Template:Self-sourcing examples/doc

This is a documentation subpage for Template:Self-sourcing examples. It may contain usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page.

A self-sourcing example, according to current consensus by discussion on WT:V, is an examples that is cited to primary sources, or an example with citations that only establish the verifiability of the example. An example in an article should have sources that not only establish its verifiability, but also its significance in the context of the article.

A self-sourcing example might look like the following:

The provided sources establish the verifiability of the example. They might even establish its notability. However, they do not discuss the example in the context it's given in the article. Such an example may be challenged or removed.

A source that discusses the significance of an example in the context of the article might look like the following:

The source discusses the example, in the context of the article, at relative depth, while explaining the example's significance in that context.

This template indicates that the article needs additional inline citations that do not fall under self-sourcing examples. This template should be used only for articles where there are some, but insufficient, inline citations to support the material currently in the article.

Please consider marking individual poorly-referenced statements with {{Better source}} instead of placing this template.

Listed below are four examples of usage:

{{Refexample}}

{{Refexample|date=August 2025}}

{{Refexample|section}}  (the same as {{Refexample section}})

This can be made smaller with {{Refexample|section|small=y}} or {{Refexample section|small=y}}

{{Refexample|section|{{subst:DATE}}|talk=Talk page section name|small=y}}

According to MOS:LAYOUT, maintenance templates such as this one ought be placed after hatnotes, at the start of the article. That placement is supported by consensus obtained in an RfC at Template talk:Refimprove § RfC: Location of Tag.

A |talk= parameter is allowed; setting this to any value will result in the message "See talk page for details." being included in the tag. If the value is a valid anchor on the talk page (e.g., the title of a section or subsection heading), then the talk page link will go directly to that anchor; if not, to the top of the page.

This template also includes support for using the |date= parameter. Adding this parameter sorts the article into subcategories of Category:Articles needing additional references and out of the parent category, allowing the oldest problems to be identified and dealt with first. A bot will add this parameter if it is omitted. Be careful not to abbreviate the date, because then it will automatically add a redlinked category instead of the correct category. The simplest way to use this parameter manually is {{Refexample|{{subst:DATE}}}} but it can be done more explicitly as {{Refexample|date=August 2025}} (both result in the same output). Do not use {{Refexample|date={{subst:DATE}}}}: {{subst:DATE}} includes the leading date=.

A user warning template, {{Uw-refexample}}, is available to notify contributors that an article they created needs its referencing improved.

This template adds the article to Category:Articles needing additional references from August 2025, and Category:All articles needing additional references, both hidden categories.

• The naming scheme of Refimprove parallels that used for {{Refbegin}}, {{Refend}}, and {{Reflist}}, thereby reducing confusion, in compliance with the KISS principle.

• If an article has sufficient inline citations, but if the citations in an article are from primary sources (see WP:USEPRIMARY), then use {{Primary sources}}.

• If an article has sufficient inline citations, but if the citations in an article are from sources affiliated with the subject (see WP:INDY), then use {{Third-party}}.

• Discussion and consensus about the verifiability of examples
• {{Refimprove}}
• Template:Citation needed/doc#Inline templates
  • {{Better source}}
  • {{Refimprove inline}}
• Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup/Verifiability and sources