Editing Guideline:Hatnote

{{Redirect|BTW:HN|the page on the <code>Help:</code> namespace|BattleTechWiki:Help namespace}}
{{pp-protected|small=yes}}
{{subcat guideline|editing guideline|Hatnote|BTW:HN|BTW:HAT}}
{{nutshell|''Hatnotes'' provide [[BTW:Internal link|links]] at the very top of an [[BattleTechWiki:Article|article]] or a [[BattleTechWiki:Section|section]] to help readers locate a different article if the one they are viewing is not the one they're looking for.}}

'''Hatnotes''' are short notes placed at the very top of a page or a [[BattleTechWiki:Section|section]]. As an example, see the notes in italics immediately preceding the boxes above. The name comes from their placement, as a [[w:hat|hat]] is placed on top of one's head. The purpose of a hatnote is to help readers locate a different article if the one they are at is not the one they're looking for. Readers may have arrived at the article containing the hatnote because:
* They were redirected.
* They may be seeking an article that uses a more specific, [[BTW:DAB|disambiguated]] title.
* They may be seeking an article with a similar name to, or that otherwise might be confused with, the article with the hatnote.

Hatnotes provide [[BTW:Internal link|links]] to the possibly sought article or to a [[BTW:DAB|disambiguation page]].

{{Anchor|Rules}}{{Shortcut|BTW:HATNOTERULES|BTW:HRULES|BTW:HATNOT|BTW:HNR}}
The five basic rules of hatnotes are:

# Link directly to other articles; do not pipe non-disambiguation links. Linking to redirects is typically not preferred, although of course exceptions can occur. Links to disambiguation pages should always end in "(disambiguation)", even when that version of the title is a redirect.
# Keep explanations to a minimum; explain vital information only, letting the lead section and body of the article to clarify things for the reader.
# Mention other topics and articles only if there is a reasonable possibility of a reader arriving at the article either by mistake or with another topic in mind.
# However, if a [[BTW:Notability policy|notable]] topic X is commonly referred to as "Foo", but the article "[[w:Foo|Foo]]" is not about X, there ''must'' be a hatnote linking to the article on X ''or'' linking to a [[BTW:DAB|disambiguation page]] that contains a link to the article on X.
# Ideally, limit hatnotes to just one at the top of the page or section. Multiple hatnotes may be appropriate when they serve different purposes, such as [[Template:Other uses|disambiguating topics with similar names]] and [[Template:Redirect|explaining redirects]]. (In such cases, consider using {{tl|hatnote group}}.)

For more information about methods of disambiguating articles, see [[BattleTechWiki:Disambiguation]].

==Placement==
{{See also|BattleTechWiki:Manual of Style/Lead section#Elements}}
{{shortcut|BTW:HATNOTEPLACE|BTW:HNP}}
Place hatnotes at the top of the article or section and strictly above anything else including protection icons or [[BattleTechWiki:Template index/Maintenance|maintenance tags]]. [[w:Text-based web browser|Text-based web browser]]s and [[w:screen reader|screen reader]]s present the page sequentially. If a reader has reached the wrong page, they should find that out first.

== Format ==
In most cases, hatnotes should be created using a standard hatnote template, as illustrated in {{section link|#Hatnote templates}} below. This permits the form and structure of hatnotes to be changed uniformly across the encyclopedia as needed, and the templates to be excluded in print.

Current style on the English BattleTechWiki is to italicize and to indent each note, without a bullet before the item.  A horizontal dividing line should not be placed either under a note or after the final item in a list. Links to articles should follow the naming conventions for capitalization &ndash; typically [[w:sentence case|sentence case]], not all lower case.

When determining the content of the hatnote, keep in mind that it forms part of the user interface rather than the article content. Two applicable [[w:user interface design|user interface design]] principles are clarity and conciseness. The hatnote should not overload the user with extraneous information, and the content should be imparted quickly and accurately. These design goals are conveyed succinctly in the principle [[w:Minimalism|''less is more'']].

=== Length and number ===
{{shortcut|BTW:1HAT|BTW:ONESHORTHAT|BTW:HATLENGTH}}
As hatnotes separate the reader from the content they are looking for, hatnotes should generally be as concise as possible. Long explanations are generally discouraged; the article's lead text, not the hatnote, should explain what the article is about. In almost all cases, the hatnote is intended only to direct readers to other articles in case they were actually looking for something they will not find in the article containing the hatnote.

