Template:Unreliable source?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Template:Unreliable source)

Template documentation[view] [edit] [history] [purge]

This template is used on approximately 14,000 pages and changes may be widely noticed. Test changes in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them.

Redirects

Shortcuts

{{rs?Template:Rs?}}
{{rsTemplate:Rs}}

Usage

This template is intended to be used when a statement is sourced but it is questionable whether the source used is reliable for supporting the statement. It produces a superscripted notation like the following:

It was actually written by Francis Bacon.^[9]^{[unreliable source?]}

Articles tagged with this template will be categorized into Category:All articles lacking reliable references.

Place this template inline, {{Unreliable source?|date=February 2026}} following the questionable source. The template should be placed outside and immediately after the reference to the questionable source ( ... ), within the article's text:

Potentially controversial statement.some alleged source for this{{Unreliable source?|date=February 2026}} Next sentence.

Parameters

The template has the following optional parameters:

date: should be set to the month and year when the article was tagged. Example: {{Unreliable source?|date=February 2026}}
reason: a note explaining why you think the source is unreliable as per WP:RS. Displays as a tool tip. Keep it short (one sentence) as longer material belongs on the talk page. It is good to reiterate the reason in your edit summary. Example: {{Unreliable source?|reason=Your WP:RS-based reason here.|date=February 2026}}
sure or certain: if set to "y" or "yes" will remove the question mark from the template's output to denote a degree of certainty that the source is unreliable. Please use this with a |reason= parameter, and only after a good faith attempt to verify the reliability of the source in question. Example: {{Unreliable source?|sure=y|reason=Your WP:RS-based reason here.|date=February 2026}} NOTE: This parameter has an alias, |failed=, which may make more grammatical sense when used with certain redirects like {{verify credibility}}.

When to use and not use this template

This template should be used to express your doubt about the credibility of a source.

This tag should not be used on unreliably sourced contentious statements about living persons; if a source for such a statement is not reliable, the statement and the source should be removed immediately.

For whole articles or article sections that rely on suspect sources, considering using the banner template {{More citations needed}} or {{More citations needed section}}, respectively, rather than individually tagging a large number of statements.

For sources promoting fringe theories and pseudo-science, the more specific template {{Unreliable fringe source}} can be used. Even more specifically, flag improperly sourced medical claims with {{Unreliable medical source}}.

This tag should not be used to indicate that the sourced material could not be found within a given source. In that case, {{failed verification}} is a better template. For statements that have failed verification and have a questionable would-be source, consider removal of the source (and possibly the statement) over using both tags.

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Unreliable source? in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Unreliable source?

Used when a statement is sourced but it is questionable whether the source used is reliable for supporting the statement.

Template parameters[Edit template data]
This template prefers inline formatting of parameters.
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Reason	`reason`	Note explaining why you think the source is unreliable as per WP:RS. Displays as a tool tip	String	optional
Certain?	`certain` `sure` `failed`	If set to "y" or "yes" will remove the question mark from the template's output to denote a degree of certainty that the source is unreliable Default no Example yes	Boolean	optional
Month and year	`date`	Month and year of tagging; e.g., 'January 2013', but not 'jan13' Auto value `{{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}`	String	suggested
Displayed tag text	`name`	Text displayed by the in-line tag between the square brackets Default unreliable source?	String	optional

{{Better source needed}}, an alternative to {{Unreliable source?|certain=y}}; especially useful for tagging sources that are low-quality but not necessarily wrong
{{Dubious}}, for questionable claims that seem unlikely to be properly sourceable
{{Obsolete source}}, for when a source has been surpassed by more recent works
{{Primary source inline}}, for misuse of primary source material
{{Unreliable fringe source}}, for fringe sources
{{Unreliable medical source}}, for fringe medical sources in particular

Lists of templates

Policies, guidelines, essays, and WikiProjects

Inline cleanup tags

Attribution

Clarity

Miscellaneous

Neutrality

Precision

{{By how much}} {{Definition}} {{Definition span}} {{Definition needed}} {{Example needed}} {{Example needed span}} {{Explain}} {{Explain-wrap}} {{From where}} {{How}} {{How often}} {{Misquoted}} {{More detail needed}} {{Of what}} {{Quantify}} {{Specify}} {{Vague}} {{When}} {{Where}} {{Where-geo}} {{Which}} {{Who else}} {{Why}} {{Year needed}}
Excessive	{{Duplication span}} {{Globalize inline}} {{Importance example}} {{Importance inline}} {{Infobox clutter}} {{List entry too long}} {{Long quote}} {{Off topic paragraph}} {{Off topic sentence}} {{Overly detailed inline}} {{Over-explained}} {{Relevance inline}} {{Undue weight inline}}

Time-sensitivity

Verifiability

Dubious	{{Contradictory inline}} {{Discuss}} {{Disputed inline}} {{Dubious}} {{Dubious span}} {{Inconsistent}} {{Needs independent confirmation}} {{Speculation inline}}
Bare URLs	{{Bare URL inline}} {{Bare URL AV media}} {{Bare URL DOC}} {{Bare URL image}} {{Bare URL non-HTML}} {{Bare URL PDF}} {{Bare URL plain text}} {{Bare URL spreadsheet}}
Incomplete or broken citation	{{Author incomplete}} {{Author missing}} {{Broken footnote}} {{Date missing}} {{Dead link}} {{Dead YouTube link}} {{Deep link needed}} {{Edition needed}} {{Episode needed}} {{Full citation needed}} {{Incomplete short citation}} {{ISBN missing}} {{Missing long citation}} {{Moved resource}} {{Page needed}} {{Pages needed}} {{Permanent dead link}} {{Place missing}} {{Publisher missing}} {{Season needed}} {{Time needed}} {{Title incomplete}} {{Title missing}} {{Unused source}} {{Volume needed}} {{Year missing}}
Missing or problematic reference	{{Additional citation needed}} {{AI-generated inline}} {{AI-generated source?}} {{AI-retrieved source}} {{Better source needed}} {{Better source needed example}} {{Check quotation}} {{Chronology citation needed}} {{Circular reference}} {{Circular reporting}} {{Citation needed}} {{Citation needed span}} {{Citation needed paragraph}} {{Citation not found}} {{Close paraphrasing inline}} {{COI source}} {{Deprecated inline}} {{Excessive citations inline}} {{Failed verification}} {{Failed verification span}} {{Image reference needed}} {{Independent source inline}} {{Irrelevant citation}} {{Marketing material}} {{Medical citation needed}} {{Medical citation needed span}} {{Misplaced footnote}} {{Nonspecific}} {{Not verified in body}} {{Not verified in body span}} {{Obsolete source}} {{Page range too broad}} {{Primary source inline}} {{Promotional source}} {{Quote without source}} {{Request quotation}} {{Request quotation span}} {{Retracted}} {{Scientific citation needed}} {{Self-published inline}} {{Self-published source}} {{Shallow reference inline}} {{Tertiary source inline}} {{Text-source inline}} {{Unreliable source?}} {{Unreliable fringe source}} {{Unreliable medical source}} {{Unreliable scientific source}} {{User-generated inline}} {{User-generated source}} {{Verify quote}} {{Verify source}} {{Whose quote}}

Wording

General advice

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Unreliable source?/doc. (edit | history)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (edit | diff) and testcases (edit) pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Unreliable_source%3F&oldid=1063311301"

Categories:

Hidden categories: