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Template:Main if exists

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This template uses Lua:
  • Module:Main if exists

Displays a link to one or more "main" pages followed by a line break, if the page exists. If none of the supplied pages exist, the template does nothing.

It allows the creation of links to pages which do not exist yet, but which will be displayed if and when the page is created. This is useful when articles/topics are being developed, because editors do not have to guess whether a target page is likely to exist any time soon: the link can be created now, rather than having to edit the page again later.

Usage

Usual syntax
{{Main if exists|page}}
{{Main if exists|page1|page2|page3|...}}

Parameters:

  • At least one page name
Examples
  1. A page which does exist:
    {{Main if exists|Media in New York City}} →
    See also: Media in New York City
  2. A non-existent page:
    {{Main if exists|History of Planet Zerg}} →
  3. A set of pages, some of which exist:
    {{Main if exists | History of Briarcliff Manor | WP:RAPYDENEUSRAATYAI | Economy of Galaxy AE23 | =08h1g35b | Extinction | poiytrewq6789 | zzzzzzzzy | List of Novels produced by Aliens}} →
    See also: History of Briarcliff Manor and Extinction

See also

  • {{See also if exists}}
  • {{Category see also}}
  • {{Category see also if exists}}
  • {{Category see also if exists 2}} – includes a fallback category which is tried if the first does not exist
  • {{Link if exists}}
  • v
  • t
  • e
Hatnote templates
  • Wikipedia:Hatnote
  • Wikipedia:Disambiguation
  • Wikipedia:Redirect
Generic
  • {{Hatnote}}
  • {{Hatnote group}}
  • {{Self-reference}}
For and about
  • {{For}}
  • {{For-text}} (for custom text)
  • {{For-multi}} (for multiple uses)
  • {{About}}
  • Variations: {{Other uses}}
  • {{Other uses of}}
  • {{Redirect-distinguish-for}}
  • {{About-distinguish}}
  • {{About-distinguish-text}}
Other topics
  • {{Other people}}
  • {{About other people}} (adds "about" description)
  • {{Similar names}}
  • {{Other storms}}
  • {{Other stars by Bayer designation}}
  • {{Other places}}
  • {{Other ships}}
Redirect
  • {{Redirect}}
  • {{Redirect2}} (for two redirects)
  • {{Redirect-multi}} (for multiple redirects)
  • {{Redirect-several}} (for several redirects, without listing each)
  • {{Redirect-synonym}}
  • {{Redirect-distinguish}}
  • {{Redirect-distinguish-text}}
  • {{Redirect-distinguish-for}}
  • {{Technical reasons}}
Distinguish
  • {{Distinguish}} (supports custom text)
  • {{About-distinguish}}
  • {{About-distinguish-text}} (for custom text)
  • {{Redirect-distinguish}}
  • {{Redirect-distinguish-text}} (for custom text)
  • {{Redirect-distinguish-for}}
For use in sections
  • {{Main}}
  • {{Main if exists}}
  • {{Main list}}
  • {{Further}}
  • {{Further-text}} (for custom text)
  • {{Further interlanguage link}}
  • {{See also}}
  • {{See also-text}} (for custom text)
  • {{For outline}}
  • {{For timeline}}
Special
  • {{Broader}}
  • {{For introduction}}
  • {{See Wiktionary}}
  • {{Transcluding article}}
  • {{Transcluded section}}
Subject specific
  • {{About year}}
  • {{Highway detail hatnote}}
  • {{For LMST}}
  • {{WikiIPA}}
  • Category:Hatnote templates
    • modules
    • for [family] names
    • for lists
  • hatnote templates for category pages
The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Main if exists/doc. (edit | history)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (create | mirror) and testcases (create) pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Main_if_exists&oldid=1304301356"
Last edited on 5 August 2025, at 05:53

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