Template:Retrieved

Retrieved 2026-05-16.

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This template implements Citation Style 1 template-like behavior regarding online-retrieval information ("Retrieved ..."), especially as it applies in {{Cite web}}. It may be used with citation and external link templates that do not provide retrieval information, such as

Template:IMDb title

Template:Plain link

Template:Rotten Tomatoes

Template:URL

and others; however, see § Exceptions for recommended exceptions. This template and its documentation make use of Citation Style 1 guidelines.

Example:

A [[Brad Pitt]] statement.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0000093|name=Brad Pitt}}. {{Retrieved|access-date=2026-05-16}}</ref>

===References===

{{Reflist}}

Generates:

A Brad Pitt statement.

References

Usage

Full parameter set in horizontal format

{{Retrieved|prepend= |access-date= |via= |registration= |subscription= |note= |append= }}

Copy a blank version to use. All parameter names must be in lowercase. Use the "|" (pipe) character between each parameter. Leading and trailing spaces ( ) are trimmed from parameter values; therefore, parameters will not display if they are only populated by spaces. Delete unused parameters. See § Parameters for important details.

Exceptions

This template may not be used when retrieval information is inapplicable, superfluous, or not recommended, such as in External links or Further reading sections, or with templates such as {{Official website}}. Please see WP:ELCITE.

Examples

Some examples may include the current date. If the date is not current, then the page.

Today's date (ISO)

• {{Retrieved|access-date=2026-05-16}}

Generates: Retrieved 2026-05-16.

Today's date (MDY)

• {{Retrieved|access-date=May 16, 2026}}

Generates: Retrieved May 16, 2026.

Using via

• {{Retrieved|access-date=2026-05-16|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}

Generates: Retrieved 2026-05-16 – via Internet Archive.

Parameter values do not display when all-spaces

• {{Retrieved|prepend= |access-date=2026-05-16|via= }}

Generates: Retrieved 2026-05-16.

Access requirements

• {{Retrieved|access-date=2026-05-16|registration=y}}

Generates: Retrieved 2026-05-16 (registration required).

• {{Retrieved|access-date=2026-05-16|subscription=y}}

Generates: Retrieved 2026-05-16 (subscription required).

Subscription access requirement overrides registration

• {{Retrieved|access-date=2026-05-16|registration=y|subscription=y}}

Generates: Retrieved 2026-05-16 (subscription required).

Link note

• {{Retrieved|access-date=2026-05-16|note=brief link note}}

Generates: Retrieved 2026-05-16 (brief link note).

No trailing punctuation

• {{Retrieved|access-date=2026-05-16|append= }}

Generates: Retrieved 2026-05-16

Leading and trailing punctuation, access requirement, link note, and quote

• {{Retrieved|prepend=.{{sp}}|access-date=2026-05-16|via=Restricted Source|subscription=y|note=brief link note|append=. "Brief quote from source";}}

 – note use of {{sp}} with |prepend=, in order to add a trailing space to the parameter's value

Generates: . Retrieved 2026-05-16 – via Restricted Source (subscription required) (brief link note). "Brief quote from source";

Parameters

Required

• access-date: This parameter (or its alias accessdate) is required.

Deprecated

• accessyear: Please use access-date (or accessdate) instead. Using this parameter will add the article to Category:Pages containing Retrieved template with deprecated parameters.

Description

See also: Template:Cite web §§ URL, Publisher, and Subscription or registration required

• prepend: Displays first, before "Retrieved ...", when populated. It can be used to add leading punctuation and brief, relevant, information, such as online source format requirements (when not specified elsewhere). Note "Retrieved" always displays capitalized.
• access-date: Full date source was accessed. Do not wikilink. Not checked for date-formatting errors. May be any one of Wikipedia's acceptable date formats, but please follow the format established in the article’s citations and/or references. Otherwise, please see MOS:DATEUNIFY and Help:Citation Style 1. This parameter is required. Alias: accessdate.
• via: Cites the online provider/publisher of the source’s accessed version. May be wikilinked. Include when different from the source’s original online provider/publisher, or when the version accessed is in a different format from the original.
• registration or subscription: These parameters add a link note to specify online source has access requirements (WP:PAYWALL). Values display at 90% size, in grey, within parentheses.
  • If the online source requires registration, set |registration=y; superseded by subscription if both are set.
  • If the online source requires subscription: set |subscription=y; supersedes registration if both are set. When this parameter is set, the article will be added to Category:Pages containing links to subscription-only content.
• note: May be used to add a brief relevant editor comment regarding the link or source, such as embargo information etc. Value displays at 90% size, in grey, within parentheses.
• append: Value displays by default, as a period ( . ) for trailing punctuation; if you wish to retain the default do not add this parameter, or if already present, delete it. Otherwise, it can be used to replace or remove trailing punctuation, and to add a brief quote from the source.

See also

• Template:Dead link

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Retrieved in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Retrieved

This template adds online-retrieval information ("Retrieved ...") to external link templates that do not provide such facility.

Template parameters[Edit template data]

Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Prepend	prepend	Use it to add leading punctuation; displays before "Retrieved ..."	String	optional
Source access date	access-date accessdate	The full date the source was accessed; do not wikilink	Date	required
Via	via	Name of online provider if other than the publisher; also use when accessed version is in different format from the original; may be wikilinked	String	optional
Registration	registration	For online sources that require registration, set to 'y'; superseded by subscription if both are set	String	optional
Subscription	subscription	For online sources that require subscription, set to 'y'; supersedes registration if both are set	String	optional
Link note	note	When required for clarification, add a brief note about the link/online source	String	optional
Append	append	Trailing punctuation, displays by default, as a period; to remove, use this parameter without a value; to replace, use with desired value Default .	String	optional

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Retrieved/doc. (edit | history)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (create | mirror) and testcases (create) pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.