User:DPL bot/Dablink notification FAQ

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About dablink notification

What is Dablink?

Dablink stands for DisAmBiguation link, and it refers to a link you've created in an article, but which unfortunately doesn't lead to the relevant article. That's not always your fault or mistake. It can happen that the term you used in the link has meanwhile been used by several writers of the article all wanting to use the same term/name. Some programmers helping with the Wikipedia project have written some code to detect when links don't point to just one article anymore and to ask your help in specifying what article you want your link to point to. It would help if you'd just have a look at which of the articles your link refers to. The programmers are helping you with programming this "robot" so that it doesn't take more than clicking some buttons/words with a hotlink and code under it.

Why did I receive this message?

This message is intended as a service to experienced editors (100 or greater edits). It’s very easy to accidentally create a disambiguation link, and we’ve found that editors often appreciate knowing what needs to be fixed without having to test each and every link they create.

What's wrong with links to disambiguation pages?

Links to disambiguation pages are almost always incorrect, because a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean…" article titles. The few exceptions are mostly in hatnotes and See also sections; this is covered by WP:INTDABLINK, mentioned further below.

How do I fix dablinks?

Links to disambiguation pages are usually resolved using piped links. For example, where an editor writes Captain [[John Smith]] is remembered for his role in establishing the English settlement of Jamestown, he doesn’t intend to create a link to the disambiguation page John Smith, but to the article John Smith (explorer). Here’s the fix: Captain [[John Smith (explorer)|John Smith]] is remembered for his role in establishing the English settlement of Jamestown

Am I required to fix dablinks?

No. Dablink cleanup is voluntary, not required.

What tools are there for finding dablinks?

  • Dablinks (External tool) — lists disambiguation pages linked in your article.
  • Link Classifier (User script) — color-codes links, such as redirects, disambiguation links, articles up for deletion, and more. It can be turned On or Off with the tab next to the "watch" button.
  • Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-gadgets (Gadget) — checkbox under "Appearance", to Display links to disambiguation pages in orange.

What tools make fixing dablinks easier?

  • Dab solver (External tool) — the "fix" link in your notification message, is an excellent tool that helps you find and fix dablinks in a given article. This is your best option. Works best with Firefox.
  • Navigation popups (Gadget/User script) use with var popupFixDabs = true; set in your JavaScript config file — Pops up a list when mousing over a dablink. Pick the correct article from the list of links in green at the bottom of the popup.

There’s more listed at Disambiguation pages with links, including specialized software for mass disambiguation.

What if there’s no article to link to?

Let’s say your article links to John Smith, but should really link to an article about John Smith, the ballet dancer. But there’s no such article. What to do depends on whether Wikipedia should have an article on the ballet dancer. If that person is notable and warrants an article, then to solve this, simply create the redlink and pipe it: [[John Smith (dancer)|John Smith]], which will display as John Smith. (See WP:PRECISION in Article titles for how to best name a redlink.) If, however, the ballet dancer does not appear to warrant a stand-alone article, simply do not link the name at all.

But that link is supposed to go to the disambig!

With very few exceptions, a link should always go to an article instead of a disambiguation page. Most exceptions are in the case of See also sections and hatnotes such as {{otheruses}}. But in rare cases, an in-article disambiguation link is correct (see WP:INTDABLINK). For example: Captain John Smith is one of many people named [[John Smith]]. In this case, the link to the John Smith disambiguation page is intentional, so we mark it as such by making use of the (disambiguation) redirect: Captain John Smith is one of many people named [[John Smith (disambiguation)|John Smith]]. This would no longer come up in the reports for the DPL project as needing to be fixed.

Can I get DPL bot to stop putting these messages on my talk page?

Yes. DPL bot is fully exclusion compliant, meaning you can tell it not to edit your talk page. If you include the bots template anywhere on your talk page: 

{{bots|deny=DPL bot}}

you will never receive another notice from DPL bot. Also, by specifying the bot name in the deny field you guarantee that other bots will not be blocked. You can learn more at the {{bots}} template page.

I still have questions about this. Where can I leave a comment?

If the bot has left a message on your page in error, please notify JaGa, the bot’s operator. If you have a question or comment about disambiguation, you can visit the Disambiguation pages with links project.

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