Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following tags should be added to articles that need a cleanup. Unless otherwise noted, they should be placed at the top of the article—before other templates, disambiguation links, images, or infoboxes (for the short notes placed at the top of an article before the primary topic, see WP:Hatnote#Placement). Note that the date parameter will be added by a bot if it is left off. Some tags have alternative versions that apply to situations of greater specificity. Some editors may refer to these as flags or banners, as in "I flagged this article because . . ." or "I added a banner to the top of the article because . . ."

[edit] Does the article meet inclusion requirements?

Before placing templates on a page it is worthwhile to cast a critical eye over the page to determine whether it should in fact be included in Wikipedia. Some articles can be tagged for speedy deletion or marked as an article for deletion.

[edit] Use in sections

Many of these cleanup tags require the "|article" as the first parameter when used at the top of an article. When used at the top of sections, replace "|article" with "|section" when using the template, for example, {{grammar}}, below. See the specific template to determine if section use is supported and appropriate.

[edit] Tag consolidation

If too many tags are piled at the top of an article, the article starts being eclipsed by the tags, especially with short or stub articles. Please try to consolidate them into the {{articleissues}} template as much as possible.

Tag

Text that will be shown (and usage notes)

{{Articleissues}} links talk edit

This article or section has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page. Use the article=y parameter if you use the template for the entire article, and section=y if it is used only for a particular section. To tag a specific issue, set any string of text to the parameter, such as issue=y To specify the month tagged for the categories that sort articles by month, type issue=December 2008 or issue=April 2007

[edit] Cleanup

[edit] General cleanup

Use one of these general tags when none of the more specific tags fit.

Tag	Text that will be shown (and usage notes)
{{cleanup}} category links talk edit	This may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this if you can. This applies to general problems not addressed by other tags. Please consider using specific cleanup tags first, as specific tags help other editors to easily identify problems in an article.
{{cleanup-section}} category links talk edit	This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. Use this tag where a section in an article needs cleaning up.
{{cleanup-remainder}} category links talk edit	The remainder of this article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. Use this tag where the remaining sections of an article need cleanup.
{{restructure}} links talk edit	This may require restructuring to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page. Use this tag in articles that don't meet the criteria in Wikipedia:Layout
{{cleanup-rewrite}} category links talk edit	To comply with Wikipedia's quality standards, this may need to be rewritten. Please help improve this article. The discussion page may contain suggestions. Use this tag where the whole article needs extensive revision.

[edit] Plain old editing

Some articles just need someone with a good grasp of editing technique to give them a once-over.

Tag	Text that will be shown (and usage notes)
{{copyedit}} category links talk edit	This needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it now. A how-to guide is available.
{{grammar}} category links talk edit	The grammar of this article needs to be improved. Please do so in accordance with Wikipedia's style guidelines.
{{capitalization}} category links talk edit	To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, capitalizations in this article need to be corrected All proper names should be capitalized in the body of the text Use standard capitalization rules for trademarks (even if the trademark owner encourages special treatment) Never use all caps, and album/song names should be in title case
{{spelling}} links talk edit	The spelling of this article or section needs to be improved. Please do so in accordance with Wikipedia's style guidelines.

[edit] Style of writing

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. Wikipedia is not a dictionary, soapbox, how-to guide, blog, billboard, fansite, resume, or crystal ball.

