again directly related to the new comic about election night.
* The text:
** [A line of altering blue and red stars, blue first and last of two rows of nine starts around of the heading:]
** Election Day!
** [Below Black Hat and Ponytail to the left and Megan to the right of Cueball is checking their smart phones. Cueball is addressing the reader:]
** Cueball: The biggest thing you can do th help is to check in with friends and family and make sure they know when and where they're voting.
** [Below these four characters there is the following text with two arrows pointing left and right. Both are turning up to text/links on either side of the four:]
** Use these links to answer questions
** [To the left:] Where and how to vote: [https://www.vote.org/ Vote-org]
** [To the right:] What's on your ballot: [https://www.ballotready.org/ BallotReady.org]
** [Below was the two links from the previous header:]
** Find out where to vote: [https://www.vote.org/ vote.org].
** See what's on your ballot: [https://www.ballotready.org/ BallotReady.org]
* It was only up one day and thus on ended the day after [https://web.archive.org/web/20181107144453/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2018-11-07] when the next comic [[2069: Wishlist]] came out.
** The text then returned to the standard xkcd header: xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
*** It stayed like this until [[2107: Launch Risk]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190205050302/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-05].

===2018-11-02 - Where to vote===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20181103021059/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-02]:
* [[2067: Challengers]] (on the Friday, it was released).
** It added another link to the previous header text. That text was still up the day before on Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20181102015102/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-01].
** That was while comic [[2066: Ballot Selfies]] was still up.
* Randall changed the xkcd header to let people know who is on their voting ballot, and as before there is also a link on how to register for voting.
** This is also directly related to the new comic that came out that day, about helping people to decide who to vote for, i.e. who is on their ballot.
* The text:
** Find out where to vote: [https://www.vote.org/ vote.org].
** See what's on your ballot: [https://www.ballotready.org/ BallotReady.org]
* This was done at this moment because the {{w|United States midterm election}} was held on {{w|United States elections, 2018|Tuesday, November 6, 2018}}, four days after the release of this comic.
* It was still up the day before the election day, [https://web.archive.org/web/20181105105855/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-05], and then it changed with the next comic.

===2018-10-22 - Register for voting===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20181022120935/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-10-22]:
* [[2061: Tectonics Game]] (on a Monday, the 3rd day after release of this Friday comic)
** The standard text was still up Sunday [https://web.archive.org/web/20181021141446/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-10-21].
** The comic [[2062: Barnard's Star]] was released later that day.
* Randall changed the xkcd header to try to get people to register for voting.
* The text:
** Check your registration and find your polling place at [https://www.vote.org/ vote.org].
* This was done at this moment because the {{w|United States midterm election}} was held on {{w|United States elections, 2018|Tuesday, November 6, 2018}}, about two weeks after the release of this comic.
** It is generally believed that many of those not voting would have chosen democrats on election day, and thus Randall has an interest in getting as many as possible to register, see [[1756: I'm With Her]] (apart from the fact that he also most likely thinks that it is important to use the right to vote).
* It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20181103021059/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-02], when [[2067: Challengers]] came out.
** It was still there while [[2066: Ballot Selfies]] was still up the day before on [https://web.archive.org/web/20181102015102/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-01].

===2018-09-13 - NY votes today===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20180913133544/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-09-13]
* [[2045: Social Media Announcement]] (the day after the release of the comic.)
** It was not up when the comic was released on [https://web.archive.org/web/20180912131437/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-09-12].
* It was a short lived reminder that NY votes today below the usual standard text.
* The text:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
** NY votes today! Find your polling place [https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ here]. (Zephyr Teachout for AG!)
* It ended with [[2046: Trum-]], the very next comic, on [https://web.archive.org/web/20180914175605/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-09-14], returning to the standard text.

===2017-11-26 - Christmas gifts===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20171126130857/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-11-26]
* [[1920: Emoji Sports]] had been up two days [https://web.archive.org/web/20171125125648/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-11-25] before the message changed from the normal version. But it changed the day before the next comic came up.
** It was changed to a commercial for Christmas shopping with a code for getting 5$ of the price with a codes for different online shops.
* The text:
** To anyone looking for Christmas gifts: Until Monday you can get $5 off
** [https://www.amazon.com/What-International-Scientific-Hypothetical-Questions/dp/0544456866 What If?] and [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Thing Explainer] on Amazon with coupon code GIFTBOOK17.
** At Barnes & Noble, until Sunday you can get 20% off [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-if-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/1118864093 What If?] and [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432 Thing Explainer] using code GIVETHANKS.
* It was only up a few days and ended with [[1922: Interferometry]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20171130150053/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-11-30] where it returned to the standard text.
** But it was still up when the comic in between [[1921: The Moon and the Great Wall]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20171129140033/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-11-29].

===2017-09-22 - Visiting the UK===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170922232616/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-09-22]:
* [[1893: Thread]] (with its release).
** It was not up on the previous comic [[1892: USB Cables]], on the day they changed [https://web.archive.org/web/20170922025204/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-09-22].
* It was an announcement that Randall would visit the UK next week.
* The text:
** I'll be visiting the UK next week! You can join me in London from September 30-October 2 (at [https://live.newscientist.com/speakers/randall-munroe New Scientist Live], [https://www.rigb.org/whats-on/events-2017/october/public-lunchtime-talk--randall-munroe The Royal Institution], and [https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/randall-munroe-on-making-complicated-stuff-simple/ Intelligence Squared]), then from October 3-6 in [https://www.stpetersyork.org.uk/public_lectures/randall_munroe_thing_explainer York], [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thing-explaining-with-randall-munroe-tickets-37832289396 Edinburgh], [https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/randall-murray-thing-explainer/ Cambridge and Ely], [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/randall-munroe-book-signing-thing-explainer-tickets-38041072873 Oxford], and [https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/whats-on/2017/randall-munroe/ Cheltenham].
* Ended with [[1900: Jet Lag]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20171010045802/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-10-10] when the text returned to normal.
** But it was still up the day before with [[1899: Ears]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20171009040109/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-10-09].

===2017-07-31 - Thank you===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170731021227/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2017-07-31]:
* [[1869: Positive and Negative Reviews]] (3rd day after release of this Friday comic)
** The comic [[1870: Emoji Movie Reviews]] was released later that day.
** Megan is holding hand with Cueball and next to them is two words above each other: Thank you.
** The image is also a link.
*** The link goes to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170801042453/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/25/us/politics/senate-votes-repeal-obamacare.html How Each Senator Voted on Obamacare Repeal Proposals], an article showing the senate votes. (here in an archived version).
* Ended with [[1872: Backup Batteries]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170804152509/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-08-04], but was still up when [[1871: Bun Alert]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170803124342/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-08-03].

===2017-07-25 - Vote against health care bill===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170725103104/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-07-25]:
* [[1867: Physics Confession]] (2nd day after release of the comic, it was not up on the first day: [https://web.archive.org/web/20170724095252/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-07-24]).
* Randall modified the xkcd header to ask readers to support voting against Donald Trump's new health care bill.
** The header was replaced with an image which is available in an archived version [https://web.archive.org/web/20170726150959im_/https://imgs.xkcd.com/notes/call-senate.png here].
** The image is also a link (and you can click anywhere on it to go to the link that is mentioned).
*** The link goes to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170729003307/https://www.trumpcareten.org/daily TrumpCare Ten] (here in an archived version).
*** Randall has previously made it clear, in [[1572: xkcd Survey]], that he knows how to make an image a link, but not how to put the link only where he says to click.
** Transcript of the image:
*** [Megan is holding hand with Cueball next to three lines of large text, the same height as they are:]
*** Please tell your senators to vote against this health care bill. It will hurt people.
*** [After these three lines there is a phone number in a very large bold font with a line of text below:]
*** 202-224-3121
*** Or click here for more info
*** [Below the above is a gray line which is split in the middle with gray text, and below that four state names in white text inside black boxes:]
*** Know anyone in these states? Ask them to call, too.
*** Alaska Maine Nevada Ohio West Virginia
* Ended while [[1869: Positive and Negative Reviews]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170731164828/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-07-31], when it was replaced by a ''Thank you''.
** That comic came out already [https://web.archive.org/web/20170728124230/https://xkcd.com/ three days before] (Friday comic), but was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170730141019/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2017-07-30]) when the message changed sometimes between Sunday 30th and Monday 31st (where [[1870: Emoji Movie Reviews]] was released).

===2017-01-21 - Update on previous===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170122003124/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-01-21]:
* [[1788: Barge]]
* It came up almost a month after Christmas but did not really change the sales pitch of the previous. It just removed the link image with the large red text, see previous version below.
* The text:
** There are [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/featured four new shirts] in [https://store.xkcd.com/ the xkcd store],
** along with [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters posters] and [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/everything lots of other stuff]!
* Ended with [[1867: Physics Confession]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170725103104/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-07-25].
** That comic came up [https://web.archive.org/web/20170724095252/https://xkcd.com/ the day before] the above version of the header appeared.
** So the first day after release it was still the T-shirt commercial.
** And it did not return to the standard version in between.

===2016-11-28 - Christmas sale===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20161128153015/https://xkcd.com 2016-11-28]
* [[1765: Baby Post]]
* This came up in time for the Christmas sale of 2016.
* The text was
** There are [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/featured four new shirts] in [https://store.xkcd.com/ the xkcd store],
** along with [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters posters] and [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/everything lots of other stuff]!
** Above the text there was an image with two black t-shirts with white print on the chest. They were located at either end of a large red text written in the text type used in the comic. This text said New xkcd shirts.
** The entire image was a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
* Ended with [[1788: Barge]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20170121114423/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-01-21]

===2016-04-23 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160423103108/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-23]
* When [[1671: Arcane ]] came out (probably 2016-04-22, but no earlier archived versions exist) the text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed like this for more than 7 months until [[1764: XKCDE]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20161128093459/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-11-28].

===2016-04-04 - Protip on Garden===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160404185353/https://www.xkcd.com/#5dbfbb82-fc20-11e5-8001-42010a8e000d 2016-04-04]
* Because of the complexity of the [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] [[1663: Garden]], Randall needed to give people some advice, hence a [[:Category:Protip|protip]] was added.
** This came in several versions, not all managed to be documented in the archive. See more in the trivia for garden regarding the [[1663:_Garden#Header_text_after_release|Header text after release]].
* The header text became a protip with the following text (the first version not documented only had the first line):
** '''Protip''': If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
** You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.
* When the next comic, [[1664: Mycology]], was released two days later on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160406194653/https://xkcd.com/1664/ 2016-04-06], an extra line of text was added, due to the issues caused by Garden not being on the front page {{xkcd}} but only on the numbered page {{xkcd|1663}}.
** This change was first documented on the front page the day after on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160407010635/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-07]
** The change was of course also on and all the other comic and thus also on the Garden comic from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160406192530/https://xkcd.com/1663/ 2016-04-06].
* Text added below the other two lines:
** Note: If you're seeing today's comic in place of your garden, change the URL from xkcd.com/#<your code> to xkcd.com/1663/#<your code>.
*** This extra line was only there until next time the comic change, so last day was [https://web.archive.org/web/20160408145017/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-08].
* On [https://web.archive.org/web/20160408195958/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-08] when [[1665: City Talk Pages]] was released the extra line was removed leaving the two written first here above.
** This was also the case on the Garden comic (and all other comics) from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160408204740/https://xkcd.com:80/1663/ 2016-04-08].
* The Protip stayed in the main header text until [https://web.archive.org/web/20160422102754/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-22] when [[1670: Laws of Physics]] was up.
** But even though it disappeared from main header and thus from all other comic it stayed on the Garden comic, also on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160423182630/https://xkcd.com:80/1663/ 2016-04-23].
** And it has then turned out to become one of the permanent [[xkcd_Header_text#Garden|Unique header texts]].

===2016-04-04 - Back to standard text as Garden came up===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160404123555/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-04]
* For a brief period of time, when [[1663: Garden]] was finally released, the Header text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* But this lasted less than 13 hours. (Time between the previous and next archived version is 13 hours and 7 minutes).
** As people needed guidance to the new complicated comic.

===2016-04-01 - April 1st comic - technical difficulties===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160401204749/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-01]
* When Randall had problem releasing [[1663: Garden]] several [[1663:_Garden#April_Fools.27_header_text|April Fools' header text]] arrived in short succession while [[1662: Jack and Jill]] was still up.
* Each of these where simple text.
** The first from the link abve:
*** The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
*** Please stand by!
** The next from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160402125723/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2016-04-02] at 12:57:
*** The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
*** Status update: Please stand by.
*** Status update: This is fine. Everything is fine.
*** Status update: Everything is on fire.
*** Status update: Searching for calendar systems in which Saturday is April 1st.
** The next from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160402175822/https://www.xkcd.com 2016-04-02] at 17:58:
*** The Friday xkcd comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties
*** [Editor's note: Everything is on fire] and has been delayed until Sunday night.
* It stayed like the third version until [https://web.archive.org/web/20160404054612/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-04] three days after the April Fools' Day comic was supposed to come out, so Jack and Jill was up until it changed.
This was what was needed to stop more than 10 months of promotion of the [[Thing Explainer]] book, see below.

===2015-12-13 - Thing Explainer is available===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151213194534/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-13]
* [[1615: Red Car]] was still up when the header changed.
** The change was that the promotion for where Randall was last week where removed and left only the promotion the book [[Thing Explainer]]:
* The text:
** Thing Explainer is available at: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
* It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160401125621/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-01] while [[1662: Jack and Jill]] was on the front page.
** This was the last time that Thing Explainer was [[:Category:Book promotion|promoted]] in the header text.
*** The first time was [[xkcd_Header_text#2015-05-14_-_New_book_Thing_Explainer|2015-05-14]], so it had been part of the header text for almost ten and a half month. That is a record!

===2015-12-05 - Thing Explainer is available and Next week===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151205070539/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-05]
* [[1612: Colds]] was up when the header changed.
** This was also at this time the [[2015-11-24 - Pages from my new book Thing Explainer|previous header texts image] was moved below the comic.
* Randall goes back to a simple promotion of the book [[Thing Explainer]] listing where to boy it.'
** But he adds a line about where he will be next week, first to a book shop on Illinois and then later in Toronto, where the host was {{w|Ryan North}} from [https://qwantz.com/ Dinosaur comics], one of the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Comics_I_enjoy|comics Randall enjoys]].
* The text:
** Thing Explainer is available at: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
** I'll be in [https://web.archive.org/web/20151211002159/https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/event/naperville-reads-randall-munroe Naperville, IL] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20151205205714/https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/indigo-exclusive-randall-munroe-tickets-18694384407 Toronto, ON] (with [https://qwantz.com/ Ryan North]!) next week.
* It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151212133400/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2015-12-12] while [[1615: Red Car]] was on the front page.

===2015-11-24 - Pages from my new book Thing Explainer===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151203234149/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-03]
* [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar]] was still up when the header changed.
** This was a special one comic header text consisting of a large image with pages and excerpts from the book [[Thing Explainer]].
** The image was larger than most comics, and took away the focus of today's comic.
** So already two days after, when [[1612: Colds]] was released, the image was relegated to the being below the comic, but inside the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Main_comic|main comic]] segment, thus not a part of the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Bottom_segment|bottom segment]].
*** But it was displayed in the header for all comics, here [https://web.archive.org/web/20151204030024/https://xkcd.com/1609/ an example] from the comic released two comics before 1611, [[1609: Food Combinations]].
*** See more (and the image) [[Thing_Explainer#Promotion_at_the_xkcd_home_page|here]] on the page for Thing Explainer.
* Description of the image:
** At the top are shown four pages from the book. Two mainly blue, left and right, with white text and large images and between them two mainly white pages with blue text and smaller images. None of the text is readable, but the two blue pages pictures can be understood even in this size.
*** The first page is number 2 about an animal cell: ''Tiny bags of water you’re made of''. It shows a detailed drawing of a human cell, with text at the top, and then several labels with text beneath that have arrows pointing to different parts of the cell.
*** The second page is number 31 about the cockpit of an airplane: ''Stuff you touch to fly a sky boat''. It shows the inside of a cockpit with view out of the four windows, with lots of buttons in the ceiling, and blue screens and instruments at the bottom. Out the windows can be seen clouds and Cueball hanging from a balloon (a reference to [[1110: Click and Drag]]).
**** A zoom in on this page is shown beneath the four pages, see more below.
*** The third page is page 27. What is on this page is a bit difficult to see, as there are no big drawings with clear meaning. It is the second page in a two page section on Data centers, with the second page focusing on the Computer: ''Computer building''. The pictures shows the data racks, to the right, and the individual computer components put into these, to the top left, with the wiring shown below to the left. Lots of text with arrows to different parts.
*** The fourth page is page 23 about Trees: ''Tree''. It clearly shows the silhouette of a white tree on blue background. Several animal live on, in and beneath it. Cueball is standing on the ground. All the text are beneath labels that points to parts of the tree or the tree dwellers.
** In between the two time two pages there is a readable text, split over five lines, with two arrow at the top going from the corners of the text to the near corners of the white pages to either side. And below three arrows, with two pointing similarly as the two top arrows, but starting at the bottom of the text, and one arrow pointing straight down from the middle of the text to the large image below.
** Beneath all this is a large image which shows a zoom in on the left part of the cockpit from the second page above. The zoom is focused on the two front windows, but only the left is entirely in the picture, and the balloon hanging Cueball, cannot be seen in this part of the right window.
*** At this zoom level, most of the text van be read (that is labels written on things or having arrows pointing to them). Clouds can bee seen out of both windows and in the background a rocket launch with smoke plume below the rocket is visible. The horizon line is well defines across both windows. Some of the instruments can be seen below the windows with text written on them. And some blue areas, mainly screens can be seen.
** Beneath this picture is a line with links to where the book can be ordered, like the one from the previous header text.
* The text:
** Pages from my new book, ''Thing Explainer'': Complicated stuff in simple words.
** [Labels in the cockpit]:
*** Sky
*** Ground (This should be below the sky. If it's above the sky, you're either having a big problem or doing something ''really'' fun.)
*** Use this stuff to tell the sky boat to fly itself.
*** Fly
*** How fast it feels IAS 172
*** Direction HDG 240
*** Fall or rise
*** How high 2500
*** Fly
*** Helpful screen
*** Where the ground is
*** You are: Flying
*** Look here if there is a problem
** Below this image is a line of text with the first word in black and the other are four links to where to order the book:
*** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
** The image is a link to [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544668251/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0544668251&linkCode=as2&tag=thekcs-20&linkId=S4XRZJJKSMHOWEQU Thing Explainer on Amazon].
* It was only part of the header for two days until [https://web.archive.org/web/20151204050419/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-04].
** It was then moved below the comics as mentioned above from [https://web.archive.org/web/20151205070539/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-05] when the next comic [[1612: Colds]] came out.

===2015-11-24 - Thing Explainer is out today===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151124201602/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-24]
* [[1607: Supreme Court]] was still up, but [[1608: Hoverboard]] most have come out close to the change.
** See both [https://web.archive.org/web/20151125001228/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-25 00:12] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20151125230753/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-25 23:07].
** Since this new "comic" was actually a {{w|browser game}} made to celebrate the release of Randall's new book, ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', which was released on the same day as this comic: Tuesday, November 24, 2015. The comic thus appeared on a Tuesday, replacing that week's normal Wednesday release to coincide with the release day.
** Hence it is a shame that there is no archived versions on the 24th showing Hoverboard on the front page. Even though the new version of the Header text is shown on the 24th, but on the previous comic.
* Cause all the header text is about is the release day of Thing Explainer!
** The top part is text with a line with large letters and a line below in brackets and using smaller letters. Below that there is a line dividing the text from the next part.
** Below follows the same header that was up as early as [[#2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details|2015-05-15]] with the open book and three lines of text.
* The text:
** My new book, [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ Thing Explainer], is out today!
** (If you're in NYC, you can also [https://web.archive.org/web/20150925015809/https://stores.barnesandnoble.com:80/author/11170358 come see me]!)
** A picture of the open book is shown with diagrams of a human cell on the left page and suspension bridges on the right. All held in blue nuances. And arrow goes from the first word of the text to the right to the book on the left. The text is also blue except the title of the book which is in red:
*** New book: Thing Explainer
*** Up Goer Five-style diagrams of things (explained in the ten-hundred most common words)
** Below this image is a line of text with the first word in black and the other are four links to where to order the book:
*** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
** The image above the order line is a link to the [[Blag]] post [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ New book: Thing Explainer].
* Already the day after [https://web.archive.org/web/20151125001228/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-25], when [[1608: Hoverboard]] was up, an extra line (a link) was added below the above. A line was separating it from the links above:
** [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/11/24/a-puzzle-for-the-uk/ A puzzle for UK readers]
*** This was to a blag post with A puzzle for the UK because he could not go to UK in person. So this was a kind of bonus for those who could solve it. (We need an entry on that here on xkcd...)
* On [https://web.archive.org/web/20151127114432/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-27] is still looked like this but then when the next comic, [[1609: Food Combinations]], came out on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151128130851/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-28] the line about seeing him in New York was removed.
* The version with the puzzle, but without the New York line, was then up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20151201222148/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-01] when [[1610: Fire Ants]] was up.
* Then on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151202225254/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2015-12-02] the line with the puzzle at the bottom was changed to:
** I'm doing a [https://www.facebook.com/AndyWeirAuthor/ live Q&A;] at 2:30pm PT with The Martian author Andy Weir.
*** The link is to {{w|Andy Weir}}'s Facebook page. And the Q&A can likely not be seen anymore.
*** Randall has made no less than two comics about the movie {{w|The Martian (film)|The Martian}}, [[1536: The Martian]] and [[1585: Similarities]].
** It only lasted that day, and this became the last day with this header text, so it ended while [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar]] was up.

===2015-10-22 - World Polio Day===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151022200022/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-10-22]
* [[1593: Play-By-Play]] was up when the header changed.
** Randall mentions World Polio Day and the comic he drew for Bill Gates' blog, [[XKCD Marks the Spot]].
** Although he still keeps mentioning the release date for [[Thing Explainer]].
* The text:
** We've [https://slate.com/technology/2015/08/no-new-polio-in-africa-for-one-year-gates-epidemiologist-on-vaccines-and-surveillance.html almost eradicated polio]. For World Polio Day, I drew a comic
** about the eradication efforts. You can see it on [https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/XKCD-Marks-the-Spot Bill Gates's blog].
** My [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ new book] of complex diagrams and simple words comes out Nov 24th.
*** The last line is split from the Polio announcement with a line.
* Was there until [[1607: Supreme Court]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151124065108/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2015-11-24].
** That was the day that the book was released, and when the next comic [[1608: Hoverboard]] came out, it was a celebration of the book.

===2015-09-23 - Book trip and tool===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150923044724/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-09-23]:
* [[1580: Travel Ghost]] was up when the header changed.
** Announcing the book trip for the [[Thing Explainer]] book as well as linking to a Thing Explainer word checker tool! Two lines of text with links.
* The text:
** News: Announcing my Thing Explainer [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/09/22/im-going-on-a-book-trip/ book trip]. Come say hi!
** Other news: Announcing the Thing Explainer [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/09/22/a-thing-explainer-word-checker/ word checker] tool!
*** Both links are to the [[Blag]], the first a schedule for his book trip, and the second telling about Randall's new [https://xkcd.com/simplewriter/ Simple Writer] that could help you ''Write Like Up Goer Five and Thing Explainer''.
* Was there until [[1593: Play-By-Play]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151021164208/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-10-21].

===2015-09-06 - New links===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150906181550/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-09-06]:
* [[1573: Cyberintelligence]] was still up when the header changed.
** The promotion of the book, [[Thing Explainer]], stayed the same with a picture above links to preorder it, but the links was reduced from four to two, the amazon link changed and a new company was added for the second link removing the other three.
** See [[#2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details|2015-05-15]] below for all details on the image.
* The new link text:
** Preorder: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thing-Explainer-Randall-Munroe/dp/1473620910 Amazon.co.uk}, [https://www.waterstones.com/book/thing-explainer/9781473620919 Waterstones]
* Was there until [[1579: Tech Loops]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150919220105/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-09-22].

===2015-08-09 - Back to previous header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150809230825/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-08-09]:
* [[1561: Water Phase Diagram]] was still up when the header changed.
** It changed back to the exact same heading as before the one with other news here below.
*** See [[#2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details|2015-05-15]] below for all details.
* Stayed like this until [[1573: Cyberintelligence]] was out on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150905154014/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-09-05], but the only change was that the links to preorder changed from four to only two.

===2015-06-06 - Other news===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150606084120/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2015-06-06]
* Changed while [[1534: Beer]] was still up.
** This was just adding some "Other news", but leaving the promotion of [[Thing Explainer]] unchanged as in the [[#2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details|previous header]], but adding two news stories in text below the link to preorder.
* The new text:
** In other news, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygrdAvmr-MA Space Weird Thing] is delightful, and I feel surprisingly invested in [https://web.archive.org/web/20150720074919/https://twitter.com/xkcdbracket @xkcdbracket's] results.
*** The link to Space Weird Thing is a YouTube video with a simple words version of {{w|David Bowie|David Bowie's}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYYRH4apXDo Space Oddity] music video, using only the top then hundred words. The creators contributes the idea to the [[1133: Up Goer Five]] diagram which also inspired the book Thing Explainer, also promoted in this header text.
*** The other link is referring to [[1529: Bracket]] released 12 days before this update, as a twitter user made a survey going through all the brackets all the way to a winner was found. Seems Randall became interested in who won. See more on the comics page.
* Was there until [[1561: Water Phase Diagram]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150807181044/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-08-07]. Then it returned back to the previous header with only the promotion of the book.

===2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150515060322/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2015-05-15]
* [[1525: Emojic 8 Ball]]
* This was a more detailed promotion for Randall's new book: [[Thing Explainer]] to be published in November 2015, more than half a year after the announcement, compared to the previous change which was just a line and a link.
* The text:
** A picture of the open book is shown with diagrams of a human cell on the left page and suspension bridges on the right. All held in blue nuances. And arrow goes from the first word of the text to the right to the book on the left. The text is also blue except the title of the book which is in red:
*** New book: Thing Explainer
*** Up Goer Five-style diagrams of things (explained in the then hundred most common words)
** Below this image is a line of text with the first word in black and the other are four links to where to preorder the book:
*** Preorder: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
** The image above the preorder line is a link to the [[Blag]] post [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ New book: Thing Explainer].
* Changed while [[1534: Beer]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150605082643/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-06-05], but only to add other information. The main promotion of the book stayed the same.

===2015-05-14 - New book Thing Explainer===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150514053623/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2015-05-14]
* [[1524: Dimensions]] was up.
** A single line announced the new [[Thing Explainer]] book, with link to the [[Blag]] post from the day before.
* The text:
** New book: [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ Thing Explainer!]
The [[:Category:Book promotion|promotion of the book]] stayed up with some changes for [[xkcd_Header_text#2015-12-13_-_Thing_Explainer_is_available|more than 10 month]] first stopping when Randall had [[xkcd_Header_text#2016-04-01_-_The_xkcd_April_1st_comic_is_currently_experiencing_technical_difficulties|problems with his April Fools' Day comic]] in 2016... It is a record length.
* The first came already the day after so this short announcement was only up on this day and ended with the next comic. See above.
* See more details on the promotion of the book on the Thing Explainer page [[Thing_Explainer#Promotion_at_the_xkcd_home_page|here]].

===2015-02-11 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150211154103/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-11]
* When [[1485: Friendship]] came out the text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed like this until [[1523: Microdrones]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150512184622/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-05-12], so just a day more than three months.

===2015-02-04 - Valentine cards only===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150204051152/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-04]
* [[1482: NowPlaying]] came out as it changed.
** After the last day of ordering t-shirt had passed it changed back to the picture with the Valentine cards from the previous header, but without the t-shirt picture.
** See that [[#2015-01-29 - Valentine cards and shirt|header change]], but only the first picture described.
* Ended while [[1484: Apollo Speeches]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150210005540/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-10].

===2015-02-02 - Last day shirt===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150202092804/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-02]
* [[1481: API]] came out as it changed.
** Just letting people know it is the last chance to order the binary t-shirt.
** There was just a line of text:
* The text was:
** Today is the last day to order the limited-run [https://web.archive.org/web/20150202092804/https://teespring.com/xkcdbinaryheart binary heart shirt]!
** The last words is link to the shirt in the shop.
* Ended before the next comic was up, but still the day after, when it was too late to order: [https://web.archive.org/web/20150203022036/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-03].

===2015-01-29 - Valentine cards and shirt===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150129183442/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-29]
* [[1479: Troubleshooting]] was up when it changed.
** It was to tell about both the two previous updates in the same header- Both about the collaboration to make science themed Valentine's Day cards and his new Valentine t-shirt.
** There where two pictures, with a promotion of the two products and a link to them in the shop.
** On the left was text about the cards with a small drawing to the right of the text showing the four cards.
*** An ant talking to an aphids; Earth rotating about the sun but locked so one side melts; an ant with a fungus growing from it's head with a heart, and a Velociraptor skeleton where the last bit of the tail is put on by a person. The text on the cards are unreadable, but they can be seen via the link.
** The text (in three lines) was:
*** Webcomic science Valentine card collaboration
*** The [https://web.archive.org/web/20150127161237/https://store.xkcd.com/products/webcomic-science-valentines link to the cards] from the picture.
** The picture on the left shows binary numbers 0 and 1 in white on a black background. The middle of the three lines of those have message in red text.
** The text:
*** 0 1 0 1 0 Binary heart 1 1 1
*** 1 1 1 Valentine shirt 0 1
*** 0 0 0 1 [limited run] 0 0 1
*** The [https://web.archive.org/web/20150125080756/https://teespring.com/xkcdbinaryheart link to the shirt] from the picture.
* Ended while [[1480: Super Bowl]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150201015913/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-01].

===2015-01-27 - Valentine's Day cards===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150127161237/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-27]
* [[1478: P-Values]] was up when it changed.
** It was to tell that about a collaboration to make science themed Valentine's Day cards.
** There was just two lines of text:
* The text was:
** I've teamed up with three other webcomic artists
** to make [https://web.archive.org/web/20150127161237/https://store.xkcd.com/products/webcomic-science-valentines a set of science-themed Valentine's Day cards]!
* There was a link to the cards on the store.
* Ended while [[1479: Troubleshooting]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20150128172147/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-28].

===2015-01-24 - Get shirts in store===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150124110707/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-24]
* [[1477: Star Wars]] came out as it changed.
** It was to tell about a new type of t-shirt for Valentine Day.
** There was just two lines of text:
* The text was:
** For Valentine's Day, you can get a binary heart shirt
** (from {{xkcd|99|comic #99!}}) in [https://web.archive.org/web/20150125080756/https://teespring.com/xkcdbinaryheart a limited run on TeeSpring]
* There was a link to [[99: Binary Heart]] and to the relevant t-shirt on the [https://teespring.com/ Teespring] home page.
* Ended while [[1478: P-Values]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20150126133139/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-26].

===2014-12-22 - Get shirts in store===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141222233233/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-12-22]
* [[1463: Altitude]] came out as it changed.
** After the Christmas sale deadline there was still merchandise in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
** There was just a line of text:
* The text was:
** You can get xkcd shirts, prints, and posters in the [https://shop.xkcd.com/ store]!
* The word store was a link to the shop.
* Ended while [[1476: Ceres]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20150123102318/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-23].

===2014-12-19 - Back to previous header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141219092349/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-19]:
* [[1462: Blind Trials]] came out as it changed.
It changed back to the exact same heading as before the one with order now here below.
* See [[#2014-12-17 - Christmas deadline|2014-12-17]] below for all details.
* Ended while [[1462: Blind Trials]] was still up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141221172450/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-21].

===2014-12-18 - Order now===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141218090650/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-18]
* [[1461: Payloads]] was still up when it changed.
** It was to alert that the deadline for shipping before Christmas from the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store] was Friday and that it was rapidly approaching. This was a follow up on the [[#2014-12-17 - Christmas deadline|Wednesdays announcement]] the day before.
** The image was just four lines of text with several red and blue words.
* The text was:
** The xkcd store Christmas shipping deadline is Friday!
** Once it passes, there is no going back. The arrow of time drags us all
** Inexorably forward toward decay and disorder. toward the end of all things.
** Towards the empty silence of the grave. Order now!
* The entire drawing was a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store], not just the blue text.
* Ended a day later while [[1461: Payloads]] was still up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141216084107/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-12-16].

===2014-12-17 - Christmas deadline===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141217085320/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-17]
* [[1461: Payloads]] came out as it changed.
** It was to alert that the deadline for shipping before Christmas from the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store] was Friday. This was announced Wednesday two days before the deadline.
** The image was just text with the last word in each line in red and the xkcd store blue as a link.
* The text was:
** Looking for a gift?
** xkcd store Christmas shipping deadline is Friday!
* The entire drawing was a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store], not just the blue text
* Ended a day later while [[1461: Payloads]] was still up!

===2014-12-03 - Christmas shopping===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141203132024/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-03]
* [[1455: Trolley Problem]] came out as it changed.
** It was to announce the start of the Christmas shopping on the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store]
** Four boxes with shipping details are shown. Two green and two red, alternating from green. Between them are three text messages in two, two and three lines.
* The text was:
** xkcd store
** Christmas shopping
** I will probably not ship you a bobcat.
* The entire drawing was a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
* The bobcat is a reference to [[325: A-Minus-Minus]].
* Ended while [[1460: SMFW]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141216084107/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-12-16].

===2014-11-29 - Thanks - Emily===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141129211604/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-11-29]
* [[1453: fMRI]] was still up when it changed.
** It was to thanks for all the help his friend Emily with cancer got through among other his previous header text [[#2014-11-27 - Help Emily| Help Emily]].
** That only needed to be up two days before the goal was met.
* The text was:
** Thank you for helping my friend Emily.
** It means so much.
* Ended three days later while [[1454: Done]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141202065133/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-12-02].

===2014-11-27 - Help Emily===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141127005239/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-11-27]
* [[1452: Jurassic World]] came out as it changed.
** It was to help a friend who got cancer by raising money for her.
* The text was:
** Hey all. My friend Emily—the economist who helped
** me with my {{xkcd|980|money chart}}—has been fighting cancer. She's
** having a rough time and could use some [https://web.archive.org/web/20141128183414/https://www.gofundme.com/e07dqk help]. Thank you.
* There are two links, one to the [[980: Money]] comic she helped Randall create, and one for her Go Fund Me page to raise money for her cancer cure.
** The help link above is to the archived version from that time, but the link was still active in August 2019: [https://www.gofundme.com/e07dqk Helping Emily Fight Cancer].
* Ended while [[1453: fMRI]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141128070838/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-11-28].
** She did thus not get a permanent header as did Becky on the [[#Seven_Years|Seven Years]] comic.

===2014-10-02 - what if? bestseller===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141002211139/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-10-02]
* [[1428: Move Fast and Break Things]] was up when it changed from the [[#2014-09-02 - what if? book out|book is out]].
* This was a month after the ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book came out.
** It added a line of red text beneath the previous header to announce that the book was the #1 New York bestseller.
* The text was:
** My book is out!
** (#1 New York bestseller!)
* The entire image was a link to the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ The Book] page on the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/ what if?] page on xkcd. post.
* Ended while [[1451: Background Screens]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141125234520/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-11-25].

===2014-09-04 - what if? book out===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140904150600/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-04]
* [[1416: Pixels]] was up when it changed from the [[#2014-09-02 - what if? book out today|book is out today]].
* This was two days after the ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book came out.
** It only removed to today from the previous header, that had only been up two days.
* The text was:
** My book is out!
* The entire image was a link to the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ The Book] page on the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/ what if?] page on xkcd. post.
* Ended while [[1428: Move Fast and Break Things]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141001130827/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-01].

===2014-09-02 - what if? book out today===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140902125802/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-02]
* [[1415: Ballooning]] was up when it changed from the [[#2014-07-23 - what if? book tour|book tour header]].
* This was the day the ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book came out. [[Cueball]] standing to the left of the text with arms raised shouts this out.. The word Book is underlined and blue to indicate a link.
* The text was:
** My book is out today!
* The entire image was a link to the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ The Book] page on the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/ what if?] page on xkcd. post.
* Ended while [[1416: Pixels]] was still [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903134518/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-03].

===2014-07-23 - what if? book tour===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140723180600/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-07-23]
* [[1398: Snake Facts]]
* This was a promotion of his book tour for the ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book made by [[Cueball]] standing to the left of the text with arms raised. Several parts of the text was underlined and blue to indicate links.
* The text was:
** I'm going on a book tour! click here for a list of stops.
** Or click anywhere-this whole image is one link because I've never gotten the hang of HTML imagemaps.
* The entire image was a link to the [[Blag]] post: [https://blog.xkcd.com/2014/07/22/what-if-book-tour/ What If book tour!].
** Later Randall commented on this lacking ability in the comic: [[1572: xkcd Survey]].
** He also mentions it in one of the [[#xkcd_Header_text#2019-07-09_-_Drawings_from_How_To|promotions]] for his [[How To]] book.
** He much later he again mentions that html is hard, thus explaining why the entire image is a link instead of the actual blue highlighted link in one of the promotions for [[xkcd_Header_text#2022-08-11_-_Preorder_What_if.3F_2_-_with_image|what if? 2]].
* Ended while [[1415: Ballooning]] was still up [https://web.archive.org/web/20140901113916/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-01].

===2014-03-13 - what if? announced===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140313070951/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-03-13]
* [[1341: Types of Editors]] was up.
* This was the first promotion of Randall's new ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book which is shown next to two lines of text.
* The text was:
** News:
** I'm publishing a ''what if'' book!
* The entire image was a link to the [[Blag]] post: [https://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/ What if I wrote a book?]
* Ended while [[1397: Luke]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20140722142115/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-07-22].

===2014-01-09 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140109190927/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-01-09]
* When [[1314: Photos]] was still up when the text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed until [https://web.archive.org/web/20140312070248/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-03-12] when [[1340: Unique Date]] was up, a bit more than two months.

===2013-12-21 - Deadline for Christmas shipping has passed===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20131221043417/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2013-12-21]
* It changed when [[1306: Sigil Cycle]] came out.
* This came up when it was too close to Christmas in 2013 for shipping to arrive in time for Christmas. And Randall makes a note of this, but lets people know that they could still buy presents...
* The text was
** The deadline for guaranteed Christmas shipping has passed, but if you order something from the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store], we'll get it to you as fast as possible!
* Ended when [[1314: Photos]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20140108181520/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-01-08].

===2013-12-06 - Empty header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20131206213503/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-12-06]
* It changed when [[1300: Galilean Moons]] came out.
** There was no header text. This happened next on [[Header_text#2020-04-05 - Empty header|2020-04-05]]. It looks really weird.
* Ended when [[1305: Undocumented Feature]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20131220005306/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-12-20].

===Changes not documented yet 3===
More changes will for sure be here between this and the one below.

Just put the link here with a date and maybe a short note:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20131205202730/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-12-05]: Xmas sale before above
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130315162227/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2013-03-15]: Empty follows below

===2013-03-15 - Empty header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130315162227/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2013-03-15]
* It changed while [[1186: Bumblebees]] was on the front page.
** After the text saying a comic would be delayed disappeared no text replaced this.
** So the header was left empty!
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20130318072820/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-03-18] while [[1187: Aspect Ratio]] was up.

===2013-03-13 - Comic will be delayed===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130313133631/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-03-13]
* It changed when [[1184: Circumference Formula]] came out, likely because the next comic was delayed.
** But there is a gap of three days before where no archived version exist, so cannot say if there where more than a few hours with this text.
* The text:
** The comic will be delayed until late morning EDT.
* Ended when [[1185: Ineffective Sorts]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20130313175306/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2013-03-13].
** That was later same day as the first archived version. But could have been longer as mentioned above.

===2012-11-26 - xkcd store===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121126235628/https://xkcd.com/1138/ 2012-11-26]
* It changed while [[1138: Heatmap]] was up.
** Notice that the above link is not from the main page, but from {{xkcd|1138}}.
** There was a gap of five days in the archive of the main page.
** The first day that it was archived from the front page was on [https://web.archive.org/web/20121201111432/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-12-01], while [[1141: Two Years]] was up.
* The standard header text is replaced with an image that makes it seem like a rip is being torn in the white region where the text used to be. Beneath the white material that has now been ripped, some text can partly be seen. It is possible to read it.
* The text:
** xkcd store
*** The image is a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store] (tadaaa!)
* Ended when [[1183: Rose Petals]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20130311073948/https://xkcd.com:80/1183/ 2013-03-11]
** The above link is from {{xkcd|1183}}.
** Last time the front page was archived with it was though on [https://web.archive.org/web/20130309010403/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-03-09].

===2012-10-24 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121024082017/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-10-24]
* While [[1124: Law of Drama]] was on the front the header returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121126035129/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-11-26] when [[1138: Heatmap]] was up, a few days more than a month.

===2012-10-17 - New What-If - Lightning===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121017232102/https://xkcd.com/1121/ 2012-10-17]
* Probably while [[1122: Electoral Precedent]] was up.
** But the link above showing it was up on the 2012-10-17 is from the previous comics page {{xkcd|1121}} [[1121: Identity]].
** But the first version archived with this header is saved on [https://web.archive.org/web/20121018082304/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-10-18]
* Randall promotes another New What-If article.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''.
* The text
** New What-If article:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/16/ What if lightning struck while you were ...]
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121023023404/https://xkcd.com/1121/ 2012-10-23] when [[1124: Law of Drama]] was on the front page
** This link is though from {{xkcd|1121}}.
** The last this version was archived on the front page was the day before on [https://web.archive.org/web/20121022120008/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-10-22].

===2012-10-10 - New What-If - Mariana Trench Explosion===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121010003837/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-10-10]
* [[1118: Microsoft]] was still up at this time.
* Randall promotes another New What-If article.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|15|Mariana Trench Explosion}}''.
* The text
** New What-If article:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/15/ What if you set off a nuclear bomb in the Mariana Trench?].
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121016055538/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-10-16] when [[1121: Identity]] was up.

===2012-10-02 - This week's What-If - Short Answer Section===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121002231724/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-10-02]
* [[1115: Sky]] was still up at this time.
* Randall promotes another New What-If article.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|14|Short Answer Section}}''.
* The text
** In this week's What-If article I [https://what-if.xkcd.com/14/ answer multiple reader questions].
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121008112434/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-10-08] when [[1118: Microsoft]] was up.

===2012-09-26 - New What-If - Laser Pointer===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120926163111/https://xkcd.com/1108/ 2012-09-26]
* [[1113: Killed in Action]] was up at this time.
** The link above showing it happened on the 26th is from {{xkcd|1108}}
** The first day this version was archived on the front page was on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120928003838/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-09-28]
* Randall promotes another New What-If article.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|13|Laser Pointer}}''.
* The text
** New What-If article:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/13/ If everyone aimed a laser pointer at the Moon at once, would it change color?]
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121001080517/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-10-01] when [[1115: Sky]] was up.

===2012-09-18 - what-if.xkcd.com - Raindrop===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120918143653/https://www.xkcd.com/1108/ 2012-09-18]
* [[1109: Refrigerator]] was still up at this time.
** The link above showing it happened on the 18th is from {{xkcd|1108}}
** The first day this version was archived on the front page was on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120919015232/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-09-19]
* Randall promotes another What-If article on the what-if page.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|12|Raindrop}}''.
* The text
** what-if.xkcd.com: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/12/ What if all of a storm's water fell in a single raindrop?].
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20120925090123/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-09-25] when [[1112: Think Logically]] was up.

===Changes not documented yet 2===
The above is the last documented.
* There will for sure be more changes earlier than this.

Just put the link here with a date and maybe a short note:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120917052827/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-09-17]: What if Droppings ends.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120718231719/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-07-18] Next stores header text

===2012-07-10 - New: what-if.xkcd.com===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120710114846/https://xkcd.com/1078/ 2012-07-10]
* This was a special change happening over a few days. The above "new" header text from the given date is actually shown on the previous comic [[1078: Knights]].
** Another example from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120710072249/https://xkcd.com:80/1070 2012-07-10] is shown for [[1070: Words for Small Sets]].
* The comic on the main page released on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120709045709/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-07-09] was [[1079: United Shapes]], but that comic had a [[xkcd_Header_text#United_Shapes|unique header text]] upon its release.
** So both on the 9th as shown above and on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120710114846/https://xkcd.com/1078/ 2012-07-10] the header text was different on the front than on all other pages.
*** As can be read in the link above, the new header text actually got incorporated into the unique text, so that after the next comic was released on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711234408/https://xkcd.com/1079/ 2012-07-11] the current new header text and a smaller version of the original unique header text was now shown on the Unites Shapes page.
*** {{xkcd|1079|And it was never changed back}}.
* The first version of the new text from the 10th was only active one day:
** The text:
*** New site: what-if.xkcd.com, where I abuse science to answer hypothetical questions. I'll answer a new question every Tuesday.
**** The link was not an active link. And this was never shown on the front page, but on all other comics.
* Already on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711223349/https://xkcd.com/1078/ 2012-07-11] when [[1080: Visual Field]] was released the new header changed a bit
** At this time it most have been shown on the front page, but the link above is again from [[1078: Knights]].
*** For some reason the front page was not saved on either the 11th or 12th, so no version of the front page with Visual Field exist
*** The first archived version of the front page with this new header text was from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120713154207/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-07-13] when [[1081: Argument Victory]] was on the front page.
* The final text:
** New: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/1/ what-if.xkcd.com]: abusing science to answer hypothetical questions.
** I'll answer a new reader question every Tuesday.
*** This time the link was active and directs to the new ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' blog and its first entry {{what if|1|Relativistic Baseball}}
* The whole idea was that Randall released the new what if? blog on the 10th of July 2012. And thus would like to make a promotion of it.
** And then he timed it so poorly that the front page had a different header than the rest of the comics.
** It was so annoying for him that he actually changed the header for Unites Shapes manually so that page also showed the new link. Maybe even before it left the front page, but that has not been documented in the archive.
** And then he forgot about it when the header changed for all the other comics, so it is now a relic of the promotion of his first what if release.
* The what if promotion continued for a long time, but the final version from above only lasted until 17th at the latest. There is again no archived versions of the front page from the 15th, 16th or 17th.
** The last time it was archived on the front page was [https://web.archive.org/web/20120714062857/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-07-14], when [[1081: Argument Victory]] was still up.
** But on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120715070938/https://xkcd.com:80/1081/ 2012-07-15] it was still shown on the page for Argument Victory and same for [https://web.archive.org/web/20120716235458/https://www.xkcd.com/998/ 2012-07-16] on [[998: 2012]]
*** So seemed it stayed up while [[1082: Geology]] was up on the 16-17/7.

===2012-04-09 - Standard text plus store link===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120409190952/https://xkcd.com/1026/ 2012-04-09]
* It changed when [[1040: Lakes and Oceans]] came up.
** The above link to prove this is though from comic {{xkcd|1026}} [[1026: Compare and Contrast]] the first to be found that where archived on the 9th.
** The first archived version on the main page is from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120411053543/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-04-11] when [[1041: Whites of Their Eyes]] was up.
** There where no archived version of the front page on the 9th or 10th while Lake and Oceans was up. So it was also first on the 11th that this new text could be seen, but only when it had moved to its own page number [https://web.archive.org/web/20120411052948/https://xkcd.com/1040/ 1040].
*** The change probably came because of this special comic, which may became a [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters/products/lakes-oceans-poster poster].
* The update was to add a promotion for the store under the standard header text.
* The text
** XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
** You can get prints, posters, and t-shirts in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ store].
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20120709004956/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-07-09] when [[1078: Knights]] was up, exactly three months, so although not only the standard text, the standard text was first for three months and three days, see [[#2012-04-05 - Back to standard text|below]].

===2012-04-05 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120405195956/https://www.xkcd.com/1021/ 2012-04-05]
* While [[1038: Fountain]] was on the front the header returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* The link above to prove the date is seen on [[1021: Business Plan]].
** The first archived version on front page is from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120406111048/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-04-06], when [[1039: RuBisCO]] was up.
** A version showing Fountain with this can be found on it's own page {{xkcd|1038}} on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120406085618/https://xkcd.com:80/1038/ 2012-04-06].
*** When it was archived while on the front page it still had the previous header on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120404210927/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-05].
* It stayed up, unchanged, until [https://web.archive.org/web/20120408200414/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-08] when [[1039: RuBisCO]] was up. So only three days.
** But [[#2012-04-09- Standard text plus store link|the change]] did not remove the standard text but just added a link to the store. And this version, still with the standard text at the top stayed for three more months.

===2012-03-28 - Visiting Newport News===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120328103319/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-03-28]
* [[1035: Cadbury Eggs]] was on the front when it changed.
** From the end of March 2012, there is a problem with the archived versions of xkcd, so they do not load properly and do not include the comic picture.
* It was to announce a talk Randall gave at his old school.
* The text:
** I'm [https://blog.xkcd.com/2012/03/22/im-visiting-cnu-on-april-4th/ visiting] Newport News, VA next week, where I'll be speaking at CNU, my old school. If you want to come, reserve a seat [https://web.archive.org/web/20120329214411/https://www.cnu.edu/pcs/xkcd/index.asp here]!
*** The first link it to a post in the [[Blag]]: [https://blog.xkcd.com/2012/03/22/im-visiting-cnu-on-april-4th/ I’m visiting CNU on April 4th].
*** The other link is no longer working, but the link above goes to an archived version.
* There was a special situation with this header text. For three days it was not on the front page, as the [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] [[1037: Umwelt]] came out and stayed from April 1st to April 3rd on the front page.
** This comic had it's own [[#Unique header text|unique header text]] from the start, one that has [[#Umwelt|stayed like this]] since!
*** So from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120401151639/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-01] to [https://web.archive.org/web/20120403223453/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-04-03] the front page had another header:
**** You can get posters, prints, and t-shirts in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
** But all the other comics kept the Visiting header on all three days as shown here:
*** [https://web.archive.org/web/20120401214214/https://xkcd.com:80/1036/ 2012-04-01] from[[1036: Reviews]].
*** [https://web.archive.org/web/20120402150258/https://xkcd.com/1019 2012-04-02] from [[1019: First Post]].
*** [https://web.archive.org/web/20120403164523/https://xkcd.com:80/1036/ 2012-04-03] from [[1036: Reviews]].
**** The one from the 2nd of April was hardest to find, but the most important, because that was clearly in the time period where Umwelt was up, thus definitely proving that the other pages had a different header than the front page. This is rare.
* It returned to the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120404210927/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-04] and stayed up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20120405195956/https://www.xkcd.com/1021/ 2012-04-05] when [[1038: Fountain]] was up.
** The link from the 5th though is from {{xkcd|1021}} [[1021: Business Plan]], the only comic archived on the 5ht to be found.
*** The previous link was the last time it was archived while on the front page.

===2012-03-12 - xkcd Holistic Browser===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120312185125/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-03-12]
* [[1028: Communication]] was up at the time.
** From here the archive doesn't load the page properly so it is really boring to document. This goes for both first and last day of this text.
* The text:
** New: [https://web.archive.org/web/20120318153220/https://holistic.xkcd.com/ holistic.xkcd.com], the least useful web navigation tool ever.
*** The link is now dead, but the link above is to an archived version.
*** On that page there is the following text:
**** The XKCD Holistic Browser
**** Because we are all one.
**** Type a web address
**** and you'll be taken to one
**** typed by someone else.
**** URL:
**** Warning: This allows strangers to direct your browser!
**** They may send you to pages containing
**** porn, viruses, or Justin Bieber fanfiction.
**** At the very least, turn on private browsing.
* During the time this header was active the comic [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]] came out.
** It had its own [[xkcd_Header_text#Unique_header_text|unique header text]] which thus replaced this text on the front page for two days.
** But it did not replace it on all the other pages so this was the active header text during the entire period, see more here: [[xkcd_Header_text#s.2Fkeyboard.2Fleopard.2F|s/keyboard/leopard/]]
* This lasted till [https://web.archive.org/web/20120327050311/https://xkcd.com/1033 2012-03-27] while [[1034: Share Buttons]] was up.
* But the last archived version with this on the front page was the day before [https://web.archive.org/web/20120326180811/https://xkcd.com// 2012-03-26].
** The link from 27th is from an archived version of [[1033: Formal Logic]].

===Changes not documented yet 1===
The above is the last documented.
* There will for sure be more changes earlier than this.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120311135259/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-03-11] Text before. For next entry below...



[[Category:Design of xkcd.com]]{{xkcdmeta}}

Header text

2026-04-16T04:38:25Z

SectorCorruptor: /* Global header text */

<noinclude>{{xkcd.com}}[[File:xkcd_header.png|thumb|right|250px|The [[Design of xkcd.com#Header section|Header section]] is one of the [[Design of xkcd.com|four main sections]] of the [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com] website.]]The '''header text''' is usually updated when [[Randall]] has news to share or wants to add information about a specific comic. The default header text states:

</noinclude><div style="font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: 500; font-size: 16px; width: 760px; line-height: 150%;" class="plainlinks">
:xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.</div><noinclude>

Usually, changes to the header text show up in all comics. However, for certain comics, its header text is changed permanently, which means that comic's page won't be affected by changes to the global header text like the rest of the comics. You can see the list of these [[#Comic-specific header text|Comic-specific header texts]] below.

Usually, the global header text is changed back to the default once the novelty of the news ends. Recently, the default header text has not been used for extended periods of time. The most recent header text change can be found at the top of the [[#Global header text|Global header text section]].

{{incomplete|Someone has created a full list of comic-specific header texts! We have only explained 28 so far, and '''28 are missing'''. [[Talk:Header_text#anc|The full list in on the Talk page!]]. (Also, if you have ''infinite'' spare time, please remove the bullet points on the page and use normal paragraphs.)}}

Use this list to quickly jump to a specific header text, or [[#Comic-specific header text|click here]] to jump to the most recent one.

__TOC__

==Comic-specific header text==
When editing the section, list the changes chronologically with the date of the web archive link and hyperlink each date. Include an internal link to the comic at the time of each change and describe the modifications with relevant information. Place the most recent changes at the top.


===[[2957: A Crossword Puzzle]]===
*This comic's header mentions that it has been inspired by an old comic (by accident, i.e. originally Randall was not aware of his inspiration).
**The comic was released on Wednesday 2024-07-10, but the special header text was first added to the comic and thus on the front page from Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20240711100451/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-07-11]. It stayed there until the next comic came out, so it was still there on Friday morning on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240712141422/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-07-12].
***Once [[2958: Hatchery]] came out later that Friday, the front page header text changed back to that which was currently active on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240712224230/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-07-12].
*The extra new text was added below the currently active hader, and the addition was:
**Today's comic accidentally inspired by [https://www.buttersafe.com/2011/02/17/crosswords/ this Buttersafe comic] from 2011!
*It makes it clear that Randall did not wish to take credit for this old idea.
**Although it seems like he did not know where he got the idea from at first, when he posted it.
**Because the addition of this header text was not posted together with the comic, when it was released on Wednesday 2024-07-10 and it was still not there in the early morning of Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20240711000851/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-07-11].
**That he is a fan of Buttersafe is made clear at the bottom of the xkcd page where it is on Randall's list of the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Comics_I_enjoy|Comics I enjoy]].
*As a special situation this special header did not replace the current header text, but was added below the active header text at the time [[#2024-05-15_-_Special_10th_anniversary_edition_of_WHAT_IF.3F_-_preorder|Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder]].
**This has not been the normal way to add comic-specific header text, even though it was something added later due to Randall realizing he had borrowed inspiration from another person.
**A similar situation happened with the comic [[1723: Meteorite Identification]], which got a similar change to the header text, as can be seen [[Header_text#1723:_Meteorite_Identification|here]]. But that did not incorporate this text into the current header text.
*Since this header was related only to explain the inspiration for this comic, it was removed from the frontpage header, when the next comic was released.
**But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen here [https://web.archive.org/web/20240714152507/https://xkcd.com/2957/ 2022-07-14], two days after it stopped being on the front page.
**Randall never got around to fixing this, so it would only show the new line, so as of this edit it is still like that as can be seen in the most recent version saved [https://web.archive.org/web/20260408143657/https://xkcd.com/2957/ 2026-04-08].
*So the actual full permanent header text for this comic is now:
** [https://xkcd.com/what-if/ Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF?]—revised and annotated with brand-new illustrations and answers to important questions you never thought to ask—coming from November 2024. Preorder [https://bit.ly/WhatIf10th here]!
**Today's comic accidentally inspired by [https://www.buttersafe.com/2011/02/17/crosswords/ this Buttersafe comic] from 2011!



===[[2916: Machine]]===
*This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together.
**It was on the front page from Saturday [https://web.archive.org/web/20240406163326/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-04-06] (although it was supposed to have been a Friday release according to the xkcd archives) until the next comic to come out Monday 2024-04-08, but the earliest archived version of the next comic is from Tuesday [http://web.archive.org/web/20240409060444/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-04-09].
***It probably changed late on Monday the 8th, but Machine was still up late on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240408225854/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-04-08].
***It may be like previous years because this was an April fools' Day comic, and Randall wished it to stay on the front page longer?
**When [[2917: Types of Eclipse Photo]] was released the front page returned to normal header.
**The previous comic [[2915: Eclipse Clouds]] was still on the front page Saturday [https://web.archive.org/web/20240406053609/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-04-06]. So a very late Friday release...
*The text:
**Today's comic was created with [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://github.com/spyhi Ed White], [https://twitter.com/uh_oh_thats_bad Alex Garcia], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin Cotrone], [http://burningcandle.io/ Conor & Ami Stokes], [https://liranuna.com/ Liran Nuna], [https://www.instagram.com/fading_interest/ Patrick], [https://manishearth.github.io/ Manish Goregaokar], [https://github.com/benley Benjamin Staffin], [https://github.com/ayust Amber], and [https://github.com/dyfrgi Michael Leuchtenburg] with physics by [https://rapier.rs/ Rapier].
*It thanks those that helped Randall create that years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]].
**All have a link to their name, either to Instagram page or X or their own home pages. Some of them have also helped with the two previous [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]], see below, but there are many more involved in this one than any of the previous.
**Also the Fast 2D and 3D physics engine for the Rust programming language, Rapier, is mentioned as standing for the physics of the comic.
*Since this header was related only to the Fools' comic, it was removed from the frontpage header, when the next comic was released.
**But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen two days after it stopped being on the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240409010518/https://xkcd.com/2916/ 2022-04-09].


