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Message box meta-templates | |
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template | context |
{{Ambox}} | article |
{{Cmbox}} | category |
{{Imbox}} | image |
{{Tmbox}} | talk |
{{Fmbox}} | footer / header |
{{Ombox}} | other pages |
{{Mbox}} | auto-detect |
{{Asbox}} | article stub |
{{Dmbox}} | disambiguation |
This is the {{ambox}} or article message box meta-template.
It is used to build article message box templates such as {{wikify}}. It offers several different colours, uses default images if no image parameter is given, and has some other features.
The box on the right shows the most common parameters that are accepted by {{ambox}}. The purpose of each is described below.
Common parameters |
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{{Ambox | name = | subst = <includeonly>{{subst:</includeonly><includeonly>substcheck}}</includeonly> | small = {{{small|}}} | type = | image = | sect = {{{1|}}} | issue = | talk = {{{talk|}}} | fix = | date = {{{date|}}} | cat = | all = }}<noinclude> {{Documentation}} </noinclude> |
The name parameter specifies the name of the template, without the Template namespace prefix. For example {{Wikify}} specifies |name=Wikify
.
This parameter should be updated if the template is ever moved. The purpose of this parameter is twofold:
The subst parameter allows the meta-template to detect whether the template has been incorrectly substituted, and give an appropriate warning. It will also add such pages to Category:Pages with incorrectly substituted templates. Just copy the code exactly as it appears in the box.
The small parameter should be passed through the template, as this will allow editors to use the small format by specifying |small=left
on an article:
![]() | This is the small left-aligned ambox format. |
Otherwise the standard format will be produced:
![]() | This is the standard ambox format. |
Other variations:
|small=no
or do not pass the small parameter at all.|small=left
.|small={{{small|left}}}
. This will allow an editor to override by using |small=no
on an article.The type parameter defines the colour of the left bar, and the image that is used by default. The type is chosen not on aesthetics but is based on the type of issue that the template describes. The seven available types and their default images are shown below.
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If no type parameter is given the template defaults to |type=notice
.
You can choose a specific image to use for the template by using the image parameter. Images are specified using the standard syntax for inserting files in Wikipedia. Widths of 40-50px are typical. For example:
|image=[[File:Unbalanced scales.svg|40px|link=|alt=]]
and looks like this:An editor thinks that this article may not be neutral. |
|image=[[File:Wikitext.svg|50px|link=|alt=]]
and looks like this:![]() | This article needs to be wikified. |
Please note:
|image=none
is specified, then no image is used and the text uses the whole message box area.|link=
|alt=
" as seen above.Many article message templates begin with the text This article ... and it is often desirable that this wording change to This section ... if the template is used on a section instead. Other possibilities include This list ... and This biographical article ...
To facilitate this functionality, pass |sect={{{1|}}}
. This will allow editors to type section as the first unnamed parameter of the template to change the wording. For example, {{Advertisement|section}}
produces:
![]() | This section is written like an advertisement. |
If using this feature, be sure to remove the first two words ("This article") from the template's text, otherwise it will be duplicated.
The issue parameter is used to describe the issue with the article. Try to keep it short and to-the-point (approximately 10-20 words) and be sure to include a link to a relevant policy or guideline.
The fix parameter contains some text which describes what should be done to improve the article. It may be longer than the text in issue, but should not usually be more than two sentences.
When the template is in its compact form (when placed inside {{article issues}}) or small form (when using |small=left
), the issue is the only text that will be displayed. For example, {{Citation style}} defines
|issue=This article's '''citation style may be unclear'''.
|fix=The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|citation]], [[Wikipedia:Footnotes|footnoting]], or [[Wikipedia:External links|external linking]].
When used stand-alone it produces the whole text:
![]() | This article's citation style may be unclear. |
But when used inside {{article issues}} or with |small=left
it displays only the issue:
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Some article message templates include a link to the talk page, and allow an editor to specify a section heading to link directly to the relevant section. To achieve this functionality, simply pass the talk parameter through, i.e. |talk={{{talk|}}}
This parameter may then be used by an editor as follows:
|talk=SECTION HEADING
- the link will point to the specified section on the article's talk page, e.g. |talk=Foo
|talk=FULL PAGE NAME
- the template will link to the page specified (which may include a section anchor), e.g. |talk=Talk:Banana#Foo
Notes:
|talk={{{talk|#}}}
.Passing the date parameter through to the meta-template means that the date that the article is tagged may be specified by an editor (or more commonly a bot). This will be displayed after the message in a smaller font.
Passing this parameter also enables monthly cleanup categorisation when the cat parameter is also defined.
This parameter defines a monthly cleanup category. If |cat=CATEGORY
then:
|date=DATE
is specified.For example, {{no sources}} specifies |cat=Articles lacking sources
and so an article with the template {{No sources|date=August 2024}}
will be placed in Category:Articles lacking sources from August 2024.
The all parameter defines a category into which all articles should be placed.
The box on the right shows all possible parameters for this template. However, it is not recommended to copy this, because it will never be required to use all parameters simultaneously.
All parameters |
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{{Ambox | name = | subst = <includeonly>{{subst:</includeonly><includeonly>substcheck}}</includeonly> | small = {{{small|}}} | type = | image = | imageright = | smallimage = | smallimageright = | class = | style = | textstyle = | sect = {{{1|}}} | issue = | talk = {{{talk|}}} | fix = | date = {{{date|}}} | text = | smalltext = | cat = | all = | cat2 = | all2 = | cat3 = | all3 = }}<noinclude> {{Documentation}} </noinclude> |
An image on the right side of the message box may be specified using this parameter. The syntax is the same as for the image parameter, except that the default is no image.
Images for the small format box may be specified using these parameters. They will have no effect unless |small=left
is specified.
A custom CSS class to apply to the box.
Optional CSS values may be defined, without quotation marks " "
but with the ending semicolons ;
.
Instead of specifying the issue and the fix it is possible to use the text parameter instead.
Customised text for the small format can be defined using smalltext.
{{Ambox | text = <div> Equal sign = and a start and end brace { } work fine as they are. But here is a pipe | and two end braces <nowiki>}}</nowiki>. And now a pipe and end braces <nowiki>|}}</nowiki>. </div> }}
![]() | Equal sign = and a start and end brace { } work fine as they are. But here is a pipe | and two end braces }}. And now a pipe and end braces |}}. |
<div>
tags that surround the text in the example above are usually not needed. But if the text contains line breaks then sometimes we get weird line spacing. This especially happens when using vertical dotted lists. Then use the div tags to fix that.There are several meta-templates in the mbox family: