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class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>How to add a tag</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-How_to_add_a_tag-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Constructive_tagging" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Constructive_tagging"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Constructive tagging</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Constructive_tagging-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Removing_tags" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Removing_tags"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Removing tags</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Removing_tags-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Disputes_over_tags" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Disputes_over_tags"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Disputes over tags</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Disputes_over_tags-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Over-tagging" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Over-tagging"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Over-tagging</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Over-tagging-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Over-tagging subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Over-tagging-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Too_many_tags" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Too_many_tags"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.1</span> <span>Too many tags</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Too_many_tags-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Redundant_tags" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Redundant_tags"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.2</span> <span>Redundant tags</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Redundant_tags-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Vague_tags" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Vague_tags"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.3</span> <span>Vague tags</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Vague_tags-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Wrong_tags" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Wrong_tags"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.4</span> <span>Wrong tags</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Wrong_tags-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Unhelpful_tags" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Unhelpful_tags"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.5</span> <span>Unhelpful tags</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Unhelpful_tags-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Alternatives_to_tagging" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Alternatives_to_tagging"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Alternatives to tagging</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Alternatives_to_tagging-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-namespace">Wikipedia</span><span class="mw-page-title-separator">:</span><span class="mw-page-title-main">Tagging pages for problems</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 6 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-6" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">6 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%DB%8C%DA%A9%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%D9%BE%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%A7:%D8%A8%D8%B1%DA%86%D8%B3%D8%A8%E2%80%8C%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C_%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C_%D9%85%D8%B4%DA%A9%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA" title="ویکی‌پدیا:برچسب‌گذاری صفحات برای مشکلات – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="ویکی‌پدیا:برچسب‌گذاری صفحات برای مشکلات" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mr mw-list-item"><a href="https://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE:%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A0%E0%A5%80_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%E0%A5%87_%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%87" title="विकिपीडिया:लेखांना समस्यांसाठी साचे लावणे – Marathi" lang="mr" hreflang="mr" data-title="विकिपीडिया:लेखांना समस्यांसाठी साचे लावणे" data-language-autonym="मराठी" data-language-local-name="Marathi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>मराठी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Merke_sider_med_problemer" title="Wikipedia:Merke sider med problemer – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Wikipedia:Merke sider med problemer" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-si mw-list-item"><a href="https://si.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B7%80%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%B4%E0%B7%93%E0%B6%A9%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%BA%E0%B7%8F:Tagging_pages_for_problems" title="විකිපීඩියා:Tagging pages for problems – Sinhala" lang="si" hreflang="si" data-title="විකිපීඩියා:Tagging pages for problems" data-language-autonym="සිංහල" data-language-local-name="Sinhala" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>සිංහල</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D1%96%D0%BA%D1%96%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%96%D1%8F:%D0%92%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F_%D1%88%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%96%D0%B2_%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%8F%D0%B4%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F" title="Вікіпедія:Встановлення шаблонів упорядкування – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Вікіпедія:Встановлення шаблонів упорядкування" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:%E7%BB%99%E9%A1%B5%E9%9D%A2%E6%A0%87%E8%AE%B0%E9%97%AE%E9%A2%98" title="Wikipedia:给页面标记问题 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="Wikipedia:给页面标记问题" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet 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<div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"><span class="mw-redirectedfrom">(Redirected from <a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:DRIVEBYTAGGING&redirect=no" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:DRIVEBYTAGGING">Wikipedia:DRIVEBYTAGGING</a>)</span></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Wikipedia essay</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This page is about tags that users insert in articles. For information on tags that robots insert in edit histories, see <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Tags" title="Wikipedia:Tags">Wikipedia:Tags</a>.