"Citation needed" template context offers to replace the template with a citation, but only adds a citation after it
Closed, ResolvedPublicBUG REPORT
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Assigned To

Authored By

	DLynch
	Feb 21 2026, 5:20 AM

Description

Steps to replicate the issue (include links if applicable):

Edit a page that contains a citation needed template (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_unsourced_statements) in VisualEditor
Select a [citation needed]
Click the "add a citation" button
Add the citation

What happens?:

The placeholder citation ([...]) appears after the citation needed template.

CleanShot 2026-02-20 at 23.19.11@2x.png (266×948 px, 42 KB)

Once done, a new citation is added after the citation needed template.

CleanShot 2026-02-20 at 23.20.07@2x.png (270×950 px, 70 KB)

What should have happened instead?:

The citation needed template should have been replaced with the placeholder and then the new citation.

Details

Related Changes in Gerrit:

	Subject	Repo	Branch	Lines +/-
	CitoidInspector should never destroy reference lists	mediawiki/extensions/Citoid	master	+6 -3
	Revert "Fix "replace" behavior deleting unrelated nodes"	mediawiki/extensions/Citoid	master	+4 -4

Customize query in gerrit

Related Objects

Mentioned In: T367910: The entire reference list is deleted when attempting to replace citation with a reused reference

Event Timeline

DLynch created this task.Feb 21 2026, 5:20 AM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptFeb 21 2026, 5:20 AM

This was caused by https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/Citoid/+/1204577 which made the replace function only work on reference nodes.

DLynch mentioned this in T367910: The entire reference list is deleted when attempting to replace citation with a reused reference.Feb 21 2026, 5:22 AM

ppelberg subscribed.Feb 21 2026, 5:23 AM

Note, for that button to be available it needs to have been configured via the MediaWiki:Visualeditor-template-tools-definition.json message (e.g. on enwiki).

DLynch added a project: Regression.Feb 21 2026, 6:34 AM

thiemowmde added projects: WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-02-17-Beautiful-Beetroots, Unplanned-Sprint-Work.Feb 21 2026, 11:53 AM

Change #1242238 had a related patch set uploaded (by Thiemo Kreuz (WMDE); author: Thiemo Kreuz (WMDE)):

[mediawiki/extensions/Citoid@master] Revert "Fix "replace" behavior deleting unrelated nodes"

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1242238

gerritbot added a project: Patch-For-Review.Feb 23 2026, 8:07 AM

thiemowmde moved this task from Sprint Backlog to Done on the WMDE-TechWish-Sprint-2026-02-17-Beautiful-Beetroots board.Feb 23 2026, 8:08 AM

Change #1242238 merged by jenkins-bot:

[mediawiki/extensions/Citoid@master] Revert "Fix "replace" behavior deleting unrelated nodes"

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1242238

Maintenance_bot removed a project: Patch-For-Review.Feb 23 2026, 8:31 AM

ReleaseTaggerBot added a project: MW-1.46-notes (1.46.0-wmf.17; 2026-02-24).Feb 23 2026, 9:01 AM

Change #1243832 had a related patch set uploaded (by Thiemo Kreuz (WMDE); author: Thiemo Kreuz (WMDE)):

[mediawiki/extensions/Citoid@master] CitoidInspector should never destroy reference lists

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1243832

gerritbot added a project: Patch-For-Review.Feb 25 2026, 2:05 PM

Tobi_WMDE_SW closed this task as Resolved.Mar 5 2026, 9:51 AM

Tobi_WMDE_SW claimed this task.

Change #1243832 merged by jenkins-bot: