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Template:Format link

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Template documentation[view] [edit] [history] [purge]
This article is currently slated for merging.
There is consensus to merge Template:Format linkr/doc into this article. You can carry out the merge by following the resolution at the discussion and the merging instructions.
WarningThis template is used on approximately 4,700 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.
This template uses Lua:
  • Module:Format link (sandbox)
  • Module:Urldecode

This template formats a link for use in hatnote templates. It accepts up to three positional parameters, the link, an optional display value, and an optional target override (which if provided, makes the link parameter optional). These parameters may also be supplied by name, as link, display, and target respectively. Links to categories and files are automatically escaped with the colon trick, and links to sections are automatically formatted as page § section, rather than the MediaWiki default of page#section.

Contents

  • 1 Usage
  • 2 Examples
  • 3 Errors
  • 4 See also
  • 5 TemplateData

Usage

Link only:

{{format link|link}}

Link plus display:

{{format link|link|display}}

Link with an italicized page name:

{{format link|link|italicizepage=yes}}

Link with an italicized section name:

{{format link|link|italicizesection=yes}}

If the link or display values contain an equals sign, you will need to specify the parameter names like this:

{{format link|1=link|2=display}}

Link with a target override:

{{format link|link|display|target}}

Link with parameters supplied by name:

{{format link|link=link|display=display|target=target}}

Examples

  • {{format link|Lion}} → [[Lion]] → Lion
  • {{format link|Lion#Etymology}} → [[Lion#Etymology|Lion § Etymology]] → Lion § Etymology
  • {{format link|Category:Lions}} → [[:Category:Lions]] → Category:Lions
  • {{format link|Lion#Etymology|Etymology of lion}} → [[Lion#Etymology|Etymology of lion]] → Etymology of lion
  • {{format link|#Bar|Foo#Bar}} → [[:Foo#Bar|§ Bar]] → § Bar
  • {{format link|Quo warranto#Philippines|italicizepage=true}} → [[Quo warranto#Philippines|<i>Quo warranto</i> §&nbsp;Philippines]] → Quo warranto § Philippines
  • {{format link|Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012#Disini v. Secretary of Justice|italicizesection=true}} → [[Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012#Disini v. Secretary of Justice|Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 §&nbsp;<i>Disini v. Secretary of Justice</i>]] → Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 § Disini v. Secretary of Justice
  • {{format link}} → Error: no link or target specified! (help)

Errors

If this template is used and neither the link parameter (or positional parameter 1) nor the target parameter (or positional parameter 3) is supplied, then the template will return an error message. At least one of those must be supplied.

See also

  • {{Format linkr}} – an arguably better version of this template which converts underscores to spaces and calls {{urldecode}} on the input
  • {{Section link}}
  • {{formatter link}} – a template for applying a Wikidata formatter URL (P1630)

TemplateData

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

TemplateData for Format link

This template simplifies the process of formatting links from the URL bar by automatically replacing underscores with spaces and decoding URL-encoded parts.

Template parameters[Edit template data]

ParameterDescriptionTypeStatus
Page1 link

The name of the page the link points to. It can include a section after a hashtag (#).

Example
Lion#Etymology
Stringrequired
Display2 display

optional display value

Example
Etymology of lion
Stringoptional
Target3 target

optional target override (which if provided, makes the link parameter optional)

Example
Lion#Etymology
Stringoptional
Italicize pageitalicizepage

Set to 'y' to italicize the page name.

Default
n
Stringoptional
No URL Decodenud

Set to 'y' to prevent URL decoding, while still replacing underscores with spaces.

Default
n
Stringoptional
keepunderscorekeepunderscore

no description

Unknowndeprecated
The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Format link/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:Format_link&oldid=1327009222"
Last edited on 12 December 2025, at 03:02

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