Template:Vague

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Use this template in the body text of an article as a request for other editors to clarify specific words or statements that are vague. 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 statement is too vague.{{Vague|date=October 2026}} → This statement is too vague.

The wikilink on "vague" is set to Wikipedia:Vagueness.

Parameters

Abbreviated parameter sets

{{Vague|date=October 2026}}

{{Vague|date=October 2026|reason= }}

{{Vague|date=October 2026|text= }}

Full parameter set

{{Vague|date=October 2026|reason= |text= }}

Parameter descriptions

<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline style="display

none;" />|date=

Like all inline templates, this template allows a date parameter which records when the vague 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:Vague}} is equivalent to {{Vague|date=October 2026}}. This substitution technique also works if other parameters – <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline style="display: none;" />|reason= <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline style="display: none;" />|text= – are included.

<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline style="display

none;" />|reason=

Because it may not be immediately apparent to other readers and/or editors what the specific reason the tagged statement is in need of clarification, it is generally helpful to add a brief reason for the vague tag: {{Vague|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 {{Vague}}-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 'vague' link in the article.

<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline style="display

none;" />|text=

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

As an example:

Understandable text preceding the template, {{Vague|text=vague text|date=October 2026}} understandable text following the template.

produces:

Understandable text preceding the template, vague text understandable text following the template.

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

TemplateData

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

TemplateData for Vague

<templatedata> { "params": { "reason": { "aliases": [ "title" ], "label": "Reason?", "description": "Why are you marking this as 'vague'? This will be displayed as a tool tip.", "type": "string", "default": "This information is too vague.", "suggested": true, "autovalue": "" }, "text": { "label": "Text", "type": "string", "description": "Text fragment containing concerns the tag is supposed to address." }, "date": { "label": "Date", "description": "Month and year that this template was placed on the page.", "example": "June 2015", "type": "string", "autovalue": "{{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}", "required": true } }, "description": "Template for marking specific inline words and phrases as too vague for Wikipedia's guidelines.", "format": "inline" } </templatedata>

See also

• {{Unfocused}}

Related inline templates {{Ambiguous}} {{Clarify}} {{Which one}}

Related pages Wikipedia:Vagueness Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch Wikipedia:Please clarify

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Vague/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.