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This template is used to mark dead links, either within a paragraph or within a reference citation. Marking dead links signals to editors and to WP:Link rot bots that this link needs to be replaced with an archive link. Sometimes dead links can be repaired manually; see Link rot for suggestions.
Usage
Before considering whether to use the {{dead link}} template it is often useful to make a search for an archive copy of the dead link and thereby avoid using the tag altogether. All {{{{#parsoidfragment:1}}cite xxx}} templates have the facility for adding |archive-date= and |archive-url= parameters for linking to an archive copy. Non-{{{{#parsoidfragment:3}}cite xxx}} citations can use {{webarchive}}.
Using {{Dead link}} will place a note by the URL and add the article to one of the Category:Articles with dead external links categories.
Append this template directly after the link (after the link code's terminating ] if you are using wikitext), or, if you are using a {{{{#parsoidfragment:5}}cite xxx}} template, directly after the {{{{#parsoidfragment:7}}cite xxx}} transclusion (not inside it), but inside the reference, if any, i.e. before the </ref>, in all cases leaving the original link intact:
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.example.org|title=The Example Website|access-date=22 September 2012}}{{Dead link|date=October 2025}}</ref>
For bare links, leave a space after the end of the URL and the template:
* http://www.example.org {{Dead link|date=October 2025}}
Otherwise automated tools can have trouble determining where the URL ends, because it will ambiguously contain url-encoding and wiki-encoding mixed together.
Not following these syntax rules might hinder detection by automated tools. If the citation contains multiple URLs (e.g. chapter-url and url) in a template, and only one is broken, you can use wiki comments like <!-- <your hidden explanation here> --> to explain which one is broken.
If the article uses clickable footnotes, then this template should be placed just before the </ref> that contains the dead link. The notice will then correctly appear in the reference section instead of in the body of the text, and so WP:Link rot bots can properly find and fix the link.
If you are placing this template inside a <ref> </ref> reference, do not leave any substitution template such as {{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} or {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}, because substitutions fail inside ref tags.
Avoid using this template when the reference is fully adequate without the link. In this case, simply remove the link. For example, if a {{cite journal}} template is used with a DOI, remove the |url= parameter.
- Common form (with current date)
{{Dead link|date=October 2025}}
Optional parameters
url- Provides a history of the linked page via the Wayback Machine. Set only if history actually exists, as otherwise it is misleading to users and editors.
date- The date parameter consists of the full English name of the current month with initial capital, a space, and the year, not full dates; e.g., "January 2013", but not "jan13". Any deviation from these two rules will result in an "invalid date parameter" error.
bot- Bot accounts specify the
|bot=parameter as a sign that the tag was added by an automated process. Set asbot=<bot name>. fix-attempted- Set this to "yes" if you have tried unsuccessfully to find an archived copy, or a copy with a different URL. This will put the page in Category:Articles with permanently dead external links, and the annotation will be rendered as "[permanent dead link]" instead of just "[dead link]". Note that this currently will occur for any value supplied, including "no", so if a fix was not attempted, simply leave this parameter off, or set it to be blank. Also note that if a page cannot be found in the Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), often a live copy can be found via a web search for the full title, in quotes, on the original website, or on the Internet at large. Alternatively, you can use {{Permanent dead link}} as a shortcut to using this parameter.
Notes:
- The date-substitution template may be used to automatically generate the date, e.g.,
{{Dead link|{{subst:DATE}}}}. See Help:Substitution for more information. - The
date=parameter need not be added by the editor: if not entered, a bot will soon add it.
Examples
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Web page title |website=Example.com |access-date=22 September 2012}} {{Dead link |date=September 2012}}</ref>
→ [1]<ref>{{cite news |title=Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying |author=Plunkett, John |url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1601858,00.html |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=27 October 2005 |access-date=22 September 2012}} {{Dead link}}</ref>
→ [2]
- ↑ "Web page title". Example.com. Retrieved 22 September 2012. [dead link]
- ↑ Plunkett, John (27 October 2005). "Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2012. [dead link]
Caveats
- Avoid using free/bare links without a separator (e.g.
http://www.example.org/{{Permanent dead link}}). Frequently software is unable to differentiate the URL from the template, and will interpret the template as a literal part of the URL. Add square brackets or a space separating the template from the URL. Correct:http://www.example.org/ {{Permanent dead link}}and Correct:[http://www.example.org/]{{Permanent dead link}} - Avoid complicated formatting. Nesting inside another template is not generally supported.
- Avoid using [ ] { | } < > characters between the end of the external link and {{Permanent dead link}}, as they are often used to format text.
TemplateData
TemplateData for Dead link
A template to indicate that the preceding URL is dead
| Parameter | Description | Type | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month and year | date | The month and year the URL was found to be dead, like "June 2013"
| String | suggested |
| Bot name | bot | The name of the bot used to identify the dead link (not used by regular editors) | User | optional |
| Wayback URL | url | The dead URL, used only if there is a Wayback Machine archive | URL | optional |
| Fix attempted | fix-attempted | Setting to 'yes' (or any non-blank value) indicates that no archive copy is available
| Boolean | optional |
See also
- {{Permanent dead link}}
- {{Full citation needed}} (inline) to be used when a reference suffers from a more severe problem than a mere broken link
- {{Citations broken}}
- {{Cleanup bare URLs}} header
- {{Closed access}} and {{Open access}} citation flags
- {{Dead YouTube link}}
- {{Registration required}} citation flag
- {{Subscription or libraries}} citation flag for when a subscription or library access may be required
- {{Subscription required}} citation flag
- {{Webarchive}}
- {{Website defunct}} to be used in place of the {{URL}} parameter in infoboxes for defunct websites
- What to do when a reference link goes dead
- Link rot
Dead link tools
- Probably of historical interest only:
