Template:Cite news/doc

This template is used to cite sources in Wikipedia. It is specifically for news sources.

Usage

All parameter names must be lowercase.

Copy a blank version to use. Remember to use the "|" (pipe) character between each field. Please delete any unused fields to avoid clutter in the edit window.

Full version (copy and paste text below and delete parameters you don't need)
{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title= |url= |format= |work= |publisher= |location= |id= |pages= |page= |date= |accessdate=2025-02-24 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}
Most commonly used fields (or you can use this and not have to delete as much) (This assumes English, HTML format, with today as access date)
{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= |url= |work= |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2025-02-24 }}

All parameters, vertical format

{{cite news
 | first = 
 | last = 
 | authorlink = 
 | author = 
 | coauthors = 
 | title = 
 | url = 
 | format = 
 | work = 
 | publisher = 
 | location = 
 | id = 
 | pages = 
 | page = 
 | date = 
 | accessdate = 
 | language = 
 | quote = 
 | archiveurl = 
 | archivedate = 
 }}

• title is required, rest is optional. Note that title must be on one line in order for the hyperlink to display properly. Do not enclose it in quotations marks, italics or other formatting, though it may be wikilinked.
• author: Author.
  • last works with first to produce last, first
  • authorlink works either with author or with last & first to link to the appropriate Wikipedia article. Does not work with URLs.
  • coauthors: Allows additional authors.
• url: Link to the news item if available online (note this is not for a link to the main web page of the work of publisher, but only to a copy of the item specified in "title").
  • format: Format, e.g. PDF. Don't specify for HTML (implied as default).

    Specify as 'fee required' if free access is no longer available.

    Specify as 'Reprint' if you use a full original version but not hosted by the original publisher.

• work: The publication that ran the item, e.g. Newsweek. Can also be used for the name of a column or subpart of an issue. Do not italicize.
• publisher: The company or organization that publishes the news source.
  • location: Place of the news source, e.g. Toronto for the Daily Globe and Mail.

• id: Identifier such as {{ISSN|0028-0836}} — remember, if you use this parameter, you must specify the kind of identifier, not just give a number.
• date: Date of publication. The ISO 8601 YYYY-MM-DD format is recommended, and will be automatically wikilinked to enable date user preferences if used. If the whole date is known and another date format is used, it should be wikilinked (e.g., date=[[3 December]] [[2007]]). (Note: for dates earlier than January 2, 1970, ISO 8601 YYYY-MM-DD automatic wikilinking will not work; instead, wikilink using [[3 December]] [[1969]] format)
• page or pages: The page(s) on which the article is found. page inserts the abbreviation "p." before the number; pages inserts "pp." Use only one of these parameters. If numbers are entered for both, pages overrides page.
• accessdate: Date when item was accessed. Use ISO 8601 YYYY-MM-DD format. Do not wikilink the date.
• language: The language in which the source is written. If English (the default) do not use this parameter.
• quote: Relevant quotation.
• archiveurl: URL of the archive location of the item (requires archivedate, title, and url); this is for archives such as those at internetarchive.org; for back-issues and the like that are on file at the publisher's site, use the "url" parameter.
• archivedate: Date when the item was archived (requires archiveurl, title, and url), in ISO 8601 YYYY-MM-DD format, e.g. 2006-02-17. Must not be wikilinked; it will be linked automatically.

Examples

Using first and last to identify the author, and id to supply the ISSN

• {{cite news | first=John | last=Doe | title=News | url=http://www.example.org/ | work=Encyclopedia of Things | publisher=News co. | pages= 37–39 | date=[[2005-11-21]] | id={{ISSN|0028-0836}} | accessdate=2005-12-11 }}
  
  →

Using author instead of first and last

• {{cite news | author=Staff writer | title=News | url=http://www.example.org/News.pdf | format=PDF | publisher=News co. | pages= 37–39 | date=[[2005-11-21]] | accessdate=2005-12-11 }}
  
  →

Using authorlink to link to the author's article

• {{cite news | first=John | last=Doe | authorlink=John Doe | title=News | url=http://www.example.org/background | format=Reprint | publisher=News co. | date=[[2005-11-21]] | accessdate=2005-12-11 }}
  
  →

Using format

• {{cite news | title=News | url=http://www.example.org/Archive/News | format=Fee required | publisher=News co. | date=[[2005-11-21]] | accessdate=2005-12-11 }}
  
  →

Using page to identify the reference by page

• {{cite news | first=John | last=Doe | title=FooBar | page=1 }}
  
  →

A very simple citation

• {{cite news | title=FooBar | page=1 }}
  
  →

Using archiveurl and archivedate to refer to items that went away but are available from an archive site

• {{cite news | author=Staff writer | title=News | url=http://www.example.org/News.pdf | format=PDF | publisher=News co. | pages= 37–39 | date=[[2005-11-21]] | accessdate=2005-12-11 | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070628082911/http://www.example.org/News.pdf | archivedate=2007-06-28 }}
  
  →

Omitting archivedate in error

• {{cite news | author=Staff writer | title=News | url=http://www.example.org/News.pdf | format=PDF | publisher=News co. | pages= 37–39 | date=[[2005-11-21]] | accessdate=2005-12-11 | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070628082911/http://www.example.org/News.pdf }}
  →

COinS

This template produces COinS metadata; see COinS in Wikipedia for background information.

See also

• Wikipedia:Cite sources: Style guide
• Wikipedia:Template messages/Sources of articles/Generic citations: Related templates
• Wikipedia:WikiProject Wikicite
• Template:Cite web
• Template:Cite book

Template:Esoteric