WikiDevi.Wi-Cat.RU:Template messages/Cleanup

Template messages may be added to articles needing a WP:Cleanup. Their purposes are to foster improvement of the encyclopedia by alerting editors to changes that need to be made. Cleanup tags are meant to be temporary notices that lead to an effort to fix the problem, not a permanent badge of shame to show that you disagree with the article or a method of warning the readers against the article.

Unless otherwise noted, the cleanup messages, or tags, should be placed at the top—before other templates, images, or infoboxes, but after hatnotes (see mw:Hatnote § Placement). Certain tags can be placed at the top of an individual section, and others can be placed within the text itself (inline).

Avoid tagging articles if you can easily and confidently fix the problem.

The goal is an improved article, not a tagged article.

Avoid "drive-by" tagging

Tags should be accompanied by a comment on the article's talk page explaining the problem and beginning a discussion on how to fix it, or, for simpler problems, a remark using the reason parameter as shown below; tagging editors must be willing to follow-through with substantive discussion

Don’t insert tags that are similar or redundant.

For example, most articles that read like essays have an inappropriate tone, and in fact they end up being automatically grouped in the same category, so it is unnecessary to tag with both tone and essay-like.

If an article has many problems, tag only the highest priority issues.

A lengthy list is often less helpful than a shorter one. (See also: tag bombing and over-tagging)

Don't add tags for trivial or minor problems, especially if an article needs a lot of work.

For example, there is little point in polishing the grammar of a section that needs to be dramatically re-written to comply with content policies. Focus on the biggest one, two, or three problems.

A date parameter is added by a WP:BOT, or you can add it yourself with |date=November 2023.

See also

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