===[[2765: Escape Speed]]===
*This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together.
**It was on the front page from Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20230420203744/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-04-20] (although it was supposed to have been a Wednesday release according to the xkcd archives) until Friday [https://web.archive.org/web/20230421082400/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-04-21], when the next new comic was released (very late, possibly because this was an April fools' Day comic, and Randall wished it to stay on the front page longer?)
***When [[2766: Helium Reserve]] was released the front page returned to normal header. This seems to have not happened until Saturday as the earliest archive is form [https://web.archive.org/web/20230422121650/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-04-22] with the new comic.
*The text:
**Today's comic was put together with help from [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://www.instagram.com/fading_interest/ Patrick Clapp], [https://amberyu.st/ Amber], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin], [https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin], and [https://www.aiweirdness.com/ Janelle Shane].
*It thanks those that helped Randall create that years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]].
**All have a link to their name, either to Instagram page or Twitter or their own home pages. Most of them have also helped with the two previous April Fools' Day comic, see below.
*Since this header was related only to the Fools' comic, it was removed from the frontpage header, when the next comic was released.
**But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen two days after it stopped being on the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20230423150206/https://xkcd.com/2765/ 2022-04-23].


===[[2601: Instructions]]===
*This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together.
**It was on the front page from Friday [https://web.archive.org/web/20220401210146/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-04-01] until Tuesday [https://web.archive.org/web/20220405031003/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-04-05], when the next new comic was released (very late, possibly because Instructions was an April fools' Day comic, and Randall wished it to stay on the front page longer?)
***When [[2602: Linguistics Degree]] was released the front page returned to normal header This seems to have not happened until Tuesday as the earliest archive is form [https://web.archive.org/web/20220405125644/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-04-05] with the new comic.
*The text:
**Today's comic was created with [https://twitter.com/fadinginterest Patrick], [https://twitter.com/Aiiane Amber], [https://twitter.com/chromakode @chromakode], [https://twitter.com/dyfrgi Michael], [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat], [https://twitter.com/xDirtyPunkx Conor], [https://twitter.com/zigdon @zigdon], and [https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin].
*It thanks those that helped Randall create that years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]].
**All have a link to their name, the first with an Instagram page, the other seven with a link to their Twitter account. Five of those also helped with the previous April Fools' Day comic, see below.
*Since this header was related only to the Fools' comic, it was removed from the frontpage header, when the next comic was released.
**But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen two days after it stopped being on the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220406021357/https://xkcd.com/2601/ 2022-04-06].


===[[2445: Checkbox]]===
*This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together.
**It was on the front page from Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20210401232108/https://xkcd.com/ 2021-04-01] until Monday [https://web.archive.org/web/20210405130031/http://xkcd.com/ 2021-04-05], until the new comic was released on Monday.
*The text:
**This comic was put together by [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://twitter.com/fadinginterest Patrick], [https://twitter.com/Aiiane Amber], [https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin Cotrone], [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat], and [https://twitter.com/dyfrgi Michael Leuchtenburg].
*It thanks those that helped Randall create that years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]].
**All have a link to their name, the first with a personal home page, the other six with a link to their Twitter account. Five of those also helped with the previous April Fools' Day comic, see below.
*Since this header was related only to the Fools' comic, it was removed from the front page header, when the next comic was released, here from the day after that release Tuesday [https://web.archive.org/web/20210406143023/http://xkcd.com/ 2021-04-06].
*But it stayed up as one of the permanent different headers on this comic, as seen two days later on [https://web.archive.org/web/20210407203547/https://xkcd.com/2445/ 2021-04-07].


===[[2288: Collector's Edition]]===
This comic's header mentions the people who helped put it together, and gives links to all of their Twitter profiles, except
Christopher Nights'. It was on the front page only for about a day around April 3rd and
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200404014814/http://xkcd.com/#-370,-277vApril 4th 2020].
The header text says:
<blockquote>
Today's comic was put together by [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://twitter.com/Aiiane Amber],
[https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin],
[https://www.instagram.com/fading_interest/ @fading_interest], [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat],
[https://twitter.com/zigdon @zigdon], and Christopher Night.
</blockquote>
The header text thanks those who helped Randall create the 2020 [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]], which had taken
two extra days before it was released due to the complex nature of the comic.
Due to the delay, the next comic, [[2289: Scenario 4]], was released the day after the April Fool's comic, [[2289:_Scenario_4#Trivia|on a Saturday]].
Since this header was related only to the April Fools' comic, it was removed from the front page header when the next comic was released,
but it stayed up as a permanent header for this comic.



===[[1928: Seven Years]]===
[http://web.archive.org/web/20171214171157/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-12-14]
It was released as a response to another cancer diagnosis, this is explained in the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Header_text|Header text]] which has replaced the standard ''xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.'' The new one is this one, with the active link included:
The text (with link):
* Becky Beaton, sister of fellow cartoonist Kate Beaton, has also been diagnosed with cancer. You can support her treatment [https://www.youcaring.com/beckybeaton-1008390 here].
{{w|Kate Beaton}} is the creator of the web comic [http://www.harkavagrant.com/ Hark! A Vagrant].
* Although this comic is not one on Randall's list of ''[[Design_of_xkcd.com#Comics_I_enjoy|Comics I enjoy]]'', he is clearly much influenced by another cancer diagnosis among someone in his own creative field.below.
On [https://web.archive.org/web/20190817141450/https://www.xkcd.com/1928/ 2019-08-17], close to two years later, the message was still there and also [https://web.archive.org/web/20211226120634/https://xkcd.com/1928/ 2021-12-26] just past four years later.
* There was the possibility that it would be removed, when the support page was discontinued...
* But as that already happened before [http://web.archive.org/web/20181106124430/https://www.youcaring.com/beckybeaton-1008390 2018-11-06] it seems like it will be there to stay.
* Last archived version was from [http://web.archive.org/web/20180305022301/https://www.youcaring.com/beckybeaton-1008390 2018-03-05].
* Randall has previously done something similar for another friend, Emily, but [[#2014-11-27_-_Help_Emily|that header]] was not made permanent.



===[[1830: ISS Solar Transit 2]]===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170428041338/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-04-28]
This header links back to [[1828: ISS Solar Transit]], a comic with the same joke setup released on the Monday of the same week


===[[1723: Meteorite Identification]]===
Randall realized that his comic was almost a copy of some other person. And he has since then acknowledged this on the comics specific page see more [[1723: Meteorite Identification#Trivia|here]].
At the time of this post, in the newest saved version on the archive from [http://web.archive.org/web/20161010215516/http://xkcd.com/1723/ 2016-10-10] it is still there and says:
* Note: Jolyon, founder of [http://www.mindat.org/ mindat.org], made a similar chart way before me!


===[[1679: Substitutions 3]]===
This comic is the third installment of the [[:Category:Substitution]] series, and as Randall did with [[#Substitutions 2]],
the header text links to the previous comics in the series, and tells the user about Chrome Browser extensions for substitution.
The header text reads:
<blockquote>
(Previously: {{xkcd|1288|Substitutions}} and {{xkcd|1625|Substitutions 2}}) 
Note: There are various [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/replacerator/gaajhenbcclienfnniphiiambbbninnp?hl=en browser extensions] for this.
</blockquote>
This header text was on the main page while the comic was on the main page, for instance on
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160512102325/http://xkcd.com/ 2016-05-12]. It remains on the comic page.



===[[1663: Garden]]===
This comic had a header text to help people use the comic when it came out.
For some time this text was the main header text, but after a while is disappeared from the main header, but remained as the header for Garden.
* See more [[xkcd_Header_text#2016-04-04_-_Protip_on_Garden|below]] or on the Garden page [[Garden#Header_text_after_release|here]]
Today and as of the newest saved version on the archive from [http://web.archive.org/web/20161231231600/http://xkcd.com/1663/ 2016-12-31] it is still there and says:
* Protip: If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
* You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.


===[[1625: Substitutions 2]]===
This was the second installment of Substitutions and Randall links to the first and tells about browser extensions for this:
The text:
* (Previously: {{xkcd|1288|Substitutions}})
* Note: There are various [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xkcd-substitutions/jkgogmboalmaijfgfhfepckdgjeopfhk?hl=en browser extensions] for this.
** He did the same when [[xkcd_Header_text#Substitutions_3|Substitutions 3]] came out, linking to the two previous.
It was on the main page while the comic was up, for instance here on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160104171722/http://xkcd.com/ 2016-01-04].


===[[1079: United Shapes]]===
The header text was unique for this comic on the day it came out:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120709045709/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-07-09].
It read:
<blockquote>
There's a larger version of this map [http://xkcd.com/1079/large/ here] (Colorado is [http://xkcd.com/1079/colorado/ here]). 
It's also available as a [http://store.xkcd.com/xkcd/#StateMap poster].
</blockquote>
([https://web.archive.org/web/20120709045709/http://store.xkcd.com/xkcd/#StateMap Archived store link, 2012-07-22])

This header text only appeared with the comic, as on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120709004956/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-07-09],
at a time before this comic was released, the previous
[[xkcd_Header_text#2012-04-09 -_Standard_text_plus_store_link|promotion of the store]] header text was still on the main page.

As this comic was still on the main page the day after ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120710063424/http://xkcd.com/ 2012-07-10]),
a new [[Header_text#2012-07-10_-_New:_what-if.xkcd.com|header text promoting Randall's new what if? blog]]
was not shown on the main page.
The what if? promotion was added to this comic's header text the next day,
on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711123734/http://xkcd.com:80/1079/ 2012-07-11].
However, the part about Colorado was lost in this edit. This is the version still shown on {{xkcd|1079}} today, including the
what if? promotion.
<blockquote>
There's a larger version of this map [http://xkcd.com/1079/large/ here]! It's also available as a
[https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters/products/united-shapes-poster poster]. 
New: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/1/ what-if.xkcd.com]: abusing science to answer hypothetical questions. 
I'll answer a new reader question every Tuesday.
</blockquote>
([https://web.archive.org/web/20121203164246/https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters/products/united-shapes-poster Archived store link, 2012-12-03])

The what if? promotion links to the very first ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|1|Relativistic Baseball}}'' which was released on 2012-07-10, the day after this comic was released, but before the next comic [[1080: Visual Field]] was released on 2012-07-11.

There is no archived version of comic {{xkcd|1080}} while it was on the front page, so it is not possible to tell what the front page looked like on the 11th and 12th of July 2012. Most likely it was the what if? promotion.
* Maybe there was a time with the final version of the header text the front page, but seems like Randall put the new header text there by hand, and forgot to delete it after, so he probably first changed it when the new comic came out.
* Since the new header was important, promoting his new ''what if'' blog, Randall likely did not wish to have a recent page/the main page without it.
* But this makes it a special unique header, as a relic from the past header text is left together with the text that was supposed to be permanent. It should have been deleted when the link to ''what if'' 1 was removed.



===[[1047: Approximations]]===
It has a permanent text saying that many people emailed Randall about another approximation for one year than the one given in the comic.
* As it was already there from the release day on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120425220409/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-25] it seems unlikely that he actually received those e-mails before changing the header text for this comic!
The unique text:
* Lots of emails mention the physicist favorite, 1 year = pi x 107 seconds.
* 75^4 is a hair more accurate, but it's hard to top 3,141,592's elegance.
There was a different header on other comics even while this comic was on the front page with the unique text. See [[#2012-04-09_-_Standard_text_plus_store_link|Plus store link]].


===[[1037: Umwelt]]===
It has a permanent promotion of the store already from the release day on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120401151639/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-01]:
The unique text:
* You can get posters, prints, and t-shirts in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
It stayed on the front page while this comic was the most recent, so for instance also two days later on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120403223453/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-04-03]
* There was a different header on other comics even while this comic was on the front page with the unique text. See [[xkcd_Header_text#2012-03-28_-_Visiting_Newport_News|Visiting Newport News]].


===[[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]]===
In response to the idea of having you browser replace keyboard with leopard a reader made a script that could do just that.
Randall seem to have gotten this script before release (or at least on the day of release) as it was already the header text on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120319130702/http://xkcd.com/ 2012-03-19] the day the comic was released.
The unique text is:
* A helpful reader has provided an [https://userscripts.org/scripts/show/128626 s/keyboard/leopard/ user script].
** The link does not go anywhere useful any longer, but here is the archived version of the link from two days after the release of the comic on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120321174019/http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/128626 2012-03-21]
It was never changed on the other comics so was only on the front while this comic was up until 2012-03-21
* Here also shown on the second day it was up on its own page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120320143916/http://xkcd.com:80/1031/ 2012-03-20].
The next comic [[1032: Networking]] came out on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120321205835/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-03-21] and here the header text has returned to what it was before the leopard comic: [[xkcd_Header_text#2012-03-12_-_xkcd_Holistic_Browser|xkcd Holistic Browser]].
* Here are examples from dates around this showing it was not used on other pages:
** The last archived version of the front page from before the 19th was this version from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120317121834/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-03-17], but here is an example from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120318153256/http://xkcd.com:80/1030/ 2012-03-18] (from comic [[1030: Keyed]]), the day before leopard comic came out.
** Both on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120319174700/http://xkcd.com/1030/ 2012-03-19] (from comic [[1030: Keyed]]) and on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120320191039/http://xkcd.com:80/1012 2012-03-20] (from comic [[1012: Wrong Superhero]]) during the time leopard was up, the header text currently in used was still shown.


===[[996: Making Things Difficult]]===
To give context to the comic about cancer, Randall links to a [[Blag]] post about his family's struggle with cancer.
The header text says:
<blockquote>
Some context for the cancer comics:
[https://blog.xkcd.com/2011/06/30/family-illness/ https://blog.xkcd.com/2011/06/30/family-illness/]
</blockquote>
This header text appears on the oldest stored version of the comic page from [https://web.archive.org/web/20111229043804/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2011-12-29] when it was on the main page.


===[[980: Money]]===
Randall notes his thoughts about making it and makes a promotion of the poster.
The unique text:
* This one was fun (and exhausting) to make.
* There's a poster of it in the [https://store.xkcd.com/products/money-poster store]!
** It is both at the oldest stored version from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120404110059/http://xkcd.com:80/980 2012-04-04] and the newest at time of editing [https://web.archive.org/web/20220108132250/https://xkcd.com/980/ 2022-01-08].


===[[977: Map Projections]]===
Randall notes that a person had birthday on the release of this comic about maps, and this guy has maps on his homepage
The unique text:
* It turns out Monday was Steve Waterman's birthday. His [https://web.archive.org/web/20111118003418/http://www.watermanpolyhedron.com/ site] has posters of his map, plus maybe the world's only Winkel Tripel-critiquing poetry.
** The link goes to [http://www.watermanpolyhedron.com/ Waterman project] home page. Above the link goes to an archived version from around the time of release of the header text.
** It is at the oldest stored version with the comic on the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20111115231643/http://xkcd.com:80/ 2011-11-15].


===[[851: Na]]===
After Randall released this comic, he realized he could have "made it better," and did so.
He changed the header text alert people to this, saying:
<blockquote>
I can't ''believe'' I forgot Hey Jude.
I don't get do-overs, but I couldn't resist making [https://xkcd.com/851_make_it_better/ a fixed version].
</blockquote>
See more about it in that comic's [[851:_Na#Trivia|trivia section]].


===[[739: Malamanteau]]===
Randall notes that he has changed this comics license, so it can be used on Wikipedia.
The text:
* At Wikipedia's request, I release this comic under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ cc-by-sa] license.
** The link is to the page regarding {{w|Creative Commons license}} in the US.
** Specifically for Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-SA 3.0 US)
*** Usually xkcd is [[Design_of_xkcd.com#License_and_copyright|shared under]] [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License]. This does not allow commercial use, But the 3.0 does.
When the comic came out it had the normal header text from that time, as seen here two days after release on [https://web.archive.org/web/20100514072436/http://xkcd.com/ 2010-05-14].
* First archived version with the unique text is from [https://web.archive.org/web/20100913003146/http://xkcd.com/739/ 2010-09-13], but the previous archived version of this comic is from [https://web.archive.org/web/20100713160533/http://xkcd.com:80/739/ 2010-07-13].
* So it happened somewhere in the two months in between. But at least it was not there the first two months after release, but there before four month after release.


===577–580: [[:Category:The Race|The Race]]: Parts 1–4===
[[:Category:The Race|The Race]] was a 5-comic series published daily over the duration of one week, Monday through Friday. On comics
[[577: The Race: Part 1]], [[578: The Race: Part 2]], [[579: The Race: Part 3]], and [[580: The Race: Part 4]], parts 1–4 of the
series, Randall announced to users that xkcd would update once a day over the course of that week.

The header text for 577, published on Monday of that week, reads:
<blockquote>
For this week, xkcd will update once a day.
</blockquote>
The header texts for 578, 579, and 580, published respectively on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, read:
<blockquote>
For this week, xkcd will update once a day (through Friday).
</blockquote>

On comic [[581: The Race: Part 5]], this header text does not appear, likely because it wouldn't be useful to inform people of daily
updates for a week at the end of the week.


===[[563: Fermirotica]]===
The header text for this comic informs the reader of prints of this comic in the [[Store]], and gives an example sex calculation.
It reads:
<blockquote>
There are xkcd prints available in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ store]. 
[https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=sqrt(2%2F(pi*18000%2F(mi^2)*80%2Fyear*30+minutes) Example Google sex calculation].
</blockquote>
The first link is a link to the [[Store|xkcd Store]], which, as of early February 2026, is closed for the time being. The second link is a
Google Search link for an example sex calculation with the formula in the comic, where
''Pd'' = 18000/mi2,
''XF'' = 80/year, and
''Xd'' = 30 minutes.
This calculation results in ''r'' equaling ~142 meters.


===[[488: Steal This Comic]]===
Comic 488 advocates against {{w|Digital rights management}}, or <abbr title="Digital rights management">DRM</abbr>. In the header text, Randall notes that Amazon sells
DRM-free music. It reads:
<blockquote>
Note: the [https://www.amazon.com/MP3-Music-Download/b?ie=UTF8&node=163856011 Amazon.com MP3 store] sells DRM-free music. Kudos.
</blockquote>
The header text links to Amazon MP3 music. Here is an archived version of the store from
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081001083843/http://www.amazon.com/MP3-Music-Download/b?ie=UTF8&node=163856011 2008-10-01],
two weeks prior to the release of the comic.
The header text was on the comic from the release day, here seen the day after on the first archived version from
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081014232952/http://xkcd.com/ 2008-10-14].


===[[472: House of Pancakes|472: House of Pancakes]]===
This comic's header notes its status as a parody:
* (Today's comic is a parody of [https://www.amazon.com/House-Leaves-Mark-Z-Danielewski/dp/0375703764 House of Leaves].)
Only on the days this comic was the newest was this header featured on the front page of xkcd for instance as seen here the day after release on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06].
* But it was only on this comic. The commercial for his new t-shirt was on all the other pages, also on [https://web.archive.org/web/20080906103932/http://www.xkcd.com/ 2008-09-06] and presumably returned to the front page with the next comic. But there is a gap in the archive after this comic.

==Global header text==
When editing the section, list the changes chronologically with the date of the web archive link and hyperlink each date. Include an internal link to the newest comic at the time of each change and describe the modifications with relevant information. Position the last comic displaying the header text below the other data and place the most recent change at the top.

===2026-04-16 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20260401210255/https://xkcd.com/ 2026-04-16].
*[[3233: Make It Myself]] came out when the header changed.
* The text:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* With this, the reading-modes update was removed.

===2026-04-07 - Reading Modes===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20260401210255/https://xkcd.com/ 2026-04-01].
*[[3227: Creation]] was released as the 2026 [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' comic]], but the real April Fools' was a new feature, which was explained in the global header text.
* The text:
** We're pleased to announce a major update to xkcd, with new reading modes to enhance user experience. Select a mode via the menu below the comic.
**Brought to you by our excellent design team: [https://github.com/ayust Amber], [https://github.com/benley Benjamin Staffin], and [https://github.com/cotrone Kevin]
*At first it would seem that this would be a text, only belonging to the new comic, but since the feature is active on all comics, it was not only on the front page, but on all other comics as well. And it stayed there after the next comic was released.
**So this is not a comic specific header text.

===2026-01-07 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20260107194433/https://xkcd.com/ 2026-01-07].
* [[3191: Superstition]] came out when the header changed.
* The text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* This was the first time since [[#2022-01-08_-_Back_to_standard_text|2022-01-08]] that the text had changed back to that, so exactly four years.
**Last time it only lasted a few days before the [[#2022-01-10_-_Standard_text_with_countdown|countdown]] started.
*It was also the first time since December 5th, 2024 that the header text had changed, a span of more than a year (13 months) making it by far the longest time the header text had been left unchanged.
* It was up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20260331171250/https://xkcd.com/ 2026-03-31] when [[3226: Home Solar]] was on the front page.
**Almost two months, a long stretch with the original title text in use!

===2024-12-05 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - order===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20241205201038/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-12-05].
* [[3020: Infinite Armada Chess]] came out when the header changed.
* The text:
** [https://xkcd.com/what-if/ Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF?]—revised and
** annotated with brand-new illustrations and answers to important
** questions you never thought to ask—Out now. Order it here! [https://bit.ly/WhatIf10th here]!
* The first link goes to the page for the what if? book on xkcd and the other link is to the HarperCollins page for the 10th anniversary edition of the book.
* Only difference in this header compared to the previous version is the last part after the final hypen.
* This header stayed up for exactly 13 months. See link at the bottom.
* With the [[#2024-05-15_-_Special_10th_anniversary_edition_of_WHAT_IF.3F_-_preorder|preorder]] version coming out in mid May 2024 the 10th anniversary edition ended up been in the header text almost 1 year and 7 month (except the month of [[#2024-10-16 - Promotion of Kamala Harris for president|endorsing Harris]]), thus it was on the header for 1.5 years in total.
* And before that what if? has been part of the header back to [[#2022-01-31 - What if? 2|2022-01-31]], when what if? 2 was announced.
* And three weeks before that the [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|countdown]] for what if? 2 began. Of course there was no what if? word on that header as it was a surprise. But it turned out this was also a promotion for what if?
* And up until the day before the countdown (when there was one day with the old standard text) there was promotion for the first what if? book starting on [[#2021-12-20 - What If in stock|2021-12-20]].
** To sum it up, the header has been used to promote what if? continuously from December 2021 until at least the start of January 2026 (except one month with endorsing Harris and three weeks countdown that was for what if?) So more than 4 years in a row, only with a month for something political and the 3 weeks of countdown was also a promotion for what if?
* It was up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20260106150417/https://xkcd.com/3190/ 2026-01-06] when [[3190: Tensegrity]] was on the front page.
**It had then been up for more than 13 months in a row by a day. There had been no change to the header text at all during 2025.

===2024-11-16 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20241116184702/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-11-16].
* [[3012: The Future of Orion]] was on the front page when the text changed.
* It returned to the exact same header text as before: [[#2024-05-15_-_Special_10th_anniversary_edition_of_WHAT_IF.3F_-_preorder|2024-05-15 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder]].
* It was up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20241204160618/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-12-04] when [[3019: Advent Calendar Advent Calendar]] was on the front page.
** The only change was that the last part after the last hyphen changed from when you had to preorder to now that you could order the book.

===2024-10-16 - Promotion of Kamala Harris for president===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20241017002108/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-10-17]
* For some reason the web archive failed to upload xkcd on the day it changed, but that it did change a day before can be seen in this other archive [https://web.archive.org/web/20241116184702/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-11-16].
* [[2999: Bad Map Projection: The United Stralia]] came out when this header was changed.
* Instead of text, it is a three part comic. In the first panel, [[Cueball]] (probably representing [[Randall]]) is shown walking, carrying a sign. In the second panel, he is seen hitting the sign with a hammer into the ground. In the third, Cueball is gone, and the front of the sign can be seen:
** <big>Harris for president</big>
* This is in reference to the 2024 presidential elections and shows that Randall endorses Harris.
* Randall posted the same image on his [https://x.com/xkcd/status/1853098106667114801 Twitter (formally X)] and [https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3la2jku6ace2f Bluesky] accounts on November 3rd, 2024, two days before the presidential election.
* It was up for a month until [https://web.archive.org/web/20241115181146/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2024-11-15] when [[3012: The Future of Orion]] was on the front page. It changed while that comic was still up back to the one from before.

===2024-05-15 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? - preorder===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20240515200351/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-05-15]
* [[2933: Elementary Physics Paths]] came out when the header changed.
* The text:
** [https://xkcd.com/what-if/ Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF?]—revised and annotated with brand-new illustrations and answers to important questions you never thought to ask—coming from November 2024. Preorder [https://bit.ly/WhatIf10th here]!
* The first link goes to the page for the what if? book on xkcd and the other link is to the HarperCollins page for the 10th anniversary edition of the book.
* It was up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20241015192147/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-10-15] while [[2998: Ravioli-Shaped Objects]] was on the front page.
After a month of endorsing endorses Harris the heder text returned to this again, see [[#2024-11-16_-_Special_10th_anniversary_edition_of_WHAT_IF.3F_-_preorder|2024-110-16 - Special 10th anniversary edition of WHAT IF? -preorder]].

===2024-03-20 - What If? is on YouTube!===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20240320173158/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-03-20]
* [[2909: Moon Landing Mission Profiles]] came out when the header changed.
The only text version from the previous header was trimmed having some words removed taking it down from four to three lines (and solving the bad alignment that happened five days before at the end of the previous header text).
* The text:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/ What If?] is on YouTube! The first video answers
** “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LSyizrk8-0 What if we aimed Hubble at Earth?]” Follow the
** [https://www.youtube.com/@xkcd_whatif What If?] channel to be notified about new videos.
* The first link goes to the what if? page on xkcd and the other two links are to the YouTube channel and to its very first video.
The promotion of the what if? franchise continues for the second year running. A few words were taken off as the YouTube channel was no longer new at this point.
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240514034349/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-05-14], while [[2932: Driving PSA]] was on the front page. But the what if? promotion continued

===2023-11-29 - What If? is now on YouTube!===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20231129184009/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-11-29]
* [[2861: X Value]] came out when the header changed.
There was only text this time.
* The text:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/ What If?] is now on YouTube!
** Check out the first video for the answer to
** “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LSyizrk8-0 What if we aimed the Hubble Telescope at Earth?]”
** and follow [https://www.youtube.com/@xkcd_whatif xkcd’s What If? The Video Series channel] to be notified about each new video.
* The links goes to the what if page on xkcd and the other two links is to the new YouTube channel with videos of some of the what if articles and to the very first video.
This is thus not a promotion of the what if? 2 book but still promotion of the what if? franchise.
A small change happened on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240314113602/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-03-14], as the first two lines became one line which made the alignment worse. So it seemed strange to do this. It looked like normal up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20240313113429/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-03-13]. But it only lasted five days before a change was made that made it into a new although very similar header text.
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20240319134138/https://xkcd.com/ 2024-03-19], while [[2908: Moon Armor Index]] was on the front page, but was replaced by a very similar what if? header.

===2023-08-31 - What if? 2 is now available in paperback in the UK!===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20230831200321/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-08-31]
* [[2822: *@gmail.com]] came out when the header changed.
* The image to the right stayed, but after more than a half year with no text, text was added to the left of the picture because the paper back was available in the UK.
** As opposed to the previous headers this was plain text and not a picture.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The text:
** What if? 2 is [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/#UK now available] in paperback in the UK!
** what if? 2
* The link goes to https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/#UK, the page on xkcd about the What if? 2 book, and directing to the UK order links where there now also it a paper back version.
This version was still up in the middle of November 2023 when this segment was updated.
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20231128174224/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-11-28], while [[2860: Decay Modes]] was on the front page, but was replaced by another What If? header.
* Although it was not specifically related to the new book. Thus it ended a more than 22 month long constant promotion of the book since the [[#2022-01-10_-_Standard_text_with_countdown|countdown]] began in January 2022.

===2023-02-17 - What if? 2 picture only===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20230217185629/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-02-17]
* [[2739: Data Quality]] came out when the header changed.
* For the first time in a very long time there is no real header text. Only the small red picture with the plane and the title of the what if? 2 book in the right section of the header. As it has been since [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]] stopped.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20230830064414/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-08-30], while [[2821: Path Minimization]] was on the front page, but was replaced by another What If? 2 header.

===2022-09-23 - What if? 2 Instant New York Times Bestseller===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220923182825/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-23]
* [[2675: Pilot Priority List]] was on the front page when the header changed.
** The header celebrates that the new what if? 2 book has become an instant New York Times bestseller.
* The header kept the same layout as the previous and thus still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at the plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are two lines of text, with the first line in very large bold letters.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** What if? 2
** Instant New York Times bestseller.
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20230216181705/https://xkcd.com/ 2023-02-16], while [[2738: Omniknot]] was on the front page, but was replaced by another What If? 2 header,

===2022-09-13 - What if? 2 is available now===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220913142432/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-13]
* [[2672: What If? 2 Flowchart]] was released as the header changed, even though it was a Tuesday.
** The header and the comic celebrates the release of the new what if? 2 book, that came out on this day.
* The header kept the same layout as the previous and thus still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at the plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are two lines of text, with the first line in very large bold letters
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** What if? 2 is available now!
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
This thus ended the pre-release promotion of the book, that began on [[#xkcd_Header_text#2022-01-31_-_What_if.3F_2|2022-01-31]], plus of course the three weeks of [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|countdown]] before. For a sum total of 8 months and three days.
* It will be interesting to see how long before any reference to what if? 2 will disappear from the header text.
This version ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220922150042/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-22], but was replaced by another What If? 2 header, while [[2675: Pilot Priority List]] was on the front page.

