Help:Templates

Getting Involved Getting Involved	Discord Discord	Knight Challenges Knight Challenges	Image edit request and support center Image Requests	Trello Boards Trello	Guidelines:Main Guidelines

Zelda Wiki's Help Guide

Basic Editing: Getting Started Citing Sources Images and Uploading Initialisms Protected Pages Redirects Talk Pages Templates (Template List) Guidelines and Policies: Canon Policy Editing Etiquette Image Deletion Policy Inter-Wiki Policy Nintendo Article Guidelines Quality Standards User Accounts User Conduct Advanced Editing: Archiving Talk Pages Article Reorganization Custom Signatures Keyboard Shortcuts Merging and Moving Pages Patrolling Tables User Navigation Bars WikiExclusives General Information Staff User Rights About Glossary

See also: Help:Templates on MediaWiki

Templates are just that: templates that can be used on any page to standardize some element, by simply filling in the required information for that particular situation. There are many kinds of templates, each serving a different goal.

Essentially, a template is a separate page in the "Template" namespace. By including the name of that page enclosed in {{two curly brackets}} and placing it on another page, the entire contents of that template page will be displayed where you've placed it - this is called transclusion. Note that the Wikitext typed remains as it was typed, while when reading the page it is replaced by the template content. For the Wikitext to change as well, substitution must be used. Many templates have parameters, or fields, that modify its appearance and content, so it can be customized to any situation.

Types of Templates

Navigation Templates

See all navigation templates

Navigation templates are used to link together pages with related subjects, for the benefit of readers. As the name suggests, they facilitate navigation between these pages, by providing an organized set of links to other articles. They are typically placed at the bottom of pages. Navigation templates contain little or no parameters to modify.

Examples of navigation templates include {{Songs}} or {{Pickups}}. Image maps are useful for making navigation templates such as {{STNavMap}}, by allowing the reader to click different places on an image to navigate to other pages.

Infoboxes

See all infobox templates

Infobox templates - typically placed near the top of pages, beneath notice templates - provide a summary of the article's subject. Each infobox template will have several specific fields which cover topics relating to the subject. For example, {{Game}} has fields for the game's release date, the publisher, the ESRB rating, etc.

Notice Templates

See all notice templates

These templates inform users about present conditions or situations that a given article is currently in. They are placed at the top of pages. Most notice templates temporarily mark articles needing attention, calling for editors to fix them. For example, {{Sources}} marks articles lacking sources, {{Merge}} marks articles proposed for merging, and so on. When such templates beneficial to editors are placed on a page, these templates automatically the page to maintenance categories so editors can find them. The templates are removed once the corresponding issues are addressed. Some notice templates have a date parameter to show how long an article has been flagged.

Some notice templates are placed permanently on pages. These are for the benefit of readers rather than editors. For example, {{Noncanon}} is permanently placed on articles or sections that cover non-canon topics.

Formatting Templates

See all formatting templates

Formatting templates help the standardization of formatting across the wiki - they essentially mold what you've written to appear a certain way. An excellent example would be the {{Cite}} template, which ensures that all in-game citations in references appear the same and consistent throughout the entire site. These templates also make formatting quicker and simpler and reduce mistakes - take the game shortcuts, for example.

Formatting templates may contain extra parameters to modify it's appearance when customization is desired.

Inline Templates

See all inline templates

Inline templates display messages within an article's text, and are a type of notice template. They are essentially miniature notice templates: instead of marking entire articles, they mark specific sentences in articles. Like regular notice templates, an inline template identifies a problem with a sentence and is removed once an editor addresses the problem. {{Fact}}, {{Verify}}, {{Clarify}}, {{Which}}, {{Whom}}, and {{How many}} are examples of such templates. {{Name}} is a permanent inline template used to mark conjectural or fan-made names.

Making a Template

The easiest way is to type {{your template name}} to the Sandbox, and click on the red link that appears after saving or previewing. At the resulting editing page, you can create your template, which is most easily done by copying and pasting the code from a similar template; then you can just modify it.

