Template:Clarify

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Use this template in the body of an article as a request for other editors to clarify text that is difficult to understand. When the problem is not with the wording, but the sourcing, one may use {{specify}} instead. For dealing with dubious information, please use one of the following: {{citation needed}}, {{verify source}}, {{dubious}} or {{disputed-inline}}. This template is a self-reference and so is part of the Wikipedia project rather than the encyclopedic content.

Usage

This is an inline template which should be placed immediately after the material in question, as with a footnote. For example:

This sentence needs clarification.{{clarify|date=November 2024}} → This sentence needs clarification.^{[clarification needed]}

The wikilink on "clarification needed" is set to Wikipedia:Please clarify.

Parameters

Abbreviated parameter sets

{{clarify |date=November 2024 |reason= }}

{{clarify |date=November 2024 |reason= |text= }}

Full parameter set

{{clarify |date=November 2024 |reason= |text= |pre-text= |post-text= }}

Parameter descriptions

|date=: This template allows an optional date parameter that records when the tag was added. If this template is added without the date parameter, the date parameter will be added soon after by a bot. Alternatively, you may add the date automatically (without requiring bot intervention) by substituting the template. That is: {{subst:clarify}} is equivalent to {{clarify|date=November 2024}}. This technique also works if other parameters – |reason= |pre-text= |post-text= – are given.

|reason=: Because it may not be immediately apparent to other editors what about the tagged passage is in need of clarification, it is generally helpful to add a brief reason for the tag: {{Clarify|reason=What the problem is}} (this is preferable to using an HTML  after the tag, as it is tidier to keep all of the {{Clarify}}-related code inside the template). If the explanation would be lengthy, use the article's talk page.; As well as being visible in the source code for editors' benefit, the reason parameter is, if provided, displayed when the mouse is hovered over the "clarification needed" link in the article.

|text=

The particular text needing clarification may be highlighted by wrapping this template around it:

As an example:

Text preceding the template, {{clarify|text=unclear text,|date=November 2024}} text following the template.

produces:

Text preceding the template, unclear text,^{[clarification needed]} text following the template.

|pre-text=

|post-text=

One can specify additional text to appear before and/or after the "clarify" tag using the two parameters listed above.

Examples follow:

{{clarify|pre-text=remove or}}
will cause the text "remove or" to appear before "clarify" like this:^{[remove or clarification needed]}
{{clarify|post-text=(complicated jargon)}}
will cause "(complicated jargon)" to appear after "clarify" like this:^{[clarification needed (complicated jargon)]}
{{clarify|post-text=(see [[Talk:Example#Clarification needed|talk]])}}
can be used to link to a discussion on the article's talk page; this example produces:^{[clarification needed (see talk)]}

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData documentation for this template used by VisualEditor and other tools; see the monthly error report for this template.

TemplateData for Clarify

Use this inline template as a request for other editors to clarify text that is difficult to understand. Place immediately after the material in question.

Template parameters
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Reason	`reason`	A brief reason for the tag. Avoid using wikilinks; these will corrupt the template's output.	String	suggested
Text	`text`	Text fragment containing concerns the tag is supposed to address.	String	optional
Date	`date`	The date the tag was added (this will be added automatically soon by a bot if not added manually). Auto value `{{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}`	String	suggested
Pre-text	`pre-text`	Any string to be added before the "Clarify" tag, such as "?" Auto value	String	optional
Post-text	`post-text`	Any string to be added after the "Clarify" tag, such as "complicated jargon".	String	optional

Categorization

Adding this template to an article will automatically place the article into Category:Wikipedia articles needing clarification, or a dated subcategory thereof.

Redirects

{{Clarification needed}}
{{Clarify me}}
{{Confusing-inline}}
{{Confusing-short}}
{{Define?}}
{{How?}}
{{Huh}}
{{What?}}
{{What}}