Template:Clarify

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Not to be confused with Template:Unclear.

 

Caution:  

Avoid using wikilinks. These can (and, with |reason=, will) corrupt the template's output.

Use this template in the body 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}}. 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=April 2026}} → This sentence needs clarification.

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

Parameters

Abbreviated parameter sets

{{clarify|date=April 2026 |reason= }}

{{clarify|date=April 2026 |reason= |text= }}

Full parameter set

{{clarify|date=April 2026 |reason= |text= |pre-text= |post-text= }}

Parameter descriptions

|date=

This template allows an optional date parameter that records when the tag was added. If this template is added without the date parameter, the date parameter will 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=April 2026}}. This technique also works if other parameters – |reason= |pre-text= |post-text= – are given.

|reason=

Because it may not be immediately apparent to other editors what about the tagged passage is in need of clarification, it is generally helpful to add a brief reason for the 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 explanation would be lengthy, use the article's talk page.

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

|text=

The particular text needing clarification may be highlighted by wrapping this template around it:

As an example:

Text preceding the template, {{clarify|text=unclear text,|date=April 2026}} text following the template.

produces:

Text preceding the template, unclear text, text following the template.

|pre-text=

|post-text=

One can specify additional text to appear before and/or after the "clarify" tag using the two parameters listed above.

Examples follow:

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

   will cause the text "remove or" to appear before "clarify" like this:

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

   will cause "(complicated jargon)" to appear after "clarify" 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. Click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template based on this 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; these will corrupt the template's 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.