===2022-09-12 - One day to What if? 2 comes out===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220912125617/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-12]
* This was while [[2670: Interruption]] was still up.
* The header is the same layout as the previous and thus still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at he plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are three lines of text. With the first line written in large bold letters. This also has a footnote star. And the footnote is then written to the right in smaller font over five lines of text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** One dayuntil what if? 2 comes out!
** <nowiki></nowiki>I'm going to spend the day with that Les Mis song stuck in my head, aren't I.
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
* The foot note refers to the [[2636: What If? 2 Countdown]]. For the date where the header changed 2022-09-12 it was ''F(99) where F(N) means sing all the verses of N Bottles of Beer On the wall followed by F(N-1)'' to release day.
** It is thus for certain this song Randall mentions will now be stuck in his head.
** Les mis song, referring to a song from the musical les miserables titled "One Day More", he now has stuck in his head.
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220913134002/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-13].
** This was while [[2671: Rotation]] was still up, early on the release day of the new book.

===2022-09-12 - Three days to What if? 2 comes out===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220911102450/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-11]
* This was while [[2670: Interruption]] was still up.
* The header is the same layout as the previous and thus still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at he plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are three lines of text. With the first line written in large bold letters. This also has a footnote star. And the footnote is then written to the right in smaller font over five lines of text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** Three daysuntil what if? 2 comes out!
** <nowiki></nowiki>Assuming it's still Saturday. I'm a static png image and can't perceive time.
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
* The header only stayed the same for one day and [[2670: Interruption]] was still up when it changed to the next.

===2022-09-07 - Less than one week to What if? 2 comes out===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220907211736/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-07]
* This was while [[2668: Artemis Quote]] was still up.
* The header still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. To the left is still the picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at he plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text. To the right of the book there are four lines of text. With the middle line written in large bold letters. This also has a footnote star. And the footnote is then written to the right in smaller font over four lines of text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** Less than one weekuntil what if? 2 comes out!
** <nowiki></nowiki>Oh no, now I have that song stuck in my head.
** what if? 2
*** Both images are links that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
* The foot note refers to the [[2636: What If? 2 Countdown]]. For the date where the header changed 2022-09-07 it was ''one pico-universe-lifetime'' to release day. But the next day 2022-09-08 it was ''The Baby Shark chorus for a family of 50,000 sharks''.
** It is thus for certain this song Randall mentions will now be stuck in his head.
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220910024549/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-10].
** This was while [[2670: Interruption]] was up.

===2022-08-27 - Preorder What if? 2 - with image - again===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220827232205/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-27]
* [[2664: Cloud Swirls]] came out when it changed.
* The header [[#2022-08-16 - Preorder What if? 2 - with image|changed back]] to the preorder image from the previous header, when Randall's book tour ended. See the link.
It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220906191403/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-09-06].
* This was while [[2668: Artemis Quote]] was up.

===2022-08-17 - What if? 2 book tour===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220817161136/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-17]
* [[2659: Unreliable Connection]] was out when it changed.
* The header still consist of two parts. With the right picture the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. Inside this there is text to the left. Then Cueball is seen flying by holding on to a single balloon (like in [[1110: Click and Drag]]). He flies over five mountain peaks with snow, with three clouds and three distant birds in front of him, as he drifts to the right, as shown with movements lines behind him. In front of him is a dark feature at the bottom of the frame. Above this is a blue square (like a button) with white text.
* The text:
** I'm going on a what if? 2 book tour!
** Click to see where
** what if? 2
*** The image to the left is a link to [https://xkcd.com/events/ randall munroe: events] page on xkcd. Which at the time showed the calendar with the planned stop for his book tour, which covered the US and London.
*** As always the link button in blue is not the only part of the image that is a link, as he just mentioned in the [[#2022-08-11 - Preorder What if? 2 - with image|previous header text]], and several times before...
*** The right image is a link that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
This header thus continues the promotion of the new book, which was at the time was only 27 days away (or [[2636:_What_If%3F_2_Countdown|6 dog months]]).
* It will be interesting to see how long it takes before promotion for the book disappears from the header. It may still take months.
The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220826202043/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-26].
* This was while [[2663: Tetherball Configurations]] was up.

===2022-08-11 - Preorder What if? 2 - with image===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220811055445/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-11]
* [[2657: Complex Vowels]] came out as it changed.
The message in the header was not really changed, but the meaning of the text from the previous header was now written in an image, although the text did change somewhat.
* The header thus still consist of two parts. To the left the new image with an picture of the book and text. And to the right the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The new image to the left has a black border. Inside this to the right is the new text. To the left is a picture of the new what if? 2 book. It has the same image as in the picture to the right, but showing the entire front of the book, with details of those looking up at he plane from the ground. The title and the author name can be read in white on the red book. There are also unreadable white text above the plane and below the author name. The spine of the book can also be seen, as the book is seen a bit from the side. Here are also unreadable white text.
* The text:
** what if? 2
** Randall Munroe
** Preorder what if? 2 and enter for a chance to win a comic inspired by your question! Click here to learn more. Or click wherever. This whole image is a link because html is hard.
** what if? 2
*** In the left image there is a blue link font on the word "here" in click here. However the entire left image is a link to the [https://sites.prh.com/whatif2 what if 2 contest]. As explained he did not only make the word a link because html is hard! This is something Randall [[xkcd_Header_text#2014-07-23_-_what_if.3F_book_tour|often comments on]].
**** The link in the text goes to a contest page that starts with the words:
**** [https://web.archive.org/web/20220718171904/https://sites.prh.com/whatif2 Want Randall Munroe to answer you What If? question?]
**** Here above the web archive version of the link, in case the link from the text goes dead in the future.
*** The right image is a link that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220816124823/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-16].
** This was while [[2659: Unreliable Connection]] was up.

===2022-07-19 - Preorder What if? 2===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220719153239/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-07-19]
* [[2647: Capri Suns]] came out as it changed.
The header looked a lot like the previous one, only part of the text changed.
* The header thus still consist of two part. To the left a line of text (split up, most likely over four lines for most users). And to the right the window also used in [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]], but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plane is the book title in white text.
* The text:
** Preorder What If? 2 (all US preorders eligible) and [https://sites.prh.com/whatif2 enter our contest] for a chance to win a dedicated comic and What If blog post!
** what if? 2
*** The image is a link that goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ what if? 2: the book].
** The link in the text goes to a contest page that starts with the words:
*** [https://web.archive.org/web/20220718171904/https://sites.prh.com/whatif2 Want Randall Munroe to answer you What If? question?]
*** Here above the web archive version of the link, in case the link from the text goes dead in the future.
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220810034709/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-08-10].
** This was while [[2656: Scientific Field Prefixes]] was up.

===2022-01-31 - What if? 2===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220201000434/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-02-01]
* [[2575: What If? 2]] came out as it changed, and then it [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/36/Countdown_in_header_text_page_when_what_if_comic_came_out.png looked like this] already on 2022-01-31. But there is no archived version from that day after the header changed.
** This was what [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|the countdown]] had been counting down to.
** An announcement that Randall had written a sequel to the first ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book, based on his blog.
* The header consist of two part. To the left a line of text (split up, most likely over three lines for most users). And to the right the window also used in the countdown, but with the image that appeared in it after the count down ended.
** The image is taken from the front cover of the new book, with red background, showing a passenger plane taking off with the wheels still down. On top of it a Tyrannosaurus Rex has begun eating its way into the plane. Below the plan ia the book title in white text.
* The text:
** What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions comes out 9/13. Preorder [https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/ here!]
** What If? 2:
*** The link goes to a dedicated page on xkcd about what if? 2: the book. The image is also a link to this page.
*** The entire comic that came out along with the new header text is also a link to that page.
* At the same time the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#xkcd_links|xkcd links]] in the top left section of xkcd also changed to include links to books, and especially this new book.
It will be interesting to see how long this version of the promotion for the new books stays up. But most likely there will be promotion for the book until release, and then more after the release.
* The header stayed the same until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220718145816/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-07-18], for more than 5,5 month. This was while [[2646: Minkowski Space]] was up.
** The change was rather small, but part of the text changed. The promotion continued though.

===2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220110183238/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-10].
* [[2565: Latency]] was still up when the [[Countdown in header text]] was added.
* The text was still the standard xkcd header: xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* But a countdown was added. This was inserted in a rectangular box, placed at the end of the standard header text.
** In some browsers the box forces the last word "Friday" to jump down to the next line.
* Inside the box the following time was displayed in the version in the link:
** 20d 20h 27m
*** This clock will also count down every minute, although it will return to the time at the time of archive when reloaded!
*** While this was edited into this wiki the time had changed to 20d 19h 12m. So it was a very fresh download in the web archive, only about 1 hour old when it was updated to this wiki.
*** The minutes change without refreshing the page, and follows this editors computers clock exactly, so it will end at 59 minutes, not at a full hour.
** It looks like it started on [https://munvoseli.github.io/xkcd-countdown/ 01-10 17:00 UTC].
*** A calculation shows that this countdown will reach zero on Monday 2022-01-31 at 14:59 (2:59 PM) {{w|UTC}}.
*** This will be at 9:59 (9:59 AM) in [[Randall]]'s home town
**** The last ten minutes it switched to seconds for the last minute so it made the switch 15:00 UTC 10:00 in Boston!
*** From that it can be deduced that the count started at 20d 22h 0m
**** The first image on the archive thus came 1h 33m after the count began.
* At [https://web.archive.org/web/20220111153818/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-11] a diagonal black bar appeared in the lower left-hand corner of the countdown box.
** After that the [[Countdown in header text]] page was created and any further development on the count down will be mentioned on that page.
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220131124817/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-31] when [[2574: Autoresponder]] was on the front page.
* This archived version was when the counter was at 0d 2h 11m, and the last normal frame was already up at this time.
** It stayed like this until the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/17/Countdown_in_header_text_page_0_seconds.png counter ran out].
*** Then for a few minutes the final frame, that revealed that all this was a promotion for Randall's new book what if? 2 was up [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/4/48/Countdown_in_header_text_page_just_after_countdown.png while the Friday comic was still up].
*** Then when the new Monday comic came out with the promotion for what if? 2, the header changed.

===2022-01-08 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220108044654/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-08].
* [[2565: Latency]] came out around the time the new header text appeared, on a Friday!
* The text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* This was the first time since [[#2018-11-07 - Back to standard text|2018-11-07]] that the text had changed back to that, and at that time it lasted until 2019-02-05.
** That is 1067 days (less than a month short of three years) without the standard text! (Can it be called standard anymore?)
* It was only left in the complete standard version until [https://web.archive.org/web/20220109030513/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-09] when Latency was still on the front page.
** Then the next day a [[#2022-01-10 - Standard text with countdown|countdown]] was added to it.
*** That was after the weekend on Monday but before the Monday comic came up.
*** So only during the weekend was it normal standard header text.

===2021-12-20 - What If in stock===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20211220211220/https://xkcd.com/ 2021-12-20].
* [[2557: Immunity]] came out around the time the new header text appeared.
* The text:
** For anyone trying to find What If? this year, it's in stock at [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-if-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/1118864093 Barnes & Noble], [https://m.booksamillion.com/p/What-If/Randall-Munroe/9780544272996 Books-a-Million], and [https://bookshop.org/books/what-if-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-9781483041827/9780544272996 Bookshop]
* Each store name is a link to the corresponding store's page for ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]''.
It was last seen on [https://web.archive.org/web/20220106100957/https://xkcd.com/ 2022-01-06] when [[2564: Sunshield]] was up.

===2020-06-03 - Black Lives Matter===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200604003700/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-06-03].
* [[2315: Eventual Consistency]] came out as a new header text was finally inserted after almost two months without one.
* Cueball is standing to the left and speaks a single line of text: "Black Lives Matter"
* To the right is a gray link button with text: "[https://www.joincampaignzero.org/ How To Help]."
* As always, the entire image (which is only below the xkcd logo) is a link
** The button is thus not needed, but it will also work when clicking the location of the button.
* The link goes to [https://www.joincampaignzero.org/ Join Campaign Zero].
** {{w|Black Lives Matter}} is a loose, grassroots, decentralized confederation of groups and individuals advocating for racial justice. It arose in 2013 after the acquittal of {{w|George Zimmerman}}, who took the life of {{w|Trayvon Martin}}.
** Randall's featuring Black Lives Matter came on the heels of the {{w|Killing of George Floyd}} on May 25th 2020, which had sparked {{w|George Floyd protests|protest in the US}}
** Floyd died while saying "{{w|I can't breathe}}," which was already used due to other Black men's killings, the first was from the {{w|Killing of Eric Garner}}, back in 2014.
It stayed like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20200616114945/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-06-16] when [[2320: Millennium Problems]] was up.
* Then on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200617131438/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-06-17] the link changed to [https://blacklivesmatter.com/ Black Lives Matter]. [[2320: Millennium Problems]] was still on the front page on that day.
On April 1st 2021 the front page header changed to mention who made the April Fools' Day comic.
* But this was only for this comic [[#Checkbox|Checkbox]].
* The rest of the pages kept the BLM header and it returned to this on the front page once the next comic was released on April 5th. At that time it will have been up for 13 months, making it the longest header different from the standard header.
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20211219202204/https://xkcd.com/ 2021-12-19] when [[2556: Turing Complete]] was on the front page.
* At that time it had been up for 564 days or 1,5 year plus 16 days! This is most likely a record.

===2020-04-05 - Empty header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200405042955/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-05].
* [[2289: Scenario 4]] came out and the header belonging to the previous comic was removed.
* But no new header was inserted. Not even the go to [[#Header text|Header text]] about the release days of xkcd.
** Since the previous header was related only to the [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] [[2288: Collector's Edition]], and that had stopped the promotion of the [[How To]] book, after first experiencing problems with its release, it seems Randall forgot what he usually put in the header.
It stayed empty like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20200602213017/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-06-02] when [[2314: Carcinization]] was on the front page.
* So almost two month without a header. This had not happened before.

===2020-04-04 - Put together by===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200404014814/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-04].
* [[2288: Collector's Edition]] came out and the header changed.
* The text:
** Today's comic was put together by [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], [https://twitter.com/Aiiane Amber], [https://twitter.com/bstaffin Benjamin Staffin], [https://twitter.com/cotrone Kevin], [https://www.instagram.com/fading_interest/ @fading_interest], [https://twitter.com/wirehead2501 Kat], [https://twitter.com/zigdon @zigdon], and Christopher Night.
*** All names have links except the last.
* It thanks those that helped Randall create this years [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]], which had taken two extra days before it was released due to the complex nature of the comic.
Due to the delay the next comic, [[2289: Scenario 4]], was released already the day after the Fool's comic, even though it was thus [[2289:_Scenario_4#Trivia|on a Saturday]]!
* Since this header was related only to the Fool's comic, it was thus removed from the general header, but it stayed up as [[#Collector.27s_Edition|one of]] the permanent [[#Unique_header_text|unique header texts]].
** However, when it was removed from the general header, the header was left empty.
** Unlike some other headers that stayed on a given comic, this one was on all comics for the duration of the time it stayed on the front page, see for instance the previous comic on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200403232031/https://xkcd.com/2287/ 2020-04-03].

===2020-04-02 - Technical Reasons===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200402234828/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-02].
* [[2287: Pathogen Resistance]] was up when the header changed.
Randall turned out to, again, have problems with his complicated and interactive [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] for 2020.
* The text:
** Note: For technical reasons Wednesday's comic will be posted Thursday instead. Apologies for the delay!
This finally stopped the promotion of the [[How To]] book.
* It had then been part of the header for well over a year since [https://web.archive.org/web/20190206060904/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-06].
It stayed up a day longer than planed as the fool's comic, [[2288: Collector's Edition]] was first released on Friday, so the note was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200403012612/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-03].
* [[2287: Pathogen Resistance]] thus stayed two extra day on the front page, and the third comic of that week, [[2289: Scenario 4]] was released already the day after the Fool's comic, even though it was thus [[2289:_Scenario_4#Trivia|on a Saturday]]!

===2020-01-16 - How To explores - again===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20200116190038/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-01-16].
* [[2255: Tattoo Ideas]] was still up when the header changed.
* The ongoing promotion of the book continued but here more than three weeks after Christmas the reference to Christmas was removed.
* The header then returned to the one from before Christmas:
** [[#2019-11-22 - How To explores|How To explores]] - see that for all other details.
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200401221435/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-04-01] when [[2287: Pathogen Resistance]] was on the front page.
* It was the problems with [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] of 2020 that finally stopped the promotion of the [[How To]] book.
* It had then been part of the header for well over a year since [https://web.archive.org/web/20190206060904/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-06].

===2019-12-02 - Into Science===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191202223745/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-12-02].
* [[2236: Is it Christmas?]] came out when the header changed. Fitting as the change is about Christmas list.
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, continuing to make the image a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book] page on xkcd.
** The links below to order are the same as in the previous header.
** Actually most of the header stays the same with the same four images and the same layout. But the text above has changed completely and the two main text sections between the drawings has changed but only slightly. The description of the images is thus left out, see below. Only new thing is that there are now two red circles connected with a red arrow. The first circle is around the word How To at the end of the first text with the arrow going from that circle to the second circle drawn around the picture of the book.
* The text:
** Is there someone on you Christmas list who's into science? They might like my new book '''''How To'''''
** It explores ridiculous ideas for applying scientific research to everyday problems...
** ...And illustrates what would happen if you tried them.
** ''Boom''
** You can get it here:
** [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound], [https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target]
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20200115155040/https://xkcd.com/ 2020-01-15] when [[2255: Tattoo Ideas]] was on the front page.

===2019-11-22 - How To explores===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191122214439/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-11-22].
* [[2232: Hotel Room Party]] was up when the header changed. It most likely changed when the comic appeared. Earlier on that day it was the previous header over the previous comic.
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, here again making the image a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book] page on xkcd, after it previously was a link to where to listen to the audio book.
** The links below to order returns to the same as in the header before the previous header with links to audio books, except that the link to an exclusive edition has been removed.
** The header consist of an image with text above five small drawings with two text parts in between them. To the left is the closed How To book which is black with a blue readable title, How To, and unreadable white text below this as well as below the unreadable blue author name, which are below the image. The image shows Cueball putting in a light-bulb with drones under each foot while Megan, holding a ladder, and White/Black Hat are looking up at him. To the right of the book is a drawing of Ponytail pole-vaulting with two black helium filled balloons. Next to her is the first text segment. Then after that is the drawing, seen before in the header text, of a truck towing a house up a steep hill. This truck goes above the second text segment, with Cueball somersaulting above the text. Furthest right, above and just right of the text is an explosion with the sound written inside. Below the header image is some black text and then the links to where to get it as regular blue link text.
* The text:
** My new book '''''How To''''' explores the science behind spacecraft heat shields, butterfly metabolisms, and land border surveys...
** ...By imagining ridiculous ideas for applying the research to you everyday life...
** ...And illustrating what would happen if you tried them.
** ''Boom''
** You can get it here:
** [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound], [https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target]
It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191201191025/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-12-01] when [[2235: Group Chat Rules]] was on the front page.

===2019-11-06 - Audio clip===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191106204314/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-11-06].
* [[2224: Software Updates]] was still up when the header changed, but the first archive version was first from after the next comic came out [[2225: Voting Referendum]].
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, here making the image a link to the How To book on Penguin Random House's audio book, where an audio clip read by Wil Wheaton can be sampled.
** The links below to order have now changed to those with audio books.
** The header consist of an image with text, with a "blue link", above the How To book that is being folded out from closed; to partially open; to opened up on two full pages; this takes three images. The closed book is the black book with a blue readable title, How To, and unreadable white text below this as well as below the unreadable blue author name, which are below the image. The image shows Cueball putting in a light-bulb with drones under each foot while Megan, holding a ladder, and White/Black Hat are looking up at him. The partly open book still has this cover partly visible, but unreadable, as well as come unreadable text in the open side. The open book shows two pages with lots of unreadable text and three figures (maybe one is a table). Next to the open book there is an arrow to the right pointing at an audio icon with three audio lines in front. Below the header image are the links as regular text.
* The text:
** You can click here to hear a clip from the audio version of '''''How To''''', read by Wil Wheaton.
** [https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/how-to-absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world/id1475319694 Apple], [https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/how-to-absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world-problems/369279 Audiobooks], [https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/How-To-Audiobook/1473680360?qid=1574679523&sr=1-1&pf_rd_p=c6e316b8-14da-418d-8f91-b3cad83c5183&pf_rd_r=DX3EZ14M14CFQPP9GHJY&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1 Audible], [https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Randall_Munroe_How_To?id=LzSGDwAAQBAJ Google Play], and [https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780525635680 Libro.fm]
* The entire image is a link to the [https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/576760/how-to/ How To book on Penguin Random House] page, where the audio clip can he played.
** As always it is the entire picture that is a link, and not only the blue underlined text that says click here!
It was last on the archive on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191122044456/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-11-22] when [[2231: the Time Before And After Land]] was on the front page. But it was most likely still up when [[2232: Hotel Room Party]] came out. But then changed during the next day.

===2019-10-02 - Horse vs football team===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20191002005854/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-10-02].
* [[2210: College Athletes]] was up when the header changed.
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, but seeing this is no longer close to the release day the focus has changed. This time the image seems to be from one of the How To explanations in the book.
** The links below to order are the same as the previous header.
** But new text is added after the links to promote two events with Randall in New York the two days after this header came up.
*** These links disappeared after a week leaving only the picture and the link to buy the book. See below.
** The header consist of an image with Cueball riding bareback on a horse. He comes from the left holding an American football. Running towards him from the right are eight American football players with helmets with three stars on the back of the helmet. Two of the players at the back are almost hidden by players in front of them. Beneath them is a line of text that belongs to the image, the period at the end of the sentence hangs in height with the center line of the last letter E... Then below the image follows the link and promotion of the NY events, these are written in regular.
* The text:
** My new book ''How To'' is out now! You can get it here.
** [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-randall-munroe/1130494832?ean=9780525686910#/ B&N Exclusive Edition], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound], [https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target] I'll be at New York Comic Con! I'm giving [https://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/Explore/Panels/Panels-And-Screenings/#/event/how-todo-anything-with-randall-munroe-creator-of-xkcd a talk on Thursday], and on
** Friday [https://smbc-comics.com/ Zach Weinersmith] and I will be hosting [https://www.caveat.nyc/event/how-to--absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world-problems-10-4-2019 an event at Caveat NYC].
* The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
** The link to Target still seems to go the main page rather than to [https://intl.target.com/p/how-to-by-randall-munroe-hardcover/-/A-76508342 their How To book page]... Probably a still undiscovered error on Randall's part?
This header changed, but so slightly that the changes will only be mentioned here rather than in a new section:
* The first link was last active on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191004014438/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-10-04]
* Then the day after only the second link remained from [https://web.archive.org/web/20191005041539/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-10-05]. [[2211: Hours Before Departure]] came out when it changed.
** But the text of this link changed as it had been a continues text from one to the other link. Also it was not entirely on it's own line, thus not as with the first link whose text was directly connected to the line with the links to buy the book.
** The new text of that link was:
*** [https://smbc-comics.com/ Zach Weinersmith] and I will be hosting [https://www.caveat.nyc/event/how-to--absurd-scientific-advice-for-common-real-world-problems-10-4-2019 an event] Friday night at Caveat NYC!
*** The last link was the same, but now it only covered two words not the entire end of the sentence.
** This other link was last active on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191007042707/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-10-07].
* And then the last link was gone by [https://web.archive.org/web/20191008053609/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-10-08], when [[2212: Cell Phone Functions]] came out.
It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20191105164001/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-11-05] when [[2224: Software Updates]] was up.

===2019-09-30 - Tons of fun===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190930234245/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-30].
* [[2209: Fresh Pears]] was up when the header changed.
* Still promoting the new [[How To]] book, but seeing this is no longer close to the release day the focus has changed to how much fun it was for Randall to write it and how proud he is of the result. Randall, as Cueball, is saying this in the new header image.
** The links below to order are the same, except a new has been added at the end.
** The header consist of an image with Cueball standing to the left of the book, shown as tall as he is. The book is opened up on two pages with lots of unreadable text as well as three drawings, only one of these, with a circle diagram, can clearly be seen. Cueball is speaking, and the text is above him and the book. Two words are blue with a line under as if they where a link. But as always the entire image is a link. Beneath the image is the links on where to order the book.
* The text:
** Writing my new book '''''How To''''' was tons of fun and I'm so proud of the result. It's out now-Click Here to order!
** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-randall-munroe/1130494832?ean=9780525686910#/ B&N Exclusive Edition], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound], [https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target]
* The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
** The new link to Target seems to go the main page rather than to [https://intl.target.com/p/how-to-by-randall-munroe-hardcover/-/A-76508342 their How To book page]... Probably an error on Randall's part.
It ended on October 2nd while [[2210: College Athletes]] where up. But there is no archived versions from the 1st of October and the one from the 2nd is with the next version. But the editor of this was making changes to the explanation of College Athletes before the next header change came along.

===2019-09-11 - How To available===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190911053115/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-11].
* [[2200: Unreachable State]] was still up when the header changed.
* The release day part of the promotion was changed to telling that the new [[How To]] book was available. With teasers about what is in the book below the heading. On either side of the text a picture of the book is still shown. Also the links below changed, adding three new and removing one old.
** The header consist of an image with the book shown both left and right of some text. Both books have blue title and author name, and white unreadable title and white drawing of Cueball flying on two quadcopters to put in a light-bulb in a ceiling lamp, while White/Black? Hat is watching together with Megan, who is holding a ladder. Beneath the image is the links on where to order it.
** Between the two books are two sections of text above each other, the lover with smaller font.
* The text:
** How To is available now!
** Learn how to open bottles with nuclear weapons and how to be on time for meetings by altering the Earths rotation. The book also features advice from real-life experts including Chris Hadfield and Serena Williams.
** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 B&N], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-randall-munroe/1130494832?ean=9780525686910#/ B&N Exclusive Edition], [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple], [https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 Audible]
* The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
* {{w|Serena Williams}} is a famous tennis player who was also featured in one of the [[:Category:Book promotion|promotion comics]] for How To: [[2190: Serena Versus the Drones]]
* {{w|Chris Hadfield}} is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, and former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot. The first Canadian to walk in space, Hadfield has flown two Space Shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station.
** The new link to audible probably needs the user to be signed up, else it will go to the front page and ask yo to sign up. But from the archive the page can be seen [https://web.archive.org/web/20190923004816/https://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=How+To+Randall+Munroe&source_code=COMA0213WS031709&SID=PRHA9A5E24CFB--9780525635680 here].
Up till [https://web.archive.org/web/20190922143253/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-22] it looked like this.
* Then on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190923145251/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-23] and extra link was added after Audible:
** [https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/23/trackingcode/PRH3D17167A3B Target].
* [[2205: Types of Approximation]] was up when this change occurred during a weekend.
It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190929223547/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-29] when [[2208: Drone Fishing]] was up.

===2019-09-04 - Happy Release Day - bookstore===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190904051509/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-04].
* [[2198: Throw]] was already up when the header changed slightly, as the text below Happy release day changed.
Most of the header stayed the same as the [[#2019-09-03 - Happy Release Day - calendar|day before]], but the reference to the Gregorian/Julian calendar was changed.
* The header consist of an image with the book shown both left and right of some text.Both books have blue title and author name, and white unreadable title and white drawing of Cueball flowing on two quadcopters to put in a light-bulb in a ceiling lamp, while White/Black? Hat is watching together with Megan comes who is holding a ladder. Beneath the image is the link on where to order it, now the preorder has been changed to order.
** Between the two books are two sections of text above each other, the lover with smaller font and in brackets.
* The text:
** Happy How To release day!
** Available wherever books are sold.
** (Mostly bookstores, I assume but you can always try your luck at Wendy's.)
* See below for any other details.
It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190909211737/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-09] when [[2200: Unreachable State]] was up.

===2019-09-03 - Happy Release Day - calendar===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190903051503/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-03]
* [[2197: Game Show]] was still up when the header changed, but it was for sure to coincide with [[2198: Throw]] which came out later on the release day while it still looked like in this version.
* Randall celebrated the release day of [[How To]], coming out the day the header changed.
** The comic is also a reference to a chapter in the book on how to throw things. A very complicated interactive comic where different persons or other living things can be chosen to throw dead or living things. The trow will then be shown below with distance measured in two units, normal and special. That is if the thrower can actually manage to throw the thing.
* The header consist of an image with the book shown both left and right of some text. The two black books have red stars around them, five on the outer side of the image and 6 on the inner, the stars are mirrored around left and right book. Both books have blue title and author name, and white unreadable title and white drawing of Cueball flying on two quadcopters to put in a light-bulb in a ceiling lamp, while White/Black? Hat is watching together with Megan, who is holding a ladder. Beneath the image is the link on where to order it, now the preorder has been changed to order.
** Between the two books are two sections of text above each other, the lover with smaller font and in brackets.
* The text:
** How To Randall Munroe
** Happy How To release day!
** (Gregorian calendar. The Julian edition doesn't come out for 13 more days.)
** How To Randall Munroe
** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
* The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
* Most of the world uses the {{w|Gregorian calendar}}, but before it was taken into use, the {{w|Julian calendar}} was in use.
** The Julian calendar does not take into account that every 100 years a leap year should be passed as in the Gregorian calendar, and thus it is at the moment 13 days behind, as it has has this many February 29th too many. Since there should actually be a leap year every 400 year, and the last of those was 2000, then it has been 13 days since 1900, and will stay like this until 2100 when it will become 14 days.
** The image is a link to the [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To book page] on xkcd.
* Already the next day the part of the header below happy release day about the Gregorian calendar changed. See [[#2019-09-04 - Happy Release Day - bookstore|above]].

