How to Reference Sources on wikiHow

Last Updated: May 18, 2024

Citing outside sources is a great way to let readers know that the steps in a wikiHow article reflect the best way to perform a task. The most efficient way to provide these references is to use in-line (in-text) citations. This article will show you how to properly format citations so you'll be able to automatically generate numbered links to your sources in References.

Steps

1
Find neutral, authoritative, and appropriate source materials for your article. Ideally, these should be original articles, rather than summaries of information from many sources, such as Wikipedia. The information should be produced by reputable organizations or authors, and should not be added for self-promotional purposes.
- Avoid adding any links that aren't direct sources of information shared on the page, and that aren't reputable or neutral. If it appears you're trying to promote particular sites or services, or repetitively adding links to the same site in multiple places, the website in question is likely to be blacklisted, preventing its future use on wikiHow. Check out our External Links Policy for specific link policy information.
2
Add a citation. To do this, open your article for editing, and place your cursor after the first piece of information that needs a citation or reference.
- Type in the reference markup and URL as follows: <ref>http://www.example.com/exact-page-you-found-information-on</ref>
- For non-online materials, like books or journals, type the information needed to identify the work in between the open and close ref tags. This includes author's last name, first initial, year of publication (in parentheses), the title of the work, chapter titles, page numbers, and other information needed to find the reference material.
- If the source is a book, you can help readers to search for the book online by including its ISBN (International Standard Book Number) in the reference.
Repeat the citation process as needed until you finish adding all the references you plan to add. Provide a reference at the end of each point or suggestion where readers may wonder about its source; it’s okay to repeat reference links if you used them for more than one point.
If you're using Guided Editor, there should be a section for it already. If you're using the Advanced Editor, you can add it manually; it should go at the very bottom of the page, below any Related wikiHows, and be labeled, "== References ==".
This template automatically generates the code to produce the numbered citation list. It does not need a bullet point in front of it.
If everything is correct, you've now made significant progress in improving the quality and reliability of the information on wikiHow.

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Question

I tried this, but kept getting a message that said it was not possible. What do I do?

Midnight

Top Answerer

You can read Fix a Cite Error on a wikiHow Article to try to fix it, or the source might have triggered the spam filter.

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Question

Why do my links keep getting removed by established WikiHow editors? They are reliable sources.

Lara

Community Answer

When you add a link, you have to make sure you comply with the external links policy . If you do not make a significant contribution to the article, or the link is not very relevant, the links will usually be removed.

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How do you write 'citation needed' on an article?

Victoria

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Place {{fact}} next to the statement you feel could benefit from being backed up with a source.

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Tips

For the sake of simplicity, it is often best just to use the URL only as the reference, rather than including a label. The URL will tell the reader exactly where the information came from. In addition, it takes up less space on the editing page and will minimize confusion for editors.

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The citation format described here is primarily intended to be used when citing factual information to support the content on wikiHow and demonstrate that an article is accurate. Do not use this type of citation for links to additional information or other pages that do not directly support the information preceding the numbered reference.

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When using either the guided or advanced editor, you can still add links to more general reference materials; however, it is encouraged to use in-line (in-text) citations instead of general references whenever possible.

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Warnings

Always double check to make sure that you have closed each reference by ending it with </ref>. Failing to do this will cause serious formatting errors in the page when you save or preview it.

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How to Reference Sources on wikiHow

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