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Help:Interwiki Linking

You want a Wikipedia article, and you want it detailed, accurate, and, I assume, interesting enough not to bore me to tears. Fine. Let's talk about interwiki linking. It’s a rather pedestrian topic, if you ask me, but essential for navigating the labyrinthine digital landscape of the Wikimedia Foundation. Don't expect any grand pronouncements; this is about structure, not sentiment.

Interwiki Linking

Interwiki linking refers to the practice of creating links to pages residing on different Wikimedia projects or within different language editions of the same project. This mechanism allows for seamless navigation, whether you're directing someone to another project entirely, a different language version of a wiki, or a combination of both. Think of it as a sophisticated system of cross-references, far more elegant than a clumsy footnote.

For Linking to an Article on a Different-Language Wikipedia

Should your intellectual curiosity extend beyond the confines of this particular linguistic iteration, the guide for linking to an article on a different-language Wikipedia can be found at Help:Interlanguage links. For those seeking a broader understanding of the Wikimedia universe, a comprehensive list of all the Wikipedias, complete with their respective language codes, is available at WP:List of Wikipedias. And for a bird's-eye view of all the Wikimedia endeavors, consult Wikimedia Foundation § Projects and initiatives, m:Complete list of Wikimedia projects, and Special:SiteMatrix. As for aesthetic considerations, the style recommendations for such links are laid out in MOS:INTERWIKI.

This particular page, mind you, is a how-to guide. It serves to illuminate concepts and processes that are integral to the Wikipedia community's operations. It is not to be mistaken for a formal Wikipedia policy or guideline, nor does it necessarily represent the absolute consensus on every matter. It is, in essence, a practical manual.

Shortcuts

For those who appreciate brevity, or perhaps simply suffer from a terminal lack of patience, there are several shortcuts to access this information:

Linking and Page Manipulation

The mechanics of linking and manipulating pages are multifaceted. Consider these aspects:

Categorization

The organization of information is paramount.

Moving and Redirecting

The dynamic nature of information requires the ability to relocate and redirect.

Merging

Consolidating information is often necessary.

Splitting

Conversely, dividing content can also be beneficial.

Importing and Copying

Transferring content requires specific procedures.

Protecting

Ensuring content integrity is vital.

Additional

Other essential functions and concepts:

Interwiki Linking Explained

Interwiki linking involves creating links that point to pages residing on different Wikimedia projects or across various language editions of the same project. This functionality is crucial for maintaining a cohesive and interconnected knowledge base.

  • Interproject Links: By employing specific prefixes, one can establish links to pages on other Wikimedia projects using the standard internal linking syntax. These prefixes act as shorthand identifiers for different projects. For instance, to link to the article "surfeit" on Wiktionary, the wikitext [[wikt:surfeit]] renders as wikt:surfeit. If you wish the link to appear as just "surfeit," you would use [[wikt:surfeit|surfeit]], resulting in surfeit.

  • Interlanguage Links: These are a specific type of interwiki link that connects different language versions of the same project. Projects that support multiple languages include:

    • Wikipedia
    • Wiktionary
    • Wikisource
    • Wikiquote
    • Wikibooks
    • Wikiversity
    • Wikivoyage
    • Wikinews

    There are two primary ways interlanguage links are presented:

    1. In the page's language dropdown menu: For example, on the English Wikipedia article Apple, the link [[fr:Pomme]] would create a link to the French Wikipedia article "Pomme" within the "Languages" menu. Since 2013, this type of linking is predominantly managed through Wikidata, which centralizes this information. You can edit these links by accessing the Wikidata item or by selecting "Add language."
    2. Inline within the text: The link [[:fr:Pomme]] would render as fr:Pomme directly within the English Wikipedia article.

    This entire system is referred to as interwiki linking. The mapping between these prefixes and their target projects is defined in the interwiki map, accessible via Special:Interwiki. These target projects don't necessarily need to run on MediaWiki software and aren't restricted to being wikis.

Interwiki Linking from and Within Wikimedia

Here's a breakdown of the common interwiki prefix codes used to link to Wikimedia sister projects:

See also Wikipedia:Wikimedia sister projects #Linking between projects for a concise overview.

Unless a language code is explicitly added, the following interwiki prefix codes will link to the English versions of the respective projects.

It's worth noting that some links may not behave as expected when used within the same project. For example, meta:Test on Meta itself would resolve to m:Meta:Test, a different page. Outside of Wikimedia sister projects, only metawikipedia:Test might correctly point to m:Test.