</div> <div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Wikipedia information page</div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238436933">.mw-parser-output .ombox{margin:4px 0;border-collapse:collapse;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;background-color:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa);box-sizing:border-box;color:var(--color-base,#202122)}.mw-parser-output .ombox.mbox-small{font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{border:2px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ombox-delete{border:2px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ombox-content{border:1px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ombox-style{border:1px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ombox-move{border:1px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ombox-protection{border:2px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.9em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ombox .mbox-invalid-type{text-align:center}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ombox{margin:4px 10%}.mw-parser-output .ombox.mbox-small{clear:right;float:right;margin:4px 0 4px 1em;width:238px}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output table.ombox img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .ombox-speedy{background-color:#310402}}</style><table class="plainlinks ombox ombox-notice" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/Information_icon4.svg/40px-Information_icon4.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/Information_icon4.svg/60px-Information_icon4.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/Information_icon4.svg/80px-Information_icon4.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="620" data-file-height="620"/></span></span></td><td class="mbox-text"><div style="padding-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 5px;"><b>This is an <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Project_namespace#How-to_and_information_pages" title="Wikipedia:Project namespace">information page</a>.</b><br/><div style="font-size: 90%;">It is not an <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:What_is_an_article%3F" title="Wikipedia:What is an article?">encyclopedic article</a>, nor one of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines" title="Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines">Wikipedia's policies or guidelines</a>; rather, its purpose is to explain certain aspects of Wikipedia's norms, customs, technicalities, or practices. It may reflect differing levels of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Consensus" title="Wikipedia:Consensus">consensus</a> and <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Consensus#Achieving_consensus" title="Wikipedia:Consensus">vetting</a>.</div></div></td><td class="mbox-imageright"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1252059228">.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxplain{float:right;margin:0 0 0 1em;border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);background-color:var(--background-color-base,#fff);padding:0.3em 0.6em 0.2em 0.6em;text-align:center;font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxleft{float:left;margin:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutlist{display:inline-block;border-bottom:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);margin-bottom:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutboxplain ul{font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .module-shortcutanchordiv{position:relative;top:-3em}.mw-parser-output li .module-shortcutanchordiv{float:right}.mw-parser-output .mbox-imageright .module-shortcutboxplain{padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 1em;line-height:1.3;margin:0}</style><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:TAGGING"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:TAGGING&redirect=no">WP:TAGGING</a></span></li></ul></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238436933"><table class="plainlinks ombox ombox-notice nutshell" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Walnut.png/30px-Walnut.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="30" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Walnut.png/45px-Walnut.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Walnut.png/60px-Walnut.png 2x" data-file-width="192" data-file-height="192"/></span></span></td><td class="mbox-text"><b>This page in a nutshell:</b> "Tags" should be used to clearly identify problems with Wikipedia pages to indicate to other editors that improvements are needed.</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>"Tags" are often used to indicate problems. Some <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedians" title="Wikipedia:Wikipedians">Wikipedia editors</a> object to the practice of tagging instead of fixing, but there is value in pointing out an article's problems. Tagging allows editors to specialize, teaches editors and warns readers about subpar or problematic content. It is better if people solve the problems they encounter themselves, but not everyone may be able to. Editors are sometimes obliged to justify inclusion of tags, such as in the case of <a href="/wiki/Template:POV" title="Template:POV">Template:POV</a>. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Constructive_criticism" class="mw-redirect" title="Constructive criticism">Constructive criticism</a> given in a <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:CIVIL" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:CIVIL">civil, respectful manner</a> is a vital part in a collaborative project like Wikipedia, and it should be welcomed rather than discouraged. Wikipedia values contributions from everyone—novices and experts alike. It is important to listen to readers who find an article biased, confusing or unconvincing. They might not have the expertise to fix those problems, but the fact that they report them probably means that an article needs improvement. