Template:Selfref/doc

Usage

{{Selfref}} is a template that is used to mark pieces of text and links that wouldn't make sense in reuses of Wikipedia article content elsewhere: see Wikipedia:Self-references to avoid. This template should not be substituted.

In most cases, {{Selfref}} is used to create a disambiguation link to a page in the "Wikipedia:" namespace from article-space; for instance, the page Objectivity (disambiguation) could have a selfref link {{Selfref|For Wikipedia's policy on avoiding bias, see [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view]].}}.

When using {{Selfref}} in this way, use the following format:

{{Selfref|the self-referential notice to display, including links}}

which produces:

When using {{Selfref}} in this way, the text will be indented slightly, italicized (Wikipedia house style for self-referential notes), and both preceded and followed by a linebreak.

To use it inline without the indentation and line break, add the parameter |inline:

{{Selfref|the self-referential text to display, including links|inline}}

or use the shortcut template {{Selfref-inline}}:

{{Selfref-inline|the self-referential text to display, including links}}

both of which produce:
Template:Selfref-inline

Unprintworthy content

Rarely, there is other, non-self-referential content which shouldn't appear in mirrors, print editions, or other off-Wikipedia reuses of Wikipedia content, and which shouldn't be italicized as a self-reference. It is preferable to mark such unprintworthy content with the {{Unprintworthy-inline}} template (which includes the noprint CSS class, but not the plainlinks class, since links in such content will not be internal self-references). The content in question can be removed by reusers of WP content without reformatting, by blanking {{Selfref|...}} in their copy, although not all mirrors do so.

A "brittle", legacy usage of {{Selfref}} has technically also been used for such unprintworthy cases, and pre-dates the {{Unprintworthy-inline}} template. This is to simply end the template with a pipe character – |:

{{Selfref|the unprintworthy text to display without self-ref styling|}}

This method cannot be depended upon (for one thing, many editors will interpret the pipe as an error and remove it, turning the template into a indented self-ref hatnote!). This syntax has been obsolete since 2008, and any remaining uses of it should be replaced with {{Selfref-inline}} (if real self-references) or {{Unprintworthy-inline}} (if simply unprintworthy).

Example

Code	Page on Wikipedia	Page on some mirrors
{{Selfref|For the Wikipedia Sandbox, see [[WP:SAND]]}} The Wikipedia Sandbox is a page on Wikipedia. {{Selfref|You can edit it by clicking "edit" on the page.|}} It has been edited many times.	The Wikipedia Sandbox is a page on Wikipedia. It has been edited many times.	The Wikipedia Sandbox is a page on Wikipedia. It has been edited many times.

See also

• Wikipedia:Self-references to avoid
• {{srlink}}, for the opposite case when you want a link to the Wikipedia: namespace that does show in mirrors without breaking (for instance when writing an article about Wikipedia or something connected to it).
• Wikipedia:Hatnote