Draft:Bulbapedia:Hatnotes
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This article is a proposed policy for Bulbapedia.
Please discuss the proposed policy and suggest possible changes on the article's talk page. |
Hatnotes are text-only notices that appear at the top of pages or sections of pages to assist readers in navigating the wiki. Hatnotes are intended to help users find the page they are actually looking for.
Key principles
Hatnotes should...
- be concise.
- appear above any other content.
- always contain a link to another existing page on the wiki.
- always display the exact title of the link target, avoiding redirects and display names.
- only be used when there is a reasonable possibility a user could end up on the current page intending a different page.
- only be added using a template.
Placement
Hatnotes should always be the very first element of the page or section they are placed in — above the infobox, images, and any maintenance templates (such as {{incomplete}}, {{move}}, etc.). This ensures that these navigational aids are the first thing that users are presented with, allowing users to navigate to their intended target as quickly as possible.
Note that it is important to place hatnotes above right-floating elements (such as images or infoboxes), even though visually there is not much of a visual difference on desktop. On mobile, these elements will no longer be floating, so ordering the elements correctly ensures that users are presented with the hatnotes first on mobile. This is also important for screenreaders, which will read out the elements in the order they are defined.
Invisible magic words (such as {{DISPLAYTITLE}}, __NOTOC__, etc.) may be placed above hatnotes in the page wikitext, as they do not create visual elements above hatnotes.
There should not be horizontal rules (----) placed after hatnotes. The templates are responsible for spacing the hatnotes away from adjacent elements, and inserting a horizontal rule can interfere with this.
Types of hatnotes
Hatnotes should always be added using a dedicated hatnote template. These templates ensure that hatnotes always render consistently, and do not appear in snippets of articles, such as in Page Previews or in social media and search engine previews.
The following are the hatnote templates that should be used at the top of pages.
| Template | Example page | Example input | Example output |
|---|---|---|---|
{{about}}
|
Chilan Berry | {{about|the Berry introduced in Generation IV|the e-Reader-exclusive Berry in Generation III|Chilan Berry (Generation III)}}
|
This article is about the Berry introduced in Generation IV. For the e-Reader-exclusive Berry in Generation III, see Chilan Berry (Generation III). |
{{for}}
|
Pokémon Center | {{for|the retail store chain|Pokémon Center (store)}}
|
For the retail store chain, see Pokémon Center (store). |
{{redirect}}
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EP046 | {{redirect|Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon|the book|Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon (book)}}
|
"Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon" redirects here. For the book, see Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon (book). |
{{distinguish}}
|
Poké Spot | {{distinguish|PokéStop}}
|
Not to be confused with PokéStop. |
Most hatnotes are used for navigation purposes, although in rare cases they can also be used for other purposes. {{wrongtitle}} is used to mark pages whose titles cannot be formatted correctly, so have to use an approximation instead. This is most common for pages whose titles should contain hashes (#) or square brackets ([ ]). For example, the page The Official Pokémon Handbook 2 should be titled "The Official Pokémon Handbook #2" but cannot be due to hashes not being permitted in page titles, so {{wrongtitle}} is placed on that page to clarify what the correct title of the page would be.
Hatnotes in sections
Most hatnotes that would appear at the top of pages are not applicable to sections, as users usually do not land within specific sections when opening a new page. However, {{redirect}} can still be relevant if a redirect leads to a specific section of a page. If a {{redirect}} hatnote is used within a section on a page, that same hatnote does not need to be duplicated at the top of the page.
Sections instead commonly use a different kind of navigational hatnote, {{main}}, which is used to indicate to users that content that would belong in that specific section is instead documented on a different page. This hatnote should only ever used in sections, never at the top of pages.
If {{main}} is used, the section should contain only a short summary of the topic (ideally no more than a paragraph or two), as users are being directed to a different page for more detailed information. Only one {{main}} link should be used per section. If there are multiple different pages that cover the topic of the section in question, this should be clarified in prose instead, using standard wikilinks rather than {{main}}.
Like with page hatnotes, section hatnotes should always be placed at the top of that section. Hatnotes should never be inserted between paragraphs or at the bottom of a section.
Choosing a hatnote
In most cases, {{about}} or {{redirect}} is the best choice, depending on whether the other page could be an intended target for the current page title (in which case the former would be used) or a redirect to it (in which case the latter would be used). If the same destination page could reasonably use either {{about}} or {{redirect}}, prefer {{about}}.
{{for}} is best used when linking to a disambiguation page, or when describing the current page would not be especially helpful in distinguishing it from the other pages. For example, on the Max page, this template is appropriate as it is not especially helpful to readers to provide a summary of Max that distinguishes him from the character of the day Max (AG049).
