Adding {{Primary source inline|date=පෙබරවාරි 2025}} produces a superscripted notation like the following, usually placed immediately after the citation to the primary source (following <ref>...</ref> if used):
You can also include a |reason= note, which displays as a tooltip upon mouse hover, to leave a better record for future editors. For example, the following usage might be appropriate in response to the arguable claim that "Most people believe in ghosts":
{{Primary source inline|reason=Citation of the results of a survey on the Ghostbusters company website|date=පෙබරවාරි 2025}}
Adding this template to an article places the article into one of a family of categories identifying "Articles with unsourced statements". To find all such articles, see Category:All articles with unsourced statements.
For larger paragraphs citing only primary sources, the parameter |plural= can be added:
This template can be put into non-categorizing demo mode (also good for talk pages and other non-articles) with |demo=yes or |nocat=yes (and another value such as =y will also work).
When to use
Use this template to "tag" information or analysis that you believe is improperly or unnecessarily supported by a primary source, so that other editors can see whether this use is appropriate and/or replace it with a citation to a stronger source. Primary sources may be used on Wikipedia, but they need to be handled with care.
Even outside of biographies, material which is dubious and potentially harmful may be removed immediately, rather than tagged (see WP:Citing sources § Unsourced material).
If no citation is given, use the {{citation needed}} tag instead.
If the source given is self-published, use {{self-published inline}}. This template also has special features for:
Use {{user-generated inline}} if it comes from a user-edited site like another wiki or other publicly editable database.
If you think the author has a conflict of interest or is otherwise too close to the subject, use {{third-party inline}}.
If you have the time and ability to find a better reference, please do so. Then correct the citation yourself, or correct the article text. After all, the ultimate goal is not to merely identify problems, but to fix them.
Some editors object to what they perceive as overuse of inline tags, particularly in what is known as "drive-by" tagging, which is applying a dispute or cleanup tag without attempting to address the issues at all. Consider whether adding this tag in an article is the best approach before using it, and use it judiciously.
This template is intended for specific passages which need citation. For articles or sections which have significant material lacking sources (rather than just specific short passages), there are other, more appropriate templates, such as {{unreferenced}}. If the article as a whole relies on primary sources (rather than the independent, secondary sources required by the content policies), consider adding the {{primary sources}} tag to the top of the article. It can also be used to flag a section of an article: {{primary sources|section}}.
See also
{{Primary sources}} – the article- or section-level banner version of this template
