Template:Unreliable source?

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Usage

This template is intended to be used when a statement is sourced but it is questionable whether the source used is reliable for supporting the statement. It produces a superscripted notation like the following:

It was actually written by Francis Bacon.

Articles tagged with this template will be categorized into Category:All articles lacking reliable references.

Place this template inline, {{Unreliable source?|date=April 2026}} following the questionable claim (and any punctuation attached to it). The template should be placed outside the reference (<ref> ... </ref>), within the article's text:

Potentially controversial statement.<ref>some alleged source for this</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2026}} Next sentence.

Parameters

The template has the following optional parameters:

• date: should be set to the month and year when the article was tagged. Example: {{Unreliable source?|date=April 2026}}
• reason: a note explaining why you think the source is unreliable as per Wikipedia:WP:RS. Displays as a tool tip. Keep it short (one sentence) as longer material belongs on the talk page. It is good to reiterate the reason in your edit summary. Example: {{Unreliable source?|reason=Your WP:RS-based reason here.|date=April 2026}}
• sure or certain: if set to "y" or "yes" will remove the question mark from the template's output to denote a degree of certainty that the source is unreliable. Please use this with a |reason= parameter, and only after a good faith attempt to verify the reliability of the source in question. Example: {{Template:Unreliable source?|sure=y|reason=Your WP:RS-based reason here.|date=April 2026}} NOTE: This parameter has an alias, |failed=, which may make more grammatical sense when used with certain redirects like {{verify credibility}}.

When to use and not use this template

This template should be used to express doubt about the credibility of a source.

This tag should not be used on unreliably sourced contentious statements about living persons; if the source is not reliable, the statement should be removed immediately.

For whole articles or article sections that rely on suspect sources, considering using the banner template {{More citations needed}} or {{refimprove section}}, respectively, rather than individually tagging a large number of statements.

For sources promoting fringe theories and pseudo-science, the more specific template {{Unreliable fringe source}} can be used. Even more specifically, flag improperly sourced medical claims with {{Unreliable medical source}}.

This tag should not be used to indicate that the sourced material could not be found within a given source. In that case, {{failed verification}} is a better template. For statements that have failed verification and have a questionable would-be source, consider removal of the source (and possibly the statement) over using both tags.

Redirects

The following may presently be used as shortcuts and aliases for this template:

1. {{Template:Unreliable source?}}
2. {{rs}}
3. {{rs?}}
4. {{vc}}
5. {{Template:Unreliable source?}}
6. {{Template:Unreliable source?}}
7. {{Template:Unreliable source?}}

See also

Inline templates

• {{Template:Better source needed}}, an alternative to {{Template:Unreliable source?|certain=y}}; especially useful for tagging sources that are low-quality but not necessarily wrong
• {{Obsolete source}}, for when a source has been surpassed by more recent works
• {{Unreliable fringe source}}, for fringe sources
• {{Unreliable medical source}}, for fringe medical sources in particular
• {{Primary source inline}}, for misuse of primary source material
• {{Dubious}}, for questionable claims that seem unlikely to be properly sourceable

More templates

• {{Refimprove}}, a banner template for flagging an entire article or section as needing better sourcing
• Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup/Verifiability and sources
• Wikipedia:Template messages/Sources of articles

Policies, guidelines, essays, and wikiprojects

• Wikipedia:Verifiability
• Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources
• Wikipedia:Citing sources, especially § Unsourced material
• Wikipedia:Independent sources
• Wikipedia:Third-party sources
• Wikipedia:WikiProject Fact and Reference Check

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData documentation for this template used by VisualEditor and other tools; click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template.

TemplateData for Unreliable source?

Used when a statement is sourced but it is questionable whether the source used is reliable for supporting the statement.

Template parameters[Edit template data]

This template prefers inline formatting of parameters.

Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Reason	reason	Note explaining why you think the source is unreliable as per WP:RS. Displays as a tool tip	String	optional
Certain?	certain sure failed	If set to "y" or "yes" will remove the question mark from the template's output to denote a degree of certainty that the source is unreliable Default no Example yes	Boolean	optional
Month and year	date	Month and year of tagging; e.g., 'January 2013', but not 'jan13' Auto value {{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}	String	suggested

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Unreliable source?/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.