Wikipedia:Template namespace

This page not to be confused with Template:Namespaces
Namespaces
Subject namespaces Talk namespaces
0 (Main/Article) Talk 1
2 User User talk 3
4 Wikipedia Wikipedia talk 5
6 File File talk 7
8 MediaWiki MediaWiki talk 9
10 Template Template talk 11
12 Help Help talk 13
14 Category Category talk 15
100 Portal Portal talk 101
118 Draft Draft talk 119
710 TimedText TimedText talk 711
828 Module Module talk 829
Former namespaces
108 Book Book talk 109
442 Course Course talk 443
444 Institution Institution talk 445
446 Education Program Education Program talk 447
2300 Gadget Gadget talk 2301
2302 Gadget definition Gadget definition talk 2303
2600 Topic 2601
Virtual namespaces
-1 Special
-2 Media
Current list (API call)

The Template namespace on Wikipedia is used to store templates, which contain Wiki markup intended for inclusion on multiple pages, usually via transclusion. Although the Template namespace is used for storing most templates, it is possible to transclude and substitute from other namespaces,[1] and so some template pages are placed in other namespaces, such as the User namespace.

Templates help maintain consistent formatting and aid navigation between articles. They often include optional and/or variable elements controlled by parameters to allow for specialized use. Templates are also used to assist in a large variety of Wikipedia maintenance tasks. Each template has a matching Template talk: page where editors can discuss the design and implementation of the associated template (see Help:Using talk pages for how to participate in talk page discussions).

A template is transcluded into another page by including a template tag in that page's content. A template tag contains the template page name surrounded by double curly braces, e.g. {{Disambiguation}}. If the template's page name does not begin with a namespace and colon, it is assumed to be in the Template namespace.

Internal links to template pages may be made by using the Template: prefix, e.g. [[Template:Disambiguation]]. These links go to a page that directly contains a base template and often documentation.

  1. ^ Namespaces from which transclusion is not allowed are specified on a wiki by the variable $wgNonincludableNamespaces