If a disambiguation page exists for a given term, then linking to it should be enough. For example, if the article is [[w:X|X]] then its hatnote will link to [[w:X (disambiguation)|X (disambiguation)]]; it should not have entries for other topics known as ''X'', like [[w:X (Grafton novel)|''X'' (Grafton novel)]] or [[w:X (charge)|X (charge)]], because they are already listed in the disambiguation page. However, such an article may be linked if it could be expected by a significant number of readers to be at the title in question: for instance, [[w:Turkey|Turkey]] is about the country, but many readers expect to find the article about the bird at that title; therefore, the hatnote there correctly reads

{{xt|<nowiki>{{about|the country|the bird|Turkey (bird)|other uses}}</nowiki>}}

which renders

{{about|the country|the bird|Turkey (bird)|other uses|Turkey (disambiguation)}}

There should be as few hatnotes as possible. One single hatnote, which can accommodate several links, is greatly preferable to two or more. Multiple hatnotes may however be appropriate when each serves a different purpose, such as [[Template:For|disambiguating the title]] or [[Template:Distinguish|distinguishing similar terms]].

== Summarize or not? ==
{{shortcut|BTW:HNS}}
Some hatnote disambiguation templates include a brief summary of the present article's topic; others do not have a summary.  For instance, in the article [[w:Honey|Honey]], one might use the template {{tlp|about|the insect-produced fluid}} to produce:

{{about|the insect-produced fluid|other uses|Honey (disambiguation)}}

Alternatively, one might use {{tlp|other uses}} to produce:

{{other uses|Honey (disambiguation)}}

Either of these two styles is acceptable. The choice of style in a given article is based on editors' preferences and on what is likely to be clearer and easier for the reader. (In this particular instance, most English speakers will know what honey is, and the second, more concise hatnote is preferable.) Where an article already has a hatnote in one of these styles, editors should not change it to the other style without good reason.

== Examples of proper use ==

=== Two articles with similar titles ===
{{shortcut|BTW:SIMILAR}}
<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: green; border:1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
{{about|the village in England|H. P. Lovecraft's fictional town|w:Dunwich (Lovecraft)}}
'''Dunwich''' is a town in the county of [[w:Suffolk|Suffolk]] in [[w:England|England]], the remnant of what was once a prosperous seaport and centre of the wool trade during the early [[w:middle ages|middle ages]], with a natural harbour formed by the mouths of the [[w:River Blyth, Suffolk|River Blyth]]. ...
</blockquote>

When two articles share the same title, except that one is disambiguated and the other not, the undisambiguated article should include a hatnote with a link to the other article. It is not necessary to create a separate disambiguation page. {{tl|about}} may be used for this. In this case, the parameterization was <code>{{tlp|about|the village in England|H. P. Lovecraft's fictional town|Dunwich (Lovecraft)}}</code>.

===Terms that can cause confusion with another topic===
{{shortcut|BTW:HATCONFUSE|BTW:HATMISSPELL}}
<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: green; border:1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
{{distinguish|Pearl}}
'''Perl''' is a family of [[w:High-level programming language|high-level]], [[w:General-purpose programming language|general-purpose]], [[w:Interpreter (computing)|interpreted]], [[w:dynamic programming language|dynamic programming language]]s. ...
</blockquote>

{{tl|Distinguish}} or a related template can be used when there can be confusion with a similar term. They are typically used when readers have misspelled their desired title, and the error would be apparent by simply displaying the alternative term without further explanation. These hatnotes should only be used when the ambiguity exists for a significant portion of the readership.

However, they are not suitable when the difference is not readily apparent without additional details. In those cases, use {{tl|about}}, {{tl|for}} or {{tl|other uses}} instead, as the differences in the suggested article are explained upfront without requiring the reader to click through and differentiate the terms on their own.

=== Linking to a disambiguation page ===
{{shortcut|BTW:HATDAB}}
<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: green; border:1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
{{other uses|w:Monolith (disambiguation)}}
A '''monolith''' is a [[w:monument|monument]] or natural feature, such as a [[w:mountain|mountain]], consisting of a single massive [[w:Rock (geology)|stone]] or rock. [[w:Erosion|Erosion]] usually exposes these formations. ...
</blockquote>

When a term has a primary meaning and two or more additional meanings, the hatnote on the primary topic page should link to a disambiguation page. {{tl|other uses}} may be used for this.

