I think we should keep just one Preview button. When you click the button it should fire an API request for the parsed version and show you a spinner while the API request is processing. Once the API request returns, it should show you both the wikitext and parsed previews.

Evaluation for prioritization:

Support: Medium
Feasibility: High
Impact: Low
Risk: Low

Priority: Normal

This was the original request, posted by @PamD. We're going to solve the problem, but in a slightly different way than PamD requested. The original request is archived here:

Original description:

//When I add a ref using Reftoolbar I click on "Preview". I then have to click again on "Show parsed preview" to see what it will look like. Every time. I can't imagine that there are editors who don't need to do so. It's a minor irritation, repeatedly, for conscientious editors who want to preview their refs. Could this be improved, please?

I suggest any of the following:

1: Show the parsed reference by default (what problems would this cause, if any?)

2: Have two separate buttons: "Preview" and "Preview code", where the first one shows the Parsed version as well as the code, and the second shows the current setup.

3: Have a preference or similar whereby I can opt to see the Parsed version automatically

4: Have a preference or similar whereby anyone who doesn't want to see the Parsed version automatically can switch it off and remain with the current version, but the editors who want to see the Parsed version (possibly the vast majority?) are shown it by default.

A small request but one which will save many editors many clicks, one at a time, and a little bit of time, again and again.

Raised at https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:RefToolbar&curid=27346676&diff=686010277&oldid=685383995#Show_parsed_preview_by_default.3F where there was only one response but it was in agreement. Raised thereafter at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28proposals%29/Archive_121#RefToolbar:_Show_parsed_preview_by_default.3F, no response. But the editors who are steadily building the encyclopedia by adding content with references probably don't in general hang around the village pumps.

This small tweak to the software will make life a little bit better for vast numbers of editors. How about it?//