This template is used on many 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.
Purpose
This template is used to create footnotes in Wikipedia, as an alternative and complement to the <ref>. Because of a technical limitation, some of the standard Wikipedia markup elements that are often used in the article prose do not work within a set of <ref>...</ref> tags, including but not limited to the pipe trick, template substitution and another "nested" set of <ref>...</ref> tags. For example, the following does not work as expected:
<ref>[[Help:Footnotes|]]</ref> (Generates: [[Help:Footnotes|]] instead of a wikilink)
<ref>{{SUBST:TODAY}}</ref> (Generates: {{SUBST:TODAY}} instead of the date that the edit was made)
<ref>Explanatory footnote<ref>Citation</ref></ref> (Generates: Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). </ref>)
Replacing the outermost <ref>...</ref> set with {{Refn}} allows for the use of the markup elements listed above.
Usage
{{refn|group=groupname|name=name|Contents of the footnote}}
groupname: Groupname per WP:REFGROUP; if not specified, then the main and nested references will be rendered into the same reference list
An example.{{refn|group=note|name=first|A note.<ref>An included reference.</ref>}}
Another example.{{refn|group=note|Another note.<ref>Another included reference.</ref>}}
A third example.{{refn|group=note|The third note.<ref>The reference in the third note.</ref>}}
Repeating the first example.{{refn|group=note|name=first}}
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
An example.{{refn|group=note|name=first|A note.<ref>The reference in the first note.</ref>}}
Another example.{{refn|name=ref|Another reference, but without a note.}}
A third example.{{refn|group=note|A second note.<ref>The reference in the second note.</ref>}}
Repeating the first example.{{refn|group=note|name=first}}
Repeating the second example.{{refn|name=ref}}
A fourth example with citation templates.{{refn|name=harv|{{cite book|author=Smith|title=The Solar System|year=2005|mode=cs2}}, quoted in {{harvnb|Jones|2020|p=25}}.}}
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
An example.[note 1]
Another example.[2]
A third example.[note 2]
Repeating the first example.[note 1]
Repeating the second example.[2]
A fourth example with citation templates.[4]
↑Smith (2005), The Solar System, quoted in Jones 2020, p. 25.
Substitution
The first example shows that substitution does not work in a regular <ref>...</ref> tag (the |access-date= does not appear correctly). The second example shows that the |access-date= is substituted correctly within {{refn}}.
Markup
Renders as
<ref>{{cite web |access-date={{Subst:TODAY}} |title=Languages |work=Apache HTTP Server |agency=Ohloh |publisher= Black Duck Software |url=https://www.ohloh.net/p/apache/analyses/latest/languages_summary}}</ref>
{{reflist}}
↑"Languages". Apache HTTP Server. Black Duck Software. Ohloh. Retrieved {{Subst:TODAY}}. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
{{refn|{{cite web |access-date={{Subst:TODAY}} |title=Languages |work=Apache HTTP Server |agency=Ohloh |publisher= Black Duck Software |url=https://www.ohloh.net/p/apache/analyses/latest/languages_summary}}}}
{{reflist}}
↑"Languages". Apache HTTP Server. Black Duck Software. Ohloh. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
Errors
If the reference or note content is missing, then Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content. will be displayed.
If the note content contains an equals sign (=), the equals sign will be interpreted as setting off a named parameter and cause an error. This can be worked around by using a numbered parameter, for example:
Markup
Renders as
{{refn|1+1=2}}
Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).