This is a documentation subpage for Template:Unreliable source? It may contain usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page.

This template is used on approximately 12,000 pages and changes may be widely noticed. Test changes in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them.

Usage

This template is intended to be used when a statement is sourced but it is questionable whether the source used is reliable for supporting the statement. It produces a superscripted notation like the following:

It was actually written by Francis Bacon.^{[9][ unreliable source?]}

Articles tagged with this template will be categorized into Category:All articles lacking reliable references.

Place this template inline, {{Unreliable source?|date=April 2024}} following the questionable source. The template should be placed outside and immediately after the reference to the questionable source (<ref> ... </ref>), within the article's text:

Potentially controversial statement.<ref>some alleged source for this</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2024}} Next sentence.

Parameters

The template has the following optional parameters:

• date: should be set to the month and year when the article was tagged. Example: {{ Unreliable source?|date=April 2024}}
• reason: a note explaining why you think the source is unreliable as per WP:RS. Displays as a tool tip. Keep it short (one sentence) as longer material belongs on the talk page. It is good to reiterate the reason in your edit summary. Example: {{Unreliable source?|reason=Your WP:RS-based reason here.|date=April 2024}}
• sure or certain: if set to "y" or "yes" will remove the question mark from the template's output to denote a degree of certainty that the source is unreliable. Please use this with a |reason= parameter, and only after a good faith attempt to verify the reliability of the source in question. Example: {{ Unreliable source?|sure=y|reason=Your WP:RS-based reason here.|date=April 2024}} NOTE: This parameter has an alias, |failed=, which may make more grammatical sense when used with certain redirects like {{ verify credibility}}.

When to use and not use this template

This template should be used to express your doubt about the credibility of a source.

This tag should not be used on unreliably sourced contentious statements about living persons; if a source for such a statement is not reliable, the statement and the source should be removed immediately.

For whole articles or article sections that rely on suspect sources, considering using the banner template {{ More citations needed}} or {{ More citations needed section}}, respectively, rather than individually tagging a large number of statements.

For sources promoting fringe theories and pseudo-science, the more specific template {{ Unreliable fringe source}} can be used. Even more specifically, flag improperly sourced medical claims with {{ Unreliable medical source}}.

This tag should not be used to indicate that the sourced material could not be found within a given source. In that case, {{ failed verification}} is a better template. For statements that have failed verification and have a questionable would-be source, consider removal of the source (and possibly the statement) over using both tags.

TemplateData

See also

Inline templates

• {{ Better source needed}}, an alternative to {{ Unreliable source?|certain=y}}; especially useful for tagging sources that are low-quality but not necessarily wrong
• {{ Dubious}}, for questionable claims that seem unlikely to be properly sourceable
• {{ Obsolete source}}, for when a source has been surpassed by more recent works
• {{ Primary source inline}}, for misuse of primary source material
• {{ Unreliable fringe source}}, for fringe sources
• {{ Unreliable medical source}}, for fringe medical sources in particular

Lists of templates

• Wikipedia:Template index/Cleanup/Verifiability and sources
• Wikipedia:Template index/Sources of articles

Policies, guidelines, essays, and WikiProjects

• Wikipedia:Citing sources, especially §  Unsourced material
• Wikipedia:Independent sources
• Wikipedia:Reliable sources
• Wikipedia:Verifiability
• Wikipedia:WikiProject Reliability