The following Wikimedia projects have distinct language editions:

  • Wikipedia:
    • [[wikipedia:]]
    • [[w:]] (general shortcut)
    • [[w:pagename]] (specific page)
  • Wikipedia in another language: (help)
    • [[ language code :wikipedia:]]
    • [[ language code :]], [[w: language code :]]
  • Simple English Wikipedia:
    • [[simple:]]
  • Nostalgia Wikipedia:
    • [[nostalgia:]]
    • [[nost:]]
  • Test Wikipedia:
    • [[testwiki:]]
  • Wiktionary:
    • [[wiktionary:]]
    • [[wikt:]]
    • {{[Wiktionary](/Template:Wiktionary)|Pagename}}
  • Wikiquote:
    • [[wikiquote:]]
    • [[q:]]
    • {{[Wikiquote](/Template:Wikiquote)|Pagename}}
  • Wikisource:
    • [[wikisource:]]
    • [[s:]]
    • {{[Wikisource](/Template:Wikisource)|Pagename}}
  • Wikisource (common repository):
    • [[oldwikisource:]]
    • {{[WikisourceWiki](/Template:WikisourceWiki)|Pagename}}
  • Wikibooks:
    • [[wikibooks:]]
    • [[b:]]
    • {{[Wikibooks](/Template:Wikibooks)|Pagename}}
  • Wikiversity:
    • [[wikiversity:]]
    • [[v:]]
    • {{[Wikiversity](/Template:Wikiversity)|Pagename}}
  • [Wikiversity Beta]:
    • [[betawikiversity:]]
  • Wikispecies:
    • [[wikispecies:]]
    • [[species:]]
    • {{[Wikispecies](/Template:Wikispecies)|Pagename}}
  • Wikinews:
    • [[wikinews:]]
    • [[n:]]
    • {{[Wikinews](/Template:Wikinews)|Pagename}}
  • Wikivoyage:
    • [[wikivoyage:]]
    • [[voy:]]
    • {{[Wikivoyage](/Template:Wikivoyage)|Pagename}}
  • Wikispore:
    • [[wikispore:]]
  • Wikimedia Incubator:
    • [[incubator:]]
    • {{[Incubator](/Template:Incubator)|Pagename}}
  • Wikidata:
    • [[wikidata:]]
    • [[d:]]
    • {{[Wikidata property](/Template:Wikidata_property)|​property id|topic}}
  • Wikimedia Commons:
    • [[commons:]]
    • [[c:]]
    • {{[Commons](/Template:Commons)|Pagename}}
  • Wikifunctions:
    • [[wikifunctions:]]
    • [[f:]]
    • {{[Wikifunctions](/Template:Wikifunctions)|Pagename}}
  • MediaWiki:
    • [[mediawikiwiki:]]
    • [[mw:]]
    • {{[MediaWiki](/Template:MediaWiki)|Pagename}}
  • Wikitech:
    • [[wikitech:]], [[labsconsole:]]
  • Toolforge:
    • [[toolforge:]]
  • Phabricator (formerly Bugzilla and MediaZilla):
    • [[phabricator:]], [[bugzilla:]], [[mediazilla:]]
    • [[phab:]]
    • {{[Phab](/Template:Phab)|Tasknumber}}
  • Wikimedia Meta-Wiki:
    • [[metawiki:]], [[metawikimedia:]], [[metawikipedia:]], [[meta:]]
    • [[m:]]
    • {{[Meta](/Template:Meta)|Pagename}}
  • Wikimedia Quality:
    • [[quality:]]
  • Wikimedia OTRS (ticket with TicketID, ticket with TicketNumber):
    • [[otrswiki:]], [[otrs:000000]], [[ticket:0000000000000000]]
  • Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki:
    • [[wikimedia:]], [[foundation:]]
    • [[wmf:]]
  • Wikimedia Strategic Planning:
    • [[strategy:]]
  • Outreach Wiki:
    • [[outreach:]], [[outreachwiki:]]

Additional prefixes, including both current and historical ones, can be found at Special:SiteMatrix. A complete list of all possible interwiki prefixes is available at Special:Interwiki.

