Help talk:External link icons

Do not invent URLs
My removal of the section Forcing an icon has been reverted, apparently because it was thought I was referring to the example URLs as specific, real examples, whereas they are of course hypothetical. I was not.

My point is that we should not be advising editors to invent (or modifiy) URLs for third party sites, when those sites will be unaware that we have done so and may use the new URls to refer to targets other than those we expect. While doing so may trigger the desired presentational effect on Wikipedia, it is a kludge, and bad practice.

The desired effect should be triggered instead by the use for a formatting template. Andy Mabbett ( Pigsonthewing ); Andy's talk; Andy's edits 15:25, 31 October 2011 (UTC)


 * What template? ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 20:46, 31 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Mainly PDFlink I guess. Category:External link file type templates also has templates for some other file types. PrimeHunter (talk) 21:27, 31 October 2011 (UTC)


 * PDFlink does not show the icon. Go ahead and try it. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 21:58, 31 October 2011 (UTC)
 * There is an example at PDFlink:  renders as  (1.4 MB). PrimeHunter (talk) 22:04, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 23:26, 31 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Since there is no viable solution that properly emulates the icon when used in a citation template, I have removed the section. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 12:30, 1 November 2011 (UTC)

New URIs
1.22/wmf4 added these new URI schemes, but they don't appear to create a link:

--  Gadget850talk 20:13, 21 May 2013 (UTC)
 * ftps://example.org/
 * ssh://example.org/
 * sftp://example.org/
 * xmpp:555-555-5555
 * sip:555-555-5555
 * sips:555-555-5555
 * tel:555-555-5555
 * sms:555-555-5555
 * bitcoin:19mP9FKrXqL46Si58pHdhGKow88SUPy1V8?amount=1&message=donation
 * magnet:?xt=urn:sha1:YNCKHTQCWBTRNJIV4WNAE52SJUQCZO5C
 * urn:isbn:0451450523
 * geo:37.786971,-122.399677

Were these icons useful?
Whether or not to replace these icons in Vector, is being discussed at 54604. The previous icons can be seen at File:External link icons in Vector.png. (Note: the different icons currently used by Monobook can be seen with this link.) Your feedback is welcome, here (preferably) or at the bug. Quiddity (talk) 00:37, 17 October 2014 (UTC)
 * The icons have mostly been withdrawn, so this page needs simplifying. Note that some skins e.g. Monobook display more variety than Vector. – Fayenatic  L ondon 14:56, 31 January 2015 (UTC)


 * The icons on the help page are much self updating. You can select the desired skin at the top of the page. Modern and MonoBook still have a number of icons in use. --  Gadget850talk 16:17, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

The "default skin" undefined
The page currently begins with the information that,, but while that's helpful, I first need to know whether I'm using the default skin. I know which skin I'm using, but not whether it is the default. And: does this notice refer to the default for (which I understand to be MinervaNeue), or the default for  (as I say: no idea which that is), or is it the default for both modes? &mdash; JohnFromPinckney (talk / edits) 13:49, 9 September 2021 (UTC)
 * Try this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page?useskin=default and see if it produces the same appearance as Main Page. -- Red rose64 &#x1f339; (talk) 16:56, 9 September 2021 (UTC)
 * No, Redrose, they're different. &mdash; JohnFromPinckney (talk / edits) 17:55, 9 September 2021 (UTC)
 * Then you're not using the default skin. The skin that you are using may be checked at . -- Red rose64 &#x1f339; (talk) 18:09, 9 September 2021 (UTC)
 * Thanks, but I have probably mislead you by referring to "my" skin (which I already know/knew is Monobook), I meant to use myself as any random editor reading the Help page. Specifically, how does anyone (or everyone) know what the default is? And I still don't know what the default is; your test didn't tell me (although apparently it's not Monobook on desktop), and the page doesn't tell me.
 * My point is, can't the page tell everyone what it's talking about when it says "default"? And is it the same for all modes? &mdash; JohnFromPinckney (talk / edits) 18:18, 9 September 2021 (UTC)
 * Since mid 2010, the default skin has been Vector, see WP:Skin. Prior to that, MonoBook was the default. -- Red rose64 &#x1f339; (talk) 18:56, 9 September 2021 (UTC)
 * Okay, thanks. I should have looked there first. &mdash; JohnFromPinckney (talk / edits) 21:20, 9 September 2021 (UTC)
 * Special:Preferences says "default" at Vector. I see you have added it to the page. I support that. PrimeHunter (talk) 21:31, 9 September 2021 (UTC)

I don't think bitcoin: or magnet: is written as example.org
--Vcvfou698069 (talk) 22:11, 8 April 2023 (UTC)