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Maniphest T414094

Deployment plan for Sub-referencing
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Description

We're targeting a global rollout for sub-referening in 2026.
We're tracking the deployments in this ticket.

Test Environments:

Pilot Wikis - Phase 1 - September 22, 2025

Pilot Wikis - Phase 2 - February 24, 2026 T418209
As soon as critical feedback is addressed. We'll reach out to wikis beforehand.

  • pl.wiki (no longer uses {{reflist}})
  • sv.wiki
  • als.wiki
  • frr.wiki
  • fiu-vro.wiki

The following wikis have Parsoid set to default:

  • gpe.wiki
  • rm.wiki
  • knc.wiki
  • de.wikivoyage T405825

Potential pilot wikis - date tbd
The following wikis are using Reference Tooltips as a default gadget. We still need to provide support to local wikis for updating the tool T416304

Global rollout - Phase 1 - date tbd
As soon as we’ve reached a good level of compatibility for users working in VE with articles that use the {{reflist}} template. We will deploy in batches to LTR wikis:

  • All of Group 0
  • All of Group 1, except for he.wiki and ca.wiki
  • Group 2 in batches, except for RTL wikis
    • Batch 1
      • fr.wiki
      • nl.wiki
      • ca.wiki
      • smaller wikis tail end
    • Batch 2
      • es.wiki
      • pt.wiki
      • smaller wikis tail end
    • Batch 3
      • zh.wiki
      • ru.wiki
      • ko.wiki
      • id.wiki
      • uk.wiki
      • tr.wiki
      • se.wiki
      • vi.wiki
      • hu.wiki
      • fi.wiki
      • th.wiki
      • el.wiki
      • ja.wiki
      • rest of smaller tail end
    • Batch 4
      • en.wiki

Global rollout - Phase 2:
When we’ve tested and validated RTL support for sub-referencing we will deploy to all RTL wikis.

  • All RTL wikis

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Event Timeline

Lina_Farid_WMDE created this task.Jan 8 2026, 2:07 PM
Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptJan 8 2026, 2:07 PM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 8 2026, 2:10 PM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 8 2026, 2:16 PM
Restricted Application added subscribers: Stang, revi. · View Herald TranscriptJan 8 2026, 2:16 PM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 8 2026, 2:19 PM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)
Johannes_Richter_WMDE subscribed.Jan 8 2026, 2:34 PM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 8 2026, 2:41 PM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE added a subtask: T395871: Enable sub-referencing on test wiki.
Johannes_Richter_WMDE added a subtask: T398669: Deploy sub-referencing MVP to dewiki.
Johannes_Richter_WMDE added a subtask: T405825: Deploy sub-referencing MVP to German Wikivoyage (devoy).
Stang unsubscribed.Jan 8 2026, 11:54 PM
thiemowmde subscribed.Jan 14 2026, 10:46 AM

T405825 is linked here. @Lina_Farid_WMDE, do we want to add Wikivoyage a bit earlier as part of phase 2?

Lina_Farid_WMDE added a comment.Jan 16 2026, 11:16 AM
In T414094#11520504, @thiemowmde wrote:

T405825 is linked here. @Lina_Farid_WMDE, do we want to add Wikivoyage a bit earlier as part of phase 2?

We'll decide on this as soon as we've validated that the Parsoid visual diffs (which we've recieved today) have no erros that may affect wikivoyage. We'll plan the validation as part of our upcoming sprint.

Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 16 2026, 11:17 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE added subscribers: ppelberg, SDelbecque-WMF, JTannerWMF, MSantos.Jan 16 2026, 11:23 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 19 2026, 8:25 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE added a comment.Jan 19 2026, 8:56 AM

@Johannes_Richter_WMDE I've moved pl.wiki up to Pilot Wikis - Phase 2.

