Wikipedia talk:RefToolbar

This is the talk page for discussing RefToolbar and anything related to its purposes and tasks.

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Archives

Old 1.0 page (2008–12)

Old 2.0 page (2009–12)

Before talk centralization:

RefToolbar.js (2012–20)
Gadget-refToolbar.js (2008–19)
Gadget-refToolbarBase.js (2011–17)
RefToolbarNoDialogs.js (2014–15)
RefToolbarLegacy.js (2011–21)
RefToolbarConfig.js (2014–20)
RefToolbarMessages-en.js (2013–20)

Current archives:

This page has archives. Topics inactive for 30 days are automatically archived 1 or more at a time by Lowercase sigmabot III if there are more than 4.

Moving files into the gadget

Currently, when a page is loaded for editing, there are as many as 3 extra requests to load RefToolbar (one each for MediaWiki:RefToolbar.js, MediaWiki:RefToolbarMessages-en.js and MediaWiki:RefToolbarConfig.js). For better performance, everything should be part of the gadget itself so that no extra requests are necessary.

The legacy mode (for non-WikiEditor users) can stay as an extra request, as optimizing the legacy flow would incur the cost of loading the legacy code for all users. – SD0001 (talk) 18:29, 5 January 2026 (UTC)

There were two requests for the config? Izno (talk) 21:03, 6 January 2026 (UTC)

Oops, one is for Messages-en.js; edited it above. – SD0001 (talk) 03:43, 7 January 2026 (UTC)

Is English Wikipedia the only one with the autofill feature?

Are users of all other Wikipedias who use the wikitext editor really required to write all citations by hand?

If so, does anybody here know why that is? This is a very useful feature.

If not, what are some language versions that have this autofill feature?

See Wish378: Adding the RefToolbar to Wikipedias that don't have it to make citing sources quick & easy (eg DEWP).
Thanks for this great tool!
Prototyperspective (talk) 13:11, 8 February 2026 (UTC)

Protocol issue

On en.Wikipedia at least, if I enter a URL without a protocol (e.g. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/20/barcelona-sagrada-familias-church-central-tower-put-in-place), RefToolbar will fetch the metadata from the page and insert a citation, using the URL as entered.

Once such an edit is published, the citation template gives a "check URL" error, until the protocol (e.g https://) is added.

It would be handy if RefToolbar either warned about the missing protocol, or, preferably, inserted it automagically.

[Also: I couldn't see anywhere in the documentation which recommended somewhere like Phabricator or GitHub for raising such issues; is doing so here best?]. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 17:41, 20 February 2026 (UTC)

RefToolbar is broken

Nothing currently happens when you click one of the four citation templates. There is no popup window to enter data. We got mw:MediaWiki 1.46/wmf.19 today so maybe something is incompatible. Tested in Firefox and Google Chrome with Vector 2022, Vector legacy and MonoBook. No combination works. PrimeHunter (talk) 20:35, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

Fixed. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 20:46, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

"Error check" is broken

Hello, my "error check" in the toolbar stopped working a few minutes ago. I did not change any settings, and I'm using the same browser. My "named references" tool isn't working either - neither button responds. I restarted my machine but no luck.

If I've posted this in the wrong place, or have been unclear, my apologies - I barely know what to call these things. Will be happy to provide further info. Thanks, Jessicapierce (talk) 04:31, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

Fixed those too. Sorry for missing this when handling the above request; I don't use this tool myself so don't have as good of a testing ground. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 15:15, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

Thanks so much - it is indeed working now! I appreciate you, Jessicapierce (talk) 15:58, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

"Error check" is broken

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