Template:External media: Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 06:25, 9 September 2026
 | This template is used on approximately 13,000 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. |
When to use
If an image, 3D model, audio or video clip:
- is currently available online,
- cannot be uploaded to Wikipedia, even under non-free use rules, and
- readers will expect this type of media in the article,
then it may be appropriate to use {{external media}} to provide a direct link to the media file along with a description of the media.
The {{external media}} template should be removed as soon as a replacement of adequate quality and accuracy is available in WP:COMMONS. At that time, the link included in this template may be considered for inclusion as a regular WP:External link in the ==External links== section.
Copyright
According to WP:ELNEVER and WP:COPYLINK, editors must never link to content that violates copyright or is otherwise illegal. If you are uncertain of the copyright status (for example, with links to YouTube), ask for help at Wikipedia:Media copyright questions. If you're certain that the copyright status is acceptable, but others might wonder later, make it clear in the template or in the reference that you link to material from a rightful distributor (examples can be found at grindcore).
Where to use
This template is normally placed in the main body of the article, in the same place that you would normally have placed the image, 3D model, audio, or video clip if it had been available on Wikimedia Commons.
When placing links in the ==External links== section, please use the normal formatting for external links, as explained at WP:External links#Rich media and WP:External links#How to link, rather than this template.
Usage
Paste this into the article, removing the parameters that are left blank:
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"> </syntaxhighlight>
The {{external media}} template can be used multiple times in an article, and each instance can be used to link to more than one file.
Parameters
- float
- Valid options are "left" or "right". The template defaults to displaying on the right-hand-side. (Note: This template's documentation previously, and erroneously, listed <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline style="display: none;" />
|align=as a valid parameter, but it was not valid. Instances of <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline style="display: none;" />|align=, if found, should usually be replaced with <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline style="display: none;" />|float=.) - width
- This should be a complete width measurement including units. Examples:
300px,22em,30%. The template defaults to 258px wide. - topic
- Optional text field that will appear above the media links.
- title
- Optional text to replace the automatically calculated title.
- headerimage
- Optional image to display at the top of the template. Use full image syntax, for example [[File:example.png|200px]].
- caption
- Optional caption text to put underneath the header image.
- media links
- Each file to be linked should specify its type and have a different number, starting from 1. For example, a template containing four images and one video would label them as
image1,image2,image3,image4andvideo1. The attribute has a free format, so any amount of detail may be added. The first part of the entry should be formatted as a normal external link, i.e. <syntaxhighlight lang="moin" class="" style="" inline="1">Image description</syntaxhighlight> for Image description. After that, any additional detail can be given on the same line. See the examples for details. - Note: when adding a link to an external media source like this, it is essential that the source page be linked too with the date of retrieval, both to satisfy Wikipedia's sourcing criteria for the statement about the presented media and to ensure that the link can quickly be corrected should the source URL be changed. Reference tags can be used for this purpose.
TemplateData
|
|---|
|
<templatedata>
{
"params": {
"width": {
"description": "Width of the box",
"example": "300px, 22em, 30%",
"default": "258px"
},
"float": {
"type": "string",
"suggestedvalues": [
"left",
"right",
"center"
],
"description": "Alignment of the box on the page",
"suggested": true,
"default": "right"
},
"title": {
"description": "Optional text to replace the automatically calculated title"
},
"image1": {},
"audio1": {},
"video1": {},
"model1": {},
"image2": {},
"model2": {},
"topic": {
"description": "Optional text field that will appear above the media links"
},
"headerimage": {
"description": "Optional image to display at the top of the template. Use full image syntax, for example |
Examples
Just an image
Image taken from the War against Nabis Featured Article. This example gives full contextual information along with references.
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Fighting style of Greek phalangites with long lances during the Roman-Spartan War (Note the late Greek hoplite helmets with open visors made of several parts and not from one like in earlier times. The leg protection was often leather to allow for faster movement. This fighting style was not in use during the Battle of Marathon; at that time the lances were shorter and held with one hand. Longer lances, held with both hands, were adopted with the introduction of lighter hoplites and later phalangites. As a result of their long and heavy lance which was handled with both arms they needed a lighter shield than the old hoplites.[1][2]) |
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" highlight="4" style="width:50%; overflow: auto">
| External image | |
|---|---|
| Fighting style of Greek phalangites with long lances during the Roman-Spartan War (Note the late Greek hoplite helmets with open visors made of several parts and not from one like in earlier times. The leg protection was often leather to allow for faster movement. This fighting style was not in use during the Battle of Marathon; at that time the lances were shorter and held with one hand. Longer lances, held with both hands, were adopted with the introduction of lighter hoplites and later phalangites. As a result of their long and heavy lance which was handled with both arms they needed a lighter shield than the old hoplites.[3][4]) |
</syntaxhighlight>
Image, using descriptive text with accompanying reference:
| External image | |
|---|---|
| Metal vambrace with integrated elbow and upper arm protection (reenactment)[5] |
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" highlight="4" style="width:50%; overflow: auto">
| External image | |
|---|---|
| Metal vambrace with integrated elbow and upper arm protection (reenactment)[6] |
</syntaxhighlight>
Two images with rich accompanying text, floated left:
| External images | |
|---|---|
| The Siege of Leningrad | |
 | |
| Russian map of the operations around Leningrad in 1943. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.[7] | |
| map of the advance on Leningrad and relief. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.[8] |
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" highlight="2,6,7" style="width:95%; overflow: auto">
| External images | |
|---|---|
| The Siege of Leningrad | |
| |
| Russian map of the operations around Leningrad in 1943. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.[9] | |
| map of the advance on Leningrad and relief. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.[10] |
</syntaxhighlight>
Audio with topic text and accompanying link to the home page:
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| Dog Bark | |
 the sound of a dog barking, from Wav-Sounds.com, retrieved 13.09.2009 |
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" style="width:50%; overflow: auto">
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| Dog Bark | |
| the sound of a dog barking, from Wav-Sounds.com, retrieved 13.09.2009 |
</syntaxhighlight>
Single video, floated left:
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Movie clip of siphon feeding, QuickTime format[11] |
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" highlight="3,4" style="width:50%; overflow: auto">
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Movie clip of siphon feeding, QuickTime format[12] |
</syntaxhighlight>
Two CNN videos from YouTube, floated right:
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Two YouTube videos | |
| CNN's exclusive Obama interview | |
| Pres. Obama makes first visit to Kenya as president |
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" highlight="2" style="width95%; overflow: auto">
| External videos | |
|---|---|
Two YouTube videos | |
| CNN's exclusive Obama interview | |
| Pres. Obama makes first visit to Kenya as president |
</syntaxhighlight>
Mixed content:
| External media | |
|---|---|
| Images | |
| Russian map of the operations around Leningrad in 1943. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.[13] | |
| Audio | |
| the sound of a dog barking, from Wav-Sounds.com, retrieved 13.09.2009 | |
| Video | |
| Movie clip of siphon feeding, QuickTime format.[14] | |
| 3D Models | |
 3D model of Hoa Hakananai'a moai statue, linked from Sketchfab.[15] |
<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" style="width:50%; overflow: auto">
| External media | |
|---|---|
| Images | |
| Russian map of the operations around Leningrad in 1943. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.[16] | |
| Audio | |
| the sound of a dog barking, from here, retrieved 13.09.2009 | |
| Video | |
| Movie clip of siphon feeding, QuickTime format.[17] | |
| 3D Models | |
| 3D model of Hoa Hakananai'a moai statue, linked from Sketchfab.[18] |
</syntaxhighlight>