View source for Wikipedia:Substitution

===List===
This is a list of templates that should not be substituted. This is because they contain formatting standard code, contain complex code, or contain code that breaks if substituted.
* {{tl|!}}, escapes a vertical bar for Wiki table syntax from the [[m:Help:Parameter default|default parameter]] and [[m:ParserFunctions|ParserFunctions]] mechanisms.
* {{tl|Citation needed}}, contains complex code.
* Various citation/reference templates which contain very complex conditional code (see: [[WP:CITET]]).
* {{tl|cleanup}}, {{tl|merge}}, {{tl|trivia}} and other [[WP:Cleanup resources|cleanup templates]]. Bots rely on them, substitution makes a mess of the article text and breaks the [[:Category:Cleanup by month|cleanup by month]] date categorization.
* {{tl|Curlie}}, URL queries external web directories (former DMOZ).
* [[:Category:Infobox templates|Infobox templates]], various ones for the sake of bot-identification and consistency.
* {{tl|Javadoc:EE}}, {{tl|Javadoc:SE}}, {{tl|Javadoc:SE-guide}}, conditional templates whose purpose is to update the links when the master template is updated.
* {{tl|ISP}}, {{tl|Openproxy}}, {{tl|repeat vandal}}, {{tl|SharedIP}}, {{tl|SharedIPEDU}}, {{tl|s/wnote}}, not messages to the users (so it is no problem if they change from their original form), so no reason to subst, but the standard reasons not to subst apply.
* {{tl|ln}}, {{tl|lnt}}, complex code
* {{tl|Main}}, maintains formatting standard.
* {{tl|switch}}, also conditional templates; substituting breaks usage
* {{tl|See also}}, standard formatting for see also list
* {{tl|selfref}}, does not work when substed, as it is meant to contain different code in mirrors.
* {{tl|Signpost-subscription}}, must be updated weekly.
* {{tl|stub}} templates, various ones for simplified usage and removal
* {{tl|talkarchive}}, {{tl|archive}}
* {{tl|tl}}, {{tl|tlp}}, {{tl|ttl}}, {{tl|ti}}, {{tl|tic}}, {{tl|tls}}, {{tl|cl}}, {{tl|ccl}}, many '''very''' widely used, {{tl|tl}} with over 4,300,000 transclusions at last count. Quicker to type than their substitutions, and non-substing them allows new Wikipedians to learn about them and be able to use them.
* {{tl|sockpuppet}} and similar templates intended to be placed on the top level page in user space. (Note: warnings and notices in the user talk space should be substituted.)