FamilySearch Wiki:Template messages

This page provides an index for a wide range of standard templates in use within the FamilySearch Research Wiki. Whether you are providing a custom message, or are flagging articles, adding tags, or adding templates, this page gives an overview of what subjects are covered within each heading.

There are two main ways to use templates on articles: transclusion (also called "inclusion", and accomplished by using Template name), and subclusion (also called "substitution"). The former will include the content of Template name on the fly whenever the article is loaded, while the latter will permanently insert the content of the template into the article. With substitution, even if the template content is modified at a later date, the article's content will not change. The common method for using template messages is transclusion, implemented by usage of a tag with the form, in whatever article or talk page one wants the template code/text to be shown. A less common usage is to implement an automatic one-time copying of a template's code/text to the location of a template tag; a method called substitution or subclusion, implemented simply by adding  as a prefix for the template name (as in  ).

Substitution is the preferred method for permanent notices (i.e., no probability that it will change) because it is less confusing, and it even helps to lighten the load on the database. Substitution has the further advantage in that a template's content may be de-linked from any associated category or slightly modified to suit the circumstances, such as when the template is used on a talk page. Transclusion is preferred for displaying material that is normally updated (i.e., high probability that it will change), that way, all the places it appears are updated in a single operation.

Using this page
The bold links at the top of each cell lead to detailed pages which describe the templates in that section and explain how and when to use them.

If you cannot find the template you are looking for, please click on the section headers that seem most relevant, since there may be templates for a particular usage covered on the detailed pages, but not listed in the table below.

If, after searching, you still cannot find the template you need, you can request it on FamilySearch Wiki:Requested templates. For help on creating templates, see Help:Templates or contact a user who has identified himself or herself as an adept template coder. Note that in order to maintain consistent design of templates, there is a need for significant discussions about a variety of templates at both FamilySearch Wiki talk:Manual of Style (article message boxes) and FamilySearch Wiki talk:Talk page templates.

A more comprehensive category system will soon be developed at Category:FamilySearch Wiki templates.

Can improvements be made easily?
Before placing templates on a page, it is worthwhile to cast a critical eye over the page to determine whether or not the improvements could be made easily, thus eliminating the need for a tag.