===2019-08-27 - Out in a week===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190827082224/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-27].
* [[2194: How to Send a File]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]], coming out a week from this header.
** It is only three lines of text
* The text:
** My new book, How To, comes out next week!
** Read an exclusive excerpt about transmission [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/26/how-to-send-a-file/ here].
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first words in black:] Preorder ''How To'': [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
* Later [https://web.archive.org/web/20190827184229/https://xkcd.com/2194/ on the same day], (and here for the next day [https://web.archive.org/web/20190828095401/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-27] for the front page), more text and links where added, plus the order of the text was changed.
* The later text was:
** My new book, [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ How To], comes out in a week! ([https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/23/book-tour-and-contest-winner/ Book tour info])
** You can preorder it now to get a copy when it's released:
** [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
** You can also read an exclusive excerpt about file transfers [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/26/how-to-send-a-file/ here].
* The link to the book tour also include the winner of the [[#2019-06-25 - People with books|contest]] to get Randall to add "your" city to his book tour.
** The winner was {{w|Juneau, Alaska}}.
It ended on the release day 2019-09-03, so this was last on the page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190902042108/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-09-02].

===2019-08-06 - Win a sketch===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190806052948/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-06].
* [[2185: Cumulonimbus]] was up when the header changed.
** Most likely the header changed when that comic came out on 2019-08-05. But the previous header was also out during that day.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]], now making a competition where you can win a stick figure sketch of yourself. (Although only for US residents!)
** The image shows Hairy, with a cat at his feet and Megan (or Danish?) with a samurai sword. They are standing with their backs towards each other, the cat on the left, Megan facing right with the sword towards the words.
** Below the drawing are links to places to preorder the book.
* The text:
** Want to win a sketch of yourself as a stick figure? [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/05/win-an-xkcd-sketch/ Click here] to find out how!
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first words in black:] Preorder ''How To'': [https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
*** The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/05/win-an-xkcd-sketch/ link] to a [[Blag]] post: ''Win an xkcd sketch''
*** That is even though only the click here part of the text is in blue, like a link.
*** Cause as he often has written: I still haven't figured out HTML imagemaps, most recently in the [[#2019-07-09 - Drawings from How To|2019-07-09]] header.
The header stayed like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190826062701/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-08-26] when [[2193: Well-Ordering Principle]] was up.

===2019-08-03 - First look inside===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190803222711/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-03].
* [[2184: Unpopular Opinions]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]], now stating that it comes out next month.
** Set to be released on September 3rd 2019, this update was made exactly one month before.
** The image shows text to the left of three drawings of the book: First the closed book showing the black front cover with blue and white text and white drawings, then the book is partly opened, and finally it lays opened up showing two pages, with a readable heading on the right page.
** Below the drawing are links to places to preorder the book.
* The text:
** My new book comes out next month. Click here for a first look inside!
** [On the books front cover only two thins can be read:]
*** How To
*** Randal Munroe.
** [These two words can also partly be read on the opening book.]
** [Only the large heading can be read on the right page of the open book:]
*** How to Dig a Hole.
** [These two pages also became part of a special comic relased during the weekend when this header was up: [[Disappearing Sunday Update]].]
** [The [[Disappearing_Sunday_Update#Transcript|transcript of that comic]] describes the images in the open book.]
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first word in black:] Preorder:[https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
*** The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/08/02/how-to-chapter-list-and-introduction/ link] to a [[Blag]] post: ''How To: Chapter list and introduction''.
It stayed up like this while the special [[Disappearing Sunday Update]] came out on Sunday 2019-08-04, and was there still on Monday [ https://web.archive.org/web/20190805050812/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-08-05], at least during the time that the Sudan Update was still up.
* When the next comic came out late that Monday, it probably disappeared along with the Disappearing comic, but the first update with the next header is from Tuesday [https://web.archive.org/web/20190806052948/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-06], but the Monday comic [[2185: Cumulonimbus]] was still on the front page at that time,.

===2019-07-23 - Back to previous header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190723205152/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-23].
* [[2179: NWS Warnings]] was up when the header changed.
It returned to the previous header from before the ComicCon header, see [[#2019-07-10 - Adding links|2019-07-10]]
It stayed up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190802192259/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-08-02] while [[2184: Unpopular Opinions]] was up. The day after when it changed that comic was still up.

===2019-07-15 - ComiCon===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190715181016/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-15].
* [[2176: How Hacking Works]] was up when the header changed.
Randall tells that he will be at ComicCon and links to his plans there.
* The text:
** Going to San Diego Comic Con this week? I'll [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/07/15/san-diego-comic-con/ see you there]!
*** The link is to a [[Blag]] post about his plans for the ComicCon
* Randall appeared in a couple of panels, and gave a talk.
* Finally he also handed out signed copies of his new [[How To]] book more than a month before official release.
** So still promoting the book, also in this header...
It stayed up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190722192637/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-07-22] the day after the ComiCon ended, while [[2178: Expiration Date High Score]] was up.
* Then it returned to the previous header from before the ComicCon announcement when [[2179: NWS Warnings]] came out.

===2019-07-10 - Adding links===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190710165920/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-10].
* [[2173: Trained a Neural Net]] was still up when the header changed slightly from that fro the day before.
* Only change was that beneath the picture, see [[#2019-07-09 - Drawings from How To|2019-07-09]], there is now a list of four links to companies where the book can be preordered.
* The extra text:
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first word in black:] Preorder:[https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
Note that the day after this change, [https://web.archive.org/web/20190711172451/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-11], a link to [[How To]] was added to the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#xkcd_links|links]] in the top left corner of xkcd.
The header stayed like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190714175710/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-14] when [[2175: Flag Interpretation]] was up. When it changed the day after [[2176: How Hacking Works]] was up.

===2019-07-09 - Drawings from How To===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190709162102/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-09].
* [[2173: Trained a Neural Net]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]].
** The image shows a small picture of his book with text on either side.
** Below are what appears to be three drawings from the book. [[Ponytail]] pole vaultig with three baloons in one hand, then text, then a truck with a house behind it speeding fast up a hill then text and finally [[Cueball]] somersaulting towards an explosion.
** To the right there is a big blue button to click for preorder, with text below.
* The text:
** New book [Arrow points to book. Title can be read: How To]
** How To: Absurd Scientific Answers to Common Real-world Problems
** It's a guide to bad ways to do things...
** ...And what would happen if you tried them.
** ''Boom''
** Click here to preorder
** Or click anywhere. I still haven't figured out HTML imagemaps.
*** The entire picture is a [https://xkcd.com/how-to/ link] to the official [[How To]] page on xkcd: https://xkcd.com/how-to/
*** See [[1572: xkcd Survey]] where Randall mentions that he cannot make imagemaps.
It stayed up like this only for a day, then an extra line of links was added the day after while the same comic was still up, see [[#2019-07-10 - Adding links|2019-07-10]].
* But the general header stayed up first for five days, and then it returned again for 10 more days after a break to announce a [[#2019-07-15 - ComiCon|ComiCon visit]].
* So a total of 16 days with this drawing.

===2019-06-25 - People with books===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190625190843/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-25].
* [[2167: Motivated Reasoning Olympics]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall continues to promote his new book, [[How To]], and his book tour.
** The image now shows 15 people standing side by side each holding a book up in front of them with unreadable titles.
** From left: [[Megan]], [[Cueball]], a man with blonde hair, [[Jill]], [[Blondie]], [[Hairy]], another Hairy, [[White Hat]], a kid with curly hair, [[Hairbun]], another Cueball, another Megan, a guy with a knit cap, [[Ponytail]], and [[Beret Guy]].
** Above them is a text message.
* The text:
** Want to bring me to your town for my '''''How To''''' book tour? Click to find out how to enter the challenge!
*** The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/06/10/book-tour-announcement/ link] to the official book tour announcement posted on the [[Blag]], with all cities and dates listed with details.
*** In the link it is explained how to enter a competition on how to bring Randall to your city.
*** Make a story using only book titles and get the books used to be held up by different individuals.
*** A longer sentence will improve your chances.
**** This is indeed what this header picture shows.
The header stayed like this until [https://web.archive.org/web/20190708155517/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-07-08] when [[2172: Lunar Cycles]] was up. When it changed the day after [[2173: Trained a Neural Net]] was up.

===2019-06-15 - Adding dates===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190615100645/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-15]
* [[2163: Chernobyl]] was up when the header changed.
* Randall only made a small change to the one that had been up for four days at this time.
* The text only changed by adding a line below the first line:
** Announcing the '''''How To''''' book tour:
** [Click here for dates and tickets]
*** The rest of the header is exactly the same as on [[#2019-06-11 - Book tour|2019-06-11]], except everything is a bit smaller to make room in the same place for the extra line.
*** The link is not located on the blue part of the text and it was already there before this update.
*** Best guess is that not many clicked through and Randall then made it obvious that there was a link.
*** The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/06/10/book-tour-announcement/ link] to the official book tour announcement posted on the [[Blag]], with all cities and dates listed with details.
*** Randall has previously made it clear, in [[1572: xkcd Survey]], that he knows how to make an image a link, but not how to put the link only where he says to click. But it is easier to make a place for people to click than tell them this...
The header stayed like this until 2019-06-25, when it changed while [[2167: Motivated Reasoning Olympics]] was up. But this one was still up when that comic came out the day before [https://web.archive.org/web/20190624162740/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-24].

===2019-06-11 - Book tour===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190611031920/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-11]
* [[2161: An Apple a Day]] was up when the header changed.
** '''Note''' when this change happened two new links was added to the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#xkcd_links|xkcd links]] section of xkcd.
* Randall changed the header text to announce the official book tour for his newest book ''[[How To]]'' to be released 3 months later.
* The text:
** Announcing the '''''How To''''' book tour:
** [Below this header is a map of the mainland USA with 14 labeled black dots indicates the 14 cities that the book tour will take Randall to. One red dot with five red question marks above is located beneath the map to the left, indicating a 15th city to be chosen in a contest. Above the map to the right is a small picture of the book with the blue title on the black cover. Above the book is the release date and with an arrow pointing down to the book.]
** September 3rd
** How to
** Seattle
** Portland
** San Francisco
** Santa Cruz
** Los Angeles
** Salt Lake City
** Kansas City
** Ann Arbor
** Cincinnati
** Louisville
** Cambridge
** New York
** D.C.
** Raleigh
** ????? (Chosen by readers)
** [The entire picture is a [https://blog.xkcd.com/2019/06/10/book-tour-announcement/ link] to the official book tour announcement posted on the [[Blag]], with all cities and dates listed with details.]
*** In the link it is explained how to enter a competition on how to bring Randall to your city.
*** Make a story using only book titles and get the books used to be held up by different individuals.
*** Only US cities can apply.
* The header only stayed exactly like this for three days, and was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190614094729/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-06-14] when [[2162: Literary Opinions]] was on the front page.
** Then it changed slightly to indicate that the picture was a link which was not clear before. See above.

===2019-05-17 - Back to previous header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190517103928/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-05-17]:
* [[2150: XKeyboarCD]] was still up when the header changed.
It changed back to the exact same heading as before the one with Google reader here below.
* See [[#2019-02-06 - How to book|2019-02-06]] below for all details.
* It stayed up for more than three weeks and was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190610055519/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2019-06-10], while [[2160: Ken Burns Theory]] was still up on the day the next comic [[2161: An Apple a Day]] was to be released (where the new header could be found at least the next day, but maybe from the release of that comic?). Then it changed to announce the book tour for his new book.

===2019-04-23 - Google Reader===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190423155458/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-04-23]:
* [[2140: Reinvent the Wheel]] came out when it changed, ending a more than two and half month long [[#2019-02-06 - How to book|promotion]] of Randall's new book [[How To]].
* Randall changed the header text to ask if the reader still mourned the loss of {{w|Google Reader}} which closed on 2013-07-01, almost 6 years before this comic..
** He offers the possibility to sign up to receive the newest comic by e-mail.
* The comic may have relation to this, as some where using Google reader for different purposes when they closed it, without any chance of [https://www.google.com/reader/about/ getting your data out].
** The comic "Reinvent the Wheel" mentions that using external dependencies carry risks, such as Google closing down a feature. given the fact that the comic came out as the header changed it is probably not a coincidence.
* The text:
** Still mourning the demise of Google Reader? You can sign up to get new comics delivered by email [https://xkcd.com/newsletter/ here].
* The link is to https://xkcd.com/newsletter, where it is possible to submit your e-mail address and press a subscribe button.
** the following text is written above it:
** To receive the comic and news postings in your inbox, subscribe here.
* It stayed up for more than three weeks and was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190516100403/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-05-16], when [[2150: XKeyboarCD]] was up. Then it changed back to the promotion of his new book.

===2019-02-06 - How to book===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190206060904/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-06]:
* [[2107: Launch Risk]] was up at the time when it changed, having been up since Monday the 4th of February.
** Here it can be seen being on the front of xkcd on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190205050302/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-05], without the new text. This was also the last time the standard header text was used in several months.
** [[2108: Carbonated Beverage Language Map]] came up later on the day the header changed.
* Randall changed the header text to promote his newest book ''[[How To]]'' to be released 7 months later.
** He added an image of the book with large text next to it regarding the release and links on how to preorder it.
** There was no direct relation to the comics released at the time, except of course that he kind of launched his new book with all the risk it involves, while having a comic called launch risk up. It was though a very different and more real type of launch risk (of a human carrying space rocket) in the comic.
* The text:
** [The book is shown to the left as a black rectangle with large blue text and smaller gray text. On the book cover, in white drawings, are seen Megan with a ladder and either Black or White Hat (hard to say on black background). Both are looking up on Cueball who is floating in the air with a quadcopter beneath either leg, trying to plug in an electric light bulb in a naked lamp hanging down near him. It seems he has already removed the broken light bulb, as he has one in both hands. And now he tries to put in the new one. He could have let Megan use the ladder...]
** [The header in blue above it all:] How To.
** [Sub header in gray to the left of Cueball:] Absurd Scientific Answers to Common Real-world Problems
** [Author name in blue below the drawing:] Randall Munroe
** [Sub header to this below in gray:] Creator of xkcd
** [Sub header to this below in gray:] Author of what if? and Thing Explainer
** [Next to this book image are the following text:]
** [Large heading:] HOW TO
** [Normal size sub header:] Absurd Scientific Answers to Common Real-world Problems
** [In smaller gray font below:] Available September 3, 2019.
** [Four links in gray blue are given with the first word still in gray:] Preorder:[https://www.amazon.com/How-Absurd-Scientific-Real-World-Problems/dp/0525537090/ Amazon],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/2/trackingcode/PRH5522E62429 Barnes & Noble],[https://links.penguinrandomhouse.com/type/affiliate/isbn/9780525537090/siteID/8001/retailerid/6/trackingcode/penguinrandom IndieBound],[https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to/id1451461524?mt=11 Apple Books]
* It stayed up for more than two and a half month and was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190422030324/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-04-22], when [[2139: Email Settings]] was up. Then it finally changed to a new header without going back to the standard.

===2018-11-07 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20181107144453/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2018-11-07]
* The text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed like this until [[2107: Launch Risk]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190205050302/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-05], so two days less than three months.
** After this it did not return to the standard text for almost three years, but just short of a month before the third year without it, it returned on [[#2022-01-08 - Back to standard text|2022-01-08]].

===2018-11-06 - Election Day===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20181106122850/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-06]:
* [[2068: Election Night]] (on election day the day after this comic was released).
** It added a larger comic above the two links from the previous header. Those links of the previous header text was still up the day before [https://web.archive.org/web/20181105105855/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-05], when [[2067: Challengers]] was still up.
* Randall changed the xkcd header once more to try to make more people vote, and in this case help others to vote.
** Once again directly related to the new comic about election night.
* The text:
** [A line of altering blue and red stars, blue first and last of two rows of nine starts around of the heading:]
** Election Day!
** [Below Black Hat and Ponytail to the left and Megan to the right of Cueball is checking their smart phones. Cueball is addressing the reader:]
** Cueball: The biggest thing you can do th help is to check in with friends and family and make sure they know when and where they're voting.
** [Below these four characters there is the following text with two arrows pointing left and right. Both are turning up to text/links on either side of the four:]
** Use these links to answer questions
** [To the left:] Where and how to vote: [https://www.vote.org/ Vote-org]
** [To the right:] What's on your ballot: [https://www.ballotready.org/ BallotReady.org]
** [Below was the two links from the previous header:]
** Find out where to vote: [https://www.vote.org/ vote.org].
** See what's on your ballot: [https://www.ballotready.org/ BallotReady.org]
* It was only up one day and thus on ended the day after [https://web.archive.org/web/20181107144453/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2018-11-07] when the next comic [[2069: Wishlist]] came out.
** The text then returned to the standard xkcd header: xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
*** It stayed like this until [[2107: Launch Risk]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190205050302/https://xkcd.com/ 2019-02-05].

===2018-11-02 - Where to vote===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20181103021059/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-02]:
* [[2067: Challengers]] (on the Friday, it was released).
** It added another link to the previous header text. That text was still up the day before on Thursday [https://web.archive.org/web/20181102015102/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-01].
** That was while comic [[2066: Ballot Selfies]] was still up.
* Randall changed the xkcd header to let people know who is on their voting ballot, and as before there is also a link on how to register for voting.
** This is also directly related to the new comic that came out that day, about helping people to decide who to vote for, i.e. who is on their ballot.
* The text:
** Find out where to vote: [https://www.vote.org/ vote.org].
** See what's on your ballot: [https://www.ballotready.org/ BallotReady.org]
* This was done at this moment because the {{w|United States midterm election}} was held on {{w|United States elections, 2018|Tuesday, November 6, 2018}}, four days after the release of this comic.
* It was still up the day before the election day, [https://web.archive.org/web/20181105105855/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-05], and then it changed with the next comic.

===2018-10-22 - Register for voting===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20181022120935/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-10-22]:
* [[2061: Tectonics Game]] (on a Monday, the 3rd day after release of this Friday comic)
** The standard text was still up Sunday [https://web.archive.org/web/20181021141446/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-10-21].
** The comic [[2062: Barnard's Star]] was released later that day.
* Randall changed the xkcd header to try to get people to register for voting.
* The text:
** Check your registration and find your polling place at [https://www.vote.org/ vote.org].
* This was done at this moment because the {{w|United States midterm election}} was held on {{w|United States elections, 2018|Tuesday, November 6, 2018}}, about two weeks after the release of this comic.
** It is generally believed that many of those not voting would have chosen democrats on election day, and thus Randall has an interest in getting as many as possible to register, see [[1756: I'm With Her]] (apart from the fact that he also most likely thinks that it is important to use the right to vote).
* It ended on [https://web.archive.org/web/20181103021059/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-02], when [[2067: Challengers]] came out.
** It was still there while [[2066: Ballot Selfies]] was still up the day before on [https://web.archive.org/web/20181102015102/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-11-01].

===2018-09-13 - NY votes today===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20180913133544/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-09-13]
* [[2045: Social Media Announcement]] (the day after the release of the comic.)
** It was not up when the comic was released on [https://web.archive.org/web/20180912131437/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-09-12].
* It was a short lived reminder that NY votes today below the usual standard text.
* The text:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
** NY votes today! Find your polling place [https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ here]. (Zephyr Teachout for AG!)
* It ended with [[2046: Trum-]], the very next comic, on [https://web.archive.org/web/20180914175605/https://xkcd.com/ 2018-09-14], returning to the standard text.

===2017-11-26 - Christmas gifts===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20171126130857/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-11-26]
* [[1920: Emoji Sports]] had been up two days [https://web.archive.org/web/20171125125648/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-11-25] before the message changed from the normal version. But it changed the day before the next comic came up.
** It was changed to a commercial for Christmas shopping with a code for getting 5$ of the price with a codes for different online shops.
* The text:
** To anyone looking for Christmas gifts: Until Monday you can get $5 off
** [https://www.amazon.com/What-International-Scientific-Hypothetical-Questions/dp/0544456866 What If?] and [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Thing Explainer] on Amazon with coupon code GIFTBOOK17.
** At Barnes & Noble, until Sunday you can get 20% off [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-if-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/1118864093 What If?] and [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432 Thing Explainer] using code GIVETHANKS.
* It was only up a few days and ended with [[1922: Interferometry]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20171130150053/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-11-30] where it returned to the standard text.
** But it was still up when the comic in between [[1921: The Moon and the Great Wall]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20171129140033/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-11-29].

===2017-09-22 - Visiting the UK===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170922232616/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-09-22]:
* [[1893: Thread]] (with its release).
** It was not up on the previous comic [[1892: USB Cables]], on the day they changed [https://web.archive.org/web/20170922025204/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-09-22].
* It was an announcement that Randall would visit the UK next week.
* The text:
** I'll be visiting the UK next week! You can join me in London from September 30-October 2 (at [https://live.newscientist.com/speakers/randall-munroe New Scientist Live], [https://www.rigb.org/whats-on/events-2017/october/public-lunchtime-talk--randall-munroe The Royal Institution], and [https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/randall-munroe-on-making-complicated-stuff-simple/ Intelligence Squared]), then from October 3-6 in [https://www.stpetersyork.org.uk/public_lectures/randall_munroe_thing_explainer York], [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thing-explaining-with-randall-munroe-tickets-37832289396 Edinburgh], [https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/randall-murray-thing-explainer/ Cambridge and Ely], [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/randall-munroe-book-signing-thing-explainer-tickets-38041072873 Oxford], and [https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/whats-on/2017/randall-munroe/ Cheltenham].
* Ended with [[1900: Jet Lag]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20171010045802/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-10-10] when the text returned to normal.
** But it was still up the day before with [[1899: Ears]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20171009040109/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-10-09].

===2017-07-31 - Thank you===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170731021227/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2017-07-31]:
* [[1869: Positive and Negative Reviews]] (3rd day after release of this Friday comic)
** The comic [[1870: Emoji Movie Reviews]] was released later that day.
** Megan is holding hand with Cueball and next to them is two words above each other: Thank you.
** The image is also a link.
*** The link goes to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170801042453/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/25/us/politics/senate-votes-repeal-obamacare.html How Each Senator Voted on Obamacare Repeal Proposals], an article showing the senate votes. (here in an archived version).
* Ended with [[1872: Backup Batteries]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170804152509/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-08-04], but was still up when [[1871: Bun Alert]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170803124342/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-08-03].

===2017-07-25 - Vote against health care bill===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170725103104/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-07-25]:
* [[1867: Physics Confession]] (2nd day after release of the comic, it was not up on the first day: [https://web.archive.org/web/20170724095252/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-07-24]).
* Randall modified the xkcd header to ask readers to support voting against Donald Trump's new health care bill.
** The header was replaced with an image which is available in an archived version [https://web.archive.org/web/20170726150959im_/https://imgs.xkcd.com/notes/call-senate.png here].
** The image is also a link (and you can click anywhere on it to go to the link that is mentioned).
*** The link goes to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170729003307/https://www.trumpcareten.org/daily TrumpCare Ten] (here in an archived version).
*** Randall has previously made it clear, in [[1572: xkcd Survey]], that he knows how to make an image a link, but not how to put the link only where he says to click.
** Transcript of the image:
*** [Megan is holding hand with Cueball next to three lines of large text, the same height as they are:]
*** Please tell your senators to vote against this health care bill. It will hurt people.
*** [After these three lines there is a phone number in a very large bold font with a line of text below:]
*** 202-224-3121
*** Or click here for more info
*** [Below the above is a gray line which is split in the middle with gray text, and below that four state names in white text inside black boxes:]
*** Know anyone in these states? Ask them to call, too.
*** Alaska Maine Nevada Ohio West Virginia
* Ended while [[1869: Positive and Negative Reviews]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170731164828/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-07-31], when it was replaced by a ''Thank you''.
** That comic came out already [https://web.archive.org/web/20170728124230/https://xkcd.com/ three days before] (Friday comic), but was still up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170730141019/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2017-07-30]) when the message changed sometimes between Sunday 30th and Monday 31st (where [[1870: Emoji Movie Reviews]] was released).

===2017-01-21 - Update on previous===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170122003124/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-01-21]:
* [[1788: Barge]]
* It came up almost a month after Christmas but did not really change the sales pitch of the previous. It just removed the link image with the large red text, see previous version below.
* The text:
** There are [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/featured four new shirts] in [https://store.xkcd.com/ the xkcd store],
** along with [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters posters] and [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/everything lots of other stuff]!
* Ended with [[1867: Physics Confession]] on [https://web.archive.org/web/20170725103104/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-07-25].
** That comic came up [https://web.archive.org/web/20170724095252/https://xkcd.com/ the day before] the above version of the header appeared.
** So the first day after release it was still the T-shirt commercial.
** And it did not return to the standard version in between.

===2016-11-28 - Christmas sale===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20161128153015/https://xkcd.com 2016-11-28]
* [[1765: Baby Post]]
* This came up in time for the Christmas sale of 2016.
* The text was
** There are [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/featured four new shirts] in [https://store.xkcd.com/ the xkcd store],
** along with [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters posters] and [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/everything lots of other stuff]!
** Above the text there was an image with two black t-shirts with white print on the chest. They were located at either end of a large red text written in the text type used in the comic. This text said New xkcd shirts.
** The entire image was a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
* Ended with [[1788: Barge]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20170121114423/https://xkcd.com/ 2017-01-21]

===2016-04-23 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160423103108/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-23]
* When [[1671: Arcane ]] came out (probably 2016-04-22, but no earlier archived versions exist) the text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed like this for more than 7 months until [[1764: XKCDE]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20161128093459/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-11-28].

===2016-04-04 - Protip on Garden===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160404185353/https://www.xkcd.com/#5dbfbb82-fc20-11e5-8001-42010a8e000d 2016-04-04]
* Because of the complexity of the [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] [[1663: Garden]], Randall needed to give people some advice, hence a [[:Category:Protip|protip]] was added.
** This came in several versions, not all managed to be documented in the archive. See more in the trivia for garden regarding the [[1663:_Garden#Header_text_after_release|Header text after release]].
* The header text became a protip with the following text (the first version not documented only had the first line):
** '''Protip''': If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
** You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.
* When the next comic, [[1664: Mycology]], was released two days later on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160406194653/https://xkcd.com/1664/ 2016-04-06], an extra line of text was added, due to the issues caused by Garden not being on the front page {{xkcd}} but only on the numbered page {{xkcd|1663}}.
** This change was first documented on the front page the day after on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160407010635/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-07]
** The change was of course also on and all the other comic and thus also on the Garden comic from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160406192530/https://xkcd.com/1663/ 2016-04-06].
* Text added below the other two lines:
** Note: If you're seeing today's comic in place of your garden, change the URL from xkcd.com/#<your code> to xkcd.com/1663/#<your code>.
*** This extra line was only there until next time the comic change, so last day was [https://web.archive.org/web/20160408145017/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-08].
* On [https://web.archive.org/web/20160408195958/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-08] when [[1665: City Talk Pages]] was released the extra line was removed leaving the two written first here above.
** This was also the case on the Garden comic (and all other comics) from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160408204740/https://xkcd.com:80/1663/ 2016-04-08].
* The Protip stayed in the main header text until [https://web.archive.org/web/20160422102754/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-22] when [[1670: Laws of Physics]] was up.
** But even though it disappeared from main header and thus from all other comic it stayed on the Garden comic, also on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160423182630/https://xkcd.com:80/1663/ 2016-04-23].
** And it has then turned out to become one of the permanent [[xkcd_Header_text#Garden|Unique header texts]].

===2016-04-04 - Back to standard text as Garden came up===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160404123555/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-04]
* For a brief period of time, when [[1663: Garden]] was finally released, the Header text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* But this lasted less than 13 hours. (Time between the previous and next archived version is 13 hours and 7 minutes).
** As people needed guidance to the new complicated comic.

===2016-04-01 - April 1st comic - technical difficulties===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160401204749/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-01]
* When Randall had problem releasing [[1663: Garden]] several [[1663:_Garden#April_Fools.27_header_text|April Fools' header text]] arrived in short succession while [[1662: Jack and Jill]] was still up.
* Each of these where simple text.
** The first from the link abve:
*** The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
*** Please stand by!
** The next from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160402125723/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2016-04-02] at 12:57:
*** The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
*** Status update: Please stand by.
*** Status update: This is fine. Everything is fine.
*** Status update: Everything is on fire.
*** Status update: Searching for calendar systems in which Saturday is April 1st.
** The next from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160402175822/https://www.xkcd.com 2016-04-02] at 17:58:
*** The Friday xkcd comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties
*** [Editor's note: Everything is on fire] and has been delayed until Sunday night.
* It stayed like the third version until [https://web.archive.org/web/20160404054612/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-04] three days after the April Fools' Day comic was supposed to come out, so Jack and Jill was up until it changed.
This was what was needed to stop more than 10 months of promotion of the [[Thing Explainer]] book, see below.

===2015-12-13 - Thing Explainer is available===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151213194534/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-13]
* [[1615: Red Car]] was still up when the header changed.
** The change was that the promotion for where Randall was last week where removed and left only the promotion the book [[Thing Explainer]]:
* The text:
** Thing Explainer is available at: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
* It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160401125621/https://xkcd.com/ 2016-04-01] while [[1662: Jack and Jill]] was on the front page.
** This was the last time that Thing Explainer was [[:Category:Book promotion|promoted]] in the header text.
*** The first time was [[xkcd_Header_text#2015-05-14_-_New_book_Thing_Explainer|2015-05-14]], so it had been part of the header text for almost ten and a half month. That is a record!

