In T124610#2012589, @Jdforrester-WMF wrote:

For bare URL references we provide a tool to convert them (<ref>foo.com</ref> -> <ref>{{cite news…}}</ref>), but I can't see how hand-written prose could be automatically converted in a sane way?

URL-detection? If the reference mentions an url, offer to replace the reference with a pre-filled citation based on the url alone, and ignore the rest of the existing reference?

DOI detection? If the reference mentions a doi-number offer to replace the reference with a pre-filled citation based on the doi number alone, and ignore the rest of the existing reference?

Now that T198567 works, we could potentially offer the conversion for any text, not just bare urls at present. Citoid actually will look for urls anywhere in the text, and it'll also search worldcat and crossref.

Not guaranteed to work great though but if it's now very feasible, all you have to do is allow the "convert" option for any bare references.

This looks a lot like T132288: Create tool to identify plain references and offer a fix.

also maybe ISBN?

In T124610#5072783, @Izno wrote:

This looks a lot like T132288: Create tool to identify plain references and offer a fix.

Similar, but that's one for doing it in a separate tool en masse, I think, rather than expanding the current option.

Change 802171 had a related patch set uploaded (by Esanders; author: Esanders):

[mediawiki/extensions/Citoid@master] Citoid context: Offer 'convert' button when there is other non-link content

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/802171

Change 802171 merged by jenkins-bot:

[mediawiki/extensions/Citoid@master] Citoid context: Offer 'convert' button when there is other non-link content

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/802171

This works as shown in https://photos.app.goo.gl/B7RJED2UVa9daj5p8.

@matmarex , kindly confirm that I am testing for the right thing sand it works as expected. Thanks!

Seems good to me.