Help:Self link

File:PD-icon.svg

Note: When you edit this page, you agree to release your contribution under the CC0. See Public Domain Help Pages for more info.

File:PD-icon.svg

A self link is a wikilink which targets the page where it is placed. To avoid any confusion, a self-link is not clickable: the text is only bolded (but still represented as a ‎<a>...‎</a> tag). If the preference to underline links is set, self links are still underlined, unless this is explicitly disabled by the following CSS:

 .mw-selflink { text-decoration: none !important; }

Examples:

• [[Help:Self link]] gives Help:Self link
• [[Help:Self link]]abc gives Help:Self linkabc
• [[Help:Self link|abc]] gives abc

Utility

In templates transcluded on several pages (typically navigational templates), a link can usefully become a self link when the template is transcluded on the link target page. This avoids the reader believing they will see another page when clicking on it.

Clickable self links

Some kinds of self links are clickable, because they are not a simple internal link with direct target.

Full URL

If you use external link syntax, providing the full URL of the page, the link is always clickable.

E.g. [https://www.linuxwebexpert.com/Help:Self_link abc] gives abc

Link to self redirection

If you link to a page which redirects to the current page, the link remains clickable and not bolded.

Link to a local section

<translate> Main page:</translate> Help page about links, anchor section

If the target contains a fragment, even if the link targets the current section, it remains clickable and not bolded.

E.g. [[Help:Self link#Link to a local section]] gives Help:Self link#Link to a local section.