In many cases, the hatnote also includes a brief description of the subject of the present article, for readers' convenience:
<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: green; border:1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
{{about|the maze-like labyrinth from Greek mythology|other uses|w:Labyrinth (disambiguation)}}
In [[w:Greek mythology|Greek mythology]], the '''Labyrinth''' was an elaborate [[w:maze|maze]]-like structure constructed for King [[w:Minos|Minos]] of [[w:Crete|Crete]] and designed by the legendary artificer [[w:Daedalus|Daedalus]] to hold the [[w:Minotaur|Minotaur]]. ...
</blockquote>

The template {{tl|about}} may be used for this. In this case the parameterization was <code>{{tlp|about|the mazelike labyrinth from Greek mythology}}</code>.

=== Hatnotes above maintenance tags===
Always place a hatnote above maintenance tags. See [[#Placement|above]] for specific details regarding the placement of hatnotes.
<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: green; border:1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
{{For|the 2014 film adaptation|w:The Giver (film){{!}}''The Giver'' (film)}}
{{ambox
| name  = Refimprove
| type  = content
| class = ambox-Refimprove
| image = [[File:Question book-new.svg|50x40px|alt=]]
| issue = This article '''needs additional citations for [[BattleTechWiki:Verifiability|verification]]'''.
| fix   = Please help [{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=edit}} improve this article] by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
| date  = October 2014
}}
'''''The Giver''''' is a 1993 American [[w:young-adult fiction|young-adult]] [[w:dystopian novel|dystopian novel]] by [[w:Lois Lowry|Lois Lowry]]. It is set in a society which at first appears as [[w:utopian society|utopian]], but is later revealed to be a [[w:dystopian fiction|dystopian]] one as the story progresses. The novel follows a boy named Jonas. ...
</blockquote>

===Hatnotes with italics in the links===
{{shortcut|BTW:ITHAT}}
<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: green; border:1px solid black; padding: 1em;">
{{Redirect |Spotted angle |the other butterfly with this name |w:Caprona alida{{!}}''Caprona alida''}}
'''''Caprona agama''''', the '''spotted angle''', is a [[w:butterfly|butterfly]] belonging to the family [[w:Hesperiidae|Hesperiidae]]. ...
</blockquote>

Words or phrases that are italicized within a normal sentence should be unitalicized within a hatnote. Since all words in a hatnote are italicized, the specific text will not stand out if the italics are not disabled.

Italics are cancelled by the parameterization:

<code>{{tlp |Redirect |Spotted angle |the other butterfly with this name |Caprona alida<nowiki>{{!}}&apos;&apos;Caprona alida&apos;&apos;</nowiki>}}</code>

Many hatnote templates found below section headers, such as {{tl|Main}}, {{tl|See also}}, {{tl|Further}}, and others have label parameters to customize the italicization of the output text:

<code>{{tlp |See also |Caprona alida |label1<nowiki>=''Caprona alida''</nowiki>}}</code>

In this instance, the rendered term will stand out unitalicized.

== <span class="anchor" id="Templates"></span>Hatnote templates ==

===Generic hatnote===
{{tlx|Hatnote}} allows general text to be shown in hatnote format. It is appropriate when none of the other specific templates listed below includes the combination of parameters needed, or to combine several of them in a single hatnote.

* {{tlx|Hatnote|CUSTOM TEXT}} → {{Hatnote|CUSTOM TEXT}}
:{{tlx|Hatnote|For other senses of this term, see <nowiki>[[</nowiki>etc...<nowiki>]]</nowiki>}} → {{Hatnote|For other senses of this term, see [[etc...]]}}

===Other uses of the same title ("''For ..., see ...''")===
===="''This page is about ... For other uses, see...''"====
{{tlx|About}} is the main template for noting other uses.

''Note: When used in [[BattleTechWiki:Main namespace|main namespace]] (aka mainspace), the word "page" in the following hatnotes is replaced by "article".''

