Harry Potter Wiki:Layout guide

PROCLAMATION: Educational Decree No. 24
This page is considered an official policy on the Harry Potter Wiki.
It has wide acceptance among editors and is considered a standard that everyone should follow. Please make use of the Talk Page to propose changes to this policy or its wording.

Policies
General policy Awards policy Blocking policy Blog policy Canon policy Character infobox guidelines Discord policy Editing policy Image policy Layout guide Multiple accounts Neutral point of view No personal attacks Notability guidelines Signatures Talk page policy User policy User Rights policy Voting policy

Shortcut: HPW:LG

This Layout Guide is an official guide as to how an in-universe article should be structured. Generally this guide is to be used for character articles, but can be adapted to almost any in-universe article by leaving out sections that are irrelevant. By adhering to this layout guide we will add more uniformity across all the pages. This will create a more professional look for the Harry Potter Wiki. In addition, if you are unsure of how to start an article use this guide to provide a starting point. If you have any questions or comments feel free to discuss the Layout Guide on the talk page. This layout guide was adapted from Wookieepedia's Layout Guide.

Title tag

Example:

{{Title|''{{PAGENAME}}''}}

Used to alter the appearance of the article's title at the top of a page.
This template is needed to change the article's title for cases including:
- Add bold or italic character formatting to any letters in the fullpagename (e.g. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone).
- Change the case of any letter in the namespace, such as putting the first letter in lowercase.
- Add a colon to the title.
- Change any space to an underscore "_" character or any underscore character to a space.
- Place the separator character ":" between the namespace and pagename, or between words in the pagename.

Maintenance templates

Example:

{{Inuse}}

A series of tags used when the article is in need of some sort of maintenance (Inuse, Redlink, etc.).
See Category:Maintenance templates

Header templates

Example:

{{Noncanon}}

These tags are used to indicate an article's level of canonicity, or if an article is an about a subject from a cancelled or future source.
Also used to show if an article is official policy of the Harry Potter Wiki
See Category:Header templates.

Infobox

Example:

{{Individual infobox
|theme = hogwarts-staff
|image = Luna Lovegood.jpg
|name = Luna Scamander (née Lovegood)
|born = [[13 February]] [[1981]]
|died = 
|blood = [[Pure-blood]] or [[half-blood]]
|marital = Married
|nationality = {{GBorIE}}
|alias = Loony Lovegood
|title = [[Professor]]
|signature = [[File:Luna Lovegood sig.png|150px]]
|species = [[Human]]
|gender = Female
|height = 
|weight = 
|hair = Dirty-blonde
|eyes = Pale silvery
|family = *[[Xenophilius Lovegood]] (father) 
*[[Pandora Lovegood]] (mother) †
*[[Rolf Scamander]] (husband)
*[[Lorcan Scamander]] (son)
*[[Lysander Scamander]] (son)
*[[Lovegood family]] (paternal family)
*[[Scamander family]] (in-laws/descendants)
|romances = [[Rolf Scamander]] (husband)
|animagus = 
|boggart =
|wand = *[[Luna Lovegood's first wand|Unknown length, wood and core]]
*[[Luna Lovegood's second wand|Unknown length, wood and core]]
|patronus = [[Hare]]
|job = *[[Magizoologist]]
*[[Field Studies]] [[professor]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]
|house = [[Ravenclaw]]
|loyalty = *[[Lovegood family]]
*[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] 
**[[Ravenclaw]]
*[[Dumbledore's Army]]
*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
*''[[The Quibbler]]''
*[[Scamander family]]
}}

Characters should use the {{Individual infobox}} and specify a theme. The theme used for the infobox should be the one that most recently represents the character chronologically. For example Luna Lovegood has left Hogwarts and the newest infobox theme that fits her is "hogwarts-staff".
For the first occurrence of each information make it a link, e.g. link the year for the birthday/deathday and link all family members, jobs, etc.
Wherever there is more than one "answer," separate them by a line break (<br />)
- Do not put a line break after the last entry in that field
Leave unknown fields blank.
See Category:Infobox templates

Opening quote

Example:

{{Quote|Haven't I taught you ''anything''?|[[Arthur Weasley|Mr Weasley]]|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets}}

An opening quote is welcome for almost any type of article.
Quotes can be said by the article's subject, or said by someone else about the article's subject.
Do not use links within a quote, unless it is the only mention in the article of a certain subject.
If the speaker is another subject please include a link.
Please include a source
If the quote is not a simple quote but includes dialogue between multiple characters see Category:Quote and dialogue templates

Article body

Example (for an article about a Character):

'''Harry Potter''' was... (insert introductory sentence or paragraph)
 
==Biography==
===Childhood===
...
...
...
 
===Hogwarts===
...
 
====1991-1992====
...
 
====The Battle of Hogwarts====
...

===After the War===
...

Start headings at the second level (==)
Headings and subheadings are usually not required for very small articles.