Tag	Text that will be shown (and usage notes)
{{Review}} category links talk edit	This reads like a review and may need a cleanup. Please help improve this article to make it neutral in tone and meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
{{Abbreviations}} category links talk edit	This uses abbreviations that may be confusing or ambiguous. Please improve the article or discuss changes on the talk page.
{{Advert}} category links talk edit	This is written like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this from a neutral point of view. For blatant advertising that would require a fundamental rewrite to become encyclopedic, use {{db-spam}} to mark for speedy deletion.
{{Newsrelease}} category links talk edit	This reads like a news release, or is otherwise written in an overly promotional tone. Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view to be less promotional. Where appropriate, blatant advertising may be marked for speedy deletion with {{db-spam}}.
{{Fansite}} category links talk edit	This resembles a fansite. Please help improve this article by removing excessive trivia and irrelevant praise, criticism, lists and collections of links.
{{Buzzword}} category links talk edit	This appears to contain a large number of buzzwords. Please help rewrite this article to make it more concrete and meaningful.
{{ProseTimeline}} category links talk edit	This may contain an inappropriate mixture of prose and timeline. Please help convert this timeline into prose or, if necessary, a list.
{{Essay-like}} category links talk edit	This is written like a personal reflection or essay and may require cleanup. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style.
{{Howto}} category links talk edit	This contains instructions, advice, or how-to content. The purpose of Wikipedia is to present facts, not to teach subject matter. Please help improve this article either by rewriting the how-to content or by moving it to Wikiversity.
{{Travel guide}} category links talk edit	This is written like a travel guide and may require cleanup. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style.
{{Inappropriate person}} category links talk edit	This article or section uses first-person ("I" or "we") or second-person ("you") inappropriately. Please edit it to use a more formal, encyclopedic tone.
{{Inappropriate tone}} category links talk edit	The tone or style of this may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions.
{{Like-resume}} category links talk edit	This biographical is written like a resume. Please help improve it by revising it to be neutral and encyclopedic.
{{Plot}} category links talk edit	The plot summary in this is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the article. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot.
{{Quotefarm}} category links talk edit	This contains too many quotations for an encyclopedic entry. Please improve the article or discuss proposed changes on the talk page. You can edit the article to add more encyclopedic text or link the article to a page of quotations, possibly one of the same name, on Wikiquote. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for further suggestions.
{{Cleanup-images}} category links talk edit	To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. Please see our picture tutorial and image placement for further information. Image help is available.
{{Cleanup-gallery}} category links talk edit	This seems to be an image gallery. Wikipedia is not a collection of images and policy discourages galleries. Please help by moving freely licensed images to Wikimedia Commons, possibly creating a gallery of the same name if one does not already exist. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for further suggestions.
{{Story}} category links talk edit	The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. It reads more like a story than an encyclopedia entry. To meet Wikipedia's quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. Please see specific examples noted on the talk page. Editing help is available.
{{Cleanup-tense}} category links talk edit	The tense of this is not suitable for an encyclopedia. Please consider copy editing to past tense if historic, present tense if not time-based (e.g. fiction), or future tense if upcoming.
{{Cleanup-jargon}} category links talk edit	This contains too much jargon and may need simplification or further explanation. Please discuss this issue on the talk page, and/or remove or explain jargon terms used in the article. Editing help is available.
{{Repetition}} category links talk edit	This article or section may contain too much repetition. Please help improve this article, or discuss the issue on its talk page. Editing help is available.
{{Obituary}} category links talk edit	This reads like an obituary. Wikipedia is not a memorial site and articles should have a neutral point of view. Please consider reworking this article to help achieve a neutral point of view, or discuss changes on the talk page.
{{Crystal}} category links talk edit	This article or section contains predictions, speculative material or accounts of events that might not occur. Please help improve this article or section by removing speculative content.

[edit] Structure and sections

See also: Help:Section, Wikipedia:Manual of Style (headings), and Wikipedia:Guide to layout

Tag	Text that will be shown (and usage notes)
{{importance-sect}} category links talk edit	This section contains information which may be of unclear or questionable importance or relevance to the article's subject matter. Please help improve this article by clarifying or removing superfluous information.
{{cleanup-combine}} category links talk edit	This section overlaps with other sections. It should be combined with the rest of the article. Please improve this article if you can.
{{cleanup-reorganize}} category links talk edit	To comply with Wikipedia's quality standards, this article is in need of reorganization. There is good information here, but it is poorly organized. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help improve this article. An editor should be able to learn what they need to know about the subject from the existing article.
{{cleanup-restructure}} category links talk edit	This may require restructuring to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page.
{{sections}} category links talk edit	Sections should be added to this article or its part, to conform with Wikipedia's Manual of Style. Please discuss this issue on the talk page.
{{verylong}} category links talk edit	This page may be too long to comfortably read and navigate. Please consider splitting content into sub-articles and using this article for a summary of the key points of the subject.
{{Shorten}} category links talk edit	The length of this may adversely affect readability. Please discuss this issue on the talk page, split the content into subarticles, and keep this page in a summary style.
{{Duplication}} category links talk edit	This section repeats, in whole or part, the text of other article(s) or section(s). Please discuss this issue on the talk page and conform with Wikipedia's Manual of Style by replacing the section with a link and a summary of the repeated text, or by spinning off the repeated text into an article in its own right.
{{trivia}} links talk edit	Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles.
{{Toomanyseealsos}} category links talk edit	The length of this "see also" section may adversely affect readability. Please discuss this issue on the talk page, and ensure that the "see also" links are 1) not mentioned elsewhere in the article 2) are not red links 3) are as few in number and as relevant as possible. Perfect articles have short "see also" sections or none at all. For details, see WP:SEEALSO.

[edit] Potentially unwanted content

Some things just don't belong.