* {{tlx|About|TOPIC}} → {{About|TOPIC}}
* {{tlx|About|USE1<nowiki>||</nowiki>PAGE2}} (When the disambiguation page has a different name – Note the empty second parameter) → {{About|USE1||PAGE2}}
* {{tlx|About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2}} (When there is only one other use) → {{About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2}}
* {{tlx|About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2|and|PAGE3}} (Two pages for USE2) → {{About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2|and|PAGE3}}
* {{tlx|About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2#SUBSECTION{{tlf|!}}PAGE2TITLE}} (Using the {{tl|!}} magic word to give the link a different title) → {{About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2#SUBSECTION{{!}}PAGE2TITLE}}
* {{tlx|About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2|other uses}} (When there are several standard other uses and also a disambiguation page with default name – Note that the last page name is not specified) → {{About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2|other uses}} 
* {{tlx|About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2|other uses|PAGE3}} (When there are several standard other uses and also a disambiguation page with non-default name) →{{About|USE1|USE2|PAGE2|other uses|PAGE3}}
* {{tlx|About|<nowiki>|</nowiki>USE2|PAGE2|USE3|PAGE3|other uses}} (When you don't need to state the focus of this article/page – Note the empty first parameter) → {{About||USE2|PAGE2|USE3|PAGE3|other uses}}
* {{tlx|About|<nowiki>||</nowiki>PAGE1|and|PAGE2}} → {{About|||PAGE1|and|PAGE2|_nocat=1}}
:Note: {{tlx|for|<nowiki>|</nowiki>PAGE1|PAGE2}} produces the same result.
* {{tlx|About|TOPIC|<nowiki>section=yes</nowiki>}} → {{About|TOPIC|section=yes}}
:Note: this hatnote says "section", instead of "article" or "page".
* {{tlx|About|USE1|text{{=}}TEXT}} → {{About|USE1|text = TEXT}}

===="''For ..., see ...''"====
{{tl|For}} can be used instead of {{tl|About}} so as not to display: ''This page is about USE1.'' but still specify a specific other use. This effect can also be achieved by using an empty first parameter in {{tl|About}} as in:

:''For example'': {{tlx|For|OTHER TOPIC|PAGE1}} is the same as {{tlx|About|<nowiki>|</nowiki>OTHER TOPIC|PAGE1}} (note the empty first parameter).<br/>
However, it is somewhat clearer when using the {{tl|For}} template, since the word "about" does not appear in the statement.

* {{tlx|For|OTHER TOPIC}} → {{For|OTHER TOPIC}}
* {{tlx|For|OTHER TOPIC|PAGE1}} → {{For|OTHER TOPIC|PAGE1}}
* {{tlx|For|OTHER TOPIC|PAGE1|PAGE2}} → {{For|OTHER TOPIC|PAGE1|PAGE2}}
* {{tlx|For|OTHER TOPIC|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3}} → {{For|OTHER TOPIC|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3}}

;Variations
:As with {{tl|Other uses}}, there is a whole family of "for" templates. {{tl|For2}} allows custom text, such as quotation marks or a link from part of the "CUSTOM TEXT", but does not supply automatic wikilinking
* {{tlx|For2|OTHER TOPIC|CUSTOM TEXT}} → {{For2|OTHER TOPIC|CUSTOM TEXT}} (note how CUSTOM TEXT isn't bluelinked)
:It also supports up to three topics:
* {{tlx|For2|OTHER TOPIC|CUSTOM TEXT|OTHER TOPIC 2|CUSTOM TEXT 2}} → {{For2|OTHER TOPIC|CUSTOM TEXT|OTHER TOPIC 2|CUSTOM TEXT 2}}
* {{tlx|For2|OTHER TOPIC|CUSTOM TEXT|OTHER TOPIC 2|CUSTOM TEXT 2|OTHER TOPIC 3|CUSTOM TEXT 3}} → {{For2|OTHER TOPIC|CUSTOM TEXT|OTHER TOPIC 2|CUSTOM TEXT 2|OTHER TOPIC 3|CUSTOM TEXT 3}}

===="''For other uses, see ...''"====
When such a wordy hatnote as {{tl|About}} is not needed, {{tl|Other uses}} is often useful.

* {{tlx|Other uses}} → {{Other uses|Hatnote (disambiguation)}}
* {{tlx|Other uses|PAGE1}} → {{Other uses|PAGE1}}
* {{tlx|Other uses|PAGE1|PAGE2}} → {{Other uses|PAGE1|PAGE2}}

;Variations
:There are, historically, a whole family of "other uses" templates for specific cases. {{tl|About}} is the standard hatnote for "other uses" and many of them can be specified using the {{tl|About}} template. However, the individual templates may be easier to use in certain contexts.

:Here are the variations and (when appropriate) the equivalents using the {{tl|About}}, {{tl|Other uses}} or {{tl|For}} templates.

;"''For other uses of ..., see ...''"
* {{tlx|Other uses of|TOPIC}} → {{Other uses of|TOPIC|Topic (disambiguation){{!}}TOPIC (disambiguation)}}
* {{tlx|Other uses of|TOPIC|PAGE1}} → {{Other uses of|TOPIC|PAGE1}}

===Redirect===
===="''... redirects here. For other uses, see ...''"====
* {{tlx|Redirect|REDIRECT}} → {{Redirect|REDIRECT}}
* {{tlx|Redirect|REDIRECT<nowiki>||</nowiki>PAGE1}} → {{Redirect|REDIRECT||PAGE1}}
* {{tlx|Redirect|REDIRECT|USE1|PAGE1}} → {{Redirect|REDIRECT|USE1|PAGE1}}
* {{tlx|Redirect|REDIRECT|USE1|PAGE1|USE2|PAGE2}} → {{Redirect|REDIRECT|USE1|PAGE1|USE2|PAGE2}}
* {{tlx|Redirect|REDIRECT|USE1|PAGE1|and|PAGE2}} → {{Redirect|REDIRECT|USE1|PAGE1|and|PAGE2}}

;Variations:
* For two sources:
** {{tlx|Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2}} → {{Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2}}
** {{tlx|Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE}} → {{Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE}}
** {{tlx|Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2<nowiki>||PAGE1</nowiki>}} → {{Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2||PAGE1}}
** {{tlx|Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE|PAGE1}} → {{Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE|PAGE1}}
** {{tlx|Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE1|PAGE1|USE2|PAGE2}} → {{Redirect2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE1|PAGE1|USE2|PAGE2}}
* For three or more sources:
** {{tlx|Redirect-multi|2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2}} → {{Redirect-multi|2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2}}
** {{tlx|Redirect-multi|3|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|REDIRECT3}} → {{Redirect-multi|3|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|REDIRECT3}}
** {{tlx|Redirect-multi|2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE|PAGE}} → {{Redirect-multi|2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE|PAGE}}
** {{tlx|Redirect-multi|2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE1|PAGE1|USE2|PAGE2|and|PAGE3}} → {{Redirect-multi|2|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|USE1|PAGE1|USE2|PAGE2|and|PAGE3}}
** {{tlx|Redirect-several|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|REDIRECT3}} → {{Redirect-several|REDIRECT1|REDIRECT2|REDIRECT3}}
* To specify the text following "redirects here.":
** {{tlx|Redirect|REDIRECT|text{{=}}TEXT}}→ {{Redirect|REDIRECT|text = TEXT}}

===="''For technical reasons, ... redirects here. ... ''====
* {{tlx|Technical reasons|REDIRECT}} → {{Technical reasons|REDIRECT}}
* {{tlx|Technical reasons|REDIRECT|PAGE}} → {{Technical reasons|REDIRECT|PAGE}}
* {{tlx|Technical reasons|REDIRECT|DESCRIPTION|PAGE}} → {{Technical reasons|REDIRECT|DESCRIPTION|PAGE}}
* {{tlx|Technical reasons|REDIRECT|DESCRIPTION1|PAGE1|DESCRIPTION2|PAGE2}} → {{Technical reasons|REDIRECT|DESCRIPTION1|PAGE1|DESCRIPTION2|PAGE2}}

===Distinguish===

===="''Not to be confused with ...''"====
* {{tlx|Distinguish|PAGE1}} → {{Distinguish|PAGE1}}
* {{tlx|Distinguish|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3|PAGE4}} → {{Distinguish|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3|PAGE4}}
* {{tlx|Distinguish|text {{=}} TEXT}} → {{Distinguish|text = TEXT}}
* {{tlx|Distinguish|text {{=}} TEXT1 [[[[PAGE1]]]] TEXT2}} → {{Distinguish|text = TEXT1 [[PAGE1]] TEXT2}}