===2015-12-05 - Thing Explainer is available and Next week===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151205070539/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-05]
* [[1612: Colds]] was up when the header changed.
** This was also at this time the [[2015-11-24 - Pages from my new book Thing Explainer|previous header texts image] was moved below the comic.
* Randall goes back to a simple promotion of the book [[Thing Explainer]] listing where to boy it.'
** But he adds a line about where he will be next week, first to a book shop on Illinois and then later in Toronto, where the host was {{w|Ryan North}} from [https://qwantz.com/ Dinosaur comics], one of the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Comics_I_enjoy|comics Randall enjoys]].
* The text:
** Thing Explainer is available at: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
** I'll be in [https://web.archive.org/web/20151211002159/https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/event/naperville-reads-randall-munroe Naperville, IL] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20151205205714/https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/indigo-exclusive-randall-munroe-tickets-18694384407 Toronto, ON] (with [https://qwantz.com/ Ryan North]!) next week.
* It was last up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151212133400/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2015-12-12] while [[1615: Red Car]] was on the front page.

===2015-11-24 - Pages from my new book Thing Explainer===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151203234149/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-03]
* [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar]] was still up when the header changed.
** This was a special one comic header text consisting of a large image with pages and excerpts from the book [[Thing Explainer]].
** The image was larger than most comics, and took away the focus of today's comic.
** So already two days after, when [[1612: Colds]] was released, the image was relegated to the being below the comic, but inside the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Main_comic|main comic]] segment, thus not a part of the [[Design_of_xkcd.com#Bottom_segment|bottom segment]].
*** But it was displayed in the header for all comics, here [https://web.archive.org/web/20151204030024/https://xkcd.com/1609/ an example] from the comic released two comics before 1611, [[1609: Food Combinations]].
*** See more (and the image) [[Thing_Explainer#Promotion_at_the_xkcd_home_page|here]] on the page for Thing Explainer.
* Description of the image:
** At the top are shown four pages from the book. Two mainly blue, left and right, with white text and large images and between them two mainly white pages with blue text and smaller images. None of the text is readable, but the two blue pages pictures can be understood even in this size.
*** The first page is number 2 about an animal cell: ''Tiny bags of water you’re made of''. It shows a detailed drawing of a human cell, with text at the top, and then several labels with text beneath that have arrows pointing to different parts of the cell.
*** The second page is number 31 about the cockpit of an airplane: ''Stuff you touch to fly a sky boat''. It shows the inside of a cockpit with view out of the four windows, with lots of buttons in the ceiling, and blue screens and instruments at the bottom. Out the windows can be seen clouds and Cueball hanging from a balloon (a reference to [[1110: Click and Drag]]).
**** A zoom in on this page is shown beneath the four pages, see more below.
*** The third page is page 27. What is on this page is a bit difficult to see, as there are no big drawings with clear meaning. It is the second page in a two page section on Data centers, with the second page focusing on the Computer: ''Computer building''. The pictures shows the data racks, to the right, and the individual computer components put into these, to the top left, with the wiring shown below to the left. Lots of text with arrows to different parts.
*** The fourth page is page 23 about Trees: ''Tree''. It clearly shows the silhouette of a white tree on blue background. Several animal live on, in and beneath it. Cueball is standing on the ground. All the text are beneath labels that points to parts of the tree or the tree dwellers.
** In between the two time two pages there is a readable text, split over five lines, with two arrow at the top going from the corners of the text to the near corners of the white pages to either side. And below three arrows, with two pointing similarly as the two top arrows, but starting at the bottom of the text, and one arrow pointing straight down from the middle of the text to the large image below.
** Beneath all this is a large image which shows a zoom in on the left part of the cockpit from the second page above. The zoom is focused on the two front windows, but only the left is entirely in the picture, and the balloon hanging Cueball, cannot be seen in this part of the right window.
*** At this zoom level, most of the text van be read (that is labels written on things or having arrows pointing to them). Clouds can bee seen out of both windows and in the background a rocket launch with smoke plume below the rocket is visible. The horizon line is well defines across both windows. Some of the instruments can be seen below the windows with text written on them. And some blue areas, mainly screens can be seen.
** Beneath this picture is a line with links to where the book can be ordered, like the one from the previous header text.
* The text:
** Pages from my new book, ''Thing Explainer'': Complicated stuff in simple words.
** [Labels in the cockpit]:
*** Sky
*** Ground (This should be below the sky. If it's above the sky, you're either having a big problem or doing something ''really'' fun.)
*** Use this stuff to tell the sky boat to fly itself.
*** Fly
*** How fast it feels IAS 172
*** Direction HDG 240
*** Fall or rise
*** How high 2500
*** Fly
*** Helpful screen
*** Where the ground is
*** You are: Flying
*** Look here if there is a problem
** Below this image is a line of text with the first word in black and the other are four links to where to order the book:
*** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
** The image is a link to [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544668251/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0544668251&linkCode=as2&tag=thekcs-20&linkId=S4XRZJJKSMHOWEQU Thing Explainer on Amazon].
* It was only part of the header for two days until [https://web.archive.org/web/20151204050419/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-04].
** It was then moved below the comics as mentioned above from [https://web.archive.org/web/20151205070539/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-05] when the next comic [[1612: Colds]] came out.

===2015-11-24 - Thing Explainer is out today===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151124201602/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-24]
* [[1607: Supreme Court]] was still up, but [[1608: Hoverboard]] most have come out close to the change.
** See both [https://web.archive.org/web/20151125001228/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-25 00:12] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20151125230753/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-25 23:07].
** Since this new "comic" was actually a {{w|browser game}} made to celebrate the release of Randall's new book, ''[[Thing Explainer]]'', which was released on the same day as this comic: Tuesday, November 24, 2015. The comic thus appeared on a Tuesday, replacing that week's normal Wednesday release to coincide with the release day.
** Hence it is a shame that there is no archived versions on the 24th showing Hoverboard on the front page. Even though the new version of the Header text is shown on the 24th, but on the previous comic.
* Cause all the header text is about is the release day of Thing Explainer!
** The top part is text with a line with large letters and a line below in brackets and using smaller letters. Below that there is a line dividing the text from the next part.
** Below follows the same header that was up as early as [[#2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details|2015-05-15]] with the open book and three lines of text.
* The text:
** My new book, [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ Thing Explainer], is out today!
** (If you're in NYC, you can also [https://web.archive.org/web/20150925015809/https://stores.barnesandnoble.com:80/author/11170358 come see me]!)
** A picture of the open book is shown with diagrams of a human cell on the left page and suspension bridges on the right. All held in blue nuances. And arrow goes from the first word of the text to the right to the book on the left. The text is also blue except the title of the book which is in red:
*** New book: Thing Explainer
*** Up Goer Five-style diagrams of things (explained in the ten-hundred most common words)
** Below this image is a line of text with the first word in black and the other are four links to where to order the book:
*** Order: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
** The image above the order line is a link to the [[Blag]] post [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ New book: Thing Explainer].
* Already the day after [https://web.archive.org/web/20151125001228/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-25], when [[1608: Hoverboard]] was up, an extra line (a link) was added below the above. A line was separating it from the links above:
** [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/11/24/a-puzzle-for-the-uk/ A puzzle for UK readers]
*** This was to a blag post with A puzzle for the UK because he could not go to UK in person. So this was a kind of bonus for those who could solve it. (We need an entry on that here on xkcd...)
* On [https://web.archive.org/web/20151127114432/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-27] is still looked like this but then when the next comic, [[1609: Food Combinations]], came out on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151128130851/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-11-28] the line about seeing him in New York was removed.
* The version with the puzzle, but without the New York line, was then up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20151201222148/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-12-01] when [[1610: Fire Ants]] was up.
* Then on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151202225254/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2015-12-02] the line with the puzzle at the bottom was changed to:
** I'm doing a [https://www.facebook.com/AndyWeirAuthor/ live Q&A;] at 2:30pm PT with The Martian author Andy Weir.
*** The link is to {{w|Andy Weir}}'s Facebook page. And the Q&A can likely not be seen anymore.
*** Randall has made no less than two comics about the movie {{w|The Martian (film)|The Martian}}, [[1536: The Martian]] and [[1585: Similarities]].
** It only lasted that day, and this became the last day with this header text, so it ended while [[1611: Baking Soda and Vinegar]] was up.

===2015-10-22 - World Polio Day===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151022200022/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-10-22]
* [[1593: Play-By-Play]] was up when the header changed.
** Randall mentions World Polio Day and the comic he drew for Bill Gates' blog, [[XKCD Marks the Spot]].
** Although he still keeps mentioning the release date for [[Thing Explainer]].
* The text:
** We've [https://slate.com/technology/2015/08/no-new-polio-in-africa-for-one-year-gates-epidemiologist-on-vaccines-and-surveillance.html almost eradicated polio]. For World Polio Day, I drew a comic
** about the eradication efforts. You can see it on [https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/XKCD-Marks-the-Spot Bill Gates's blog].
** My [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ new book] of complex diagrams and simple words comes out Nov 24th.
*** The last line is split from the Polio announcement with a line.
* Was there until [[1607: Supreme Court]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151124065108/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2015-11-24].
** That was the day that the book was released, and when the next comic [[1608: Hoverboard]] came out, it was a celebration of the book.

===2015-09-23 - Book trip and tool===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150923044724/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-09-23]:
* [[1580: Travel Ghost]] was up when the header changed.
** Announcing the book trip for the [[Thing Explainer]] book as well as linking to a Thing Explainer word checker tool! Two lines of text with links.
* The text:
** News: Announcing my Thing Explainer [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/09/22/im-going-on-a-book-trip/ book trip]. Come say hi!
** Other news: Announcing the Thing Explainer [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/09/22/a-thing-explainer-word-checker/ word checker] tool!
*** Both links are to the [[Blag]], the first a schedule for his book trip, and the second telling about Randall's new [https://xkcd.com/simplewriter/ Simple Writer] that could help you ''Write Like Up Goer Five and Thing Explainer''.
* Was there until [[1593: Play-By-Play]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20151021164208/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-10-21].

===2015-09-06 - New links===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150906181550/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-09-06]:
* [[1573: Cyberintelligence]] was still up when the header changed.
** The promotion of the book, [[Thing Explainer]], stayed the same with a picture above links to preorder it, but the links was reduced from four to two, the amazon link changed and a new company was added for the second link removing the other three.
** See [[#2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details|2015-05-15]] below for all details on the image.
* The new link text:
** Preorder: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thing-Explainer-Randall-Munroe/dp/1473620910 Amazon.co.uk}, [https://www.waterstones.com/book/thing-explainer/9781473620919 Waterstones]
* Was there until [[1579: Tech Loops]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150919220105/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-09-22].

===2015-08-09 - Back to previous header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150809230825/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-08-09]:
* [[1561: Water Phase Diagram]] was still up when the header changed.
** It changed back to the exact same heading as before the one with other news here below.
*** See [[#2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details|2015-05-15]] below for all details.
* Stayed like this until [[1573: Cyberintelligence]] was out on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150905154014/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-09-05], but the only change was that the links to preorder changed from four to only two.

===2015-06-06 - Other news===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150606084120/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2015-06-06]
* Changed while [[1534: Beer]] was still up.
** This was just adding some "Other news", but leaving the promotion of [[Thing Explainer]] unchanged as in the [[#2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details|previous header]], but adding two news stories in text below the link to preorder.
* The new text:
** In other news, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygrdAvmr-MA Space Weird Thing] is delightful, and I feel surprisingly invested in [https://web.archive.org/web/20150720074919/https://twitter.com/xkcdbracket @xkcdbracket's] results.
*** The link to Space Weird Thing is a YouTube video with a simple words version of {{w|David Bowie|David Bowie's}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYYRH4apXDo Space Oddity] music video, using only the top then hundred words. The creators contributes the idea to the [[1133: Up Goer Five]] diagram which also inspired the book Thing Explainer, also promoted in this header text.
*** The other link is referring to [[1529: Bracket]] released 12 days before this update, as a twitter user made a survey going through all the brackets all the way to a winner was found. Seems Randall became interested in who won. See more on the comics page.
* Was there until [[1561: Water Phase Diagram]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150807181044/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-08-07]. Then it returned back to the previous header with only the promotion of the book.

===2015-05-15 - Thing Explainer details===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150515060322/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2015-05-15]
* [[1525: Emojic 8 Ball]]
* This was a more detailed promotion for Randall's new book: [[Thing Explainer]] to be published in November 2015, more than half a year after the announcement, compared to the previous change which was just a line and a link.
* The text:
** A picture of the open book is shown with diagrams of a human cell on the left page and suspension bridges on the right. All held in blue nuances. And arrow goes from the first word of the text to the right to the book on the left. The text is also blue except the title of the book which is in red:
*** New book: Thing Explainer
*** Up Goer Five-style diagrams of things (explained in the then hundred most common words)
** Below this image is a line of text with the first word in black and the other are four links to where to preorder the book:
*** Preorder: [https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 Amazon], [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thing-explainer-randall-munroe/1121864432?ean=9780544668256#/ Barnes & Noble], [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544668256 Indie Bound], [https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/thingexplainer Hudson]
** The image above the preorder line is a link to the [[Blag]] post [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ New book: Thing Explainer].
* Changed while [[1534: Beer]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150605082643/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-06-05], but only to add other information. The main promotion of the book stayed the same.

===2015-05-14 - New book Thing Explainer===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150514053623/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2015-05-14]
* [[1524: Dimensions]] was up.
** A single line announced the new [[Thing Explainer]] book, with link to the [[Blag]] post from the day before.
* The text:
** New book: [https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ Thing Explainer!]
The [[:Category:Book promotion|promotion of the book]] stayed up with some changes for [[xkcd_Header_text#2015-12-13_-_Thing_Explainer_is_available|more than 10 month]] first stopping when Randall had [[xkcd_Header_text#2016-04-01_-_The_xkcd_April_1st_comic_is_currently_experiencing_technical_difficulties|problems with his April Fools' Day comic]] in 2016... It is a record length.
* The first came already the day after so this short announcement was only up on this day and ended with the next comic. See above.
* See more details on the promotion of the book on the Thing Explainer page [[Thing_Explainer#Promotion_at_the_xkcd_home_page|here]].

===2015-02-11 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150211154103/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-11]
* When [[1485: Friendship]] came out the text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed like this until [[1523: Microdrones]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150512184622/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-05-12], so just a day more than three months.

===2015-02-04 - Valentine cards only===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150204051152/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-04]
* [[1482: NowPlaying]] came out as it changed.
** After the last day of ordering t-shirt had passed it changed back to the picture with the Valentine cards from the previous header, but without the t-shirt picture.
** See that [[#2015-01-29 - Valentine cards and shirt|header change]], but only the first picture described.
* Ended while [[1484: Apollo Speeches]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150210005540/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-10].

===2015-02-02 - Last day shirt===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150202092804/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-02]
* [[1481: API]] came out as it changed.
** Just letting people know it is the last chance to order the binary t-shirt.
** There was just a line of text:
* The text was:
** Today is the last day to order the limited-run [https://web.archive.org/web/20150202092804/https://teespring.com/xkcdbinaryheart binary heart shirt]!
** The last words is link to the shirt in the shop.
* Ended before the next comic was up, but still the day after, when it was too late to order: [https://web.archive.org/web/20150203022036/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-03].

===2015-01-29 - Valentine cards and shirt===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150129183442/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-29]
* [[1479: Troubleshooting]] was up when it changed.
** It was to tell about both the two previous updates in the same header- Both about the collaboration to make science themed Valentine's Day cards and his new Valentine t-shirt.
** There where two pictures, with a promotion of the two products and a link to them in the shop.
** On the left was text about the cards with a small drawing to the right of the text showing the four cards.
*** An ant talking to an aphids; Earth rotating about the sun but locked so one side melts; an ant with a fungus growing from it's head with a heart, and a Velociraptor skeleton where the last bit of the tail is put on by a person. The text on the cards are unreadable, but they can be seen via the link.
** The text (in three lines) was:
*** Webcomic science Valentine card collaboration
*** The [https://web.archive.org/web/20150127161237/https://store.xkcd.com/products/webcomic-science-valentines link to the cards] from the picture.
** The picture on the left shows binary numbers 0 and 1 in white on a black background. The middle of the three lines of those have message in red text.
** The text:
*** 0 1 0 1 0 Binary heart 1 1 1
*** 1 1 1 Valentine shirt 0 1
*** 0 0 0 1 [limited run] 0 0 1
*** The [https://web.archive.org/web/20150125080756/https://teespring.com/xkcdbinaryheart link to the shirt] from the picture.
* Ended while [[1480: Super Bowl]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20150201015913/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-02-01].

===2015-01-27 - Valentine's Day cards===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150127161237/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-27]
* [[1478: P-Values]] was up when it changed.
** It was to tell that about a collaboration to make science themed Valentine's Day cards.
** There was just two lines of text:
* The text was:
** I've teamed up with three other webcomic artists
** to make [https://web.archive.org/web/20150127161237/https://store.xkcd.com/products/webcomic-science-valentines a set of science-themed Valentine's Day cards]!
* There was a link to the cards on the store.
* Ended while [[1479: Troubleshooting]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20150128172147/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-28].

===2015-01-24 - Get shirts in store===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150124110707/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-24]
* [[1477: Star Wars]] came out as it changed.
** It was to tell about a new type of t-shirt for Valentine Day.
** There was just two lines of text:
* The text was:
** For Valentine's Day, you can get a binary heart shirt
** (from {{xkcd|99|comic #99!}}) in [https://web.archive.org/web/20150125080756/https://teespring.com/xkcdbinaryheart a limited run on TeeSpring]
* There was a link to [[99: Binary Heart]] and to the relevant t-shirt on the [https://teespring.com/ Teespring] home page.
* Ended while [[1478: P-Values]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20150126133139/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-26].

===2014-12-22 - Get shirts in store===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141222233233/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-12-22]
* [[1463: Altitude]] came out as it changed.
** After the Christmas sale deadline there was still merchandise in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
** There was just a line of text:
* The text was:
** You can get xkcd shirts, prints, and posters in the [https://shop.xkcd.com/ store]!
* The word store was a link to the shop.
* Ended while [[1476: Ceres]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20150123102318/https://xkcd.com/ 2015-01-23].

===2014-12-19 - Back to previous header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141219092349/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-19]:
* [[1462: Blind Trials]] came out as it changed.
It changed back to the exact same heading as before the one with order now here below.
* See [[#2014-12-17 - Christmas deadline|2014-12-17]] below for all details.
* Ended while [[1462: Blind Trials]] was still up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141221172450/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-21].

===2014-12-18 - Order now===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141218090650/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-18]
* [[1461: Payloads]] was still up when it changed.
** It was to alert that the deadline for shipping before Christmas from the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store] was Friday and that it was rapidly approaching. This was a follow up on the [[#2014-12-17 - Christmas deadline|Wednesdays announcement]] the day before.
** The image was just four lines of text with several red and blue words.
* The text was:
** The xkcd store Christmas shipping deadline is Friday!
** Once it passes, there is no going back. The arrow of time drags us all
** Inexorably forward toward decay and disorder. toward the end of all things.
** Towards the empty silence of the grave. Order now!
* The entire drawing was a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store], not just the blue text.
* Ended a day later while [[1461: Payloads]] was still up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141216084107/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-12-16].

===2014-12-17 - Christmas deadline===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141217085320/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-17]
* [[1461: Payloads]] came out as it changed.
** It was to alert that the deadline for shipping before Christmas from the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store] was Friday. This was announced Wednesday two days before the deadline.
** The image was just text with the last word in each line in red and the xkcd store blue as a link.
* The text was:
** Looking for a gift?
** xkcd store Christmas shipping deadline is Friday!
* The entire drawing was a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store], not just the blue text
* Ended a day later while [[1461: Payloads]] was still up!

===2014-12-03 - Christmas shopping===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141203132024/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-12-03]
* [[1455: Trolley Problem]] came out as it changed.
** It was to announce the start of the Christmas shopping on the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store]
** Four boxes with shipping details are shown. Two green and two red, alternating from green. Between them are three text messages in two, two and three lines.
* The text was:
** xkcd store
** Christmas shopping
** I will probably not ship you a bobcat.
* The entire drawing was a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
* The bobcat is a reference to [[325: A-Minus-Minus]].
* Ended while [[1460: SMFW]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141216084107/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-12-16].

===2014-11-29 - Thanks - Emily===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141129211604/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-11-29]
* [[1453: fMRI]] was still up when it changed.
** It was to thanks for all the help his friend Emily with cancer got through among other his previous header text [[#2014-11-27 - Help Emily| Help Emily]].
** That only needed to be up two days before the goal was met.
* The text was:
** Thank you for helping my friend Emily.
** It means so much.
* Ended three days later while [[1454: Done]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141202065133/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-12-02].

===2014-11-27 - Help Emily===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141127005239/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-11-27]
* [[1452: Jurassic World]] came out as it changed.
** It was to help a friend who got cancer by raising money for her.
* The text was:
** Hey all. My friend Emily—the economist who helped
** me with my {{xkcd|980|money chart}}—has been fighting cancer. She's
** having a rough time and could use some [https://web.archive.org/web/20141128183414/https://www.gofundme.com/e07dqk help]. Thank you.
* There are two links, one to the [[980: Money]] comic she helped Randall create, and one for her Go Fund Me page to raise money for her cancer cure.
** The help link above is to the archived version from that time, but the link was still active in August 2019: [https://www.gofundme.com/e07dqk Helping Emily Fight Cancer].
* Ended while [[1453: fMRI]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141128070838/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-11-28].
** She did thus not get a permanent header as did Becky on the [[#Seven_Years|Seven Years]] comic.

===2014-10-02 - what if? bestseller===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141002211139/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-10-02]
* [[1428: Move Fast and Break Things]] was up when it changed from the [[#2014-09-02 - what if? book out|book is out]].
* This was a month after the ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book came out.
** It added a line of red text beneath the previous header to announce that the book was the #1 New York bestseller.
* The text was:
** My book is out!
** (#1 New York bestseller!)
* The entire image was a link to the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ The Book] page on the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/ what if?] page on xkcd. post.
* Ended while [[1451: Background Screens]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141125234520/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-11-25].

===2014-09-04 - what if? book out===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140904150600/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-04]
* [[1416: Pixels]] was up when it changed from the [[#2014-09-02 - what if? book out today|book is out today]].
* This was two days after the ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book came out.
** It only removed to today from the previous header, that had only been up two days.
* The text was:
** My book is out!
* The entire image was a link to the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ The Book] page on the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/ what if?] page on xkcd. post.
* Ended while [[1428: Move Fast and Break Things]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20141001130827/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-01].

===2014-09-02 - what if? book out today===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140902125802/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-02]
* [[1415: Ballooning]] was up when it changed from the [[#2014-07-23 - what if? book tour|book tour header]].
* This was the day the ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book came out. [[Cueball]] standing to the left of the text with arms raised shouts this out.. The word Book is underlined and blue to indicate a link.
* The text was:
** My book is out today!
* The entire image was a link to the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/book/ The Book] page on the [https://whatif.xkcd.com/ what if?] page on xkcd. post.
* Ended while [[1416: Pixels]] was still [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903134518/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-03].

===2014-07-23 - what if? book tour===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140723180600/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-07-23]
* [[1398: Snake Facts]]
* This was a promotion of his book tour for the ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book made by [[Cueball]] standing to the left of the text with arms raised. Several parts of the text was underlined and blue to indicate links.
* The text was:
** I'm going on a book tour! click here for a list of stops.
** Or click anywhere-this whole image is one link because I've never gotten the hang of HTML imagemaps.
* The entire image was a link to the [[Blag]] post: [https://blog.xkcd.com/2014/07/22/what-if-book-tour/ What If book tour!].
** Later Randall commented on this lacking ability in the comic: [[1572: xkcd Survey]].
** He also mentions it in one of the [[#xkcd_Header_text#2019-07-09_-_Drawings_from_How_To|promotions]] for his [[How To]] book.
** He much later he again mentions that html is hard, thus explaining why the entire image is a link instead of the actual blue highlighted link in one of the promotions for [[xkcd_Header_text#2022-08-11_-_Preorder_What_if.3F_2_-_with_image|what if? 2]].
* Ended while [[1415: Ballooning]] was still up [https://web.archive.org/web/20140901113916/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-09-01].

===2014-03-13 - what if? announced===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140313070951/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-03-13]
* [[1341: Types of Editors]] was up.
* This was the first promotion of Randall's new ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'' book which is shown next to two lines of text.
* The text was:
** News:
** I'm publishing a ''what if'' book!
* The entire image was a link to the [[Blag]] post: [https://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/ What if I wrote a book?]
* Ended while [[1397: Luke]] was up [https://web.archive.org/web/20140722142115/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-07-22].

===2014-01-09 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140109190927/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-01-09]
* When [[1314: Photos]] was still up when the text returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed until [https://web.archive.org/web/20140312070248/https://xkcd.com/ 2014-03-12] when [[1340: Unique Date]] was up, a bit more than two months.

===2013-12-21 - Deadline for Christmas shipping has passed===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20131221043417/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2013-12-21]
* It changed when [[1306: Sigil Cycle]] came out.
* This came up when it was too close to Christmas in 2013 for shipping to arrive in time for Christmas. And Randall makes a note of this, but lets people know that they could still buy presents...
* The text was
** The deadline for guaranteed Christmas shipping has passed, but if you order something from the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store], we'll get it to you as fast as possible!
* Ended when [[1314: Photos]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20140108181520/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2014-01-08].

===2013-12-06 - Empty header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20131206213503/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-12-06]
* It changed when [[1300: Galilean Moons]] came out.
** There was no header text. This happened next on [[Header_text#2020-04-05 - Empty header|2020-04-05]]. It looks really weird.
* Ended when [[1305: Undocumented Feature]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20131220005306/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-12-20].

===Changes not documented yet 3===
More changes will for sure be here between this and the one below.

Just put the link here with a date and maybe a short note:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20131205202730/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-12-05]: Xmas sale before above
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130315162227/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2013-03-15]: Empty follows below

===2013-03-15 - Empty header===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130315162227/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2013-03-15]
* It changed while [[1186: Bumblebees]] was on the front page.
** After the text saying a comic would be delayed disappeared no text replaced this.
** So the header was left empty!
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20130318072820/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-03-18] while [[1187: Aspect Ratio]] was up.

===2013-03-13 - Comic will be delayed===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130313133631/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-03-13]
* It changed when [[1184: Circumference Formula]] came out, likely because the next comic was delayed.
** But there is a gap of three days before where no archived version exist, so cannot say if there where more than a few hours with this text.
* The text:
** The comic will be delayed until late morning EDT.
* Ended when [[1185: Ineffective Sorts]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20130313175306/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2013-03-13].
** That was later same day as the first archived version. But could have been longer as mentioned above.

===2012-11-26 - xkcd store===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121126235628/https://xkcd.com/1138/ 2012-11-26]
* It changed while [[1138: Heatmap]] was up.
** Notice that the above link is not from the main page, but from {{xkcd|1138}}.
** There was a gap of five days in the archive of the main page.
** The first day that it was archived from the front page was on [https://web.archive.org/web/20121201111432/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-12-01], while [[1141: Two Years]] was up.
* The standard header text is replaced with an image that makes it seem like a rip is being torn in the white region where the text used to be. Beneath the white material that has now been ripped, some text can partly be seen. It is possible to read it.
* The text:
** xkcd store
*** The image is a link to the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store] (tadaaa!)
* Ended when [[1183: Rose Petals]] was up on [https://web.archive.org/web/20130311073948/https://xkcd.com:80/1183/ 2013-03-11]
** The above link is from {{xkcd|1183}}.
** Last time the front page was archived with it was though on [https://web.archive.org/web/20130309010403/https://xkcd.com/ 2013-03-09].

===2012-10-24 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121024082017/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-10-24]
* While [[1124: Law of Drama]] was on the front the header returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* It stayed until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121126035129/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-11-26] when [[1138: Heatmap]] was up, a few days more than a month.

===2012-10-17 - New What-If - Lightning===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121017232102/https://xkcd.com/1121/ 2012-10-17]
* Probably while [[1122: Electoral Precedent]] was up.
** But the link above showing it was up on the 2012-10-17 is from the previous comics page {{xkcd|1121}} [[1121: Identity]].
** But the first version archived with this header is saved on [https://web.archive.org/web/20121018082304/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-10-18]
* Randall promotes another New What-If article.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|16|Today's topic: Lightning}}''.
* The text
** New What-If article:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/16/ What if lightning struck while you were ...]
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121023023404/https://xkcd.com/1121/ 2012-10-23] when [[1124: Law of Drama]] was on the front page
** This link is though from {{xkcd|1121}}.
** The last this version was archived on the front page was the day before on [https://web.archive.org/web/20121022120008/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-10-22].

===2012-10-10 - New What-If - Mariana Trench Explosion===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121010003837/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-10-10]
* [[1118: Microsoft]] was still up at this time.
* Randall promotes another New What-If article.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|15|Mariana Trench Explosion}}''.
* The text
** New What-If article:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/15/ What if you set off a nuclear bomb in the Mariana Trench?].
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121016055538/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-10-16] when [[1121: Identity]] was up.