{{distinguish}} is best used when another page has a similar but distinct name, and does not require any further explanation to clarify the difference between the two pages. For example, it makes sense to use this template on the Poké Spot page, as a user could reasonably confuse it with PokéStop, but "Poké Spot" is not an alternate name for PokéStop. This hatnote should not be used if the destination is a section rather than an entire page. If an additional explanation is necessary to clarify the distinction, {{about}} or {{for}} should be used instead.
Usage
Section links
Sometimes, readers may be looking for a topic that does not have its own page, but is covered in a section on another page.
Section links can be added in the same way as links to pages. If a section link is provided, the template will automatically format the section link for readers using the section sign §.
| Wikitext | Output |
|---|---|
{{about|Generation V glitch|Generation VII glitch|List of battle glitches in Generation VII#Spiky Shield Sky Drop glitch}}
|
This article is about the Generation V glitch. For the Generation VII glitch, see List of battle glitches in Generation VII § Spiky Shield Sky Drop glitch. |
{{redirect|Lucky|Lucky Pokémon in Pokémon GO|Trade (GO)#Lucky Pokémon}}
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"Lucky" redirects here. For Lucky Pokémon in Pokémon GO, see Trade (GO) § Lucky Pokémon. |
{{main|Size and weight variation#Generation II}}
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Main article: Size and weight variation § Generation II |
Multiple targets
Multiple alternate pages can be included in the same hatnote. A page should usually only have a single {{about}} or {{for}} hatnote, combining all potential targets into a single hatnote. A page may need multiple {{redirect}} hatnotes, if there are multiple distinct redirects that each have different alternate targets.
If three or more targets would be needed in a single hatnote template, consider creating a disambiguation page and linking to that page instead. Most hatnote templates support a maximum of three target pages, so if four or more targets would be required, some of these targets must be moved to a disambiguation page.
Additional targets can be added by adding the description and title of the new target to the end of the current set of targets.
| Wikitext | Output |
|---|---|
{{about|the game titled "Pokémon Stadium 2" in English|the game with this title in Japanese|Pokémon Stadium|the stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl|Pokémon Stadium 2 (stage)}}
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This page is about the game titled "Pokémon Stadium 2" in English. For the game with this title in Japanese, see Pokémon Stadium. For the stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, see Pokémon Stadium 2 (stage). |
{{for|the Flash-based PC game|Pokémon Team Rocket Blast Off|the book|Team Rocket Blasts Off!}}
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For the Flash-based PC game, see Pokémon Team Rocket Blast Off. For the book, see Team Rocket Blasts Off!. |
{{redirect|Kdex|the Kalos Pokédex|List of Pokémon by Kalos Pokédex number|the Kitakami Pokédex|List of Pokémon by Kitakami Pokédex number}}
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Kdex redirects here. For the Kalos Pokédex, see List of Pokémon by Kalos Pokédex number. For the Kitakami Pokédex, see List of Pokémon by Kitakami Pokédex number. |
{{distinguish|White Forest|Black City}}
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Not to be confused with White Forest or Black City. |
Disambiguation pages
If there is a disambiguation page with the same title as the current page, or a redirect to that page, usually it makes sense to add a hatnote directing users to that page. The preferred description for disambiguation pages is simply "other uses".
If there is a disambiguation page for a particular topic, it usually is not necessary to include links to pages linked from the disambiguation page in hatnotes on the current page. However, if one or two pages are especially likely to be an intended search target, it can make sense to include a link to those pages in the hatnote in addition to the link to the disambiguation page. When doing so, the disambiguation link should always be listed last. For example, since Pokémon (species) is such a likely intended target for readers searching "Pokémon", it makes sense to include a link to that page in the hatnote on Pokémon, in addition to the link to Pokémon (disambiguation).
| Wikitext | Output |
|---|---|
{{for|other uses|Gotta catch 'em all! (disambiguation)}}
|
For other uses, see Gotta catch 'em all! (disambiguation). |
{{about|the Pokémon franchise|the species|Pokémon (species)|other uses|Pokémon (disambiguation)}}
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This article is about the Pokémon franchise. For the species, see Pokémon (species). For other uses, see Pokémon (disambiguation). |
{{redirect|Pikachu|other uses|Pikachu (disambiguation)}}
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"Pikachu" redirects here. For other uses, see Pikachu (disambiguation). |
Multiple hatnotes
A single page or section can use multiple hatnotes at once. For example, a page may have articles that are potential intended destinations for its actual title, as well as articles that are intended destinations for one or more redirects to that article.