It's important to understand that some long-form prefixes might not function as anticipated within their own project. For instance, on Meta, [[meta:]] does not link to Meta itself but rather to m:Meta:Test. However, [[metawikipedia:]] typically works correctly. The shortcuts, on the other hand, are designed for universal application. Projects like Wikipedia, Wikiquote, etc., when used without a language code, default to their English versions. When combined with a language code, they function as interlanguage links, e.g., w:it: is equivalent to it.wikipedia.org.

Non-Wikimedia interwiki codes have a specific limitation: they can only be utilized within a link. For example, accessing an entry on the Mozilla Wiki requires [[MozillaWiki:Main Page]]. Attempting to use a direct URL like `meta.wikimedia.org will result in an error. In such cases, Special:Search can be employed. The Interwiki special page categorizes prefixes as "forward" or "non-forward" based on their behavior.

Special Versions of Wikipedia

Within the Wikimedia ecosystem, there are specialized versions of Wikipedia:

  • Nostalgia Wikipedia: A static archive of Wikipedia as it existed on December 20, 2001. It is accessible via the [[nost:]] prefix.
  • Test Wikipedia: A platform intended for software and edit testing. It can be linked to using the [[testwiki:]] prefix.

Linking to International Chapters of Wikimedia

The shortcuts listed above do not direct users to the localized versions of Wikipedia (or other reader-focused projects like Wiktionary) in languages other than English. Instead, they link to the equivalent of wikimedia.com that has been adapted for local language, country, or cultural contexts.

Here are some examples of shortcuts for international Wikimedia chapters:

Country/Region Shortcut
Argentina [[wmar:]]
Australia [[wmau:]]
Bangladesh [[wmbd:]]
Belgium [[wmbe:]]
Canada [[wmca:]]
Czech Republic [[wmcz:]]
Germany [[wmde:]]
Finland [[wmfi:]]
Hong Kong [[wmhk:]]
Hungary [[wmhu:]]
India [[wmin:]]
Indonesia [[wmid:]]
Israel [[wmil:]]
Italy [[wmit:]]
Macedonia [[wmmk:]]
Netherlands [[wmnl:]]
Norway [[wmno:]]
Poland [[wmpl:]]
Russia [[wmru:]]
Serbia [[wmrs:]]
Spain [[wmes:]]
Sweden [[wmse:]]
Switzerland [[wmch:]]
Turkish [[wmtr:]]
Taiwan [[wmtw:]]
Ukraine [[wmua:]]
United Kingdom [[wmuk:]]

Tips for Using Interproject and Interlanguage Links

Hiding the Visible Prefix

To conceal the initial, visible prefix in a saved page, employ the pipe trick. Append a vertical bar (|) at the end of the link: [[s:test|]]. Upon saving, this will automatically expand to [[s:test|test]]. However, this functionality is limited to the first prefix. For instance, saving [[s:en:test|]] will result in [[s:en:test|en:test]], not [[s:en:test|test]].

Doubling Prefixes

Combinations of certain prefixes are permissible, enabling direct links to pages that a single prefix cannot achieve. For example, by merging two prefixes, you can link a term in English Wikipedia to a corresponding term in German Wiktionary or to a category on Commons.

When utilizing language codes, their order is inconsequential. Remember to precede a link starting with a language prefix with a colon. However, the colon is optional if the link begins with the project code prefix followed by the language prefix. Observe the final two examples in the table below.

The order of prefixes is critical when using the category prefix. The correct structure is [[project:category:category-name]]. Starting with a colon and the category prefix ([:category:category-name]) creates a link to categories on the current Wikipedia, which will appear as a red link if the category is absent. Omitting the colon but starting with the category prefix ([category:category-name]) will not display anything on the saved page.

Examples of Link Combinations
Wikitext Results
[[:en:Main Page]] en:Main Page
[[:de:Hauptseite]] de:Hauptseite
[[commons:Main Page]] commons:Main Page
[[commons:category:Wikimedia]] commons:category:Wikimedia
`[[wikibooks:Main Page ]]`
[[wikt:de:Rechner]] wikt:de:Rechner
`[[wikt:de:Rechner de:Rechner]]`
`[[wiktionary:de:Rechner ]]`
`[[:wiktionary:de:Rechner ]]`

Technical Considerations

A project's own namespace prefix cannot be repurposed as a code for an external project. However, the prefix designated for a target project might coincide with a project namespace prefix within that project. In such scenarios, to link to a page within that namespace, the prefix must be duplicated.

