This template is used to mark dead links, either within a paragraph or within a reference citation. Marking dead links signals to editors and to WP:Link rot bots that this link needs to be replaced with an archive link.
Before considering whether to use the {{dead link}} template it is often useful to make a search for an archive copy of the dead link and thereby avoid using the tag altogether. All {{cite xxx}} templates have the facility for adding |archive-date= and |archive-url= parameters for linking to an archive copy. Non-{{cite xxx}} citations can use {{webarchive}}.
Append this template directly after the link (after the link code's terminating ] if you are using wikitext), or, if you are using a {{cite xxx}} template, directly after the {{cite xxx}} transclusion (not inside it), but inside the reference, if any, i.e. before the </ref>, in all cases leaving the original link intact:
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.example.org|title=The Example Website|access-date=22 September 2012}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024}}</ref>
For bare links, leave a space after the end of the URL and the template:
Otherwise automated tools can have trouble determining where the URL ends, because it will ambiguously contain url-encoding and wiki-encoding mixed together.
Not following these syntax rules might hinder detection by automated tools. If the citation contains multiple URLs (e.g. chapter-url and url) in a template, and only one is broken, you can use wiki comments like <!-- <your hidden explanation here> --> to explain which one is broken.
If the article uses clickable footnotes, then this template should be placed just before the </ref> that contains the dead link. The notice will then correctly appear in the reference section instead of in the body of the text, and so WP:Link rot bots can properly find and fix the link.
If you are placing this template inside a <ref> </ref> reference, do not leave any substitution template such as {{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}}or{{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}, because substitutions fail inside ref tags.
Avoid using this template when the reference is fully adequate without the link. In this case, simply remove the link. For example, if a {{cite journal}} template is used with a DOI, remove the |url= parameter.
Provides a history of the linked page via the Wayback Machine. Set only if history actually exists, as otherwise it is misleading to users and editors.
date
The date parameter consists of the full English name of the current month with initial capital, a space, and the year, not full dates; e.g., "January 2013", but not "jan13". Any deviation from these two rules will result in an "invalid date parameter" error.
bot
Bot accounts specify the |bot= parameter as a sign that the tag was added by an automated process. Set as bot=<bot name>.
fix-attempted
Set this to "yes" if you have tried unsuccessfully to find an archived copy, or a copy with a different URL. This will put the page in Category:Articles with permanently dead external links, and the annotation will be rendered as "[permanent dead link]" instead of just "[dead link]". Note that this currently will occur for any value supplied, including "no", so if a fix was not attempted, simply leave this parameter off, or set it to be blank. Also note that if a page cannot be found in the Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), often a live copy can be found via a web search for the full title, in quotes, on the original website, or on the Internet at large.
Notes:
The date-substitution template may be used to automatically generate the date, e.g., {{Dead link|{{subst:DATE}}}}. See Help:Substitution for more information.
The date= parameter need not be added by the editor: if not entered, a bot will soon add it.
Examples
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.example.org |title=Web page title |website=Example.com |access-date=22 September 2012}} {{Dead link |date=September 2012}}</ref> → [1]
<ref>{{cite news |title=Sorrell accuses Murdoch of panic buying |author=Plunkett, John |url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1601858,00.html |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=27 October 2005 |access-date=22 September 2012}} {{Dead link}}</ref> → [2]
Avoid using free links (e.g. http://www.example.org/{{Dead link}}), as software that is unable to handle templates may read an incorrect link. Add brackets if necessary.
Avoid complicated formatting. Nesting inside a template is generally not supported well.
Avoid using [ ] { | } < > characters between the end of the external link and {{Dead link}}, as they are often used to format text.