===2012-10-02 - This week's What-If - Short Answer Section===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121002231724/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-10-02]
* [[1115: Sky]] was still up at this time.
* Randall promotes another New What-If article.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|14|Short Answer Section}}''.
* The text
** In this week's What-If article I [https://what-if.xkcd.com/14/ answer multiple reader questions].
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121008112434/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-10-08] when [[1118: Microsoft]] was up.

===2012-09-26 - New What-If - Laser Pointer===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120926163111/https://xkcd.com/1108/ 2012-09-26]
* [[1113: Killed in Action]] was up at this time.
** The link above showing it happened on the 26th is from {{xkcd|1108}}
** The first day this version was archived on the front page was on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120928003838/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-09-28]
* Randall promotes another New What-If article.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|13|Laser Pointer}}''.
* The text
** New What-If article:
** [https://what-if.xkcd.com/13/ If everyone aimed a laser pointer at the Moon at once, would it change color?]
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20121001080517/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-10-01] when [[1115: Sky]] was up.

===2012-09-18 - what-if.xkcd.com - Raindrop===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120918143653/https://www.xkcd.com/1108/ 2012-09-18]
* [[1109: Refrigerator]] was still up at this time.
** The link above showing it happened on the 18th is from {{xkcd|1108}}
** The first day this version was archived on the front page was on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120919015232/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-09-19]
* Randall promotes another What-If article on the what-if page.
** See the ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' article ''{{what if|12|Raindrop}}''.
* The text
** what-if.xkcd.com: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/12/ What if all of a storm's water fell in a single raindrop?].
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20120925090123/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-09-25] when [[1112: Think Logically]] was up.

===Changes not documented yet 2===
The above is the last documented.
* There will for sure be more changes earlier than this.

Just put the link here with a date and maybe a short note:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120917052827/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-09-17]: What if Droppings ends.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120718231719/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-07-18] Next stores header text

===2012-07-10 - New: what-if.xkcd.com===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120710114846/https://xkcd.com/1078/ 2012-07-10]
* This was a special change happening over a few days. The above "new" header text from the given date is actually shown on the previous comic [[1078: Knights]].
** Another example from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120710072249/https://xkcd.com:80/1070 2012-07-10] is shown for [[1070: Words for Small Sets]].
* The comic on the main page released on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120709045709/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-07-09] was [[1079: United Shapes]], but that comic had a [[xkcd_Header_text#United_Shapes|unique header text]] upon its release.
** So both on the 9th as shown above and on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120710114846/https://xkcd.com/1078/ 2012-07-10] the header text was different on the front than on all other pages.
*** As can be read in the link above, the new header text actually got incorporated into the unique text, so that after the next comic was released on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711234408/https://xkcd.com/1079/ 2012-07-11] the current new header text and a smaller version of the original unique header text was now shown on the Unites Shapes page.
*** {{xkcd|1079|And it was never changed back}}.
* The first version of the new text from the 10th was only active one day:
** The text:
*** New site: what-if.xkcd.com, where I abuse science to answer hypothetical questions. I'll answer a new question every Tuesday.
**** The link was not an active link. And this was never shown on the front page, but on all other comics.
* Already on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120711223349/https://xkcd.com/1078/ 2012-07-11] when [[1080: Visual Field]] was released the new header changed a bit
** At this time it most have been shown on the front page, but the link above is again from [[1078: Knights]].
*** For some reason the front page was not saved on either the 11th or 12th, so no version of the front page with Visual Field exist
*** The first archived version of the front page with this new header text was from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120713154207/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-07-13] when [[1081: Argument Victory]] was on the front page.
* The final text:
** New: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/1/ what-if.xkcd.com]: abusing science to answer hypothetical questions.
** I'll answer a new reader question every Tuesday.
*** This time the link was active and directs to the new ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' blog and its first entry {{what if|1|Relativistic Baseball}}
* The whole idea was that Randall released the new what if? blog on the 10th of July 2012. And thus would like to make a promotion of it.
** And then he timed it so poorly that the front page had a different header than the rest of the comics.
** It was so annoying for him that he actually changed the header for Unites Shapes manually so that page also showed the new link. Maybe even before it left the front page, but that has not been documented in the archive.
** And then he forgot about it when the header changed for all the other comics, so it is now a relic of the promotion of his first what if release.
* The what if promotion continued for a long time, but the final version from above only lasted until 17th at the latest. There is again no archived versions of the front page from the 15th, 16th or 17th.
** The last time it was archived on the front page was [https://web.archive.org/web/20120714062857/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-07-14], when [[1081: Argument Victory]] was still up.
** But on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120715070938/https://xkcd.com:80/1081/ 2012-07-15] it was still shown on the page for Argument Victory and same for [https://web.archive.org/web/20120716235458/https://www.xkcd.com/998/ 2012-07-16] on [[998: 2012]]
*** So seemed it stayed up while [[1082: Geology]] was up on the 16-17/7.

===2012-04-09 - Standard text plus store link===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120409190952/https://xkcd.com/1026/ 2012-04-09]
* It changed when [[1040: Lakes and Oceans]] came up.
** The above link to prove this is though from comic {{xkcd|1026}} [[1026: Compare and Contrast]] the first to be found that where archived on the 9th.
** The first archived version on the main page is from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120411053543/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-04-11] when [[1041: Whites of Their Eyes]] was up.
** There where no archived version of the front page on the 9th or 10th while Lake and Oceans was up. So it was also first on the 11th that this new text could be seen, but only when it had moved to its own page number [https://web.archive.org/web/20120411052948/https://xkcd.com/1040/ 1040].
*** The change probably came because of this special comic, which may became a [https://store.xkcd.com/collections/posters/products/lakes-oceans-poster poster].
* The update was to add a promotion for the store under the standard header text.
* The text
** XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
** You can get prints, posters, and t-shirts in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ store].
* This lasted until [https://web.archive.org/web/20120709004956/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-07-09] when [[1078: Knights]] was up, exactly three months, so although not only the standard text, the standard text was first for three months and three days, see [[#2012-04-05 - Back to standard text|below]].

===2012-04-05 - Back to standard text===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120405195956/https://www.xkcd.com/1021/ 2012-04-05]
* While [[1038: Fountain]] was on the front the header returned to the standard xkcd header:
** xkcd updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
* The link above to prove the date is seen on [[1021: Business Plan]].
** The first archived version on front page is from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120406111048/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-04-06], when [[1039: RuBisCO]] was up.
** A version showing Fountain with this can be found on it's own page {{xkcd|1038}} on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120406085618/https://xkcd.com:80/1038/ 2012-04-06].
*** When it was archived while on the front page it still had the previous header on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120404210927/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-05].
* It stayed up, unchanged, until [https://web.archive.org/web/20120408200414/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-08] when [[1039: RuBisCO]] was up. So only three days.
** But [[#2012-04-09- Standard text plus store link|the change]] did not remove the standard text but just added a link to the store. And this version, still with the standard text at the top stayed for three more months.

===2012-03-28 - Visiting Newport News===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120328103319/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-03-28]
* [[1035: Cadbury Eggs]] was on the front when it changed.
** From the end of March 2012, there is a problem with the archived versions of xkcd, so they do not load properly and do not include the comic picture.
* It was to announce a talk Randall gave at his old school.
* The text:
** I'm [https://blog.xkcd.com/2012/03/22/im-visiting-cnu-on-april-4th/ visiting] Newport News, VA next week, where I'll be speaking at CNU, my old school. If you want to come, reserve a seat [https://web.archive.org/web/20120329214411/https://www.cnu.edu/pcs/xkcd/index.asp here]!
*** The first link it to a post in the [[Blag]]: [https://blog.xkcd.com/2012/03/22/im-visiting-cnu-on-april-4th/ I’m visiting CNU on April 4th].
*** The other link is no longer working, but the link above goes to an archived version.
* There was a special situation with this header text. For three days it was not on the front page, as the [[April Fools' Day comics|April Fools' Day comic]] [[1037: Umwelt]] came out and stayed from April 1st to April 3rd on the front page.
** This comic had it's own [[#Unique header text|unique header text]] from the start, one that has [[#Umwelt|stayed like this]] since!
*** So from [https://web.archive.org/web/20120401151639/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-01] to [https://web.archive.org/web/20120403223453/https://www.xkcd.com/ 2012-04-03] the front page had another header:
**** You can get posters, prints, and t-shirts in the [https://store.xkcd.com/ xkcd store].
** But all the other comics kept the Visiting header on all three days as shown here:
*** [https://web.archive.org/web/20120401214214/https://xkcd.com:80/1036/ 2012-04-01] from[[1036: Reviews]].
*** [https://web.archive.org/web/20120402150258/https://xkcd.com/1019 2012-04-02] from [[1019: First Post]].
*** [https://web.archive.org/web/20120403164523/https://xkcd.com:80/1036/ 2012-04-03] from [[1036: Reviews]].
**** The one from the 2nd of April was hardest to find, but the most important, because that was clearly in the time period where Umwelt was up, thus definitely proving that the other pages had a different header than the front page. This is rare.
* It returned to the front page on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120404210927/https://xkcd.com:80/ 2012-04-04] and stayed up until [https://web.archive.org/web/20120405195956/https://www.xkcd.com/1021/ 2012-04-05] when [[1038: Fountain]] was up.
** The link from the 5th though is from {{xkcd|1021}} [[1021: Business Plan]], the only comic archived on the 5ht to be found.
*** The previous link was the last time it was archived while on the front page.

===2012-03-12 - xkcd Holistic Browser===
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120312185125/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-03-12]
* [[1028: Communication]] was up at the time.
** From here the archive doesn't load the page properly so it is really boring to document. This goes for both first and last day of this text.
* The text:
** New: [https://web.archive.org/web/20120318153220/https://holistic.xkcd.com/ holistic.xkcd.com], the least useful web navigation tool ever.
*** The link is now dead, but the link above is to an archived version.
*** On that page there is the following text:
**** The XKCD Holistic Browser
**** Because we are all one.
**** Type a web address
**** and you'll be taken to one
**** typed by someone else.
**** URL:
**** Warning: This allows strangers to direct your browser!
**** They may send you to pages containing
**** porn, viruses, or Justin Bieber fanfiction.
**** At the very least, turn on private browsing.
* During the time this header was active the comic [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/]] came out.
** It had its own [[xkcd_Header_text#Unique_header_text|unique header text]] which thus replaced this text on the front page for two days.
** But it did not replace it on all the other pages so this was the active header text during the entire period, see more here: [[xkcd_Header_text#s.2Fkeyboard.2Fleopard.2F|s/keyboard/leopard/]]
* This lasted till [https://web.archive.org/web/20120327050311/https://xkcd.com/1033 2012-03-27] while [[1034: Share Buttons]] was up.
* But the last archived version with this on the front page was the day before [https://web.archive.org/web/20120326180811/https://xkcd.com// 2012-03-26].
** The link from 27th is from an archived version of [[1033: Formal Logic]].

===Changes not documented yet 1===
The above is the last documented.
* There will for sure be more changes earlier than this.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120311135259/https://xkcd.com/ 2012-03-11] Text before. For next entry below...



[[Category:Design of xkcd.com]]{{xkcdmeta}}

Talk:3227: Creation

2026-04-16T04:29:07Z

SectorCorruptor:

did anyone else wait for the screensaver to hit the corner? [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:13, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes. I watched waaay too long to see if it would, but lost patience and I don’t want to put effort into determining if it will happen. Can anyone confirm whether or not it will eventually happen either for some people or for all people? [[User:Dúthomhas|Dúthomhas]] ([[User talk:Dúthomhas|talk]]) 23:06, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
::The comic always bounces off of the top of your screen, but keeps its place relative to the rest of the page when scrolling, so you can try to make it hit the corner yourself [[User:Jarochar|Jarochar]] ([[User talk:Jarochar|talk]]) 21:21, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
:::You can also resize the window while it's bouncing to move the corner into the path of the comic. I haven't observed anything special yet, but I'm not patient enough to try for a pixel-perfect bounce. [[Special:Contributions/169.150.203.33|169.150.203.33]] 02:46, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I can't work out what Modem mode is meant to do... on my machine it just freezes the whole page. [[Special:Contributions/78.213.151.110|78.213.151.110]] 20:22, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It plays the sound of an old-style phone modem, and scrolls the comic into view slowly. It's supposed to represent the early days when downloading an image would take a long time. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:can confirm on android firefox it seems to render the page unresponsive to input - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:18, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Same here on Desktop Firefox - under "Modem mode", the whole page freezes up and the browser prompts me to close it ("this page is slowing down Firefox", or words to that effect). I wonder if it's a Firefox thing - odd if so, because I imagine Randall of all people would test on browsers other than Chrom* - or some weird side-effect of my ad/popup/script/cookie-blockers. A shame because all the other modes seem to work - "Greyscale mode" is far too subtle, and I'm ashamed to admit I missed the change from "math" to "maths"! - but this is a great April Fools' comic. [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Firefoxer here, and ''without'' any particular add-ons that might interact badly with it... It does (seem to) lock up and it does (sometimes... didn't on at least one occasion) prompt Firefox to ask if I want to stop the page. But if I wait long enough it 'wipes off' the last seen comic image, starts to 'scanline' it back (note: not actually accurate to the real days of modems, as you'd probably be loading up images in interlaced mode) and ''then'' starts to give a modem-shriek.
:I wonder, without delving into the code used, if it's the method used to 'sleep' (could it be using busy-busy NOP-like code, rather than true sleep-interupts?), or just a slightly different asynchronous script-handling method that Firefox uses instead of other test-platforms. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:46, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
::Using Firefox (On mac, in Australia, if relevant) and it works fine, but no audio component. [[Special:Contributions/114.198.19.39|114.198.19.39]] 08:07, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: For me (in Chrome) it scrolled the whole page in from the bottom, but then kept scrolling so that you got the top of the page appearing beneath the bottom of it - like a TV with vertical hold problems (kids - ask your grandparents). Then changing to other modes it was stuck in that position. However, on subsequent attempts it only scrolled open the comic portion of the page. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:35, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I clicked darker mode and my screen is black and I cant undo it help {{unsigned ip|207.233.27.2|20:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:I assume you mean Darkest Mode, since there's no darker mode. The screen turns black but if you look carefully you can still see the grey of the menu and you can click on it. Also, the menu border continues to appear after you select the choice (at least it does on my Mac). P.S. Don't forget to sign your comment with 4 ~ characters. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Modem mode doesn’t work for me what does it do [[Special:Contributions/2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3|2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3]] 20:29, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Modem mode makes the comic slowly print from above [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:34, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I see the mobile site m.xkcd.com was left out on this change😔 [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 20:37, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:I have been viewing via a tablet, though I think I've permwnently set my browsers to ''not'' use mobile version sites (they tend to assume viewing everything in portrait, I have found, whereas I almost always browse in landscape, so it gives me badly relocated on-page menu bars, or other wierdnesses).
:Everything seems to work nicely, as I bounced back and forth between modes (and occasionaly went to other comics to see how something like Stained Glass worked with them). Until I tried out the Star Wars scrolling one. Earlier on, I'd checked it out on a desktop, so I left it until one of the last few because it was hardest on the desktop to move on from (unless you used the cursor key, when you'd let the select-drop-down element drift to far 'away' to easily click.
:However, on the tablet, it ''just'' goes black, no appearance of the scrolly-scrawled page contents. (No way to use cursors to change the in-focus drop-down element to a neighbour.) Back-paging just takes me back through the various Random-comic pages I'd passed through, then the plain xkcd.com latest-comic default, all completely black, no animation. (Plane/Boat/Spring/Screensave mode dynamics, etc animated/transformed properly in their various ways.) Back-paging to before landing on xkcd.com (the tab I'd set off from) then forward again landed me in the all-black page with no space-sprawl in evidence...
:...''until'' I turned the tablet sideways (portrait proportions), and there it was. And rotated back to landscape to find it ''still'' properly visible, still scrolling away. Also, discovered I could drag (without pinch-dragging, which is zooming) the scrawl back 'towards me' (essentially scrolling down the skewed page, not an interaction that I'd attempted on the desktop computer), so that I could intercept the dropdown box and shift myself onto a different mode again.
:This is on Chrome For Android. I have other tablet browsers handy, but would need to check them properly before committing to ''their'' compatabilities or peculiarities. But sort of works, after you get over a funny hurdle (as just described), and ''perhaps'' need to have set Desktop Site as default rather than letting your device attempt to automatically use the "m." site version. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 02:56, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I read “Modern mode” instead of Modem mode and I spent a while making wild theories about what it could be referencing. But I’m also quite sleepy. [[Special:Contributions/146.70.116.107|146.70.116.107]] 20:51, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:i also misread it as modern mode, it made everything lag for me, made it feel like a modern website [[Special:Contributions/85.206.187.35|85.206.187.35]] 00:57, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I deminified the code if anyone wants it. There are no hidden options or anything like right-click has, but it would be extremely easy to add modes to it. [[Special:Contributions/2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72|2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72]] 20:59, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

"Modem mode" works for me in Chromium, but not Firefox. [[User:Robobun|Robobun]] ([[User talk:Robobun|talk]]) 21:06, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:For me it's just slow on Firefox. It takes about 5 seconds to clear the comic and start scrolling it back in, and the static doesn't start until it's almost all showing. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:11, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

applies across the whole website? i forsee a preservation effort in the near future to capture What This Was Like, when randall inevitably removes the menu and all its modes--there's no chance this is staying, is there? - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It applies to older comics, but not other parts of the site. I'm also wondering if this might be just for April Fool's Day. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:27, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:: I know it's april the 1st, but could we keep the modes? Stainglass is fun when the background doesn't turn maroon (and makes the text hard to read). I also checked other pages of xkcd, the modes are on on the other comics. {{unsigned ip|2a04:cec0:121a:5180:bcf7:54ff:feb2:d55|21:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)}}
::Of course it's the April Fools'/Fools' comic. Nice to see it being on time, this year, and I too wonder how long it'll stay. Might it permanently stay on this comic page, perhaps even stay if you jump off of it, but comic 3228 (or the 'default' latest-comic page) will probably be back to normal on Friday. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:14, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Luckily, preservation is easy enough. I think you just need to save the main [https://xkcd.com/3227/5710add.js Javascript file] (which contains the CSS, and generates the necessary DOM on the fly) and the [https://xkcd.com/3227/imgs/nyoom_2x.png one image asset]. I think it should be easy enough to turn it into a UserScript if you turn the png into a data URI, or even a web extension if that's more your speed. [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 00:12, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Finally we have the Boat Mode from the footer! [[User:B_for_brain|B for brain]] ([[User_talk:B_for_brain|talk]]) ([https://www.youtube.com/@bforbrain youtube channel] [https://bforbrain.weebly.com/ wobsite (supposed to be a blag)]) 21:33, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

'''Attention admins''' I think there's an "oops" in this line:
<nowiki>To experience the interactivity, visit the {{xkcd|{comicNum}|original comic}}!</nowiki>
[[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 21:43, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yeah, looks like this is a regression in this corner case. I should have a fix for it soon. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:41, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Has the full footer always been there? "xkcd.com is best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.0 or below on a Pentium 3±1 emulated in Javascript on an Apple IIGS at a screen resolution of 1024x1. Please enable your ad blockers, disable high-heat drying, and remove your device from Airplane Mode and set it to Boat Mode. For security reasons, please leave caps lock on while browsing." --[[User:Chance2travel|Chance2travel]] ([[User talk:Chance2travel|talk]]) 22:30, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes, always has been. Learn more at the page for [[Footnote]]. [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 23:17, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I think the Dorian Greyscale Mode takes 5 minutes to complete. I see this in the Javascript: <code>body.mode-dorian-greyscale {\n transition: filter 300s ease-out;</code> [[User:Pgn674|Pgn674]] ([[User talk:Pgn674|talk]]) 22:36, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Dorian Greyscale Mode seems like it ought to use only the white keys on a standard piano, and go DEGFCDBA, with adjacent notes differing in a single bit position. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F|2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I'd love to know if the modem mode's audio file decodes to anything if you try to decode it as a v.92 stream or something similar. [[Special:Contributions/2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80|2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80]] 23:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Stained Glass Mode doesn't show title text? Might be a bug [[User:X|X]] ([[User talk:X|talk]]) 23:38, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Not gonna lie, I got nerd-sniped hard here. I thought the noise in the modem mode might be real modem noises, and I tried to demodulate it. With Gnuradio, I got to the point of guessing that it's 4FSK at 2400 baud, with a center frequency of about 1700 Hz and a frequency deviation of about 300 Hz. I couldn't find the corresponding modem standard, so I started deminifying the source code that generates it. The good news is that I was correct. It's 4FSK, 2400 baud, center frequency 1710 Hz, frequency deviation 270 Hz. The bad news? The data is Math.random(). That feels bittersweet. I saw a puzzle where there was none. I want to post the relevant snippet of deminified code. Am I allowed to do that? Is the site itself also under CC-BY-NC, or just the comics? [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 23:58, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Honestly, I'd love a real dark mode for xkcd.com. But one where the comic isn't inverted. Sometimes I prefer to read the comic here on explainxkcd.com since I have mediawiki settings for dark mode, but those don't invert the comic. (I don't think I can make mediawiki settings for space opera mode...) [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 00:28, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:You should be able to force a custom CSS on this site (with or without any browser-helpers, but there are ones out there that streamline/automate/augment this ability). The AFD-code is applying a full visual filter (over the top of the comic; maybe or maybe not above the mode-selection 'widget', depending upon browser implementation), but sounds like you just want to apply foreground/background inversion as priority (above anything xkcd.com normally 'suggests' via CSS/tag-attributes) to all markup, but leave the comic image (and any other images, like the thumbnails) as is. Might he tricky if any element is "black-on-transparency" image, which assumes white but now has your code turning it black behind the non-transparent black, but you could probably live with it (or make it 75% dark-grey or so?), and non-transparent black-on-white (presuming white all around it) could look strange.
:But you can't tell for sure without trying to tweak your end (or actually checking the source HTML, on the way to doing just that).
:Alternatively, maybe you can isolate the on-site code for just the Dark Mode of the entire-page treatment, modified to 'demask' the filter exactly over the limits of the comic img-rendering area. If it's been done the way I think it's been done (not gonna try to check, 'til I'm not on mobile platform myself) should be a fairly trivial job to add to the fraction of the code you 'borrow'. Or at least a learning experience, as you work out what tweaks do what. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 12:22, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
::all this has inspired me to set up a usercss to darktheme explainxkcd for me; i'm feeling very content with how this page looks for me right now. - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 08:07, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

I spent way too long watching screensaver mode to see if it would do anything if the comic hit a corner. [[Special:Contributions/170.142.177.145|170.142.177.145]] 00:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:fyi ive found that the comic panels bounce on the edges of the viewport but move with reference to page coordinates--which means if you scroll just right you can place a corner of your screen where it's going to hit, without having to wait for it to get there on its own - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 03:39, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I wonder if the choice of the actual text in the comic is a reference to the Apollo 8 Christmas broadcast of Genesis, due to the Artemis II launch today... or maybe I'm overthinking it and it's simply a joke about light and dark mode. [[Special:Contributions/2601:241:8002:3E0:5CAD:3E02:93FF:FB00|2601:241:8002:3E0:5CAD:3E02:93FF:FB00]] 01:05, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:TY! I was not aware of that broadcast and it seems incredibly strange, since everything done on the mission "debunks" that passage! Apparently it was done because anything alluding to "world peace" in any way would seem like a commentary on the Vietnam War. Which, depending on one's skepticism of religion, can also seem quite ironic -now I'm overthinking, so I'll stop now. [[User:Cuvtixo|Cuvtixo]] ([[User talk:Cuvtixo|talk]]) 16:00, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

Anyone test the other April fools comics? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 01:14, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:I tried Machine (2916) in dark mode and it just froze after the tutorial. [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 03:34, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

:Hoverboard (1608) becomes quite challenging in Space Opera Mode, not least because the player and the coins are invisible (at least in my antique MS Edge browser). [[Special:Contributions/74.220.129.129|74.220.129.129]] 15:26, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

I noticed using some of the modes makes xkcd.com/688 no longer self describing, not sure if its worth noting on either wiki [[User:Daunting Zebra|Daunting Zebra]] ([[User talk:Daunting Zebra|talk]]) 07:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

The current explanation of dark mode as 'inverting black and white pixels' isn't quite correct. For example, on [[2623]] a pale yellow colour gets flipped to black. On the other hand, other colours elsewhere are left untouched. So it must be doing 'some very light area of colour palette > black' and presumably 'some very dark area of colour palette > white'. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:27, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: On [[2342]] a light khaki(?) colour gets changed to a dark grey - not even a black. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:29, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: Brown sun, anyone? [[2750]] [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:33, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:Similar to the criteria for the Stained Glass region borders, perhaps? Sufficiently light grey (or unssaturated+light colours) do not 'edge' a given floodfill area, it seems. (See {{xkcd|1811}}, and how it floods/filters that, for example, with pre-coloured ''and'' greyscale text to compare its operational limits upon.) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 12:22, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: It is not flipped to black. It is turned into a very dark yellow that appears closer to black than the original yellow appeared to white because it is not gamma-corrected. [[Special:Contributions/80.187.115.75|80.187.115.75]] 00:05, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
... ... I was hoping this comic would be actually fun, like ALL previous April 1 comics are... :( It would be much better if it follows its name and the standards of earlier April 1's, i.e. there is only a "dark" option and when you switch to it the story progresses and you continue to do some other things and eventually complete a full xkcd-style "creation" (a great idea!) [[Special:Contributions/203.198.86.210|203.198.86.210]] 11:43, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

unsigned comment (pretend it's April foooools) {{unsigned ip|13:27, 2 April 2026 (UTC)}}

Is nobody noticing the fact that Randall was ACTUALLY ON TIME? That's quite rare! --''''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]][[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|Converse]] 13:58, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I wonder if any intentional "Easter eggs" were hidden inside other comic pages. [[User:Benzaldehyde|Benzaldehyde]] ([[User talk:Benzaldehyde|talk]] 17:10, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:I tried looking up #[[880]] (the one about 3D) and sadly it has no additional easter eggs with it :( [[Special:Contributions/2407:0:3006:2959:B0A4:2347:EF39:22AE|2407:0:3006:2959:B0A4:2347:EF39:22AE]] 12:03, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice that the effect (3D, Airplane, etc.) carries over to other comics accessed by the 'Random' button?{{unsigned ip|130.76.25.40|20:25, 2 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:You can change it on any comic. The dropdown is still there. [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 23:09, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Spring Mode is broken on comic [https://xkcd.com/1127/ 1127]. It doesn't do anything for that one, but the other modes work. [[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:2CD4:C200:C134:93AD:21E2:1202|2600:4040:2CD4:C200:C134:93AD:21E2:1202]] 12:35, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
: On that note, the spring mode on Earth Temperature Timeline is crazy. [[Special:Contributions/85.76.164.131|85.76.164.131]] 15:07, 4 April 2026 (UTC)
:: thank you for tipping me off about this, it's great - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 08:11, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

I tried watching this one render in Modem mode with the volume turned up... [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]] :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:52, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

Anyone else tried dark mode on comic 688 “Self-Description”? [[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:52F7:9A00:F19F:5EAC:82CF:A62A|2600:4040:52F7:9A00:F19F:5EAC:82CF:A62A]] 15:00, 5 April 2026 (UTC)
:yep, luckily i read it for no informative purposes in mind -- [[User:Somefan|somefan]] ([[User talk:Somefan|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Somefan|contribs]]) 22:33, 8 April 2026 (UTC)
In the explanation working around a human existing to ask for dark mode, I saw this as the Earth itself asking for dark mode - no humans, so that rationale isn't needed. [[User:Goodeye|Goodeye]] ([[User talk:Goodeye|talk]]) 15:51, 5 April 2026 (UTC)
it would seem that screensaver mode only actually collides with walls on the top left corner, at least on some comics[[Special:Contributions/204.113.154.68|204.113.154.68]] 14:46, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I used all of the options on my favorite XKCD comic - the 64 states map one (2868). [[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 20:48, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

It is now 9 April 2026 (in my timezone) and the mode option is still there on all comics. Is it a permanent feature? [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 22:22, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

Stained Glass Mode isn't showing Title text because the canvas is overtop the image. The JS should be updated to copy the title attribute from the comic img to the appended canvas {{unsigned ip|156.63.69.149|14:07, 10 April 2026}}

Has anyone noticed that the boat mode movement is a swaying movement centered around the line between the comic section and the lower section and positioned over the link to the windmill comic? so its not moving around the center of mass or rolling like might occur from wave movement [[Special:Contributions/2605:59CA:3D14:2600:1474:D05:5A39:9ACD|2605:59CA:3D14:2600:1474:D05:5A39:9ACD]] 02:29, 12 April 2026 (UTC)

Modes have now disappeared. 16 April 2026 [[User:SectorCorruptor|SectorCorruptor]] ([[User talk:SectorCorruptor|talk]]) 04:28, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3233: Make It Myself

2026-04-16T04:23:31Z

SectorCorruptor: comment

Almost did the same thing, but satisfied with results. Wanted to build a very shallow wide drawer for Ikea Ivar shelf that I use as computer station. Only one I saw that came close was $190. I probably spent $50-60, three hours planning and assembling, three trips to hardware stores and two reworked designs before I made what I wanted. Used a Cambro serving tray form Amazon, couple oak "project boards", couple DIY dowels and screws.
[[User:Fungible|Fungible]] ([[User talk:Fungible|talk]]) 22:23, 15 April 2026 (UTC)

...and a small aubergine.
[[User:Jgharston|Jgharston]] ([[User talk:Jgharston|talk]]) 23:03, 15 April 2026 (UTC)
:Goodness gracious me! [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 00:24, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

Where did Dark Mode go??? I used to get it for free, and now I have to get an extension? [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 04:02, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

Seems like today xkcd's website went back to normal, or as normal as can be when you don't have Dark Mode. [[User:SectorCorruptor|SectorCorruptor]] ([[User talk:SectorCorruptor|talk]]) 04:23, 16 April 2026 (UTC)

847: Stingray Nebula

2025-09-22T08:52:07Z

SectorCorruptor: since when was sam the main character of lotr?

