Template:Cite web

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This template is used to cite online sources. Template:Tl can also be used when citing a news source.

A general discussion of the use of templates for adding citation of open-source web content is available at citation templates.

Usage

Common forms

Common form (with current date)

{{Cite web |url= |title= |accessdate=7 September 2025 |work= |publisher= |date=}}

Using last, first and coauthor(s) (with current date)

{{Cite web |url= |title= |accessdate=7 September 2025 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=}}

Using author (with current date)

{{Cite web |url= |title= |accessdate=7 September 2025 |author= |date= |work= |publisher=}}

Using archived version

{{Cite web |url= |title= |accessdate=7 September 2025 |author= |date= |work= |publisher= |archiveurl= |archivedate=}}

All parameters

When copying all parameters, in either horizontal or vertical layout, delete those you don't need.

All parameters, horizontal layout (with current date)

{{Cite web |url= |title= |accessdate=7 September 2025 |accessmonthday= |accessdaymonth= |accessyear= |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher= |location= |pages= |language= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=}}

All parameters, vertical layout

{{Cite web
| url         = 
| title       = 
| accessdate  = 
| author      = 
| last        = 
| first       = 
| authorlink  = 
| coauthors   = 
| date        = 
| year        = 
| month       = 
| format      = 
| work        = 
| publisher   = 
| location    = 
| pages       = 
| language    = 
| doi         = 
| archiveurl  = 
| archivedate = 
| quote       = 
}}

Parameters for alternate access date formatting:

{{Cite web
...
| accessdaymonth = 
| accessmonthday = 
| accessyear     = 
...
}}

Required parameters

• url: URL of online item. Start the url with the communications protocol e.g. http://.
• title: Title of online item.
• accessdate: Full date when item was accessed.

Optional parameters

• author: Author
  • last works with first to produce last, first
  • authorlink works either with author or with last & first to link to the appropriate article. Does not work with URLs.
  • coauthors: allows additional authors
• date: Full date of publication in the same format as the main text of the article.
• format: Format, e.g. PDF. HTML implied if not specified.
• work: If this item is part of a larger "work", such as a book, periodical or website, write the name of that work.
• publisher: Publisher, if any—for example if the website is hosted by a government service, educational institution, or company
  • location: Geographical place of publication.
• pages: pp. 5–7: First page and optional last page. This is for listing the pages relevant to the citation, not the total number of pages in the book.
• language: language of publication (don't specify "English" as this is the default).
• doi: A digital object identifier for the document, such as 10.1038/news070508-7
  • doilabel: If the doi contains some characters that must be escaped, use "doilabel" for the unescaped version. See Template:Tl: "id" is equivalent to "doi" and "label" is "doilabel"
• archiveurl: The URL of an archived copy of the page, if (or in case) the url becomes unavailable. Typically used to refer to services like WebCite and The Internet Archive. Requires archivedate.
• archivedate: Date when the item was archived (requires archiveurl).
• quote: Relevant quote from online item.

Examples

Standard use cases

• {{Cite web|author=Doe, John|title=My favorite things part II|publisher=Open Publishing|date=30 April 2005|work=Encyclopedia of things|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → Doe, John (30 April 2005). "My favorite things part II". Encyclopedia of things. Open Publishing. Retrieved on 6 July 2005.
• {{Cite web|author=Doe, John|title=My favorite things part II|date=30 April 2005|work=Encyclopedia of things|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → Doe, John (30 April 2005). "My favorite things part II". Encyclopedia of things. Retrieved on 6 July 2005.
• {{Cite web|author=Doe, John|title=My favorite things part II|date=30 April 2005|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → Doe, John (30 April 2005). "My favorite things part II". Retrieved on 6 July 2005.
• {{Cite web|author=Doe, John|title=My favorite things part II|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → Doe, John. "My favorite things part II". Retrieved on 6 July 2005.
• {{Cite web|title=My favorite things part II|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → "My favorite things part II". Retrieved on 6 July 2005.
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/fans/|title=Digest of rules|publisher= National Football League|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → "Digest of rules". National Football League. Retrieved on 6 July 2005.