===For use in sections===
===="''Main article: ...''"====
{{tlx|Main}} is used to make [[BattleTechWiki:Summary style|summary style]] explicit, when used in a summary section for which there is also a separate article on the subject:
* {{tlx|Main|Main Article}} → {{Main|Main Article}} 
* {{tlx|Main|Main Article|Article2}} → {{Main|Main Article|Article2}} 
* {{tlx|Main list|Article1}} → {{Main list|Article1}}

===="''Further information: ...''"====
{{tlx|Further}} can supplement {{tlx|Main}} in summary sections, or can indicate more details in nonsummary sections:
* {{tlx|Further|PAGE}} → {{Further|PAGE}}
* {{tlx|Further|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3}} → {{Further|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3}}
* {{tlx|Further|topic{{=}}TOPIC|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3}} → {{Further|topic=TOPIC|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3}}

===="''See also ...''"====
{{tlx|See also}} can be used at the head of a section.
* {{tlx|See also|TOPIC PAGE|OTHER TOPIC PAGE}} → {{See also|TOPIC PAGE|OTHER TOPIC PAGE}}
:Note: use ''only'' when OTHER TOPIC PAGE is ''related'' to current article and contains a self-explanatory parenthetical.

* {{tlx|See also2|<nowiki>[[OTHER TOPIC]]|[[OTHER TOPIC2]]|[[OTHER TOPIC3]] and other text</nowiki>}} → {{See also2|[[OTHER TOPIC]]|[[OTHER TOPIC2]]|[[OTHER TOPIC3]] and other text}}

====Article or section transclusions====
* {{tlx|Transcluding article|PAGE1|PAGE2|PAGE3...}} (used when [[BTW:transclusion|transcluding]] 1 or more entire articles into a target article) → {{Transcluding article|PAGE1|PAGE2|...}}
* {{Tlx|Transcluded section|PAGE}} (used when [[BTW:selective transclusion|selectively transcluding a section]] from one article into a section of the target article) → {{Transcluded section|PAGE}}
* {{Tlx|Transcluded section|PAGE|part{{=}}yes}} (used when selectively transcluding a section into part of a section on the target page) → {{Transcluded section|PAGE|part=yes}}

===<span id="Categories">For category pages</span>===
{{Category see also|Hatnote templates for category pages}}
Category-specific templates:
* {{tlx|Category see also|THIS|THAT|THE OTHER}} → {{Category see also|THIS|THAT|THE OTHER}}
This is a template for linking categories ''horizontally''. Horizontal linkage is often the right solution when ''vertical linkage'' (i.e., as sub-category and parent category) is not appropriate. 
In most cases, this template should be used on ''both'' categories to create ''reciprocal linkage'' between the two categories.

* {{tlx|Cat main|MAIN ARTICLE}} → {{Cat main|MAIN ARTICLE}}
* {{tlx|Category explanation|colourless green ideas}} → {{Category explanation|colourless green ideas}}

===Correct titles===
"''The correct title of this article is ... The substitution or omission of the (or, without a reason: "It appears incorrectly here") ... is due to technical restrictions.''"
{{main|Template:Correct title}}

===Lists===
{{further|:Category:Hatnote templates for lists}}

=={{anchor|Notes}}What to do before editing or creating a template==
{{No substitution|1='''Do not use [[BattleTechWiki:Substitution|subst:]] with these templates''', as that will prevent:
# propagating changes as the template is modified;
# ''[[Special:Whatlinkshere/{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}|What links here]]'' (WLH) listing.}}

These templates are used in thousands of articles; therefore, changing the syntax could break thousands of articles. If you wish to create or edit a disambiguation or redirection template, first ask yourself the following questions:
# Is there already a template that will do this job? Since many disambiguation and redirection templates have already been created, first check: [[:Category:Hatnote templates]].
# Do I really need a new template for this? Will it likely be used on any other articles or should I just use {{tl|Hatnote}} instead? Before creating a new template, see the [[BattleTechWiki:Template namespace|template namespace]] guideline.
# If I change the parameters around on an existing template, do I know what the result will be? Will it break existing uses of the template, and if so, can I fix all of the errors?

==See also==
* {{tl|Inline cleanup tags}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Hatnote templates|state=collapsed}}
{{BattleTechWiki templates}}
{{BattleTechWiki policies and guidelines}}

[[Category:Disambiguation]]