If multiple hatnotes are needed, the hatnotes can simply be placed in sequence. Hatnotes should be stacked in the following order:
{{distinguish}}{{about}}or{{for}}(maximum of 1){{redirect}}{{wrongtitle}}
| Wikitext | Output |
|---|---|
{{about|the game titled "Pokémon Stadium" in English|the game with this title in Japanese|Pokémon Stadium (Japanese)|the series as a whole|Pokémon Stadium series|other uses|Pokémon Stadium (disambiguation)}}
{{redirect|Stadium|the type of TCG card|Stadium card (TCG)|other uses|Stadium (disambiguation)}}
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This article is about the game titled "Pokémon Stadium" in English. For the game with this title in Japanese, see Pokémon Stadium (Japanese). For the series as a whole, see Pokémon Stadium series. For other uses, see Pokémon Stadium (disambiguation). |
{{redirect|The Power of One|the song|The Power of One (song)|the single|The Power of One (single)}}
{{redirect|Pokémon the Movie 2000|other uses|Pokémon the Movie 2000 (disambiguation)}}
{{redirect|M2|the prop in Pokéstar Studios|Pokéstar Studios opponents#MT2}}
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"The Power of One" redirects here. For the song, see The Power of One (song). For the single, see The Power of One (single). |
It should not be necessary to have both a {{main}} and {{redirect}} hatnote in the same section, as any redirects should be leading to the destination linked by {{main}} instead.
When not to use hatnotes
Hatnotes are intended to aid users navigating the site to find the page they are looking for, primarily considering the search function. If a reasonable user could not feasibly end up on the current page intending a specific other page, there is no need to add a hatnote pointing to that other page. For example, while Silk Scarf includes the word "Scarf", it is unlikely that a user would search "Scarf" intending to find the Silk Scarf page, so there is no need for a hatnote pointing to Silk Scarf on the Scarf page. Similarly, most real-world people are not known by their first name or surname alone within the Pokémon community, so it is usually not necessary to include hatnotes for them on pages titled using one of their names — for example, there is no need to have a hatnote for James Turner on the James page; however, if a person is commonly known by just one of their names (e.g. "Masuda" for Junichi Masuda), it may be reasonable to include a hatnote on the page titled with that name.
Disambiguation pages should not use hatnotes. Since disambiguation pages are entirely intended as navigation tools, any content that would be placed in a hatnote should instead be integrated into the body of the disambiguation page.
Pages with dabtags (text at the end of their titles in parentheses) should consider their need for hatnotes based on their full tile (and redirects to the page), not the base title without the dabtag. For example, Blue (Adventures) could reasonably be confused with Green (Adventures) due to their names being swapped between the English and Japanese versions of the manga, but users on a page titled Blue (Adventures) are unlikely to be looking for Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese).
Hatnotes are a navigational aid, so they should only point to pages that already exist. While red links are valid in page text (and often useful to indicate pages to create in the future), they should never appear in hatnotes, as they are not helpful to readers. Once the desired page is created, then a hatnote can be added to relevant pages to point to it.
Subtopics
If a page is already linked as a main article link (using {{main}}) somewhere on the page (i.e. that page is a subtopic of the current page), usually it does not need to also be linked from a hatnote on that same page. For example, there is no need to include hatnote pointing to Misty (anime) or Misty (Masters) at the top of the Misty page, as those pages are already linked as main article links in the relevant sections.
Similarly, if there is a TCG card of the same name that features the subject of the current article, it is not necessary to add a main article link to the TCG card page, as there will be a link to the TCG card page in the "In the TCG" section. However, this does not apply to TCG products. Therefore, while it would not make sense to include a hatnote pointing to the card Misty (Gym Heroes 18) on the Misty page, it would make sense to include a hatnote pointing to the theme deck Misty (TCG).
Note that these guidelines do not apply to disambiguation pages. Dedicated disambiguation pages do not need to be as concise as hatnotes, so it will often make sense to include subtopics on them. See Help:Disambiguation for further information.
Descriptions in hatnotes
Descriptions in hatnotes should aim to concisely draw distinctions between the current page and suggested alternatives. For example, a hatnote distinguishing Pokémon Picross (GBC) from Pokémon Picross should mention the different platforms that the games were created for; whereas a hatnote distinguishing Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game) from Pokémon Trading Card Game should emphasize that the former is a video game specifically (rather than using the broader term "game" alone).
Hatnote descriptions should clarify why the other page could be a reasonable target for a particular search term if this is not immediately obvious. For example, on the page for Sasuke, it would not be immediately obvious why "Sasuke" could refer to Jordan from the page title alone, so it is important to clarify that "Sasuke" is that character's Japanese name.
Hatnote descriptions should not contain any links, so that only the suggested destinations are linked. Extraneous links make it more difficult for users to quickly identify the links to suggested alternative pages. Any context surrounding suggested alternative pages will necessarily be linked from those pages anyway, so there is no benefit to readers in providing links on context not relevant to the current page.
Hatnotes are italicized automatically. If the description contains text that would normally be italicized (such as a movie title), the title should be unitalicized to provide the same kind of emphasis. This can be done by simply surrounding any such text with '', just like italicizing text outside of hatnotes.