Template:Cite mailing list

Template documentation

This template is used to cite sources in Wikipedia. It is specifically for archived public mailing lists. It calls {{Cite web}} as a backend, but has uniform parameters which will hopefully lead to a standard way of citing mailing list records.

A general discussion of the use of templates for adding citation of open-source web content to Wikipedia articles is available at citation templates.

Usage

Common form for cases where only the message is available (with current date)

• {{cite mailing list |url= |title= |date= |accessdate=2025-11-04 |mailinglist= |last= |first= |authorlink= }}

Full syntax (with current date)

• {{cite mailing list |url= |title= |date= |accessdate=2025-11-04 |mailinglist= |last= |first= |author= |authorlink= |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |ref= }}

Examples

Citing http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-1996/msg00021.html

• {{cite mailing list | url = http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-1996/msg00021.html | title = Debian Linux Distribution Release 1.1 Now Available | mailinglist = debian-announce | date = 1996-06-17 | last = Perens |first = Bruce |authorlink=Bruce Perens }}
  → Perens, Bruce (1996-06-17). "Debian Linux Distribution Release 1.1 Now Available". debian-announce mailing list. http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-1996/msg00021.html. 

Omitting a required parameter

• {{cite mailing list | title = Debian Linux Distribution Release 1.1 Now Available | mailinglist = debian-announce | date = 1996-06-17 | last = Perens |first = Bruce |authorlink=Bruce Perens }}
  → Perens, Bruce (1996-06-17). "Debian Linux Distribution Release 1.1 Now Available". debian-announce mailing list. 

Note: the archive parameters (archiveurl and archivedate) must be used together.