Template:Archives/doc

This is a documentation subpage for Template:Archives.
It contains usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page.

This template is used on approximately 48,000 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.

This template uses Lua:

Module:InfoboxImage

This template uses TemplateStyles:

The {{Archives}} template may be used to add a box containing page links to archived discussions. It will automatically detect archived pages by default, if they follow the format {{PAGENAME}}/Archive #, eliminating the need to manually update the box each time a new archive page is created. However, if a list of archives is given manually through the first unnamed parameter, then it does not check for archives automatically. Instead, auto=long or auto=short has to be added, if both manual and automatic lists are used.

This page is intended to explain the details of template usage. For a general guide to archiving, see: Wikipedia's Help:Archiving a talk page, which includes more information on using this template and others.

Usage

Basic

To use this template, place {{Archives}} at the top of a talk page, usually after any other header or project templates.

To convert the box into a larger, talk page banner, use {{Archives|banner=yes}}.

Adding template to talk page with talk header

When you add this template to a talk page with the {{Talk header}} template, please ensure display of archives isn't duplicated.

As you add the {{Archives}} templates, you might want to suppress display of archives and archive search in the talk header. Here's an example using lowercase sigmabot III at default settings:

Change

{{Talk header}}

to

{{Talk header|noarchives=yes|search=no}}
{{Archives|bot=lowercase sigmabot III|age=30|minthreadsleft=4}}

All parameters

{{Archives
| <!-- first, unnamed parameter -->
| banner              = <!-- or |large= ("yes" or remove) -->
| collapsed           = <!-- "yes" or remove -->
| collapsible         = <!-- "yes" or remove -->
| box-width           = <!-- deprecated, use style -->
| style               = 
| search              = <!-- default is "yes", "no" to hide -->
| age                 = 
| target              = 
| image               = 
| alt                 = 
| link                = 
| image-size          = 
| title               = <!-- default is "Archives" -->
| list                = <!-- List archives manually -->
| auto                = <!-- default is "long"; "short" or "no" to change -->
| index               = <!-- Index subpage name, e.g. "Archive index" -->
| archivelist         = <!-- /archivelist -->
| root                = 
| prefix              = 
| start               = <!-- default is 1, Archive number to start from -->
| search-break        = <!-- default is "no" -->
| search-width        = <!-- default is "22" -->
| search-button-label = <!-- or |button-label= (default is "Search archives") -->
| units               = <!-- default is "day" or "days" -->
| bot                 = 
| minthreadsleft      = 
| editbox             = <!-- "yes" or "no" -->
}}

Parameter descriptions

First the basic parameters are discussed followed by notes on them; then follows separate sections for parameters related specifically to the icon, search, and more.

No parameters are necessary for detection of archive pages following the format of {{PAGENAME}}/Archive # (that is, named "Archive 1", "Archive 2" and so on): these are detected automatically by default. There is no practical upper limit to the number of archives.

(1st unnamed parameter) or 1=: Inline list of manually maintained archives. For example: "list=[[Archive of 2017]], [[Archive of 2018-19]], [[Archive of 2020]]". No subpages are assumed unless specified (e.g. "list=[[/Archives/2017]]" and so on). Using this parameter disables automatic detection, but this detection can be re-enabled with auto=long or auto=short, making the template display both manual and automatic archives. This is usually done when other related archives are linked, such as when using centralized talk pages or adding links to archives of alternative accounts.
list: The same as the unnamed parameter, except the disabling of automatic detection cannot be re-enabled. In other words, using |list= instead of |1= makes the template ignore the |auto= parameter's secondary function of forcing auto-detection.
auto= <short|long|no>: Specifies the format of the auto-generated archive list and forces automatic detection. If left unspecified, the default is "long", meaning links to archives are spelled out ("Archive 42"); any other word (except "no") will result in "short", resulting in shorter links (e.g. "42"), and "no" will disable auto-detection, meaning that even if there are archives following the {{PAGENAME}}/Archive # format they will not be displayed automatically. Auto-detection is also disabled if a manual list is supplied. However, if this list is supplied by the 1st unnamed parameter rather than the list parameter, auto-detection can be re-enabled by overriding the default by using auto=long or auto=short.
banner: "yes" converts the box design of the template into a talk page banner style of template, with the archives listed in a horizontal row above the search bar.
large: identical to the banner parameter.
index: Links the "Archives" title to a specified subpage that should be the subject index page for all archived discussions, such as "Archive index". The slash "/" is not used for this parameter. Legobot may be used to create and maintain such an index. To link to a different subpage, only use the subpage name and don't add the slash "/". For example, to link to the Talk:Example/Page Index subpage, use |index=Page Index.
archivelist: In conjunction with this parameter you are able to create a whole page where you can customize your archive list. The parameter specifies a link to this page, which should be a subpage that contains the archive list. The name of this page is commonly simply "archivelist", i.e. the same name as its parameter. This is also the default assumption, see notes below. The slash "/" is used for this parameter. As an example of real usage: |archivelist=Wikipedia:Media copyright questions/Archivelist. As you can see Wikipedia:Media copyright questions/Archivelist is set up to be used by the Archives box on its respective page.