Make sure that directly after the end of your template text (not even leaving a space nor new line!) you add <noinclude> to begin any section detailing how to use the template, and also the add the necessary category for that template, and at the very end type </noinclude> to enclose the section and category. Do not finish the template, create a new line, and then add the <noinclude> tag.

Testing a Template

When editing a template, a "preview page with this template" option will appear at the bottom of the edit form. In the "page title" box, enter the name of a page that currently uses the template and pressing the adjacent "show preview" button. This allows you to preview the template as it would appear on that page if you had saved the edit.

The template sandbox Template:Test (in the list of sandboxes at Zelda Wiki:Sandbox) can be used to test your templates.

Sandboxed templates can also be tested on pages using Special:TemplateSandbox. Please refer to MediaWiki for more information on this feature.

Alternatively, since one can transclude not only Templates but ordinary pages (e.g. {{:Bombchu}} will display the entire bombchu article content), then for example you can create your own template sandbox on http://zeldawiki.org/User:<my username>/Sandbox/Template:Testing, and type {{:User:<my username>/Sandbox/Template:Testing}} into a sandbox to use it.

In addition, after making a template, you can view it or troubleshoot issues with Special:ExpandTemplates, which will expand all templates recursively, i.e. repeatedly substituting all templates (and templates in templates) until no {{ ... }} remain.

Categories

Many templates automatically categorize pages when used. For example, an article tagged with {{Sources}} will automatically be added to Category:Articles lacking sources.

Category Suppression

Templates with this feature will usually have an option to disable automatic categorization. This is known as category suppression. Category suppression is useful when using a template for something other than its intended purpose - for instance, a template gallery or list, such as the one above.

Some templates automatically suppress categories when used in the "User" namespace. This prevents these articles from appearing in categories intended for the mainspace only.

Examples

The following is a list of popular notice and inline templates. A list of formatting templates can be found here. {{#css:

1. restyle table td:nth-last-child(2), #restyle table td + td, #restyle table.gradient td {

 border: medium none !important; 
 background: none !important;

}

1. restyle table td[width] {

 border: 1px solid #426787 !important; 
 background-color: #1d578b !important;

