Template:Dead link

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This template is used on approximately 320,000 pages, or roughly 2% of all pages.
To avoid major disruption and server load, any changes should be tested in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. The tested changes can be added to this page in a single edit. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them.

Shortcuts

{{404}}
{{dl}}
{{deadlink}}
{{dead}}
{{Broken link}}
{{broken}}

Usage

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.

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 {{cite xxx}} templates have the facility for adding |archive-date= and |archive-url= parameters for linking to an archive copy. Non-{{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 {{cite xxx}} template, directly after the {{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=May 2025}}</ref>

For bare links, leave a space after the end of the URL and the template:

* http://www.example.org {{Dead link|date=May 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  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=May 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 as bot=<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

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Dead link in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Dead link

A template to indicate that the preceding URL is dead

Template parameters
This template prefers inline formatting of parameters.
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Month and year	`date`	The month and year the URL was found to be dead, like "June 2013" Auto value `{{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}`	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 Example yes	Boolean	optional