Notes

With no explicit parameters, the archive list presented in the box is determined automatically. If a subpage called "{{PAGENAME}}/archivelist" exists, it will be used as the central content of the box.

If no archive list subpage is detected, numbered archive subpages will be listed in long format. Such pages must be named as "/Archive #" in order to be automatically detected. No other naming styles will be auto-detected. The "long" auto format (the default) indicates "Archive 1", "Archive 2", and so on. The "short" auto format indicates only the archive number.

An additional list of archives can be passed in the first unnamed parameter, avoiding the need to set up an archivelist subpage.

Using "auto=no" will disable archive auto-detection. Manually specified archives will still be shown. [The archive box will also contain an "Edit" link, targeted at the archive list subpage, which can then be used to begin manually populating the list, if desired. This seems broken.] This may be desirable, if the archive list is given in the title parameter.

The "auto" and "archivelist" parameters are not intended to be used together. (Doing so does not use the specified archive list page.)

The auto-generated archive list requires subpages to use the common naming convention. That is, "{{PAGENAME}}/Archive 1", "{{PAGENAME}}/Archive 2", and so on. The letter "A" must be capitalized, there must be a single space between the word "Archive" and the number, and there must be no leading zeros. If archive subpages do not conform to this convention, they can be renamed to conform, or a manual list can be maintained.

Icon image

image: An alternate image to be used, defaults to "Replacement filing cabinet.svg". May also use image-size. none results in no image.
alt: Alt text for the image, for visually impaired readers. See WP:ALT. This defaults to empty. If a nonempty value is specified for link, alt should be nonempty too, and should indicate what will happen if the user clicks on the image.
link: Link for the image. This normally defaults to empty, which means no link. However, if alt is nonempty, it defaults to the image's file page.

The link and alt parameters only take effect if the image is changed from the default.

Search

search: Default: yes. If no, removes the search box.
root: Specifies a different base than {{FULLPAGENAME}}/. Useful for when this template is located on a different page than the page being archived. Use prefix, if the addition of a trailing slash is not desired. The archive wikilinks generated are of the form root + / + Archive #.
prefix: Similar to root, but does not automatically add a trailing slash.
search-break: Inserts a newline between the search bar and search button preventing them from being on the same line. Default: no if in banner format yes otherwise
search-width: Default: 22
search-button-label: Default: Search archives. "button-label" is an alias.

Archival method

target: The title of the page (just the name, no link syntax) that threads are currently being archived to, for manual archiving.
bot: If specified, a note about automatic archiving will be shown.
age: If specified, this will be displayed as the archiving delay.
units: If specified, this will display units for the archiving delay. The default is "day" or "days".
minthreadsleft: If specified, this will display a note explaining the page won't be emptied out

For pages automatically archived, please note these parameters do not actually control the bot. Changing them does not change the bot's behavior. They're a duplicate set of parameters intended to convey the auto-archiving settings to human readers.

Other parameters

collapsible: If yes, makes the list collapsible.
collapsed: If yes, makes the list collapsed.
style: An arbitrary string of CSS can be applied to the box (use with care).
title: An alternative title, defaults to "Archives". The title is automatically linked to the /archivelist subpage, if it exists. If another link is desired, a wikilink may be inserted here.
editbox: If yes or omitted, includes a button to edit the archive box's sub-page /archivelist.

Examples

Default

{{archives}}

Archives

Archive 1

Short, index, collapsible, bot, age, threads

{{archives |auto=short |index=/Archive index |collapsible=yes |bot=lowercase sigmabot III |age=90 |minthreadsleft=4}}

Archives

no archives yet (create)

Sections older than 90 days may be automatically archived by when more than 4 sections are present.

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. Click here to see a monthly parameter usage report for this template based on this TemplateData.

TemplateData for Archives

No description.

Template parameters
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
1	`1`	no description	Unknown	optional
demospace	`demospace`	no description	Unknown	optional
banner	`banner` `large`	no description	String	optional
collapsed	`collapsed`	no description	Unknown	optional
collapsible	`collapsible`	no description	Unknown	optional
box-width	`box-width`	no description	Unknown	deprecated
style	`style`	no description	Unknown	optional
search	`search`	no description	Unknown	optional
age	`age`	no description	Unknown	optional
target	`target`	no description	Unknown	optional
image	`image`	no description	Unknown	optional
alt	`alt`	no description	Unknown	optional
link	`link`	no description	Unknown	optional
image-size	`image-size`	no description	Unknown	optional
title	`title`	no description	Unknown	optional
list	`list`	no description	Unknown	optional
auto	`auto`	no description	Unknown	optional
index	`index`	no description	Unknown	optional
start	`start`	no description	Unknown	optional
archivelist	`archivelist`	no description	Unknown	optional
root	`root`	no description	Unknown	optional
prefix	`prefix`	no description	Unknown	optional
search-break	`search-break`	no description	Unknown	optional
search-width	`search-width`	no description	Unknown	optional
search-button-label	`search-button-label`	no description	String	optional
units	`units`	no description	Unknown	optional
bot	`bot`	no description	Unknown	optional
minthreadsleft	`minthreadsleft`	no description	Unknown	optional
editbox	`editbox`	no description	Unknown	optional
class	`class`	no description	Unknown	optional

Redirects