Usage
Use this template to "tag" dubious information or analysis which cites references produced by a fringe-theory or pseudo-science source, so that other editors can know to back up the statement with reliable citations or remove the claim, per Wikipedia:Verifiability.
It produces a superscripted notation like the following:
- It is evidence of extraterrestrial life.[unreliable fringe source?]
Articles tagged with this template will be categorized into Category:All articles lacking reliable references.
Place this template inline, {{Unreliable fringe source|date=August 2025}} following the questionable claim (and any punctuation attached to it). The template should be placed outside the reference (<ref> ... </ref>), within the article's text:
- Potentially controversial statement.
<ref>some alleged source for this</ref>{{Unreliable fringe source|date=August 2025}}Next sentence.
When to use and not use this template
This template should be used to express doubt about the credibility of a source for a claim that is or should be subject to scientific verification.
For improperly sourced medical claims, use the more specific {{Unreliable medical source}} instead.
This tag should not be used on unreliably sourced contentious statements about living persons; if the source is not reliable, the statement should be removed immediately.
For whole articles or article sections that rely on fringe sources, considering using just {{fringe theories}} or {{fringe theories|section}}, respectively, rather than individually tagging a large number of statements.
For sources unreliable for reasons other than promotion of fringe ideas, the more general template {{Unreliable source?}} can be used.
This tag should not be used to indicate that the sourced material could not be found within a given source. In that case, {{failed verification}} is a better template. For statements that have failed verification and have a questionable would-be source, consider removal of the source (and possibly the statement) over using both tags.
Parameters
The template has the following optional parameters:
- date: should be set to the month and year when the article was tagged. Example:
{{Unreliable fringe source|date=August 2025}} - reason: a note explaining why you think the source is unreliable as per WP:FRINGE and WP:RS. Displays as a tool tip. Keep it short (one sentence) as longer material belongs on the talk page. It is good to reiterate the reason in your edit summary. Example:
{{Unreliable fringe source|reason=Your WP:FRINGE-based reason here.|date=August 2025}} - sure or certain: if set to "y" or "yes" will remove the question mark from the template's output to denote a degree of certainty that the source is unreliable. Please use this with a
reasonparameter. Example:{{Unreliable fringe source|sure=y|reason=your WP:RS-based reason here.|date=August 2025}}
See also
Inline templates
{{Better source}}, an alternative to{{Unreliable source|certain=y}}; especially useful for tagging sources that are low-quality but not necessarily wrong{{Obsolete source}}, for when a source has been surpassed by more recent works{{Unreliable medical source}}, for fringe medical sources in particular{{Unreliable source?}}, for unreliable but non-fringe sources{{Primary source inline}}, for misuse of primary source material{{Dubious}}, for questionable claims that seem unlikely to be properly sourceable
More templates
{{Fringe theories}}, a banner template for flagging an entire article or section as relying on fringe sources{{More citations needed}}, a banner template for flagging entire article or section as needing better sourcing generally- Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup/Verifiability and sources
- Wikipedia:Template messages/Sources of articles
Policies, guidelines, essays, and wikiprojects
- Wikipedia:Verifiability
- Wikipedia:Citing sources, especially §?Unsourced material
- Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources
- Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (natural sciences)
- Wikipedia:Reliable source examples § Physical sciences, mathematics and medicine
- Wikipedia:Independent sources
- Wikipedia:Third-party sources
- Wikipedia:WikiProject Fact and Reference Check
