Thisguideline is a part of the English Wikipedia'sManual of Style. Editors should generally follow it, thoughexceptions may apply.Substantive edits to this pageshould reflect consensus. |
Template usage notes
|
{{MoS guideline}} is used onguideline pages (or sections thereof) that are formally part of the WikipediaWikipedia:Manual of Style. For style guides thatdo not belong to the MoS, use the{{Guideline}} instead. For wikiprojects' topical style advice pages, use{{Wikiproject style advice}}.
This template doesnot auto-categorize. Manually add the appropriately subcategory ofCategory:Wikipedia Manual of Style, with analphabetical sorting key, e.g.:[[Category:Wikipedia Manual of Style (sports)|Underwater wrestling]]
If your wikiproject's style-advice page has not been accepted as a site-wide guideline in aWP:PROPOSAL atWikipedia:Village pump (proposals),WP:Village pump (policy), orWikipedia talk:Manual of Style, then do not use this template. Wikiproject advices pagesare essays, notguidelines, and are not part of the Manual of Style.
This template should only be used on pages that have received a general consensus as belonging to the Manual of Style.
If you're writing a new guideline, or substantially revising one, please remember to give the community significant time to consider your proposal. SeeWP:PROPOSAL for the current best practice on advertising proposals. For a short introduction on how to go from a proposal to a style guideline, seeCategory:Wikipedia proposals andHow to contribute to Wikipedia guidance.
To use, place the template at the top of the page and fill in the optional parameters:
{{MoS guideline|section= |SHORTCUT1 |...|SHORTCUT5}}
The template supports up to five numbered or unnamed parameters that specifyshortcut links for the style guideline page ([[...]] markup does not need to be added, it can just be something likeMOS:FOO).
The parameter|section=y can be used to change "This guideline" to read "This guideline section". This is only used when an MoS guideline is a section in a larger combined guideline, as atWP:Stand-alone lists which also contains a naming conventions guideline; it is not to be used for each section in an all-MOS page.
Code with one or more parameters for shortcut links:
{{MoS guideline|WP:MOS|WP:STYLE}}
If you or a wikiproject have drafted a new guideline or substantially revised one, the Wikipedia community must have significant time to consider the proposal and arrive at aconsensus about it. See theWP:PROPOSAL policy for the current best practices on neutrally soliciting input on a proposal from as wide a selection of the community as is practical.
For style guidelines, this is usually done with arequest for comment (RfC) at the proposal's talk page, and advertised atWikipedia talk:Manual of Style (WT:MOS) andWikipedia:Village pump (proposals) (WP:VPPRO), or the RfC may be hosted directly at WT:MOS or WP:VPPRO. Give notice at the talk pages of other relevant parts of Wikipedia, such as those of closely related existing policies and guidelines, as well aswikiprojects likely to have a stake in the outcome. If the proposal is not highly topical and may affect the encyclopedia as a whole, or may be controversial, usingWP:Centralized discussion may also be advised.
For more suggestions and background on how to go from a proposal to a Wikipedia guideline, seeCategory:Wikipedia proposals andWikipedia:How to contribute to Wikipedia guidance.