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When one first initializes a tag wiki, there is no place to include an edit summary. Since tag wiki initializations may end up in the suggested edits queue for review (if the initialization is done by a user without 20k privileges), there should be a field for users to include an edit summary.

I will grant that in most cases, an edit summary is unnecessary for a newly-created tag wiki; however, there are times when additional information about the edit is useful. Consider the following situation: suppose there exists an incorrectly-spelled tag "cmoputer", which has a tag wiki. I might decide to fix this by retagging all "cmoputer" questions with "computer". I might also then decide to copy the wiki for "cmoputer" over to "computer" in order to preserve whatever had already been written. In this case, it is helpful to have a note indicating that the content was transcluded from the "cmoputer" wiki, for reasons of attribution and whatnot. (This is not a hypothetical; we have had to do basically this on Anime.SE on more than one occasion.)

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    Is there something in particular that you think users should include in that summary? I mean the edit summary is meant to explain what you're changing. If it's being created, there's not really anything to explain.
    – animuson StaffMod
    Jun 13, 2014 at 3:44
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    @animuson Sometimes, additional information about the edit is useful. Consider: tag cmoputer exists and has a tag wiki. I decide to fix this by retagging all cmoputer questions with computer. I also decide to copy the wiki for cmoputer over to computer. In this case, it is helpful to have a note indicating that the content was transcluded from the cmoputer wiki, for reasons of attribution and whatnot. (This is not a hypothetical; we have had to do basically this on Anime & Manga on more than one occasion.)
    – senshin
    Jun 13, 2014 at 3:45
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    @animuson I do agree that in most cases, an edit summary will not be necessary for a newly-created tag wiki. Nonetheless, there are some use cases for an edit summary.
    – senshin
    Jun 13, 2014 at 3:48
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    I've added that use case to your question. It's kinda important to say in the question why a feature should happen, especially when it seems like a weird request!
    – doppelgreener
    Jun 13, 2014 at 6:11

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Since it seems unlikely that this feature request will be considered by the SE team, I thought it might be useful to mention a workaround:

STEP 1. Type up the initial version of a tag's wiki and excerpt and hit "Submit", so that one is taken to the tag's info page.

STEP 2. Again click on "Edit tag info" — you are taken to the editor, but this time the box for adding the edit summary appears. Your previously submitted edit is also saved, so you just need to add the edit summary without touching the body of the wiki or excerpt.

I used this method to add a custom edit summary in my suggested edit to this tag on Anime & Manga SE.

(Incidentally, it seems that the same procedure does not work for questions and answers — I clicked on "Edit" immediately after submitting this answer and added an edit summary, but it does not appear in the revisions page for this answer.)

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    If you're a trusted user and are making a binding edit to initialize the tag wiki and excerpt, you must make another change to both of them at the same time as entering your summary to make sure they're added. Also, you must make the change within five minutes.
    – Sonic the Anonymous Hedgehog
    Jul 17, 2020 at 11:06
  • @Sonic thanks, I didn’t know that. I was only answering from the perspective of submitting a suggested edit. I’m not a trusted user on any SE site yet.
    – user313042
    Jul 17, 2020 at 11:08

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