cannot be uploaded to Wikipedia, even undernon-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 inWP:COMMONS. At that time, the link included in this template may be considered for inclusion as a regularWP:External link in the ==External links== section.
Copyright
According toWP:ELNEVER andWP:COPYLINK, editors mustnever link to content that violates copyright or is otherwise illegal. If you are uncertain of the copyright status (for example, withlinks to YouTube), ask for help atWikipedia: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 atgrindcore).
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.
Paste this into your article, removing the parameters that are left blank:
{{external media| float=| width=| topic=<!--centered italic text--->| caption=<!-- text placed left or right of headerimage --->| headerimage=<!--search commons please include "|alt= text" and x-height in px "|x20px" example [[File:YouTube 2024.svg|alt=YouTube logo|x20px|left]] or ...|right]] --->| title=| image1=| image2=| image3=| audio1=| audio2=| audio3=| video1=| video2=| video3=| model1=| model2=| model3=}}
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|align= as a valid parameter, but it was not valid. Instances of|align=, if found, should usually be replaced with|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 asimage1,image2,image3,image4 andvideo1. 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.[http://example.com/image.jpg Image description] forImage 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
Provides a box with a direct link to media hosted off of Wikipedia
Optional text to replace the automatically calculated title
Unknown
optional
topic
topic
Optional text field that will appear above the media links
Unknown
optional
caption
caption
Optional caption text to put underneath the header image
Unknown
optional
image1
image1
no description
Unknown
optional
audio1
audio1
no description
Unknown
optional
video1
video1
no description
Unknown
optional
model1
model1
no description
Unknown
optional
width
width
Width of the box
Default
258px
Example
300px, 22em, 30%
Unknown
optional
float
float
Alignment of the box on the page
Suggested values
leftrightcenter
Default
right
String
suggested
headerimage
headerimage
Optional image to display at the top of the template. Use full image syntax, for example [[File:example.png|200px]].
Unbalanced wikitext
optional
image2
image2
no description
Unknown
optional
model2
model2
no description
Unknown
optional
image3
image3
no description
Unknown
optional
image4
image4
no description
Unknown
optional
image5
image5
no description
Unknown
optional
image6
image6
no description
Unknown
optional
image7
image7
no description
Unknown
optional
image8
image8
no description
Unknown
optional
image9
image9
no description
Unknown
optional
image10
image10
no description
Unknown
optional
image11
image11
no description
Unknown
optional
image12
image12
no description
Unknown
optional
image13
image13
no description
Unknown
optional
image14
image14
no description
Unknown
optional
image15
image15
no description
Unknown
optional
image16
image16
no description
Unknown
optional
image17
image17
no description
Unknown
optional
image18
image18
no description
Unknown
optional
image19
image19
no description
Unknown
optional
image20
image20
no description
Unknown
optional
audio2
audio2
no description
Unknown
optional
audio3
audio3
no description
Unknown
optional
audio4
audio4
no description
Unknown
optional
audio5
audio5
no description
Unknown
optional
audio6
audio6
no description
Unknown
optional
audio7
audio7
no description
Unknown
optional
audio8
audio8
no description
Unknown
optional
audio9
audio9
no description
Unknown
optional
audio10
audio10
no description
Unknown
optional
audio11
audio11
no description
Unknown
optional
audio12
audio12
no description
Unknown
optional
audio13
audio13
no description
Unknown
optional
audio14
audio14
no description
Unknown
optional
audio15
audio15
no description
Unknown
optional
audio16
audio16
no description
Unknown
optional
audio17
audio17
no description
Unknown
optional
audio18
audio18
no description
Unknown
optional
audio19
audio19
no description
Unknown
optional
audio20
audio20
no description
Unknown
optional
video2
video2
no description
Unknown
optional
video3
video3
no description
Unknown
optional
video4
video4
no description
Unknown
optional
video5
video5
no description
Unknown
optional
video6
video6
no description
Unknown
optional
video7
video7
no description
Unknown
optional
video8
video8
no description
Unknown
optional
video9
video9
no description
Unknown
optional
video10
video10
no description
Unknown
optional
video11
video11
no description
Unknown
optional
video12
video12
no description
Unknown
optional
video13
video13
no description
Unknown
optional
video14
video14
no description
Unknown
optional
video15
video15
no description
Unknown
optional
video16
video16
no description
Unknown
optional
video17
video17
no description
Unknown
optional
video18
video18
no description
Unknown
optional
video19
video19
no description
Unknown
optional
video20
video20
no description
Unknown
optional
model3
model3
no description
Unknown
optional
model4
model4
no description
Unknown
optional
model5
model5