} </css>

Notice Templates
What to type and why	What it makes
{{Accuracy}} Alert readers to disputed accuracy.	Template:Accuracy
{{Ambig}} Alert readers to ambiguous canon status.	Ambiguously Canon Information
{{Archive}} or {{Archive|<page name>|<other namespace>}} Alert readers that they can read but should not edit the archive. See {{Archive}} for options.	This page is an archive of an old Talk Page. The contents have been moved from another page to clear space and to preserve history, so this page is locked from editing. If you wish to ask about the corresponding page, or respond to an earlier message, you may direct any comments to the current talk page. If you wish to refer to a message on this page, link to Help talk:Templates.
{{Archives|~Start}} * <A link to an archive> * <A link to an archive> * <...and so on!> {{Archives|~Stop}} A nav template to get to archived versions. (Note: It floats to the right.)	Template:Archives <A link to an archive> <A link to an archive> <...and so on!> Template:Archives
{{Improve|<date>|<game>}} Used to identify pages in general need of improvement. Replace <date> with that day's date or ~~~~, and <game> with a valid name from here	This article or section does not meet Zelda Wiki's quality standards. Please improve it as you see fit. Editing help is available. This article has been flagged since <date>.
{{Copyvio}} or {{Copyvio|action= |category= }} Alert editors to potential copyright issues. See {{Copyvio}} for information on its parameter values.	Template:Copyvio
{{Imdel|<reason code>|<second file name>}} Alerts staff to an image to be deleted, and a reason. See {{Imdel}} for parameter information.	It has been suggested that this image be deleted because it meets Zelda Wiki's deletion standards. If you disagree with the deletion of this image, discuss this on the image's talk page. Please do not place this template on a file until you have removed all links to the file.
{{Delete|<reason>|<date>}} Alerts staff to an article to be deleted, preferably after seeking consensus.	This article may meet the Zelda Wiki's criteria for deletion. The given reason is: <reason> Discuss this on the article's talk page, and if possible, improve the article in order to extend its life. This article has been flagged for deletion since <date>.
{{Disambig}} Alerts readers that the page is a disambiguation page for articles of the same name, designed to list these articles. Such a page is usually found from performing a search. (An article should not link to such a page if the intended topic has its own specific article).
{{Fact}} or {{Fact|<game>}} (Inline template) Notifies editors that a source is needed for a statement. See {{Fact}} for specifying which game(s) it relates to (<game>).	[citation needed]
{{Future game}} or {{Future game|<cat sort>}} Use on content concerning unreleased material. See {{Future game}} for <cat sort>.	Template:Future game
{{GalleryPage}} or {{GalleryPage|<gallery page name>}} If the article topic has its own gallery page, use to send viewers to this page. (Gallery:Link used for <gallery page name> in this example)	The following is a gallery regrouping all of the currently hosted images of Gallery:Link.
{{Guide}} or {{guide|<area>|<date>|<cat sort>}} Notifies editors to remove the strategy guide style of the article. For <area>, put Article or Section corresponding to where the template needs to be, and is, placed.
{{subst:Howtosig}} A message to inform people that haven't been signing their talkspace posts. Use this as a message on their User Talk page. Note that the template does not automatically sign it for you.	Signatures Hello, <User>! I noticed that you seem to be having some trouble with the signature coding — don't worry, it happens a lot. You only need to type one thing: ~~~~ That's it. Just those four tildes. They automatically add your name and the time you made your post, so you don't have to type any of that yourself!
{{subst:Hi}} A message the bot will automatically send to all new users.	Hello Hi there, <User>, and welcome to Zelda Wiki! Why not check out the community hub, Castle Town? To find out what's been going on recently at the wiki and what articles users are editing right now, head to the Recent Changes. For general wiki-related discussion and questions, head over to Discussion Center. Also, for wiki usage and policy help, check out our Help Guide. We hope you enjoy the wiki. Thanks! — The Zelda Wiki Staff
{{Images}} or {{Images|<game>}} Post this on articles lacking images.	It has been requested that image(s) be added to this page or section. Please remember to remove this template once the image(s) have been added.
{{Incomplete Coding}} Note that not all browsers are equal. Some users may place this on articles that seem fine, but are a mess in their browser, so even if it looks fine, if possible don't remove it before asking the one who placed it.	This page contains incomplete, unclosed or incorrect wiki coding. This is causing the page to distort and look unprofessional. Please check this page and correct any coding errors that are found.
{{Bad lead}} Used to flag a lead (or lede) that does not properly summarize its article's contents.	Template:Bad lead
{{Merge|Link|Princess Zelda|<etc.!>|<up to 20!>}} For example, when placed on article A, it is used to suggest that article A is merged with Link, Princess Zelda, ... . It should appropriately be placed on Link, Princess Zelda, ... also.	It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Link, Princess Zelda, [[<etc.!>]] and [[<up to 20!>]]. Discuss this on the article's talk page.
{{Move|<to here>}} or {{Move|<to here>|<or maybe here>}} Use to recommend moving a page to a new title.	It has been suggested that this article be moved to [[<to here>]] or [[<or maybe here>]]. This page either already exists and is preventing the move, or the move may be either controversial or entail multiple edits. Please discuss this on this article's talk page.