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc"/> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Lists_of_tags" data-mw-thread-id="h-Lists_of_tags"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Lists_of_tags"></span>Lists of tags<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Lists_of_tags"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Lists of tags"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages/Cleanup" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup">Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup</a> contains tags frequently used to mark articles needing cleanup in some way.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages/Disputes" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Template messages/Disputes">Wikipedia:Template messages/Disputes</a> contains tags frequently used to mark articles that may violate a Wikipedia policy in some way.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Template:Inline_cleanup_tags" title="Template:Inline cleanup tags">Template:Inline cleanup tags</a> contains tags used within the body of an article to mark a specific sentence or piece of prose.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="How_to_add_a_tag" data-mw-thread-id="h-How_to_add_a_tag"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-How_to_add_a_tag"></span>How to add a tag<span data-mw-comment-end="h-How_to_add_a_tag"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: How to add a tag"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Before you add a tag, make sure that the tag is necessary. If possible, fix small problems yourself rather than tagging and leaving an article (see the section on constructive tagging for more detail).</li> <li>On the article you want to tag, click "Edit" to start the process of adding a tag. Whether you are using <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:VE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:VE">Visual Editor</a> or editing the page's source text directly, you should see an <b>Insert</b> button near the top of the page.</li> <li>Most tags go at the top of articles, but some may be placed under section headings or elsewhere. Click your cursor in the article where you would like to place the tag, and then click <b>Insert</b> > <b>Template</b>.</li> <li>Type into the <i>Find template</i> box to find the appropriate template to tag the article with. Lists of frequently used templates can be found in the section above, 'Lists of tags'.</li> <li>Select the template you want and fill in any boxes that require more information within the <b>Insert</b> window. Click the blue <b>Insert</b> button in the top right, and save the page by clicking <b>Publish changes</b> in the top right, making sure to leave an <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Edit_summary" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Edit summary">edit summary</a>.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Constructive_tagging" data-mw-thread-id="h-Constructive_tagging"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Constructive_tagging"></span>Constructive tagging<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Constructive_tagging"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Constructive tagging"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:DRIVEBY"></span><span id="WP:DRIVEBYTAG"></span><span id="WP:HIT&amp;RUNTAG"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcuts</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:DRIVEBY&redirect=no">WP:DRIVEBY</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:DRIVEBYTAG&redirect=no">WP:DRIVEBYTAG</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:HIT%26RUNTAG&redirect=no">WP:HIT&RUNTAG</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages/Cleanup" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup">Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup</a></div> <p>Adding tags for non-obvious or perceived problems—without identifying the problem well enough for it to be easily fixed—is frequently referred to as "drive-by tagging", particularly when done by editors who are not involved in the article's development. When it comes to confusing or subjective tags, such as <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Npov" class="mw-redirect" title="Template:Npov">npov</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>, it is important to explain yourself on the article's talk page or in an edit summary. It can be helpful to refer to applicable content policies, such as <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest" title="Wikipedia:Conflict of interest">Wikipedia:Conflict of interest</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view" title="Wikipedia:Neutral point of view">Wikipedia:Neutral point of view</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">Wikipedia:Verifiability</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research" title="Wikipedia:No original research">Wikipedia:No original research</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons" title="Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons">Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons</a>, though <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiLawyering" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:WikiLawyering">WikiLawyering</a> is discouraged. </p><p>By contrast, adding tags for obvious, major flaws can be helpful. However, if an article has insufficient references or other issues, then pointing this out with a tag may not result in the problem being fixed. It may be better to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:SOFIXIT" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:SOFIXIT">fix it yourself</a>. </p><p>There is no requirement in Wikipedia policies that editors must "pay their dues" by working on an article before they can add a tag, so long as they explain the rationale for the tag on the talk page. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Removing_tags" data-mw-thread-id="h-Removing_tags"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Removing_tags"></span>Removing tags<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Removing_tags"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Removing tags"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:DETAG"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcut</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:DETAG&redirect=no">WP:DETAG</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <p>Any editor without a conflict of interest who sees a tag, but does not see the purported problem with the article <i>and</i> does not see any detailed complaint on the talk page, may remove the tag. Except in very obvious cases (such as removing <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Uncategorized" title="Template:Uncategorized">Uncategorized</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span> from an article that has been <a href="/wiki/Help:Categories" title="Help:Categories">categorized</a>), it is wise to place a note on the talk page explaining the removal and to identify your action in an appropriately detailed <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:ES" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:ES">edit summary</a>. </p><p>After the initial problem causing the tag is fixed, the tag may be accidentally left in place. Sometimes problems are solved by inexperienced editors, who incorrectly believe that they must wait for an authority figure to remove the official-looking template. Perhaps the person leaving the tag simply made a bad judgment call, or accidentally linked to the wrong template. </p><p>Be wary of removing tags related to sourcing issues, particularly specific ones like <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Citation_needed" title="Template:Citation needed">Citation needed</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>. Under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:V" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:V">Verifiability</a> policy (see <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:CHALLENGE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:CHALLENGE">WP:CHALLENGE</a>), any challenged statement should not be restored (in this case, detagged) without a citation to a reliable source. Redundant tagging or overtagging can, however, be a problem. See <a href="#Over-tagging">#Over-tagging</a> below. </p><p>If the person placing the tag has explained their concerns on the talk page, then anyone who disagrees should join the discussion and explain why the tag seems inappropriate. If there is no reply within a reasonable amount of time (a few days), the tag can be removed by any editor without a conflict of interest. If there is disagreement, then normal talk page discussion should proceed, per <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Consensus" title="Wikipedia:Consensus">consensus-building</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Disputes_over_tags" data-mw-thread-id="h-Disputes_over_tags"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Disputes_over_tags"></span>Disputes over tags<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Disputes_over_tags"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Disputes over tags"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Whether a tag should be placed on an article is sometimes the subject of disputes. Occasionally, editors place tags to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:POINT" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:POINT">make a point</a>, to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:DE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:DE">disrupt editing</a>, or to be <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:TE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:TE">tendentious</a>. Similarly, editors occasionally remove tags without solving real problems because they are embarrassed by the tag, do not want additional attention from other editors, or do not like tags. </p><p>Rather than reverting or <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:EW" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:EW">edit warring</a> over the placement of a tag, use <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:DR" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:DR">dispute resolution</a> procedures. Start by engaging in a calm discussion on the article's talk page. </p><p>Some tags, such as <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:POV" title="Template:POV">POV</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>, often merely indicate the existence of one editor's concern, without taking a stand whether the article complies with Wikipedia policies. It is important to remember that the POV dispute tag does <i>not</i> mean that an article actually violates NPOV. It simply means that there is a current discussion about whether the article complies with the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:NPOV" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:NPOV">neutral point of view</a> policy. In any NPOV dispute, there will usually be some people who think the article complies with NPOV, and some who disagree. In general, you should not remove the POV dispute tag merely because you personally feel the article complies with NPOV. Rather, the tag should be removed only when there is a consensus among the editors that the NPOV disputes have indeed been resolved or—according to the rules for this specific template—when <a href="/wiki/Template:POV#When_to_remove" title="Template:POV">the discussion has stopped for a significant length of time</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Over-tagging" data-mw-thread-id="h-Over-tagging"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Over-tagging"></span>Over-tagging<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Over-tagging"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Over-tagging"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1252059228"><div class="module-shortcutanchordiv"><span id="WP:OVERTAG"></span><span id="WP:OVERTAGGING"></span></div><div class="module-shortcutboxplain noprint" role="note"><div class="module-shortcutlist"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Shortcut" title="Wikipedia:Shortcut">Shortcuts</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"><ul><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:OVERTAG&redirect=no">WP:OVERTAG</a></span></li><li><span class="plainlinks"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:OVERTAGGING&redirect=no">WP:OVERTAGGING</a></span></li></ul></div></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages/Cleanup" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup">Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup</a></div> <p>It