no description
Unknown
optional
model6
model6
no description
Unknown
optional
model7
model7
no description
Unknown
optional
model8
model8
no description
Unknown
optional
model9
model9
no description
Unknown
optional
model10
model10
no description
Unknown
optional
model11
model11
no description
Unknown
optional
model12
model12
no description
Unknown
optional
model13
model13
no description
Unknown
optional
model14
model14
no description
Unknown
optional
model15
model15
no description
Unknown
optional
model16
model16
no description
Unknown
optional
model17
model17
no description
Unknown
optional
model18
model18
no description
Unknown
optional
model19
model19
no description
Unknown
optional
model20
model20
no description
Unknown
optional
Examples
Just an image
Image taken from theWar 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 theBattle 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 laterphalangites. 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])
{{external media| float= right| width= 258px| image1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120211124946id_/http://www.ancientmesopotamia.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/macedonianphalanx.jpgFighting 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[[phalangite]]s. As a result of their long and heavy lance which was handled with both arms they needed a lighter shield than the old hoplites.<ref>''Warfare in the Classical World'',p. 34f (Greek Hoplite (c.480BC)) p. 67 (Iphicrates reforms)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancientmesopotamia.net/id27.html|title=Battle of Marathon|accessdate=2006-12-26|work=Ancient Mesopotamia|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20060224052909/http://www.ancientmesopotamia.net/id27.html|archivedate= February 24, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>)}}
Image, using descriptive text with accompanying reference:
{{external media| float= left| headerimage=[[File:Internet Archive logo and wordmark.svg|85px|right]]| caption= via[https://archive.orgThe Internet Archive]| topic= The Siege of Leningrad| image1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090226113208/http://www.ido.edu.ru/ffec/hist/images/H_4.jpgRussian map of the operations around Leningrad in 1943]. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ido.edu.ru/ffec/hist/h8.html|title=ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННАЯ ИСТОРИЯ. Тема 8|publisher=Ido.edu.ru|date=|accessdate=2008-10-26|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041223033320/http://ido.edu.ru/ffec/hist/h8.html|archivedate=December 23, 2004}}</ref>| image2=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090226113208/http://victory.tass-online.ru/data/Photos/Photo/175.JPEGmap of the advance on Leningrad and relief]. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://victory.tass-online.ru/?page=gallery&gcid=9|script-title=ru:ИТАР-ТАСС :: 60 ЛЕТ ВЕЛИКОЙ ПОБЕДЕ ::|publisher=Victory.tass-online.ru|date=|accessdate=2008-10-26|language=ru}}{{dead link}}</ref>}}
Audio with topic text and accompanying link to the home page:
{{external media| topic= Dog Bark| audio1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20101130033309/http://www.wav-sounds.com/various/bark.wavthe sound of a dog barking], from[https://web.archive.org/web/20100723141525/http://www.wav-sounds.com/various_wav_sounds.htmWav-Sounds.com],''retrieved 13.09.2009''}}
{{external media| float= right| caption= Two YouTube videos<!-- text placed left or right of headerimage --->| headerimage=[[File:YouTube 2024.svg|alt=YouTube logo|x20px|left]]| video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBgwuFM92i4CNN's exclusive Obama interview]| video2=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EGLzcQj9RYPres. Obama makes first visit to Kenya as president]}}
{{external media| float= right| width= 300px| image1=[http://www.ido.edu.ru/ffec/hist/images/H_4.jpgRussian map of the operations around Leningrad in 1943]. Blue are the German and allied Finnish troops. The Soviets are red.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ido.edu.ru/ffec/hist/h8.html|title=ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННАЯ ИСТОРИЯ. Тема 8|publisher=Ido.edu.ru|date=|accessdate=2008-10-26}}</ref>| audio1=[http://www.wav-sounds.com/various/bark.wavthe sound of a dog barking], from[http://www.wav-sounds.com/various_wav_sounds.htmhere],''retrieved 13.09.2009''| video1=[http://www.arkive.org/scripts/php/force-download.php?file=BEE7098E-088F-4BB4-B6F0-D2E190E5623C/Presentation.Streams/Presentation_QT_DOWNLOAD.mov&saveas=/data/root/Live/www.arkive.org/htdocs/species/peppery-furrow-shell/scrobicularia-plana/video-00.xml&type=movMovie clip of siphon feeding], QuickTime format.<ref>[http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/invertebrates_marine/Scrobicularia_plana/Scrobicularia_plana_00.html?movietype=qtSmallPeppery furrow shell]</ref>| model1=[https://sketchfab.com/models/bb0b6ee82c7b477db4b01a14bd7934093D model of Hoa Hakananai'a moai statue], linked from Sketchfab.<ref>https://sketchfab.com/models/bb0b6ee82c7b477db4b01a14bd793409</ref>}}
^Warfare in the Classical World,p. 34f (Greek Hoplite (c.480BC)) p. 67 (Iphicrates reforms)