{{comic
| number = 847
| date = January 14, 2011
| title = Stingray Nebula
| image = stingray_nebula.png
| titletext = Eärendil will patrol the walls of night only until the sun reaches red giant stage, engulfing the Morning Star on his brow. Light and high beauty are passing things as well.
}}

==Explanation==
The {{w|Stingray Nebula}}, in the constellation {{w|Ara (constellation)|Ara}}, is the youngest known planetary nebula in the {{w|Milky Way}} galaxy. It was formed by an {{w|asymptotic giant branch}} (AGB) B1 {{w|supergiant}}, which ejected its outer layers during the 1980s. It now appears as a {{w|white dwarf}} star in the center of an expanding gaseous nebula.

This comic went from a reassuring comic about stars at night giving hope in the darkness, but then as with most xkcd's, it took a turn. In this case, the twist is that because [[Cueball]]'s star he got attached to exploded into a nebula, we should only become attached to stars that aren't quite as volatile as the one that formed the Stingray Nebula.

The formation of a planetary nebula is not usually referred to as an explosion, since it is a quite slow process, which, in the case of the stingray nebula, took about 20 years (1970-1990). When Randal describes it as an explosion happening exactly in 1987, it is possible that he is confusing it with the famous supernova {{w|SN 1987A}}, the closest and brightest observed supernova since {{w|Kepler's Supernova}} of 1604.

While talking about his star, Cueball shares with his friend a quote from the ''{{w|Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King}}'', the third installment in {{w|J. R. R. Tolkien|J.R.R. Tolkien's}} epic fantasy series. {{w|Frodo Baggins|Frodo}} and his friend {{w|Samwise Gamgee|Sam}} were forced to travel through {{w|Mordor}}, a land of fire and death, to destroy the malevolent {{w|One Ring}}. The journey's hardship took a psychological toll on each of them.

Cueball compares his struggles as a kid, and his friend's struggles in the present, to Sam and Frodo's arduous journey through Mordor. Both he and Sam were able to find beauty and solace in the glimmering of some distant light. By attaching their hopes, woes and feelings to this small point of hope, they both get a sense of perspective and comfort in the fact that there is beauty in a greater sense before them.

The title text ties into the Tolkien quote. {{w|Eärendil}}, with a {{w|Silmaril}} strapped to his ship, Vingilot, is the Tolkienian myth explanation for the planet {{w|Venus}}, which has historically been mistaken for a star due to its brightness, being known as the "morning star" or "evening star". Venus will eventually (in billions of years time) be engulfed by the sun's expansion into a red giant. The source of Sam's comfort is also temporary in the long term.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and his Cueball-like friend to the left is shown as white silhouettes against a dark sky. They're sitting on top of a grassy hill also shown inverted as white.]
:Cueball: I know things are tough right now. When I was going through some difficult times as a kid, I would go up on the roof and look through my telescope.

:[Zoom in on the twos white heads and upper torso only.]
:Cueball: One day I found a tiny star in Ara that seemed friendly.
:Cueball: There were millions like it, but I decided that this one was mine.

:[Zoom in only on Cueball's head and torso.]
:Cueball: When things got bad, I'd go find that star, and think of my favorite Tolkien quote. It's from Sam's time in Mordor.

:[The next panel is diagonally downward to the right of the previous. The upper left corner overlaps. A single star is shown above the highest peak in a jagged chain of mountains with at least five other large peaks and several smaller ones. Above the star in the black sky is a long quote.]
:"There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the shadow was only a small and passing thing: There was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach."
::::—The Return of the King

:[Back to normal panels below the quote panel. Larger zoom than in panel two both showing the same of the two.]
:Friend: That's comforting!
:Cueball: It was rather undercut in 1987, when the light from my star's explosion reached Earth. The debris forms the Stingray Nebula.

:[Zooming further out even than the first panel, showing more of the grassy mound below the two.]
:Friend: There's probably a lesson there.
:Cueball: "Never trust an unstable asymptotic giant branch star. Stick with main sequences and dwarfs."
:Friend: I'll, uh, keep that in mind.

==Trivia==
*The title of this comic was subsequently referenced in the following [http://web.mit.edu/puzzle/www/2011/puzzles/katamari_damacy/unlikely_situations/ MIT Mystery Hunt puzzle].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Telescopes]]

Talk:3132: Coastline Similarity

2025-08-22T16:20:25Z

SectorCorruptor:

Lol what [[User:SectorCorruptor|SectorCorruptor]] ([[User talk:SectorCorruptor|talk]]) 16:20, 22 August 2025 (UTC)

562: Parking

2025-07-23T12:47:23Z

SectorCorruptor: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 562
| date = March 30, 2009
| title = Parking
| image = parking.png
| titletext = Police reported three dozen cheerful bystanders, yet no one claims to have seen who did it.
}}

==Explanation==
There are few things so annoying as finding, when a parking lot is full, that someone has parked so carelessly as to take up two spaces. Even worse, it may have been intentional; they decided to exchange the risk of someone accidentally scratching their car for the risk of someone doing it on purpose, see [[1030: Keyed]]. However, there are also non-violent ways to tackle the problem;{{Citation needed}} [http://www.threadless.com/product/187/I_Park_Like_an_Idiot politely leave a note] (original link defunct, archive [https://web.archive.org/web/20120719122829/http://www.threadless.com/product/187/I_Park_Like_an_Idiot here]), or, if possible, just move their car (whether to its proper alignment or to an impound lot).

Of course, [[Black Hat]] takes the road less traveled, apparently involving a {{w|cutting torch}} and what looks to be a {{w|circular saw}}. The offending portion of the parked car is sliced off (entirely without surgical precision) and neatly slotted into the remainder of the space. It is now legally parked, but will never become a functional car again.{{Citation needed}} But at least Black Hat finally has space for his own car!

This comic may be the one referenced in [[496: Secretary: Part 3]], where it is shown that Black Hat '...completely disassembled a car' because 'It was parked across two spaces! It was only fair', or this is the second time that a car has been in the way of him parking, so he has taken matters into his own hands.

The title text indicates that a large crowd watched Black Hat at work but refused to identify him, presumably because they feel that the car owner got what he deserved, or possibly know enough of Black Hat's reputation to not betray him.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat is in a car driving around a parking lot.]

:[Black Hat's car pulls up next to a red car, that's parked over a line at an angle that blocks two spaces.]

:[Black Hat gets out of his car.]
:''SLAM''

:[Black Hat is now holding a blow torch and a rotary saw, He's also wearing goggles and fuel tanks on his back. The blow torch is lit.]
:''Fwoosh''

:[The badly parked car has been cut in half along a diagonal, and the half of the car that was in the second slot has been moved into the same slot as the rest of the car. Black Hat's car occupies the newly freed space.]

==Trivia==
Black Hat, in the fourth panel, is also seen in the "Your Ad Here" screen.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

2536: Wirecutter

2024-08-25T10:53:20Z

SectorCorruptor: /* Explanation */ if your religion isnt a budget religion, you'd be embarrassed by the fact that you may be spending way too much on it

{{comic
| number = 2536
| date = November 1, 2021
| title = Wirecutter
| image = wirecutter.png
| titletext = This was always going to be a controversial Wirecutter post, but what really got them in trouble were their 'budget' and 'upgrade' picks.
}}

==Explanation==

''{{w|Wirecutter (website)|Wirecutter}}'' is a product review website owned by ''The New York Times''. Randall is parodying the website by having them "review" the 70 most popular [[:Category:Religion|religion]]s. Product review websites typically make posts with the "best" X, e.g. "Best smartphones," or "Best laptops." These reviews are useful for consumers trying to choose among the wide variety of products available.

There are {{w|List of religions and spiritual traditions|a wide variety of religions}}. However, unlike electronic devices, a person does not usually choose their religion; they are typically taught one during childhood and most remain in that religion their entire life. Changing religions is ([[1102|usually]]) a significant life event. Many religions, including many variants of the three major {{w|Abrahamic religions}} promote {{w|Religious exclusivism|exclusivity}}, and do not recognize other religions as valid. They emphasize the importance of specific practices or belief in specific creeds. Members of those religions might not recognize a reviewer as having truly "tried" their religion if their intent was always to move on to another.

A post "reviewing" religions is sure to stir up controversy, as many religious followers are passionate about their religious beliefs and believe their religion is best. {{w|Religious_war|Literal wars}} have been fought over the idea one religion could be superior to another, and it is not a wound most practitioners are willing to reopen any time soon. Moreover, religions are typically chosen for more fundamental reasons -- such as by comparing the likelihood that each religion makes accurate claims, or the efficacy of each religion in promoting an ethical life, or the connection a practitioner feels to the religion's rituals, metaphors, and images, or by privileging a preexisting cultural or family connection to a particular tradition -- not by comparing gimmicky features or price.

The title text mentions "budget" and "upgrade" picks, which are subcategories for reviewers - cheaper options and options that are good for upgrading your current product. Neither of these categories are typical categories for religions{{Citation needed}} and could further anger their adherents. The association of religion and money could allude to various controversial topics such as {{w|tithe|tithing}}, {{w|indulgences}}, {{w|televangelism}}, or {{w|Prosperity theology}} (yuck). Budget need not be just about money, it could also refer to the amount of time or effort involved. (e.g., how much time is spent in religious activities, needing to learn a new language, etc.) Some religious followers might be offended{{Citation needed}} if their religion was picked (or ''not'' picked) in a "budget" category. The idea of a religion "upgrade" evokes the highly divisive concept of {{w|supersessionism}} among the major Abrahamic religions, which would be guaranteed to cause further outcry no matter which one of those the article would pick for the category. (Various forms of {{w|syncretism}} could qualify as an "upgrade," but whatever Wirecutter's intent, that is unlikely to be the first thing anyone reading such an article thinks of.)

==Transcript==
:[A New York Times Wirecutter article. There is the NYT logo and Wirecutter logo in the top left. Also in the top of the page is a search bar, a user account icon, and 7 "header" level hyperlinks with illegible text. The article title is as follows:]
:The Best Religion
:By Wirecutter Staff

:[The words "Wirecutter Staff" are followed by illegible text presumably representing the date of the article. Below are icons for Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, and save.]

:[The article's image depicts Cueball shrugging in the center of the picture with many question marks floating above him. The content of the article is as follows:]

:What does it all mean? Our reviewers tried out over 70 of the most popular belief systems. Here's what they found…

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:2941: Cell Organelles

2024-06-04T10:52:45Z

SectorCorruptor:

I'm a little disappointed there isn't a continuous endoplasmic reticulum with a zigzag in it.
Rogue mathematician away [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.77|172.71.154.77]] 19:20, 3 June 2024 (UTC)

Sorry about the edit conflicts, attempting to fix.... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.237|108.162.245.237]] 20:12, 3 June 2024 (UTC)

Re [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2941:_Cell_Organelles&diff=343629&oldid=343628] is LLM use forbidden? I recall we have several ChatGPT-authored explanations, and had an ongoing discussion back when it was new. In any case, I've proofread and vouch for it, so I'm replacing the text. I encourage anyone who's bothered by it to paraphrase instead of delete. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.237|108.162.245.237]] 21:22, 3 June 2024 (UTC)

:If you've got the time to check AI-generated content properly and agree that it's what ''you'' would have written, you've got time to write it from scratch exactly how you'd have written it. And you get dangerously close to just putting in AI-content without checking at all, which right now is remains foolhardy.
:But, most of all, anything anyone submits can be changed by anyone else, and I don't know who picked up on it being AI and dealt with it the way they did, but only consensus can truly resolve where any attempt to impose an edit leads. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.119|162.158.74.119]] 22:36, 3 June 2024 (UTC)

::I almost completely agree with you for Wikipedia (I'd just change 'would' to 'could') and similar wikis, but it's undeniable that ExplainXkcd is different in some very substantial and obvious ways, many of which bear on whether to utilize AI. In particular, I would accept pretty much anything that helps explain the comic whether authored by human, machine, animal, or alien, but not hesitate for a second to, as the text below the Summary text input box says, edit it "mercilessly" whether I thought it was LLM-generated or not. But I wouldn't delete an even barely serviceable explanation ''just'' because I thought it came from an LLM, even if it was objectively low quality. I would try to improve it, which almost never means starting over from scratch. I'm not sure I believe the same is true for humans, who often insert, e.g., vandalism, trolling, or extremely undue and/or fringe topic passages. If an LLM is doing that, there's probably a human behind it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.17|108.162.245.17]] 00:21, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

:Both the paragraphs and the table have been edited far enough from what ChatGPT pretty obviously came up with (almost all of which I would say merit inclusion unaltered, [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2941:_Cell_Organelles&diff=343604&oldid=343601 looking at the initial edits; although there is evidence that the LLM output was copyedited and wikilinked in a way that it would probably not do,] i.e., we use the {{tl|w}} template here which is not at all a Mediawiki standard, the Wikimedia wikis having a different form <nowiki>[[w:...]]</nowiki>) so that whatever deleterious LLM contamination they had has surely been beat out of them at this stage. Perhaps the GenAI deletionist is trying to encourage others to not fall prey to reliance on LLMs? A worthy goal, but I agree paraphrasing is far superior. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.180|172.69.34.180]] 01:57, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

Re: the chloroplasts explanation: how do we know that this is an animal cell? (Would be good to say why...) -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 22:18, 3 June 2024 (UTC)
:The cell has a membrane instead of a wall. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.199|162.158.90.199]] 22:24, 3 June 2024 (UTC)
::No, that’s human skin. [[User:Usb-rave|Usb-rave]] ([[User talk:Usb-rave|talk]]) 00:48, 4 June 2024 (UTC)
:::Yeah, the rule of thumb is of course a generalization worthy of chemistry "rules" -- the {{w|bone cell}} being perhaps the most obvious uncategorizable corner case of several. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.150.236|172.71.150.236]] 02:12, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

Why does Golgi look like an alien, he's so little and cute. Wtf. [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 23:11, 3 June 2024 (UTC)

:You know what I would like to see from AI? A tiny white Grey Golgi alien working in the cytoplasm to build his apparatus. Please see below. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.147.106|172.71.147.106]] 03:50, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

Should 2732: Bursa of Fabricius be referenced? It feels like the Golgi Apparatus is making a similar joke, if somewhat inverted. [[User:Dkfenger|Dkfenger]] ([[User talk:Dkfenger|talk]]) 01:19, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

To me, 'Drain plug' is an engine oil-drain plug. Yes it is a bolt, rarely used in biological systems. But a cell and an engine are normally full of fluid, while plumbing sinks are normally empty. --[[User:PRR|PRR]] ([[User talk:PRR|talk]]) 02:10, 4 June 2024 (UTC)
:To me it's about as often something you would find in a kitchen or bathroom sink, especially if the plumbing was from the 1970s or earlier. Honestly I'm too young to know when sink plugs fell out of favor to levers. In any case, an actual hole in the cell membrane is almost always a potentially mortal wound, and few cells have any means of repairing all but the smallest tears. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.207.197|172.70.207.197]] 02:47, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

Hello there! 👋 I think you guys mixed up midichlorian and mitochondria explanations. 👋 You surely will want to fix that. 👋 Also, you want to make me a sandwich. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.177|172.70.85.177]] 05:13, 4 June 2024 (UTC)
:LGTM. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.146.218|172.71.146.218]] 09:29, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

I'm a little bit disappointed that there's no Sulawesi hidden in there. This is the sort of comci you'd expect it in. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 06:48, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

I dislike that this table is in alphabetical order instead of the top-down order they were meant to be read.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.231.39|172.70.231.39]] 10:08, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

I'm going to fail my Biology exam tomorrow because of this :( ([[User talk:SectorCorruptor|talk]]) 11:52, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

=== Golgi by AI art contest ===

Survey questions: (1) Which of these do you like the best? https://ibb.co/album/68tCSn Can you do better?

(2) Does anyone know how to make AI animations like those? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.142.181|172.71.142.181]] 03:49, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

== Nucleolus ==

Wouldn't "Nucleololus" be a better continuation to "Nucleus" and "Nucleolus", with each term getting one more "ol" between "e" and the second "u"? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.222.50|172.71.222.50]] 08:04, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

2929: Good and Bad Ideas

2024-05-07T11:55:44Z

SectorCorruptor: started transcript, keep on adding

{{comic
| number = 2929
| date = May 6, 2024
| title = Good and Bad Ideas
| image = good_and_bad_ideas_2x.png
| imagesize = 595x522px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = While it seemed like a fun prank at the time, I realize my prank fire extinguishers full of leaded gasoline were a mistake.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD- Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is a scatter plot comparing how good an idea sounds to how good the idea actually is. For example, leaded gasoline sounds like a good idea due to the anti-knocking effects, but is actually a bad idea due to lead toxicity. Fake prank fire extinguishers however sound bad and are bad as they can result in a dangerous situation in an emergency. Putting mold on infections sounds like a bad idea, but this could be referring to Penicillin, an antibiotic.

The title text combines leaded gasoline and a fake prank fire extinguisher into something that is worse than either. Not only is the fire extinguisher fake, it also releases flammable material onto the fire, and there is the additional lead toxicity.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Idea !! What it means !! How good it sounds !! How good it actually is !! Explanation
|-
|Leaded Gasoline||Adding {{w|Tetraethyllead|tetraethyl lead}} to gasoline to reduce noise and/or increase performance||++||---||Leaded gasoline was introduced in the early 1920s to eliminate engine knocking and greatly increase fuel efficiency and engine performance. Lead, however, is toxic. Burning the leaded gasoline in an engine releases the lead in the air. This is bad, and was known to be bad at the time, which is why there was an extensive PR campaign by oil companies to prove the alleged safety of the new product which, broadly speaking, succeeded up until the 1970s.
|-
|Bloodletting||Releasing "bad blood" from the veins||---||---||You need (most of) your blood.{{Citation needed}} Bloodletting has been performed as a medical procedure for at least 2000 years until it was considered pseudoscience from the 19th century, when the harmful effects became known. The idea was to withdraw blood to balance the body's "humors". Nowadays {{w|phlebotomy}} is only used therapeutically in a small number of cases, such as hemochromatosis (too much iron in the body).
|-
|{{w|Asbestos}}||Mineral which does not burn and is good insulation, isolation, and fire-retardant||+++||---||Asbestos was used extensively in buildings throughout most of the 20th century. Sadly the microscopic fibers which make up asbestos greatly increase the risk of cancer when inhaled.
|-
|Extension cords with prongs on both ends||allows easy connection between 2 female connectors||0 (neutral)||---||Prongs on both ends would make it easier to plug the extension cord in on either side. But once plugged into an outlet, the other end becomes a serious shock hazard, as seen in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L08LjkN1k70 this Backyard Scientist video].
|-
|Stair Kayaking||Riding down a flight of stairs in a {{w|kayak}}||--||---|| Stair kayaking is a stunt where a person positions a kayak at the top of a flight of stairs and then, using their paddle to push off, rides the kayak down the stairs. This poses significant easily foreseeable risks of injury or death, as well as being very bad for the kayak, which is designed to ride on water, not concrete.
|-
|Fake prank fire extinguishers||||---||---|| The idea of placing fake fire extinguishers as a prank, presumably so that a person who thinks they are grabbing a real fire extinguisher will instead find a decoy, sounds very dangerous and potentially life-threatening for many people, and it would, in fact, be highly dangerous. In the United States, (and presumably most countries), this would also be a felony in most, if not all, jurisdictions. An example of a similar situation, although not intended as a prank, can be found [https://twitter.com/ThatSamWinkler/status/1657154071051239424 here].
The title text expands this idea by having the prank fire extinguishers filled with (leaded) gasoline. This is literally adding fuel to the fire.
|-
|Always saying what you think||...regardless of the feelings of others or other considerations||++||--||Openness and honesty are seen as positive character traits in people. However, taken to the extreme of ''always'' telling people what you think about them, they can lead to awkward or unpleasant situations. It may harm your relationship with the other person if they don't like what you think, or they may reply without concern for ''your'' feelings or other considerations. Keeping negative thoughts to yourself or telling "white lies" can be considered a better alternative in some situations.
|-
|Replying to spammers||Clicking on the "Reply" button from spam mails and writing (and sending) a reply (or worse, clicking on the links in these mails)||--||--||At best, you confirm your email address and identify yourself as someone likely to respond to such unsolicited messages, and so encourage the spammers to deluge you with even more messages. At worst, the spammer may use your correspondence to extract sensitive information about you, or make you victim to a scam.
|-
|Solar cars||Having {{w|Solar panel|solar panels}} on the car's surface (mostly hood and roof) for power generation||+++||-||Cars require large amounts of energy in short periods of time and portable solar panels generally do not produce enough, nor are they as efficient as fixed installations on the power grid.
There are competitions for solar powered cars, though, like the {{w|World Solar Challenge}}.
|-
|Heelies||{{w|Heelys}} are shoes with a inline skate wheel embedded in the sole, at the heel. ||+||-||Heelys allow the wearer (usually children) to shift between normal walking and rolling like a roller skate. This sounds like fun but has led to numerous injuries.{{Actual citation needed}}
|-
|Prequels||A work of fiction (mostly movie) telling the "story before the story" of another work of fiction.||+++||-||More of a good story sounds great on the surface, but the constraints of a prequel's ending needing to create the starting conditions of the original work often precludes organic development and causes contrived plots.
|-
|Transition Lenses||A brand name for {{w|Photochromic_lens|photochromic lenses}} in glasses, which get darker (like sunglasses) in bright light.||+||-||Photochromic lenses are clear lenses that darken when exposed to UV light, then turn clear again when the exposure is removed. The advantage is that wearers of glasses don't need to buy separate (prescription) sunglasses. However, the process is relatively slow (about a minute) so not so useful when there is a quick succession of shade and bright light, perhaps in a forest or when driving. Also, car windscreen filter out UV light to some degree, which prevents the glasses from darkening as required. Finally, the process is temperature dependent, so in hot weather the glasses don't become as dark and in cold weather they might stay dark for too long.
|-
|Cutting pizza in squares||Cutting (a presumably round) pizza in squares||-||-||Most people cut pizza into wedges and hold it by the crust. Cutting it into squares allows for more pieces to be shared, but pieces near the center will have no crust to hold it by, getting cheese and sauce all over your fingers. There will also be lots of leftover tiny pieces. While hardly a disaster like the other items in its quadrant, square pizza pieces are just not very useful and rather inefficient. Cutting a rectangular pizza into squares might not suffer from the problems above, but, unless the pizza itself is square and cut only into four squares, some people will end up with a higher crust-to-topping ratio than others.
|-
|{{w|Project Orion (nuclear propulsion)|Project Orion}}||Study by the U.S. government looking into nuclear pulse propulsion for spacecraft.||---||-||Using repeated nuclear explosions to generate motion sounds bad for both the spacecraft and everything else, especially with a ground launch, but there are ways to address a lot of the concerns, so it isn't as bad as it sounds. Project Orion's theorized specific impulse and thrust would also be far higher than anything chemical rockets can accomplish. The efficiency of Project Orion is extremely low, however.
|-
|Soup||Soup||0 (neutral)||0 (neutral)||Soup is probably one of the oldest foods created by prehistoric cooks. Many people enjoy it, though some consider many soups somewhat lacking as a meal on their own, or bland.
|-
|Combo washer dryers||A device which combines washing machine and laundry dryer into one device||+++||+||Better at space efficiency, but worse at each task than separate devices.
|-
|Cutting sandwiches diagonally||Cutting sandwiches diagonally||+||+||Generally regarded{{Actual citation needed}} as the structurally superior way to slice a sandwich, providing better support in the hand and fewer all-crust bites. Required in the assembly of a club sandwich, where the diagonal components are stacked again.
|-
|{{w|Diverging diamond interchange|Diverging diamond interchanges}}||Road junction where the two (sets of) lanes cross over to switch sides (so if you normally drive on the right, now you drive on the left), then switch back to normal after the junction||-||+||Highway engineers believe the shape improves safety and traffic flow through the interchange because switching to the other side facilitates merging to and from the other road in the junction. However the shape appears to be insanity to an unfamiliar driver.
|-
|Toasting sandwiches||Making a sandwich first and then cooking it, as in a dedicated {{w|Pie_iron|sandwich toaster}}, a {{w|toaster oven|toaster oven}} or frying pan, or under a grill.||++||++||The grilled cheese sandwich is a familiar form to most people, and many other sandwiches are improved by toasting as a final step. Others, such as the {{w|western sandwich|Western}} or {{w|club sandwich|club}} are prepared using toast. The {{w|peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich|Elvis}} is a specific case of a sandwich that normally wouldn't be toasted, but is improved by it - peanut butter, bacon, banana, and jelly, with the assembly lightly fried.
|-
|Crumple zones||Designated areas of a car that crumple in case of a crash... ||--||++||...to absorb the energy of the crash to prevent damage to the passengers. This goes against the intuition that having a section of the vehicle deliberately collapse during a collision appears to reduce the protection for the occupants.
|-
|Sliced bread||Bread, sliced by the baker before packaging for sale||+++||++||It's far more convenient for making sandwiches or toast, but unfortunately pre-sliced bread will go stale faster and some applications may be better off thicker or thinner than the slices provided. Sliced bread is often used as a comparator for how good something is in the phrase 'the best thing since sliced bread'.
|-
|{{w|Pizza}}||Flat, though usually leavened, bread with tomato sauce, cheese, and often vegetables or preserved meats||++||++||Pizza is a widely popular dish throughout much of the world, uncontroversial {{w|Anchovies_as_food|except}} {{w|Pineapple|certain}} [https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/nutty-choc-pizza-fresh-berries/2c0220a4-8463-45ff-b2ba-ac7e5012a006 toppings].
|-
|Eating citrus fruit while at sea||||0 (neutral)||+++||The vitamin C present in some citrus fruits prevents one from developing {{w|Scurvy|scurvy}}.
|-
|Putting mold on infections||Seemingly a reference to ancient practice of pressing moldy bread against infected wounds||---||++||While this sounds like a good way to get a fungal infection, with the correct mold this is a primitive antibiotic, and led to the discovery of penicillin.
|-
|Wheels on luggage||Some luggage bags have small wheels inset on their frame and a carrying handle.||+++||+++||A relatively simple fitting for rigid or semi-rigid luggage that substantially eases its transport over long distances on flat surfaces such as travel terminals.
|-
|{{w|Heat_pump|Heat pumps}}||Refrigeration (or air conditioning) technology operated in reverse to heat an area instead.||++||+++||Because refrigeration is a very efficient way to move heat (as long as the cold side's temperature is high enough) this is often far more energetically efficient than directly heating a space. Reversible heat pumps also exist which can take care of both temperature needs in some climates.
|-
|Laser eye surgery||Surgical techniques using lasers for precision cutting in the eyeball.||-||+++||In the popular imagination, lasers are often thought of as something used for destroying their target. Firing them into people's eyes, then, does not sound a great idea. However. this technology has substantially improved the eyesight of millions of people worldwide by allowing treatment of eye problems otherwise only corrected by lenses, or entirely untreatable. Randall has previously commented on laser eye surgery, amongst other ideas both good and bad, in [[1681: Laser Products]].
|-
|Fecal transplants||Transfer of gut microbiome of healthy person to sterilised gut of ill person.||---||+++||The gut microbiome is a collection of bacteria that lives in our guts. It can influence our health. It is responsible for last stages of digesting our food. It can also produce neurotransmitters that are carried by blood to our brain influencing our behaviour. A healthy microbiome can be destroyed by bad eating habits, unhealthy lifestyle, infections or antibiotics. The important part is a composition of different species of bacteria that compromise the biome. Sometimes it may be necessary to completely sterilise the gut and then take a sample of a healthy biome from another person. A sample is enough as the bacteria will multiply. As long as the patient eats correctly, the microbiome after transplant should develop correctly.

It sounds bad because we tend to think of our feces as something gross, to be discarded. It is called fecal transplant as our feces contain about 50% of gut bacteria, but nowadays the sample usually takes the form of a coated pill that is applied rectally.
|-
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[A graph of 2 axes, with the x-axis describing how bad an idea sounds to people, and the y-axis describing how bad that idea actually is.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]

Talk:2929: Good and Bad Ideas

2024-05-07T07:21:58Z

SectorCorruptor:

Lots of bread/food in the "good" quadrant; I think Randall is hungry. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.73|162.158.154.73]] 05:33, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Soup always seems like a very good idea to me. I guess I like soup. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.182|172.69.79.182]] 07:15, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

I remember something like this in what if. [[Special:Contributions/SectorCorruptor|SectorCorruptor]] 07:21, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

2929: Good and Bad Ideas

2024-05-07T06:02:33Z

SectorCorruptor:

2929: Good and Bad Ideas

2024-05-07T06:01:15Z

SectorCorruptor: removed my edit

2929: Good and Bad Ideas

2024-05-07T06:00:19Z

SectorCorruptor: incomplete table, please add on