Using "format"

• {{Cite web|title=List of psychotropic substances under international control|publisher=International Narcotics Control Board|url=http://www.incb.org/pdf/e/list/green.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → "List of psychotropic substances under international control" (PDF). International Narcotics Control Board. Retrieved on 6 July 2005.

Language

• {{Cite web|author=Joliet, François|title=Honnit soit qui mal y pense|date=30 April 2005|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005|language=French}}
  → Joliet, François (30 April 2005). "Honnit soit qui mal y pense" (in French). Retrieved on 6 July 2005.

Coauthors

• {{Cite web|first=John|last=Doe|coauthors=Smith, Peter; Smythe, Jim|title=My favorite things part II|publisher=Open Publishing|date=30 April 2005|work=Encyclopedia of things|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → Doe, John; Smith, Peter; Smythe, Jim (30 April 2005). "My favorite things part II". Encyclopedia of things. Open Publishing. Retrieved on 6 July 2005.

No author

• {{Cite web|title=My favorite things part II|publisher=Open Publishing|date=30 April 2005|work=Encyclopedia of things|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=2006-05-16}}
  → "My favorite things part II". Encyclopedia of things. Open Publishing (30 April 2005). Retrieved on 2006-05-16.

No author; no publisher

• {{Cite web|title=My favorite things part II|date=30 April 2005|work=Encyclopedia of things|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → "My favorite things part II". Encyclopedia of things (30 April 2005). Retrieved on 6 July 2005.
• {{Cite web|title=My favorite things part II|date=30 April 2005|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005}}
  → "My favorite things part II" (30 April 2005). Retrieved on 6 July 2005.
• {{Cite web|title=List of psychotropic substances under international control|date=30 April 2005|url=http://www.incb.org/pdf/e/list/green.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=6 July 2005|language=Greek}}
  → "List of psychotropic substances under international control" (PDF) (in Greek) (30 April 2005). Retrieved on 6 July 2005.

Using "archiveurl" and "archivedate" for webpages that have been archived

• {{Cite web|title=List of psychotropic substances under international control|date=30 April 2005|url=http://www.incb.org/pdf/e/list/green.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=6 July 2005|archiveurl=http://www.archive.org/2005-09-11/www.incb.org/pdf/e/list/green.pdf|archivedate=11 September 2005}}
  → "List of psychotropic substances under international control" (PDF) (30 April 2005). Archived from the original on 11 September 2005. Retrieved on 6 July 2005.

• {{Cite web|url=http://joanjettbadrep.com/cgi-bin/fullStory.cgi?archive=currnews&story=20060405-01shore.htm|title=Interview with Maggie Downs|date=31 March 2006|publisher=The Desert Sun|archiveurl=http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:JAxf4v-pQmgJ:joanjettbadrep.com/cgi-bin/fullStory.cgi%3Farchive%3Dcurrnews%26story%3D20060405-01shore.htm|archivedate=26 April 2006}}
  → "Interview with Maggie Downs". The Desert Sun (31 March 2006). Archived from the original on 26 April 2006.

Using "quote"

• {{Cite web|title=My favorite things part II|work=Encyclopedia of things|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005|quote=Lorem ipsum dolor.}}
  → "My favorite things part II". Encyclopedia of things. Retrieved on 6 July 2005. "Lorem ipsum dolor."

Omitting the "title" in error

• {{Cite web|work=Encyclopedia of things|url=http://www.example.org/|accessdate=6 July 2005|quote=Lorem ipsum dolor.}}
  → You must specify title = and url = when using {{cite web}}."". Encyclopedia of things. Retrieved on 6 July 2005. "Lorem ipsum dolor."

Citation Templates

• Template:Citation
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite journal
• Template:Cite news
• Template:Cite web

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