For universal compatibility across projects, it's advisable to select a link code that directs to the same target from all projects. For instance, MetaWikipedia:wikibooks:Main Page is an example. The seemingly redundant "MetaWikipedia:" prefix prevents "wikibooks:" from being interpreted as a namespace prefix when used on Wikibooks itself. On Meta, this prefix is disregarded as it's not a namespace prefix and is recognized as a code for Meta. The aforementioned codes are functional across all projects. However, it’s important to note that existence detection and the self-link feature do not operate on interwiki links.

Prefixes

Interwiki links can incorporate prefixes for both the project and the language. Without these prefixes, links are considered local, pertaining to pages within the same project and language. If only a language code is provided, the link typically directs to a page within the same (or a similar) project in the specified language:

  • [[:fr:]] renders as fr:
  • [[:os:]] renders as os:

When only the project is specified, the link usually defaults to the source language, as seen previously. At most, two prefixes are necessary to link to a page in any existing project and any supported language:

  • [[s:de:Hauptseite]] renders as s:de:Hauptseite
  • [[b:en:Main page]] renders as b:en:Main page

When using multiple prefixes, a page name must be provided. For example, while [w:] and [en:] on Meta both lead to the English Wikipedia's main page, a bare [[w:en:]] does not function correctly ([w:en:] renders as w:en).

If the target language differs, specifying it before the project prefix can also be effective:

  • [[:de:q:Hauptseite]] renders as de:q:Hauptseite
  • [[:en:n:Main page]] renders as en:n:Main page
  • [[n:en:Main page]] renders as n:en:Main page

The second example might not work from English Wikipedia's w:en: pages; it's generally better to place the project prefix before the language.

Using more than two prefixes is usually unnecessary. The following examples should function universally:

  • [[m:Help:Help]] renders as m:Help:Help
  • [[w:Interwiki]] renders as w:Interwiki

The application of multiple prefixes can sometimes yield unexpected results. For instance, on Meta, the following links navigate to distinct pages:

  • [[m:en:About]] renders as m:en:About
  • [[:en:m:About]] renders as en:m:About
  • [[m:About]] renders as m:About

In the first instance, Meta ignores the local m: prefix and interprets en: as w:en:, the prefix for English Wikipedia. In the second case, the leading en: directs to English Wikipedia, where the subsequent m: redirects back to Meta. The third example, [[m:About]], is the universally functional link.

Essentially, multiple prefixes are processed sequentially from left to right by the relevant Wikimedia servers (project and language). For projects that do not have distinct language editions (like Meta, which is inherently multilingual), language prefixes can be treated as shorthands for w: followed by the specified language:

  • [[:pl:2006]] renders as pl:2006
  • [[w:pl:2006]] renders as w:pl:2006
  • [[:pl:w:2006]] renders as pl:w:2006

From Meta, the first two links successfully navigate to the Polish page for "2006." The third link, however, directs to the English Wikipedia because that is how the server selected by :pl: interprets the subsequent w: prefix.

To ensure a link functions correctly on that specific server, avoiding w: might be prudent, while :pl: generally achieves the desired outcome. To test this effect from Meta, the following links should resolve to the same page:

  • [[:ja:2006]] renders as ja:2006
  • [[:ja:ja:2006]] renders as ja:ja:2006

A truly universal interwiki link, one that operates regardless of the originating Wikimedia wiki, can be constructed using the format [[m:project:language:page name]] (e.g., m:b:nl:Wiskunde). This directs the link parsing through Meta, mitigating potential conflicts. For example, m:mos:Soraogo links to the Mos Wikipedia. Since "MOS" is a namespace on English Wikipedia, [[mos:Soraogo]] would be interpreted as a local link.

Interlanguage Links

Interlanguage links serve to connect pages across different language editions of a Wikimedia project, most commonly Wikipedia. As of February 2013, the use of "local" interlanguage links within articles has been largely superseded by Wikidata, a structured knowledge base that centralizes interlanguage link data. Pages that have their interlanguage links managed on Wikidata display an "Edit links" button adjacent to the language list.

Note: The information below is considered deprecated and is retained for historical context.

