Template:Clarify

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

Not to be confused with Template:Confusing.

Use this template in the body text 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}}. For sentences that are simply ungrammatical or awkwardly written, rather than unclear in their content, use {{copy edit 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=March 2025}} → This sentence needs clarification.

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

Parameters

Abbreviated parameter sets

{{Clarify|date=March 2025}}

{{Clarify|date=March 2025|reason= }}

{{Clarify|date=March 2025|reason= |text= }}

Full parameter set

{{Clarify|date=March 2025|reason= |text= |pre-text= |post-text= }}

Parameter descriptions

|date=

Like all inline templates, this Clarify template allows a date parameter which records when the clarify tag was added. If the date parameter was not included when this template was added, the date parameter will automatically 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=March 2025}}. This substitution technique also works if other parameters – |reason= |pre-text= |post-text= – are included.

|reason=

Because it may not be immediately apparent to other readers and / or editors what the specific reason the tagged passage is in need of clarification, it is generally helpful to add a brief reason for the Clarify tag: {{Clarify|reason=What the problem is}} (this is preferable to using an HTML <!-- comment --> after the tag, as it is tidier to keep all of the {{Clarify}}-related code inside the template). If the request reason would be lengthy, use the article's talk page to address the issue in detail.

As well as being visible in the source code for readers and editors' benefit, the reason parameter is, if provided, displayed as a pop-up when the mouse is hovered over the 'clarification needed' link in the article.

|text=

The particular text needing clarification may be highlighted within the prose by wrapping this Clarify template around it:

As an example:

Understandable text preceding the template, {{Clarify|text=unclear or ambiguous text,|date=March 2025}} understandable text following the template.

produces:

Understandable text preceding the template, unclear or ambiguous text, understandable text following the template.

Please note: when using this text= parameter, please ensure you leave a space before starting the template code.

|pre-text=

|post-text=

One can specify additional text to appear before and / or after the displayed 'clarification needed' tag using either (or both) the two parameters listed above.

Examples follow:

1. {{Clarify|pre-text=remove or}}

   will cause the text 'remove or' to appear before 'clarification needed' like this:

2. {{Clarify|post-text=(complicated jargon)}}

   will cause '(complicated jargon)' to appear after 'clarification needed' like this:

3. {{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:

TemplateData

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

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[Edit template data]

Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Reason	reason	A brief reason for the tag. Avoid using wikilinks, as they will be converted to plain text in the 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}}

See also

Related inline templates {{Clarify span}} {{Ambiguous}} {{Definition}} {{Examples}} {{Explain}} {{Non sequitur}} {{Vague}} {{Which one}}

Message-box templates {{Confusing}} {{Confusing section}} {{Expand section}} {{Missing information}}

Related pages Wikipedia:Citing sources Wikipedia:Explain jargon Wikipedia:Please clarify

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Clarify/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.