is best to provide few of the most specific possible tags. Placing too many tags on an article is <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:TAGBOMB" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:TAGBOMB">"tag-bombing"</a>, disruptive, or may be a violation of <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:POINT" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:POINT">Do not disrupt Wikipedia to make a point</a>. Placing vague tags on articles results in confusion and discouragement more often than it results in improving the encyclopedia. Just look at <a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thin_Lizzy&oldid=199434003">this revision</a> of an article on Irish rock band <a href="/wiki/Thin_Lizzy" title="Thin Lizzy">Thin Lizzy</a> and see for yourself. </p><p>Placing tags is, in itself, <i>not</i> a means of improving the encyclopedia: It is only a means of asking other people to improve an article that you cannot or will not improve yourself. </p><p>Adding tags for non-obvious problems without discussion on the talk page which explains where the problems are is arguably not helpful. It can be viewed as <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:DE" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:DE">disruptive</a> and is often derided as "drive-by tagging" when done by editors who are not involved in the article's development. However, it is not actually "drive-by tagging" so long as they explain the rationale for the tag on the talk page. Where there is disagreement, both sides should attempt to discuss the situation. </p><p>The essay <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Responsible_tagging" title="Wikipedia:Responsible tagging">Wikipedia:Responsible tagging</a> includes a list of many commonly used tags as well as advice on when they may be appropriate and what sorts of things one can say on the talk page to help others see that every tag makes sense for the article. Here are four specific warning signs of overtagging: </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Too_many_tags" data-mw-thread-id="h-Too_many_tags-Over-tagging"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Too_many_tags-Over-tagging"></span>Too many tags<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Too_many_tags-Over-tagging"></span></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Too many tags"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>It is very rare that more than two or three tags are needed, even on the worst articles. Adding more tags usually results in all of them being ignored. Focus your attention on the most important one or two issues. </p> <dl><dd>For example: You encounter an article that looks like it was copied straight off another website. It may be a copyright violation, cites no references, has formatting problems, contains no links to other articles, and is uncategorized. Tag the article for the biggest problems (i.e., the possible copyright violation). Leave the minor problems, like the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:DEADEND" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:DEADEND">lack of links to other articles</a>, for another time.</dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Redundant_tags" data-mw-thread-id="h-Redundant_tags-Over-tagging"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Redundant_tags-Over-tagging"></span>Redundant tags<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Redundant_tags-Over-tagging"></span></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Redundant tags"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Avoid adding two tags to the same article, section or passage that essentially mean the same thing, in whole or in part. For example, do not add <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:No_footnotes" title="Template:No footnotes">no footnotes</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span> to an article or section already tagged with <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Unreferenced" title="Template:Unreferenced">unreferenced</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>, and do not flag the same statement with both <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Citation_needed" title="Template:Citation needed">citation needed</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span> and <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Dubious" title="Template:Dubious">dubious</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>. Doing so is <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:POINT" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:POINT">WP:POINTy</a>, and disruptive for our readers. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Vague_tags" data-mw-thread-id="h-Vague_tags-Over-tagging"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Vague_tags-Over-tagging"></span>Vague tags<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Vague_tags-Over-tagging"></span></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Vague tags"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Non-specific tags tend to linger because editors, especially new editors, can't figure out what to fix. If there are concrete, specific problems, try to use a tag that clearly indicates your concern. If no such tag exists, make sure that you leave a comment on the article's talk page or in a <code></code> so that other editors know what your concern is. </p> <dl><dd>For example: Many different tags might apply to a messy, poorly written article. Whenever possible, try to find one that most clearly explains what you think is wrong with the article. For example, <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Cleanup" title="Template:Cleanup">cleanup</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span> can describe a laundry list of problems, but you might be able to find a more specific tag by perusing <a href="/wiki/Category:Cleanup_templates" title="Category:Cleanup templates">Category:Cleanup templates</a>. Does the article need <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Sections" title="Template:Sections">Sections</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>? Does it <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Contradict" class="mw-redirect" title="Template:Contradict">Contradict</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span> itself? Does it have an inappropriate <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Criticism_section" title="Template:Criticism section">Criticism section</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>? Does it contain too much <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Repetition" class="mw-redirect" title="Template:Repetition">Repetition</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>? Try to be specific whenever possible.</dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Wrong_tags" data-mw-thread-id="h-Wrong_tags-Over-tagging"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Wrong_tags-Over-tagging"></span>Wrong tags<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Wrong_tags-Over-tagging"></span></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Wrong tags"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>If the tag doesn't say exactly what you want it to say, then don't use it! If no tag exists for the specific problem, then either <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:SOFIXIT" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:SOFIXIT">fix it yourself</a> or leave a note on the article's talk page. </p> <dl><dd>For example: you are concerned about an article with 27 <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Inline_citations" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Inline citations">inline citations</a>, but they're all from the same source. The <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Unreferenced" title="Template:Unreferenced">unreferenced</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span> tag says the article has 0 references. <i>Don't use the unreferenced tag on that article!</i> <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Refimprove" class="mw-redirect" title="Template:Refimprove">Refimprove</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span> might be okay, but the best tag for this situation is <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:One_source" title="Template:One source">One source</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span>. When you have a choice of two tags, one that says kind of what you want to say and one that says exactly what you want to say, use the one that says exactly what you want to say. Don't use them both.</dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Unhelpful_tags" data-mw-thread-id="h-Unhelpful_tags-Over-tagging"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Unhelpful_tags-Over-tagging"></span>Unhelpful tags<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Unhelpful_tags-Over-tagging"></span></h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Unhelpful tags"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Don't place a tag merely because it's technically permitted. <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:NOTAG" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:NOTAG">Not every article needs a tag</a>, even if the article could be expanded or improved. Use your best judgment and consider all of the facts and circumstances. Will the tag prompt a positive improvement? If not, then skip it. </p> <dl><dd>For example: you notice that an article about a business that barely meets <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:CORP" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:CORP">the notability guideline</a> is not linked to by any other articles, or by only one. You could place <span class="nowrap">{{</span><a href="/wiki/Template:Orphan" title="Template:Orphan">Orphan</a><span class="nowrap">}}</span> at the top, but would that help? Do you have any <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:CANTDEORPHAN" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:CANTDEORPHAN">rational expectation that it is possible to de-orphan</a> this article? If not, then don't bother tagging it, because such a tag is unhelpful. You would be recommending that the editor do something that you believe cannot be done.</dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="Alternatives_to_tagging" data-mw-thread-id="h-Alternatives_to_tagging"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-Alternatives_to_tagging"></span>Alternatives to tagging<span data-mw-comment-end="h-Alternatives_to_tagging"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Alternatives to tagging"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Wikipedia's article classification system sorts articles by overall quality, and thus is a less obtrusive system for measuring quality, and is used instead of most tags. For example, most C-class articles lack enough references to be B-class, so tagging a C-class article with an article-wide tag for lack of references is nearly always redundant. </p><p>Article-wide tags should be mostly used for start and stub articles. However, article wide tags for subtle, but specified, problems is nearly always appropriate. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2 ext-discussiontools-init-section"><h2 id="See_also" data-mw-thread-id="h-See_also"><span data-mw-comment-start="" id="h-See_also"></span>See also<span data-mw-comment-end="h-See_also"></span></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Template messages">Wikipedia:Template messages</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Clarify_the_cleanup" title="Wikipedia:Clarify the cleanup">Wikipedia:Clarify the cleanup</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiImp" title="Wikipedia:WikiImp">Wikipedia:WikiImp</a>, a type of editor frequently engaged in drive-by tagging</li></ul>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1&useformat=desktop" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&oldid=1255285216#Constructive_tagging">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Tagging_pages_for_problems&oldid=1255285216#Constructive_tagging</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_information_pages" title="Category:Wikipedia information pages">Wikipedia information pages</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_essays_about_templates" title="Category:Wikipedia essays about templates">Wikipedia essays about templates</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 4 November 2024, at 03:05<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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