Prior to February 2013, interlanguage links were typically implemented using "local" links directly within articles, formatted as [[language code:Title]], where the language code adheres to ISO 639-1 standards (e.g., "en" for English, "de" for German). For instance, an English Wikipedia article on plankton, which exists in numerous other languages, might have included the following interlanguage links:

  • [[ar:عوالق]]
  • [[de:Plankton]]
  • [[eo:Planktono]]
  • [[es:Plancton]]
  • [[fr:Plancton]]
  • [[nl:Plankton]]
  • [[ja:プランクトン]]
  • [[ko:플랑크톤]]
  • [[pl:Plankton]]
  • [[pt:Plâncton]]
  • [[ru:Планктон]]
  • [[simple:Plankton]]
  • [[zh:浮游生物界]]

These links did not appear within the article's body but rather populated the "Languages" list in the sidebar. While they could theoretically be placed anywhere, they were conventionally positioned at the bottom of the page.

Interlanguage Interwiki Links

Inline links to foreign-language Wikiprojects can be established by prefixing the link with the relevant language code.

  • To link to a Wikipedia article in a specific language inline (as opposed to the sidebar list), use the format [[:language code:Title]].
  • To link to a page on a different project in a particular language, extend the syntax by incorporating a project code from the table in § Prefix codes for linking to projects. This results in formats like [[:project:language code:Title]] or [[:language code:project:Title]].

For example, [[:s:de:Salz]] or [[:de:s:Salz]] will link to the "Salz" page on German-language Wikisource (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/s:Salz). Similarly, [[:wikt:fr:sel]] or [[:fr:wikt:sel]] will link to the "sel" page on French-language Wiktionary (en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fr:sel). Refer to § Doubling prefixes for additional guidance and examples, including combinations with the category prefix.

For language codes, consult the list of Wikipedias. Crucially, a colon must precede a link beginning with a language code prefix; otherwise, the link will not render correctly. However, the colon is optional if the link starts with the project code prefix followed by the language code prefix.

The interlanguage link functionality also operates on Wikimedia Commons and Wikispecies, creating links to the respective Wikipedias. This process is not reciprocal; links originating from a Wikipedia to Commons or Wikispecies are treated as in-page links.

More Examples

To link from English Wikipedia to the Chinese Wikisource page 天問, without the visual distraction of an external link:

  • Type: [[s:zh:天問]] to get: s:zh:天問
  • Or, using piping for custom display: [[s:zh:天問|天問]] or [[s:zh:天問|Heavenly Questions]] to get: 天問 or Heavenly Questions

For an article that exists in German but not yet in English, you can use: {{[interlanguage link](/Template:Interlanguage_link)|Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte|de}} or {{[ill](/Template:Ill)|Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte|de}}. This renders as: Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte [de]. Once the English article is created, the blue link will automatically convert to a standard internal link.

Interwiki Links versus External Links

Disadvantages of interwiki links:

  • Portability: The wikitext for interwiki links is less portable across different wikis, as interwiki prefixes are not universally standardized. Even when prefixes exist for the same sites, they might differ.
  • Discoverability: There is no dedicated feature for finding interwiki links, unlike external links which can be searched using Special:Linksearch. This is because while an external links table exists, no such equivalent is maintained for interwiki links. The interwiki table primarily stores prefix mappings, not the instances of their use. Searching for interwiki links using general text search is resource-intensive and may be slow, outdated, or disabled during peak usage. See also: Finding external links to a page.

Comparison:

  • [[imdbtitle:0389790|Bee Movie]] renders as Bee Movie.
  • imdb.com Bee Movie renders as Bee Movie.
  • Linksearch is effective only for the latter.

The applicable CSS classes are "extiw" and "external text." The choice between them may depend on whether uniformity or distinction is desired. An interwiki link is generally simpler to type. However, if you are already viewing the webpage, copying the URL for an external link can be more convenient. When a template is created, such as Template:IMDb title (backlinks edit), it can be configured to use either an interwiki link with a parameter (e.g., "tt0389790" or "0389790") or an external link with a parameter or the full URL, depending on convenience.

Interwiki Links to the Same Wiki versus Internal Links

Disadvantages of interwiki links to the same wiki, compared to internal links:

  • No existence detection: The system doesn't automatically verify if the linked page actually exists.
  • "What links here" limitations: This feature functions only for internal links.

Advantages of interwiki links to the same wiki, compared to internal links:

  • Improved portability: Provided the prefix is consistent and not identical to a namespace name, interwiki links offer better portability across different wikis.

See Also

Wikipedia Technical Help

For direct technical assistance, the following resources are available: the Teahouse, help desk, village pump (technical), talk pages, or IRC.

General Technical Help

Special Page-Related

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Links and Diffs

Media Files: Images, Videos, and Sounds

Other Graphics

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HTML and CSS

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