View source for Template:Essay/doc

{{documentation subpage}}
{{About|the tag for unapproved Wikipedia guidance|the article maintenance tag|Template:Essay-like}}
{{High-use}}
{{Do not substitute}}
{{Auto short description}}
==Usage==
{{See|WP:Essays}}
This template adds the page to [[:Category:Wikipedia essays]] or to [[:Category:User essays]], depending on [[Wikipedia:Namespace|namespace]].

Please do '''not''' [[Wikipedia:Substitution|subst]] this template.

If you place this template on a mainspace article, it will redirect to [[Template:Essay-like]] anyway.

* <code><nowiki>{{essay|WP:SHORTCUT1}}</nowiki></code> becomes:
{{essay|WP:SHORTCUT1}}

===Parameters===

This template has an {{para|interprets}} parameter. Replaces "This page is an essay" with "This page is an essay on {{var|[whatever you put in the parameter]}}":
* {{para|interprets|<nowiki>the [[Wikipedia:No original research]]</nowiki> policy}}
* {{para|interprets|<nowiki>the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style]]</nowiki> guideline}}
* {{para|interprets|<nowiki>the [[Wikipedia:No original research]] and [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view]]</nowiki> policies}}
* {{para|interprets|<nowiki>the [[Wikipedia:Verifiability]] policy and [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources]]</nowiki> guideline}}
* {{para|interprets|Wikipedia:Reliable sources}} – this simpler syntax will automatically link to the page if it exists.
You can also use {{tlx|section link}} to produce better-looking links to page sections, e.g.: {{para|interprets|the <nowiki>{{section link|Wikipedia:Article titles#Deciding on an article title}} policy</nowiki>}}, which renders as "the {{section link|Wikipedia:Article titles#Deciding on an article title}} policy".

You can have up to 5 shortcuts displayed. The shortcut parameters can also be named as {{para|shortcut}} or {{para|shortcut1}}, {{para|shortcut2}} ... {{para|shortcut5}}.

You can also use {{para|cat}} or {{para|category}} to specify a more specific category than the default [[:Category:Wikipedia essays]] or (in userspace) [[:Category:User essays]]. It can be done with or without "Category:"
* {{para|cat|Wikipedia essays on consensus}}
* {{para|category|<nowiki>Category:Wikipedia essays on consensus</nowiki>}}
* {{para|category|User essays on style‎}}
* {{para|cat|<nowiki>Category:User essays on style‎</nowiki>}}
Userspace essays should remain categorized in [[:Category:User essays]] or one of its subcategories with this template.

Essays are sorted by their page name, or in userspace by subpage name.

If you want to use a different category sort, you can specify an entire category link with a sort key:
* {{para|cat|<nowiki>[[Category:User essays on style|Comprise, Use of]]‎</nowiki>}}

Additional categories (and sort keys) are added at the bottom of the essay page, as at any other page. User essays can be additionally categorized in topical subcategories of [[:Category:Wikipedia essays]] in this way.

===Display===
* <code><nowiki>{{essay|WP:SHORTCUT1|WP:SHORTCUT2|interprets=the [[Wikipedia:Consensus|Consensus]] and [[Wikipedia:Ignore all rules|Ignore all rules]] policies}}</nowiki></code> becomes:
{{essay|WP:SHORTCUT1|WP:SHORTCUT2|interprets=the [[Wikipedia:Consensus|Consensus]] and [[Wikipedia:Ignore all rules|Ignore all rules]] policies|demo=yes}}

===Variant templates===
'''To place essays in appropriate sub-categories by subject, you can use:'''
* {{tlx|Behavioral essay}}
{{Behavioral essay|category=no}}
* {{tlx|Civility essay}}
{{Civility essay|demo=yes}}
* {{tlx|Deletion essay}}
{{Deletion essay|category=no}}
* {{tlx|Notability essay}}
{{Notability essay|category=no}}
* {{tlx|Template essay}}
{{Template essay|category=no}}
*{{tlx|Orphaned essay}}
{{Orphaned essay|demo=yes}}
*{{tlx|Essay in development}}
{{Essay in development|demo=yes}}

'''The following templates are available to WikiProjects for clarifying the distinction between WikiProject guidance and other essays and [[WP:INFOPAGES|information pages]]:'''
* {{tlx|WikiProject content advice}}
{{WikiProject content advice|categories=no}}
* {{tlx|WikiProject notability advice}}
{{WikiProject notability advice|categories=no}}
* {{tlx|WikiProject style advice}}
{{WikiProject style advice|categories=no}}

== See also ==
'''Alternatives'''
* {{tlx|Information page}} – the banner template for pages that are more just informational and non-opinionated like [[WP:GOV]].
* {{tlx|Wikipedia how-to}} – the banner template for pages that are more directly instructional and non-opinionated like [[H:EDIT]]. 
* {{tlx|Supplement|interprets{{=}}}} – to tag a well-established page that adds something to a policy or guideline, to make up for a deficiency, and when it is referenced in the guideline or policy; e.g.: [[WP:BRD]].
* [[Wikipedia:Template index/Wikipedia namespace]] – for more examples of related  templates.
'''Article notice'''
* {{tlx|Essay-like}} – designed for the main namespace, not "Wikipedia:" namespace; use if an <em>article</em> reads like an essay.
'''Talk pages'''
* {{tlx|WikiProject Essays}} – for talk pages of essays.
'''Data'''
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Wikipedia essays/Assessment/Links]] – list of essays sorted by impact score]]
<includeonly>{{sandbox other||
<!-- Categories below this line; interwikis at Wikidata -->
[[Category:Essay header templates|{{PAGENAME}}]]
}}</includeonly>