Images

Example:

[[File:HPotter boggart dementor.jpg|thumb|200px|Harry Potter's boggart, a Dementor]]

Images should be placed where they are most relevant and should not interrupt the flow or the aesthetics of the article.
Images should have some sort of description.
Images should be placed before or after paragraphs or sections of text, not right in the middle of them.
Placing them immediately underneath a heading or subheading usually works quite well.

Quotes

Example:

{{quote|Viktor? Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?|Ron|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}

In addition to the introductory quote, further quotes may be used throughout an article.
Quotes are usually placed immediately underneath a heading or subheading, though they can also be used between paragraphs (albeit more sparingly).
See Category:Quote and dialogue templates

Physical description

Example:

==Physical description==
...

Used to describe what a character or creature, etc. looks like

Personality and traits

Example:

==Personality and traits==
...

Used for Character articles, if that type of information is available.
If the character has had many or strenuous relationships use the Relationships section below.

Magical abilities and skills

Example:

==Magical abilities and skills==
...

Used for Character articles to describe any significant magical abilities or skills they may have.

Possessions

Example:

==Possessions==
...

Used for Character articles if they own any significant possessions, e.g. a wand, pet or broomstick.

Relationships

Example:

===Relationships===
...

====Relationship 1====
...

====Relationship 2====
...

Used to describe the relationships the character has had with others

Etymology

Example:

===Etymology===

Who was responsible for naming the subject, was it based on anything, etc.
What the root of the name means

Behind the scenes (notice the capitalisation)

Example:

==Behind the scenes==

Portrayal information (for characters appearing in films, computer games, cartoons, radio dramatisations)
Origin of subject - subject's first appearance, who was responsible for creating and/or naming the subject, how the subject came about, was it based on anything, who did the concept art, etc.
- If naming information is lengthy the Name etymology section below can be added
Contradictions - point out if one official source contradicts another, and which (if any) is accepted as canon
- Differences between the books and films, in reference to that article
Speculation - only included if the speculation is WIDELY believed by fans, or any speculation made by authors
Filming - if it has a real world location, point out where it is and when it was filmed

Author's comments

Example:

===Author's comments===

Used if J. K. Rowling has had specific information to say on the subject from interviews, etc.

Appearances

Bulleted list of films, novels, and games that the subject has appeared in.
These are de facto references or sources, but they are listed separately because they are in-universe
Includes even the smallest mentions in dialogue, narration, or visual appearance
Should be sorted in order of real-world publication or creation
Games and films of the same name should be listed separately in the following order:
- Book
- Film
- Game
Shorthand codes should be used for common sources instead of typing out the full title. For example, {{PS}} should be used instead of [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]].
- Please see Category:Appearance templates for a full list of premade comments
Do not pipe film and video game titles, e.g.:
- WRONG: [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]
- RIGHT: [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)]]
If a subject's appearance in a specific film/book/comic is only a brief mention, apply the {{Mention}} template, e.g. for Time-Turner:
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
For a subject's first appearance in the saga (in order of publication, not in order of internal chronology), use the {{1st}} template, e.g. for Sirius Black:
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance)
If a subject's first appearance in the series is only a mere mention, use a parameter of {{Mention}} by applying the {{Mention|1st}} template, e.g. for Luna Lovegood:
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First mentioned)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
A subject might not be named in its first appearance, but is identified in a later source. In this case, use {{1st}} and {{1st ID}}, e.g. for Tom Marvolo Riddle:
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First identified as Tom Riddle)
  - The name is optional, if it is not used the page name will be substituted
If a character has non-canon appearance, use the {{Non-canon}} template, e.g. for Bem]]:
- - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (First appearance) (Non-canonical appearance)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Possible appearance) (Non-canonical appearance)
If you wish to specifically point out a Chapter or Page as a reference, please use the {{Chapters}} or {{Pages}} template, e.g.:
- (Chapter(s) 10-12)
- (Page(s) 100-123 US Paperback)
- It is preferred that Chapters are used (since they are the same in all editions)
For generic comments, use {{C}}. For example, {{C|Early drafts}} will produce:
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Early drafts)

Clean appearances

For characters that appear in many of the books/films/games its easier to copy "everything" from another article and add or subtract as necessary. Below is a comprehensive, though not necessary complete list of sources for a major Harry Potter character to currently be in:

Example:

==Appearances==
*{{PS}} 
*{{PS|F}}
*{{PS|G}}
*{{COS}}
*{{COS|F}}
*{{COS|G}}
*{{POA}}
*{{POA|F}}
*{{POA|G}}
*{{GOF}}
*{{GOF|F}}
*{{GOF|G}}
*{{OOTP}}
*{{OOTP|F}}
*{{OOTP|G}}
*{{HBP}}
*{{HBP|F}}
*{{HBP|G}}
*{{DH}}
*{{DH|F1}}
*{{DH|G1}}
*{{DH|F2}}
*{{DH|G2}}
*{{CC}}
*{{CC|P}}
*{{FB|R}} 
*{{QTA|R}} 
*{{TBB|R}} 
*{{PM}}
*{{WW}}
*''[[Untitled charity auction story|Harry Potter Prequel]]''
*{{DH|ME}}
*{{QH}}
*''[[J. K. Rowling: A Year in the Life]]''
*{{TCG}}
*''[[The Art of Harry Potter Mini Book of Graphic Design]]''
*{{TWC}}
*{{LEGO}}
*''[[LEGO Brickheadz: Harry Potter]]''
*{{HPV|CH}}
*{{HPV|CR}}
*{{MPF}}
*{{HPFJ}}
*{{HPPU}}
*{{LEGO|B}}
*{{LEGO|C}}
*{{LEGO|Y1}}
*{{LEGO|Y2}}
*{{LEGO|C1}}
*{{LEGO|C2}}
*{{LEGO|D}}
*{{QWC}}
*{{HPFS}}
*{{HPK}}
*{{HM}} 
*{{WU}}
*{{PAS}}
*{{MA}}
*{{HPMCW}}
*{{HPWA}}
*{{CAH}}

Notes and references

List of sources for information in the "Behind the scenes" section.
Also used to source from J. K. Rowling interviews and her website.
Items are added to the list by placing <ref>Source goes here</ref> after the information tidbit in question.
To provide a reference with an image, place {{See image}} in the source along with a parameter for the file. For example: {{See image|File:Diagon Alley - Jim Kay.jpg}} will produce: (see this image).
These citations also need to be made outside of the punctuation (i.e. after the period and outside any quotation marks).
To get the references to show up in this section, insert the following code:

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

External links

Example:

==External links==
...

It's called "External links" even if there is currently only one link
Put links to other unofficial sources here, e.g. fan sites. For an external link to Wikipedia, use {{Wikilink|page title here}}. For example, {{Wikilink|J. K. Rowling}} will produce: J. K. Rowling on Wikipedia
NO links to JKRowling.com here - it is an official source and should be treated that way

Succession box

Example:
{{Start box}}
{{Succession box
|predecessor=Unknown, eventually [[Matilda Weasley]]
|position=[[Transfiguration (class)|Transfiguration]] Professor at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]
|years=?–c. [[1957]]
|successor=[[Minerva McGonagall]] {{C|Initially shared classes}}
}}
{{Succession box
|predecessor=[[Armando Dippet]]
|position=Headmaster of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]
|years=c. [[1965]]–[[8 May]] [[1993]]
|successor=[[Minerva McGonagall]] (interim)
}}
{{End box}}

Succession boxes serve two purposes: to list the time period for which an individual held a certain post/title, and to provide links to their immediate predecessor and/or successor. Due to the tendency of contributors to insert speculation and fanon into succession boxes, it is best to follow these "do nots":

Do not insert succession boxes for titles that were unique to a certain individual and, therefore, result in no predecessors or successors. The same applies if the individual is the only known holder of the title.
- E.g. Lord Voldemort
Do not insert succession boxes if the individual's position in the succession sequence is unclear.
Do not insert succession boxes for something that is not a proper title. For example, a succession box for Severus Snape where the title is "Holds an Unbreakable Vow to Albus Dumbledore".

If the individual was the first (last) person to bear a certain title, the "Preceded by" ("Succeeded by") section should read "None". If there are no known predecessors/successors, the corresponding section should read "Unknown". However, if there are some known predecessors/successors, the section should read "Unknown, eventually <name of the chronologically nearest individual>". (Example: Seraphina Picquery's immediate predecessor as President of MACUSA is unknown, therefore, the succession box reads "Unknown, eventually Emily Rappaport".)

The phrase "the first (last) person to bear a certain title" means that there are no successors because the title was made (obsolete). If the individual in question continues to hold the title "currently" (where the "present" is defined as the date of the last published Harry Potter work), the "Succeeded by" section should read "Incumbent".

Order succession boxes by the years in which the position was held. The earliest held position is first. If multiple positions have the same starting year, then the earlier ending year is first, etc.

All succession boxes should be contained within two templates: {{Start box}} and {{End box}}. This ensures that there are no line breaks within succession boxes.

Stub

Example (for a stub about a character):

{{character-stub}}

Used at the bottom of the article body when the article is too vague or brief, AND when there is clearly more information that can be added
See Category:Stub templates

Translations

Example:
[[fi:Hermione Granger]]

If there is a translation of an article available please place the proper code here.

Clean template

==Biography==
==Physical description==
==Personality and traits==
==Magical abilities and skills==
==Possessions==
==Relationships==
==Etymology==
==Behind the scenes==
===Author's comments===
==Appearances==
==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
==External links==
[[language code:article name]]
[[Category:]]