Template:Use dmy dates

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This template is used on approximately 2,000,000 pages.
To avoid major disruption and server load, any changes should be tested in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. The tested changes can be added to this page in a single edit. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them.

Shortcuts

{{dmyTemplate:Dmy}}
{{DMYTemplate:DMY}}

This template uses Lua:

Usage

To promote consistent date formatting, place this template with other maintenance tags near the top of articles that use the Day Month Year date format (below hatnotes, but above infoboxes, as per the Manual of Style). The parameter |date= is intended to track the most recent month and year in which an editor checked the article for inconsistent date formatting and, if any inconsistencies were found, fixed them to comply with this template's date formatting preference.

Wikipedia articles that use Day Month Year formatted dates, either because of the first main contributor rule or close national ties (see MOSNUM), are systematically tagged with {{Use dmy dates}} over time. The template is visible only in edit mode.

The template is useful to the editors to quickly know which date format is to be used when adding new dates into an article. It also facilitates article maintenance by enabling scripts to recognise use of this format, and by adding the article to the hidden category Use dmy dates.

Use of this template is part of a continuing effort to monitor the date formats used in articles, to assist in maintaining consistent formatting within an article. It is not a temporary "cleanup" template. Therefore, do not remove the template without valid reason, such as a determination that the article uses or should use a different date format.

After an article is tagged, periodic script runs clean up formats, correcting any new introductions since the last edit using the script, and updating the tracking date parameter in the {{Use dmy dates}} template.

The dmy and mdy templates have almost always been used to indicate date styles in the body of the articles; although it may also indicate the format of dates in reference sections or parts thereof. Therefore, this template notice ought to be read in conjunction with the blurb at Wikipedia:Date formattings. MOSNUM script documentation may also be relevant to those interested.

When a citation style does not expect differing date formats, it is permissible to normalize publication dates to the article body text date format, and access/archive dates to either, with date consistency being preferred (see MOS:DATEUNIFY).

This template is intended for use in articles. It can be used on a template page in order to format citation dates on the template page itself, but it must be enclosed in <noinclude>...</noinclude> tags so that it is not transcluded into articles or other pages.

Auto-formatting citation template dates

Citation Style 1 and 2 (collectively cs1|2) templates automatically render dates (|date=, |access-date=, |archive-date=, etc.) in the style specified by this template. Because it is allowed by WP:MOSDATES, the cs1|2 templates can automatically format dates in a variety of styles. Editors may choose how cs1|2 templates render dates by the use of |cs1-dates=<keyword>. Something similar can be done with the dates in non-CS1 citation templates by using Module:Auto date formatter.

Acceptable `|cs1-dates=` keywords
Keyword	Definition
`l`	long-form publication, access, and archive dates; this is the default case when `\|cs1-dates=` is omitted or empty
`ll`
`ls`	long-form publication dates; abbreviated access and archive dates
`ly`	long-form publication dates; year-initial numeric access and archive dates (ymd)
`s`	abbreviated publication and access and archive dates
`ss`	abbreviated publication and access and archive dates
`sy`	abbreviated publication dates; year-initial numeric access and archive dates (ymd)
`y`	year-initial numeric publication, access and archive dates (ymd); cs1\|2 cannot reformat Month YYYY, Season YYYY, date-ranges of any form, or Julian calendar dates into ymd format
`yy`

An example is given at Help:Citation Style 1 § Auto-formatting citation template dates.

Nota bene: cs1|2 auto-date formatting does not apply when previewing an article section that does not contain a {{use xxx dates}} template. When editing with the visual editor, changes to this template do not take effect until the page is saved.

Syntax

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2026}}

Notes:

The template should be inserted in one of the first few lines of code of an article. See MOS:ORDER for placement details.

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Use dmy dates in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Use dmy dates

This template should be placed near the top of articles that use the d mmmm yyyy date format.

Template parameters[Edit template data]
This template prefers inline formatting of parameters.
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
Month and year	`date`	The month and year that the template was placed or the article was last checked or cleaned (in full). "{{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}" inserts the current month and year automatically. Example June 2026 Auto value `{{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}`	String	suggested
cs1-dates	`cs1-dates`	How dates should be formatted in CS1 citations Suggested values `l` `ll` `ls` `ly` `s` `ss` `sy` `y` `yy`	Unknown	optional

Wrongly tagged?

If you determine that an article is incorrectly tagged with this template, e.g. due to strong national ties or historical precedence, you should replace this template with the correct one or at least remove it. This will prevent scripts and bots from applying the "wrong" format.

Tracking categories

Category:Pages using Use dmy dates template with unknown parameters (0)
Category:Use dmy dates and its dated subcategories