Global templates/FAQ

This is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions about the Global templates initiative.

In addition to reading the FAQ, it is recommended to read also the Proposed specification (or its longer version).

Can I use templates from the English / French / Spanish / Russian / some other Wikipedia / Wikisource / Wiktionary in my wiki?
No.

Sorry.

At least not now.

That's the problem that the Global templates initiative is trying to solve. So maybe some day you will be able to do it.

For now, you have these options:


 * Just give up on using the functionality that this template provides.
 * Import the template into your wiki. See the documentation on the pages Manual:Importing XML dumps and Global template/Transition. It's not so easy (even though some people say it is), but it's the most thorough option available.
 * Develop your own template that provides it.
 * Try to use some advanced solution, such as Synchronizer.

Is anyone working on this? When will it become available?
No. As of February 2023, it's just an idea. It's described in a lot of detail, but there's no project to implement the whole thing by the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia Germany, or any major group.

Some parts of the proposal are being worked on, however, such as Translatable modules. See the page Global templates/Status for details.

Is my wiki going to be forced to use infobox, reference, or any other kinds of templates from the English Wikipedia?
No!

This is probably the question that is the most frequently asked about Global templates. And the answer is no.

The Global templates initiative proposes to create a global repository of templates code and give wikis the option to use templates from that repository. Some templates shouldn't be in the global repository at all, because by their nature they are necessary only in one project or in one language.