Template:Dead link/doc

Usage

This template is used to mark Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination dead links, either within a paragraph or within a Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination reference citation. Marking dead links signals to editors and to Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination WP:Link rot bots that this link needs to be replaced with an archive link.

Before considering whether to use the {{dead link}} template it is often useful to make a search for an Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination archive copy of the dead link and thereby avoid using the tag altogether. All {{Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination cite xxx}} templates have the facility for adding |archive-date = and |archive-url = parameters for linking to an archive copy. Non- {{Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination cite xxx}} citations can use {{webarchive}}.

Using {{Dead link}} will place a note by the URL and add the article to one of the Category:Articles with dead external links categories.

Append this template directly after the link (after the link code's terminating ] if you are using Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination wikitext), or, if you are using a {{Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination cite xxx}} template, directly after the {{Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination cite xxx}} transclusion (not inside it), but inside the reference, if any, i.e. before the </ref>, in all cases leaving the original link intact:

<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.example.org|title=The Example Website|access-date=22 September 2012}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025}}</ref>

Not doing so might hinder detection by automated tools. If the citation contains multiple URLs (e.g. chapterurl and url) in a template, and only one is broken, you can use <!-- hidden text --> to explain which one is broken.

If the article uses Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination clickable footnotes, then this template should be placed just before the </ref> that contains the dead link. The notice will then correctly appear in the reference section instead of in the body of the text, and so Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination WP:Link rot bots can properly find and fix the link.

If you are placing this template inside a <ref> </ref> reference, do not leave any Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination substitution template such as {{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} or {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}, because substitutions fail inside ref tags.

Avoid using this template when the reference is fully adequate without the link. In this case, simply remove the link. For example, if a {{cite journal}} template is used with a Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination DOI, remove the |url = parameter.

Common form (with current date)

{{Dead link|date=December 2025}}

Optional parameters

url

Provides a history of the linked page via the Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Wayback Machine. Set only if history actually exists, as otherwise it is misleading to users and editors.

date

The date parameter consists of the full English name of the current month with initial capital, a space, and the year, not full dates; e.g., "January 2013", but not "jan13". Any deviation from these two rules will result in an "invalid date parameter" error.

bot

Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Bot accounts specify the |bot= parameter as a sign that the tag was added by an automated process. Set as bot=<bot name>.

fix-attempted

Set this to "yes" if you have tried unsuccessfully to find an archived copy, or a copy with a different URL. This will put the page in Category:Articles with permanently dead external links, and the annotation will be rendered as "" instead of just "". Note that this currently will occur for any value supplied, including "no", so if a fix was not attempted, simply leave this parameter off, or set it to be blank. Also note that if a page cannot be found in the Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination often a live copy can be found via a web search for the full title, in quotes, on the original website, or on the Internet at large.

Notes:

• The date-substitution template may be used to automatically generate the date, e.g., {{Dead link|{{subst:DATE}}}}. See Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Help:Substitution for more information.
• The date= parameter need not be added by the editor: if not entered, a Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination bot will soon add it.

Examples

• <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Web page title |website=Example.com |access-date=22 September 2012}} {{Dead link |date=September 2012}}</ref>
  →
• <ref>{{cite news |title=Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying |author=Plunkett, John |url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1601858,00.html |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=27 October 2005 |access-date=22 September 2012}} {{Dead link}}</ref>
  →

Caveats

• Avoid using free links (e.g. http://www.example.org/{{Dead link}}), as software that is unable to handle templates may read an incorrect link. Add brackets if necessary.
• Avoid complicated formatting. Nesting inside a template is generally not supported well.
• Avoid using [ ] { | } < > characters between the end of the external link and {{Dead link}}, as they are often used to format text.

TemplateData

This is the Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination VisualEditor and other tools. Click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template based on this TemplateData.

TemplateData for Dead link

{
	"description": "A template to indicate that the preceding URL is dead",
	"params": {
		"date": {
			"label": "Month and year",
			"description": "The month and year the URL was found to be dead, like \"June 2013\"",
			"type": "string",
			"autovalue": "{{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}",
			"suggested": true
		},
		"bot": {
			"label": "Bot name",
			"description": "The name of the bot used to identify the dead link (not used by regular editors)",
			"type": "wiki-user-name"
		},
		"url": {
			"label": "Wayback URL",
			"description": "The dead URL, used only if there is a Wayback Machine archive",
			"type": "url"
		},
		"fix-attempted": {
			"label": "Fix attempted",
			"description": "Setting to 'yes' (or any non-blank value) indicates that no archive copy is available",
			"type": "boolean",
			"example": "yes"
		}
	},
	"format": "inline"
}

See also

• {{Full citation needed}} (inline) to be used when a reference suffers from a more severe problem than a mere broken link
• {{Citations broken}}
• {{Cleanup bare URLs}} header
• {{Closed access}} and {{Open access}} citation flags
• {{Dead YouTube link}}
• {{Registration required}} citation flag
• {{Subscription or libraries}} citation flag for when a subscription or library access may be required
• {{Subscription required}} citation flag
• {{Webarchive}}
• {{Website defunct}} to be used in place of the {{URL}} parameter in infoboxes for defunct websites
• Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination What to do when a reference link goes dead
• Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Link rot

Dead link tools

• Probably of historical interest only:
  • Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Checklinks
  • Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination DeadLinkBOT
  • Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination WebCiteBOT

Inline cleanup tags

{{{content}}}