Template:Merge/doc

Which merge template should I use?
Do not use this tag on a template or category—instead see below for instructions.


 * To merge at least two together at an unspecified location:
 * To merge the contents of the tagged article into the specified article:
 * The contents of the specified article should be merged into the tagged article: – the opposite of ;
 * To suggest merging only some material, use and

When to use
These templates are used primarily to identify potential merges that would benefit from discussion. If it is obvious that a merge would be appropriate, then you may boldly merge the pages without tagging and without discussion. Some editors also use these tags to mark pages that obviously require merging, in the hope that someone else will merge the pages.

After adding the merge template, please create a section on the talkpage explaining your rationale for the merge proposal. If the rationale is so obvious that it requires no explanation, then you should consider boldly merging the pages yourself rather than setting up a discussion.

Simple example
Tagging a single page is simple:



When you want to discuss a simple merge of one page into another, tag both of them:

This allows editors at both pages to see both the proposed source and target.

Other options
By default, the Discuss link on the template links to the top of the destination page's talk page. To specify which section, or to name a different talk page entirely, use the discuss parameter:



To name multiple pages to be merged, simply separate them with a vertical pipe. You can add up to 20 articles to be merged:



If you are placing the template in a section, you can use section to change the wording to reflect this:


 * Do not add the namespace to the names of the pages. For example, write, not.
 * Do not link to the pages with square brackets. For example, write, not.
 * If you don't supply a date, a bot will add it later.
 * The date may not be shown in the box. Do not be concerned about this. It is used when grouping tagged pages together into categories by date.
 * These templates will add tagged articles to Category:Articles to be merged, while non-articles (files, templates, etc.) will be added to Category:Items to be merged.
 * Do not  these templates.

When to remove
There is no deadline for completing proposed merges. Pages that have been tagged for a long time (frequently more than one year) generally fall into these groups:


 * Discussion supported the proposed merge, but no one did it yet: Feel free to merge the pages yourself.
 * Discussion opposed merge, but nobody removed the tags: Feel free to remove the tags yourself.
 * No discussion found: Feel free to remove the tags if you believe the merge would be a poor choice, or to boldly merge the pages if you believe the merge would be appropriate.