Wikitext

Wikitext is a simplified markup language that is used to format and structure text and other data.

While HTML is the most common markup language for web pages, Wikitext is used in wiki systems. Like HTML, it uses tags to mark parts of text or other data.

How do I use Wikitext?

When you edit a page, you can switch between visual editing and source editing using the editor toolbar.

Wikitext can be entered in source editing mode. When you are in visual editing mode, VisualEditor inserts Wikitext "behind the scenes". If VisualEditor doesn't format elements on a page correctly, you can always switch to source editing to correct the issues directly in Wikitext.

Examples of Wikitext

Here are some typical examples of Wikitext:

Text formatting

• This is '''bold'''
• This is ''italic''
• This is <u>underlined</u>

Structuring

• This is a ==Heading==
• This is an *unordered list element
• Table:

  {| class="wikitable"
  |-
  !header 1
  !header 2
  |-
  |row 1, cell 1
  |row 1, cell 2
  |-
  |row 2, cell 1
  |row 2, cell 2
  |}
  

Links / Embedded files

Link to internal wiki page

[[Wikipage|Label]]
[[Pancake|Best Pancake]]

Link to external website

[url label]
[https://wikipedia.org Wikipedia]

'Link with parameters

<span class="plainlinks">[{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=edit}} Edit this page]</span>

This link opens the referenced page in edit mode in a new tab.

Embed image/file

• [[Datei:image-or-pdf-name.png]] - - - Image/PDF is embedded on page
  • the wiki checks, if a preview can be generated (e.g., for "png", "jpeg", "gif", "svg") and embeds the preview
  • otherwise, a link to the file description page is created
    • can be embedded: PDF, Tiff (with extension)
    • cannot be embedded: Microsoft Office- und Libre Office-Dateien; Shell-Skripte, ...
• [[Media:image-or-pdf--name.png]] - - - - Links to image / PDF
• [[:Datei:image-or-pdf--name.png]] - - - Links to file description page

Magic words

Type of Wikitext	Example
Special character	ã → ã ç → ç UTF-8 is possible
Comment	<!-- unnoticed -->
No "wiki translation"	<nowiki> and </pre>
Table of contents	__TOC__ and __NOTOC__
Signature	--~~~
Redirect	#REDIRECT [[targetpage]]
Template	{{template name}}

Related info

• meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext_examples
• Magic words