Template:Interlanguage link/doc

This is a documentation subpage for Template:Interlanguage link. It may contain usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page.

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This template is used on approximately 180,000 pages. To avoid major disruption and server load, any changes should be tested in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. The tested changes can be added to this page in a single edit. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them. Preview message: Transclusion count updated automatically (see documentation).

This template should not be used in citation templates such as Citation Style 1 and Citation Style 2, because it includes markup that will pollute the COinS metadata they produce; see Wikipedia:COinS.

Due to a server limit of 500 "expensive parser function" calls (e.g. #ifexist:, PAGESIZE:, and PAGESINCATEGORY:), this template will only work properly if the page using it has not already exceeded the limit. When the limit is exceeded, the page using this template or module is categorised in Category:Pages with too many expensive parser function calls. (further information)

This template links conditionally to pages on non-English Wikipedias. If the specified article does not exist on the English Wikipedia, this template intentionally displays a red link to that anticipated but still-nonexistent article, followed by link(s) to the specified article(s) on the non-English Wikipedia(s), shown under the corresponding language code(s), in brackets. Hovering over a non-English link displays the name of the article on the non-English Wikipedia, as normal. Links to non-English Wikipedia articles are always blue; it is up to the editor to make sure they link to the intended article.

If the specified article exists (that is, after the anticipated article has been created) on the English Wikipedia, this template will only show the blue link to that article, and no longer to the non-English link(s).^[a]

Because {{ill}} normally produces a working link along with a redlink, it is appropriate for use in hatnotes, in spite of the general advice to avoid redlinks in hatnotes.^[b]

Please be aware Cewbot removes this template when it detects the target article has been created on English Wikipedia, converting {{ill}} links to regular (blue) links.^[a]

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).