The Manual of Style guidelines for block quotations recommend formatting block quotations using the {{Blockquote}} template or the HTML <blockquote> element, for which that template provides a wrapper.

  • Quotes work best when used with short sentences, and at the start or end of a section, as a hint of or to help emphasize the section's content.
  • For typical quotes, especially those longer than the rest of the paragraph in which they are quoted, {{Cquote}} (for use outside of article space only) provides a borderless quote with decorative quotation marks, and {{Quote frame}} provides a bordered quote. Both span the page width.
  • For very short quotes, {{Rquote}} (with decorative quotation marks, for use outside of article space only) or {{Quote box}} (framed) can be used to set the quote off to either the right or left as in a magazine sidebar. This can be effective on essay pages and WikiProject homepages.

Usage

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This template provides a quotation in a bordered box, on a light grey background, and spanning the page width by default. Do not put quotation marks around the quoted material.

Markup Renders as
{{Quote frame |quote=Quoted material |author=Author |title=Title |source=other details}}

{{Quote frame|Quoted material|Author|Title|other details}}
Quoted material
— Author, Title, other details
{{Quote frame |quote=Quoted material |author=Author |source="Article Title", ''Newspaper Name'', date}}

{{Quote frame|Quoted material|Author||"Article Title", ''Newspaper Name'', date}}
Quoted material
— Author, "Article Title", Newspaper Name, date
In the short syntax, the 3rd parameter (which auto-italicizes) has been included but left empty to skip it, and we use the 4th to manually apply italics where needed.
{{Quote frame |quote=Quoted material |author=Author |title=Title}}

{{Quote frame|Quoted material|Author|Title}}
Quoted material
— Author, Title
{{Quote frame |quote=Quoted material}}

{{Quote frame|Quoted material}}
Quoted material
{{Quote frame |quote=Quoted material |source="Article Title", ''Newspaper Name'', date}}

{{Quote frame|Quoted material|||"Article Title", ''Newspaper Name'', date}}
Quoted material
— "Article Title", Newspaper Name, date
In the short syntax, we skip two parameters by giving them empty.
{{Quote frame|Quoted material |align=center}}
Quoted material
{{Quote frame|Quoted material |align=right}}
Quoted material
{{Quote frame|Quoted material |align=right |width=33%}}
Quoted material

The |width= parameter takes any valid CSS width value, such as 33% or 25em. This should not be specified in fixed pixel sizes (like 100px). As shown in the table above, the width is relative to the size of the container not the entire page, so the displayed width will be smaller if used inside a table.

The equal sign (=)

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If any of the parameters' content include an equal sign (=) in its input, this will make the template not recognize the parameter properly unless:

  • The parameters are named or numbered:

     {{Quote frame|quote=Einstein's equation, E=mc2, has to reach everywhere. Science is a beautiful gift to humanity, we should not distort it. |author=Abdul Kalam}}
     {{Quote frame|1=Einstein's equation, E=mc2, has to reach everywhere. Science is a beautiful gift to humanity, we should not distort it. |2=Abdul Kalam}}

  • The = in the content is escaped with the {{=}} template:

     {{Quote frame|Einstein's equation, E{{=}}mc2, has to reach everywhere. Science is a beautiful gift to humanity, we should not distort it.|Abdul Kalam}}

  • The = in the content is escaped with the &#61; character reference:

     {{Quote frame|Einstein's equation, E&#61;mc2, has to reach everywhere. Science is a beautiful gift to humanity, we should not distort it.|Abdul Kalam}}

Technical issues with block templates

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If the block-formatted content uses a named parameter (including |1=) and begins with a list (or any other wikimarkup that is dependent upon a specific markup character being at the beginning of a line), because MediaWiki behavior is to strip whitespace from named parameters, a <nowiki /> and a new line must exist before the list (or whatever) starts. This no longer affects unnamed parameters. Compare:

  code result
Works as intended {{Quote frame|
*Firstly, ...
*Secondly, ...
*Thirdly, ...
}}
  • Firstly, ...
  • Secondly, ...
  • Thirdly, ...
FAIL {{Quote frame|1=
*Firstly, ...
*Secondly, ...
*Thirdly, ...
}}
*Firstly, ...
  • Secondly, ...
  • Thirdly, ...
Works as intended {{Quote frame|1=<nowiki />
*Firstly, ...
*Secondly, ...
*Thirdly, ...
}}
  • Firstly, ...
  • Secondly, ...
  • Thirdly, ...

To embed a table in block markup like this, the block template's content parameter must be named or numbered and include the self-closing nowiki – as in |1=<nowiki /> – then every | character in the table markup must be escaped with {{!}}. An alternative is to use explicit HTML <table>, <tr>, <th>, and <td> markup.

TemplateData

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

TemplateData for Quote frame

insert description here

Template parameters

ParameterDescriptionTypeStatus
Quoted material1

Stringrequired
Author2

Stringoptional
Title3

Stringoptional
Publication4

Use <ref>and {{Cite book}} etc.

Stringoptional
Alignmentalign

Alignment of the quote box on the page—left / right / center / none. Defaults to none alignment.

Suggested values
left center right none
Stringoptional
Widthwidth

Fixed width of the quote box, in a valid CSS value. Defaults to no fixed width.

Stringoptional

Redirects

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See also

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