Tag	Text that will be shown (and usage notes)
{{External links}} category links talk edit	The external links in this article may not follow Wikipedia's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links.
{{Too many links}} category links talk edit	This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links. Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations.
{{cleanup-spam}} category links talk edit	This may contain spam. If you are familiar with the content of the external links, please help by removing promotional links in accordance with Wikipedia:External links. (You can help!)
{{non-free}} category links talk edit	This may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. Please review the use of non-free media according to policy and guidelines, correct any violations, then remove this tag once compliant. See the talk page for details.
{{copypaste}} category links talk edit	This appears to have been copied and pasted from a source, possibly in violation of a copyright. Please edit this article to remove any nonfree copyrighted content, attribute free content correctly, and be an original source. Follow the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. Remove this template after editing.
{{schedule}} category links talk edit	This article or section contains a current television or radio schedule. Please convert this schedule to prose. Schedules which have been copied and pasted from an external source may possibly be in violation of copyright.
{{trivia}} category links talk edit	Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles.
{{criticism-section}} category links talk edit	It has been suggested that some of the information in this article's Criticism or Controversy section(s) be merged into other sections to achieve a more neutral presentation. (Discuss)
{{Unencyclopedic}} category links talk edit	This may contain material not appropriate for an encyclopedia. Please discuss this issue on the talk page.
{{fancruft}} category links talk edit	This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate details which may only interest a specific audience. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
{{Remove-section}} category links talk edit	To comply with Wikipedia's quality standards, this section may need to be removed from this article. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.

[edit] Context and detail

Tag	Text that will be shown (and usage notes)
{{whereisit}} category links talk edit	This {{{1|article}}} is about a place, but does not specify the {{{2|country, city or region}}} where it is located. Please help improve the {{{1|article}}} to include this information as Wikipedia is viewed by a worldwide audience. You can discuss the issue on the talk page.
{{time-context}} category links talk edit	This {{{1|article}}} is about an event or subject {{{2|may not be current}}} Please help improve the {{{1|article}}} to include this information as Wikipedia is viewed by a worldwide audience. You can discuss the issue on the talk page.
{{context}} category links talk edit	The introduction to this provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject. Please help improve the article with a good introductory style.
{{generalize}} category links talk edit	This article only describes one highly specialized aspect of its associated subject. Please help improve this article by adding more general information.
{{gen-section}} category links talk edit	This section only describes one highly specialized aspect of its associated subject. Please help improve this article by adding more general information.
{{technical}} category links talk edit	This article may be too technical for a general audience. Please help improve this article by providing more context and better explanations of technical details, even for articles which are inherently technical. Should only be used on talk pages.

[edit] Off-topic

Articles occasionally contain content which is otherwise valid, but is unrelated to the nominal topic of the article.

Tag	Text that will be shown (and usage notes)
{{off-topic}} category links talk edit	This section may stray from the topic of the article. Please help improve this section or discuss this issue on the talk page.
{{Off-topic-other}} category links talk edit	This section may stray from the topic of the article into the topic of another article, Other Article. Please help improve this section or discuss this issue on the talk page.

[edit] Expand and add

Tag	Text that will be shown (and usage notes)
{{Expand}} category links talk edit	Please help improve this by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. First argument is inserted after 'improve this': {{expand|article with examples}} → "...improve this article with examples"
{{Expand-section}} category links talk edit	Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. First argument is added to description: {{expand-section|examples}} → "...by expanding this section with examples"
{{Missing information}} category links talk edit	This article or section is missing information about: '''''. This concern has been noted on the talk page where it may be discussed whether or not to include such information. First argument is added to description "{{{1}}}" appears: {{Missing information|foo, bar, baz and quux.}} → "...information about: foo, bar, baz and quux." This template is for when the article needs to be expanded even to be accurate.
{{reqdiagram}} category links talk edit	It is requested that a diagram or diagrams be included in this article to improve its quality. For more information, refer to discussion on this page and/or the listing at Wikipedia:Requested images. Place this notice on the talkpage.
{{reqphoto}} category links talk edit	It is requested that a photograph or photographs be included in this article to improve its quality. The Free Image Search Tool may be able to locate suitable images on Flickr and other web sites. Place this notice on the talkpage. Please add one or more subject categories in the template.
{{ISBN}} category links talk edit	Please add ISBNs for the books listed in this . Listing ISBNs makes it easier to conduct research. If the {{Cite book}} or {{citation}} templates are in use, you may add ISBNs automatically. Alternatively, you can add them manually or discuss this issue on the talk page.