Lina_Farid_WMDE added a subscriber: JArguello-WMF.Jan 19 2026, 10:11 AM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 19 2026, 10:32 AM
Nux subscribed.Jan 23 2026, 11:34 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 29 2026, 9:29 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 30 2026, 8:37 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 30 2026, 8:39 AM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Feb 3 2026, 1:19 PM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Mon, Feb 9, 3:08 PM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Tue, Feb 10, 2:32 PM
Lina_Farid_WMDE moved this task from Waiting / Stalled stories to Stories ready for pickup on the WMDE-TechWish (product board) board.
Mohammed_Qays subscribed.Fri, Feb 13, 6:52 PM

لدي ملاحظة نحن في ويكيبيديا العربية نستخدم اسلوب مشابهة ولكن بطريقة أراها أفضل بكثير عن الاسلوب المتبع بهذه الطريقة وهو الاعتماد على قالب ووحدة. إذا كان لديكم الوقت الاطلاع عليها وفهم الطريقة وكيفية الاستشهاد. مع التحية.

Johannes_Richter_WMDE added a comment.Mon, Feb 16, 1:21 PM
In T414094#11616420, @Mohammed_Qays wrote:

لدي ملاحظة نحن في ويكيبيديا العربية نستخدم اسلوب مشابهة ولكن بطريقة أراها أفضل بكثير عن الاسلوب المتبع بهذه الطريقة وهو الاعتماد على قالب ووحدة. إذا كان لديكم الوقت الاطلاع عليها وفهم الطريقة وكيفية الاستشهاد. مع التحية.

Thank you for sharing your feedback! We are aware that some wikis use templates similar to {{sfn}} for short citations and citing sources with different details. Sub-referencing is an optional feature designed to provide a seamless MediaWiki solution for re-using references with different details – without individual wikis having to create or maintain their own features. Users may of course continue to use existing citation styles if they prefer template-based solutions or other citation features. We've heard some feedback from sfn-users that they would like to switch to sub-referencing, others want to continue using such templates, that's up to the individual user.

We've mentioned some disadvantages of sfn-style templates for VisualEditor users and for readers on our project page. Looking at {{استشهاد مختصر}} it seems some of the typical disadvantages for VisualEditor users have been mitigated on arwiki (e.g. due to including the template in arwiki's MediaWiki:Cite-tool-definition.json), but we nevertheless believe in the benefits of sub-referencing.

We would be happy to have a video call with you to observe how you're currently using citations on arwiki and discuss your thoughts on sub-referencing workflows. Reach out to our product manager @Lina_Farid_WMDE (lina.farid@wikimedia.de) if you're interested. Thanks!

thiemowmde added a subtask: T416304: Make the ReferenceTooltips Gadget sub-ref compatible.Tue, Feb 17, 9:51 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Wed, Feb 18, 1:37 PM
awight created subtask T418209: Deploy subreferencing: pilot wikis phase 2.Tue, Feb 24, 9:01 AM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Tue, Feb 24, 9:04 AM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE changed the status of subtask T405825: Deploy sub-referencing MVP to German Wikivoyage (devoy) from Stalled to In Progress.
Johannes_Richter_WMDE removed a subtask: T405825: Deploy sub-referencing MVP to German Wikivoyage (devoy).
Lina_Farid_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Tue, Feb 24, 9:19 AM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE updated the task description. (Show Details)Tue, Feb 24, 5:49 PM
Mohammed_Qays unsubscribed.Tue, Feb 24, 6:01 PM
Lina_Farid_WMDE added a subtask: T418280: Main references are displayed incorrectly on svwiki (if they're not used in the article).Fri, Feb 27, 9:46 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE closed subtask T418280: Main references are displayed incorrectly on svwiki (if they're not used in the article) as Resolved.Fri, Feb 27, 9:50 AM
Lina_Farid_WMDE created subtask T418563: Check for special configurations before deploying Sub-referencing.Fri, Feb 27, 9:55 AM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE reopened subtask T418280: Main references are displayed incorrectly on svwiki (if they're not used in the article) as Open.Mon, Mar 2, 7:03 PM
Johannes_Richter_WMDE closed subtask T418209: Deploy subreferencing: pilot wikis phase 2 as Resolved.Wed, Mar 4, 12:59 PM
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