{{Name|<Name>}} This template indicates names that are purely fan creations.	<Name>
{{Neutrality|<cat sort>}} Notifies editors of potential bias on a subject.	The neutrality of this article or section is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the article's talk page.
{{News Archive}} A hybrid notice and navigation template for the News archives.	Announcement Archives 2019 — 2018 — 2017 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013 — 2012 — 2011 — 2010 — 2009 — 2008 — 2007 — 2006 — 2005 Latest Announcements
{{Noclog}} Helps clear out the Wanted Pages. Pages that use it.	Template:Noclog
{{Noncanon}} or wrap some content: {{Noncanon|Start}} Content {{Noncanon|End}} Alerts readers to the canon status of an article or, in the latter, article section. The former is used to illustrate:	Non-Canon Information
{{Nosig|<username>|<date/time>}} Identify talkspace posters that did not sign the post with name and time. <date> is generally ~~~~~	Template:Nosig
{{subst:Nosrc}} A message to editors that uploaded images without sourcing them. Note that the template does not automatically sign it for you.	Image(s) uploaded Hi! Thank you for the new image(s) you recently uploaded; the wiki appreciates your contributions! We've introduced a policy of crediting the original source of any images used here, so we ask that you please take a moment to let everyone know where your images came from using {{FileInfo}}. For more information, see this explanation, and any questions you may have will be answered by the staff here. Thanks for your help!
{{OT}} Informs talkspace posters that the discussion is not related to the wiki.	Template:OT
{{Protect|<cat sort>}} Informs the staff of a page that may need to be protected.	It has been suggested that this page be protected by an administrator. Please remember to remove this template once the appropriate action has been taken.
{{Protected}} Informs editors that a page has been fully protected (only administrators can edit it). It is a key icon (as illustrated) to the right of page title.
{{Split|<Section Name>}} Used when suggesting an article's section be split away into its own page.	It has been suggested that the portion of this page concerning [[#<Section Name>|<Section Name>]] should be made into its own page. Should the target page already exist, this content should be merged into it where appropriate. Discuss this on article's talk page.
{{Harmonize|Link|Princess Zelda|<etc.!>|<up to 20!>}} Alerts users that an article does not properly complement some other articles, e.g. Link, Princess Zelda, etc.	The following text needs to be harmonized with text in Contents, Citing Sources, [[<etc.!>]] and [[<up to 20!>]]. Discuss this on the article's talk page.
{{Sectstub}} Marks a specific section of an article as a stub (too short). If the stub section covers multiple games, use additional parameters, e.g. {{Sectstub|OOT|MM|TWW|TP}}.	Template:Sectstub
{{Sources}} To be placed above articles that generally lack references. If the article covers multiple games, use additional parameters, e.g. {{Sources|OOT|MM|TWW|TP}}.	Template:Sources
{{Stub}} Tags an article as a stub (too short). If the stub article covers multiple games, use additional parameters, e.g. {{Stub|OOT|MM|TWW|TP}}
{{Theory}} or wrap some content: {{Theory|Start}} Content {{Theory|End}} This template indicates that either a section or an entire article contains unconfirmed fan theories. The former is used to illustrate:	Theory Warning
{{subst:Uncon|<Article Name>}} A canned (i.e. prewritten) message to send to a user (put on their talk page) after reverting an edit of theirs made on an article that was nonconstructive (See message:). Note that the template does not automatically sign it for you.	Nonconstructive Edits Hello! The recent edit(s) you have made to the page, [[<Article Name>]], do not appear to be constructive and have been reverted. Please refrain from adding nonsense or irrelevant content to Zelda Wiki. If you are not sure what content is acceptable, then see our Quality Standards. If you would like to experiment with editing, please use the Sandbox. If you feel that there has been a mistake and that you believe that your edits were valid, then report it on that page's respective talk page.
{{Undated|<date/time>}} Similar to the Nosig template, but specifically for signed, but not dated, talkspace posts.	—Preceding undated comment added on <date/time>
{{Update}} Notifies editors of articles that are out of date following the release of new information, namely new Zelda games. See {{Update}} for more options.	This article or section is out of date. It needs to be updated to be accurate with information available at the present time.
{{User}} Filler/Placeholder information to put on a user page that has not been created and is on the wanted pages list.	This text was placed here to eliminate the user's user page from clogging up Wanted Pages and/or to remove redlinks from talk pages. If you are the user, please feel free to let the public know a little more about you.
{{Vandalism|<date/time>}} Notifies editors of a frequently vandalized page's current protected status.	Hoy! Small fry! Your map's got nothing but ocean drawn on it! This page has recently been subject to repeated vandalism, and was protected on <date/time>. If you would like to add content, you may request that the page be unprotected on the talk page (if applicable), or alternatively contact one of the active admins listed here.
{{Wikipedia|<article title>}} Links to a Wikipedia article. The example links to the "Satoru Iwata" article on Wikipedia.	See also: Satoru Iwata on Wikipedia
{{YouLink}} Flags articles with out-of-universe speaking style.	Template:YouLink