{{Links to}} lists all pages that link to a section, and shows a snippet from each page, with the link highlighted. It uses the linksto search parameter to find the pages, and from that a regexp search to find the section's incoming links. (Note that the input to {{links to}} is a section, while the input to the search parameter linksto is a fullpagename.)
Use {{links to}} to help decide about changing or removing section headings, {{anchor}}s, or "span id=" (HTML) tags.
This template lists all the wikilinks to a section that are found in the wikitext as:
These are all the usual-style wikilinks, and the search links produced by this template are definitive concerning the sections of most pages.[1]
While editing a section, you decide to rename its heading. Or you want to restructure an article. But it might break a link. And you're not sure about adding {{anchors}}.
Using these three tools, the incoming wikilinks to a section can be known.[1]
![]() | You must enter the name of the section as the parameter. If you see {{{1}}}, that search has failed to inform you of any links to that section. |
Work from the edit page — going from it and back to it — while finding all links and redirects.[2] When entering a {{links to|section}} copy any section name exactly as it appears in the wikitext:
== section heading ==
{{links to|section heading}} or{{anchor | anchor }}
{{links to|anchor}} or<span id="span id">...</span>
{{links to|span id}}The spacing outside the name is not important, but the markup and spacing inside the name is important.[3] The most common mistake is wrong capitalization.
Should you change or removed a section name, then for each incoming wikilink or redirect it had, you must edit that page, even if it is a user page. Use an edit summary like "fixing changed section name".
Links. Taken altogether, the search links generated by this template will list all wikilinks to a section name of a page name.
#section
used in wikilinks (and URL-style links).{{ Section link | fullpagename | section }}
. (uncommon)The results do not overlap and are guaranteed links to that section.
Redirects. Use the "Tool" What links here. (It's on every page and every edit page.) Once there, immediately activate the "external tool" Show redirects only. If your section name is shown, your redirects are reported. Just find the wikilinks to them using What links here, and you're done. If your section is not shown in the report, no redirect at all links to your section.
These normally report zero results (or fewer than ten).
Links to creates a pink box with search links inside: one to find wikilinks, one to find templates ({{Section link}}).
Links to outputs a single line starting with the fullpagename, and followed by the search links. This style is fit for collaboration or storage for wikiprojects.
Just add the fullpagename of the page of interest in parameter two. (The {{FULLPAGENAME}}, before {{DISPLAYTITLE}} or the like may have applied.)[5]
To limit search results to a namespace instead of all namespaces, use parameter three. This is necessary for a highly linked-to page like the Manual of Style (over a million links to it). This is useful to try when a search takes around twenty seconds and returns with zero results. (Search silently fails, with no indication of an HTML timeout.)
Spacing does not matter around the input.
{{ links to | 1st | 2nd | 3rd }}
1st Section. Case sensitive. Matches wikitext character-wise.
2nd Fullpagename. Case sensitive. First letter capitalized.[5]
3rd namespace. Defaults to all. Accepts aliases.
What you type | What you get | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
{{ links to | Examples }} |
|
Find all links to this section. | |
{{ links to | Usage }} |
|
Find all links to this page's Usage section. |
What you type: | What you get: |
---|---|
{{ links to | Linux | Operating system }} | Operating system#Linux: #Links · §Links |
{{ links to | Registers | Javanese language }} | Javanese language#Registers: #Links · §Links |
{{ links to | Different functions of "to be" | E-prime }} | E-prime#Different functions of "to be": #Links · §Links |
{{ links to | Projects | Mediawiki | talk }} | Mediawiki#Projects: #Links · §Links |
{{ links to | Projects | Mediawiki | user talk }} | Mediawiki#Projects: #Links · §Links |
Reordering. If you used natural instead of most-requested order, you can number them.
What you type:
{{ links to | Wikipedia:Manual of Style | Section headings }}
{{ links to | WP | Wikipedia:Manual of Style | Section management }}
{{ links to | 2= Wikipedia:Manual of Style | 1=Section headings }}
{{ links to | 3= WP | 2= Wikipedia:Manual of Style | 1= Section management }}
What you get:
Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Section headings: #Links · §Links
Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Section management: #Links · §Links
"[ _]"
.
This mirrors the behavior of the wikilinks.
$( function() { 'use strict'; if ( mw.config.get( 'wgCanonicalSpecialPageName' ) === 'Search' ) { $( '.mw-search-result-heading a' ).each( function() { $( this ).after( '<span class="searchedit">[<a href="' + $( this ).attr( 'href' ) + '?action=edit">edit</a>]</span>' ); } ); } } );
Until it is an official user preference, the code may be susceptible to malcontents.