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This template is used on approximately 16,000 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.

Shortcut

((fv))

The ((Failed verification)) tag is used when an editor tried to verify the information in an article with its sources, but failed to do so. The tag will categorise articles into Category:All articles with failed verification. This template is a self-reference and thus is part of the Wikipedia project rather than the encyclopedic content. This template should only be used with references that exist, but do not support the information they claim to.

When to use

Use this tag only if:

an inline citation to a source is given,
you have checked the source,
the source does not support what is contained in the article, and
despite the source not supporting the article, the source still contains useful information on the topic.

For example, if the article says that 26% of statistics are made up, and the source says that statistics are made up without giving a percentage, then that information has failed verification. If you are unable to fix the error, then you should tag the information as not matching the named source. If the discrepancy between the source and the article isn't obvious, then please explain the situation in detail on the talk page.

If the source given is an unreachable website, keep the source and mark it with ((Dead link)) instead. See Wikipedia:Link rot and WP:DEADREF for more information.

If no source is given, and you believe that an inline citation is necessary for that information, then use ((Citation needed)).

If the source has absolutely no relevance to any part of the article, delete the reference and replace with ((Citation needed)).

How to use

Placement

The template should be placed outside the reference (<ref> ... </ref>), within the article's text:

... 26% of statistics are made up.<ref>some alleged source for this</ref>((Failed verification|date=April 2024)) Next sentence in the article.

Common form (with current date)

((Failed verification|date=April 2024))

Optional parameters

Link to the relevant section on the current page's talk page with:

|talk=Section title

or to a discussion elsewhere with:

|talkpage=Talk:Page name

or:

|talkpage=Talk:Page name#Section title

Add a brief note on the nature of the verification failure with:

|reason=A sentence here.

This is displayed as a mouse-over tooltip, and may be of use to later editors trying to resolve the verification issue.

Template data

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Failed verification in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Failed verification

The template will categorize articles into [[:Category:All articles with failed verification]].

Template parameters[Edit template data]
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Month and year	`date`	Provides the month and year (e.g. 'January 2013', but not 'jan13'). Auto value `((subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME)) ((subst:CURRENTYEAR))`	String	suggested
Current page's relevant talk section	`talk`	Title of the appropriate section of the current page's talk page, for further discussion of the verification failure (e.g. 'Section title').	String	optional
Another page's relevant talk section	`talkpage`	Title of the appropriate section of another page's talk page, for further discussion of the verification failure (e.g. 'Talk:Page name#Section title').	String	optional
Reason	`reason`	A brief note, displayed as a mouse-over tooltip. May be of use to later editors.	String	optional

((Failed verification span)): Use when inline citations have been supplied which support some portion of the statement in question, but not all of it.
((Text-source inline)): Use when multiple inline citations to a source are given, but not all of them support the same information.
((Unreliable source?)): Use when an inline citation to a source is given, but it is questionable whether the source used is reliable for supporting the statement.
((Unreliable source?|certain=y)): Use when an inline citation to a source is given, but it is an unreliable source.
((Cite check)): Use when the article or section may have inappropriate or misinterpreted citations (generates a hatnote).
((Verify source))
Wikipedia:Citing sources, especially Unsourced material
Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources
Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup#Verifiability and sources
Wikipedia:Template messages/Sources of articles
Wikipedia:Verifiability
Wikipedia:WikiProject Fact and Reference Check

Inline cleanup tags

Attribution

Clarity

Miscellaneous

Neutrality

Precision

((By how much)) ((Definition)) ((Definition needed)) ((Example needed)) ((Example needed span)) ((Explain)) ((How)) ((How often)) ((Misquoted)) ((Quantify)) ((Specify)) ((Vague)) ((When)) ((Where)) ((Which)) ((Who else)) ((Why)) ((Year needed))
Excessive	((Overly detailed inline)) ((Duplication span)) ((Importance inline)) ((Relevance inline)) ((Undue weight inline)) ((Globalize inline))

Time-sensitivity

Verifiability

Dubious	((Contradictory inline)) ((Disputed inline)) ((Dubious)) ((Dubious span)) ((Inconsistent)) ((Needs independent confirmation)) ((Speculation inline))
Bare URLs	((Bare URL inline)) ((Bare URL non-HTML)) ((Bare URL AV media)) ((Bare URL PDF)) ((Bare URL image)) ((Bare URL DOC)) ((Bare URL plain text)) ((Bare URL spreadsheet))
Incomplete or broken citation	((Author incomplete)) ((Author missing)) ((Date missing)) ((Dead link)) ((Edition needed)) ((Episode needed)) ((Full citation needed)) ((Incomplete short citation)) ((ISBN missing)) ((Moved resource)) ((Page needed)) ((Place missing)) ((Publisher missing)) ((Season needed)) ((Time needed)) ((Title incomplete)) ((Title missing)) ((Volume needed)) ((Year missing))
Missing or problematic reference	((Additional citation needed)) ((Better source needed)) ((Better source needed example)) ((Check quotation)) ((Chronology citation needed)) ((Circular reference)) ((Citation needed)) ((Citation needed span)) ((Citation not found)) ((Close paraphrasing inline)) ((COI source)) ((Deprecated inline)) ((Excessive citations inline)) ((Failed verification)) ((Failed verification span)) ((Image reference needed)) ((Irrelevant citation)) ((Medical citation needed)) ((Medical citation needed span)) ((Nonspecific)) ((Not verified in body)) ((Obsolete source)) ((Page range too broad)) ((Primary source inline)) ((Promotional source)) ((Quote without source)) ((Request quotation)) ((Request quotation span)) ((Retracted)) ((Scientific citation needed)) ((Self-published inline)) ((Tertiary source inline)) ((Third-party inline)) ((Unreliable fringe source)) ((Unreliable medical source)) ((Unreliable source?)) ((Verify quote)) ((Verify source))

Wording

General advice

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Failed verification/doc.
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox and testcases pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.