The {{wb}} or {{Whisperback}} template is a less distracting and intrusive alternative to {{Talkback}}, {{Talkbacktiny}} and related templates. The usage examples below are pretty self-explanatory (look at where the links go, too), except that you'll need to replace "Example" with your real username.

The page need not be substituted unless you fear it may be deleted or radically changed some day, resulting in your archived whisperback notices not being the way you originally wrote them. There are probably more important things to care about. It will even work just fine after it has been moved to an archive page. The only time it must be subst'd is before it is copied from one place to another, e.g. from a user talk page to another user's talk page or an article talk page because an entire discussion has been moved.

Some prefer to use this as a replacement for Template:Talkback entirely, while for others it is used to replace Talkback notices that have been answered, to reduce talk page clutter.

Usage edit

Typical edit

==Topic==
{{wb|{{subst:REVISIONUSER}}|Example topic}} ~~~~

Example edit

For example, this is how GiraffeLover could leave someone a Whisperback on the topic of giraffes:

==Giraffes==
{{wb|GiraffeLover|Giraffes}} ~~~~

Parameter examples edit

  • Link to the Example topic section on User:Example's talk page:
    {{wb|Example|Example topic}}
    You have new message/s Hello. You have a new message at Example's talk page.


  • Make the number of messages plural using the |pl= parameter:
    {{wb|Example|Example topic|pl=yes}}
    You have new message/s Hello. You have new messages at Example's talk page.


  • Suppress the initial "Hello" using the |nohello= parameter:
    {{wb|Example|Example topic|nohello=on}}
    You have new message/s You have a new message at Example's talk page.


  • Link to a non-user-talk page (with or without a section link; shown with one, which is preferred):
    {{wb|WT:Consensus|Example topic}}
    You have new message/s Hello. You have a new message at WT:Consensus's talk page.


  • Customize the text shown for the link using the |linkname= parameter:
    {{wb|Example|linkname=something to consider}}
    You have new message/s Hello. You have something to consider at Example's talk page.


  • Customize the text shown for what is waiting (which defaults to "new messages") using the |things= parameter:
    {{wb|WT:Requests for adminship/Law|Questions for the candidate|things=additional questions|linkname=your RfA}}
    You have new message/s Hello. You have additional questions at WT:Requests for adminship/Law's talk page.


  • Specify who you are addressing using the |greet= parameter:
    Linking in this parameter is discouraged, as the point of this template is to be simple and only link to one thing, the discussion you're notifying someone about.
    {{wb|WT:WikiProject New Zealand|NZ and AU project collaboration|greet=WikiProject Australia editors}}:
    You have new message/s Hello, WikiProject Australia editors. You have a new message at WT:WikiProject New Zealand's talk page.


  • Say what the message (vs. the topic section) is about with the |about= parameter:
    Linking in this parameter is discouraged, as the point of this template is to be simple and only link to one thing, the discussion you're notifying someone about.
    {{wb|Example|Example topic|about=Example need}}
    You have new message/s Hello. You have a new message about the revised proposal at Example's talk page.


Deprecated parameters edit

  • The bare minimum form, which simply links to User:Example's talk page; deprecated because it makes the user hunt for your message:
    {{wb|Example}}
    You have new message/s Hello. You have a new message at Example's talk page.


  • Add a timestamp at the end using the |ts= parameter:
    {{wb|Example|ts=~~~~~}} (5 tildes; deprecated and maintained only for {{Talkback}} compatibility – normally you'd just sign after it like any other post, and not use this.)
    You have new message/s Hello. You have a new message at Example's talk page. Message added 06:49, Wednesday, May 8, 2024 (UTC).

Notes edit

If you like using this template, you might consider putting the {{Userwhisperback}} notice on your own talk page:

You can do so by putting the following code at the very top of your talk page and/or in your talk page's /Editnotice subpage:

{{Userwhisperback}}

For more details on the options available, visit Template:Userwhisperback.

See also edit

  • {{Talkback}} – the original, large "you have new messages" notice to put on other users' talk pages
    • {{subst:Mytalk}} – invokes the talkback template and automatically fills in your username
    • {{Talkbacktiny}} – a somewhat smaller version of {{Talkback}}
  • {{Interwiki talkback}} – a "you have new messages" notice to put on other users' talk pages for interwiki purposes
  • {{Whisperback}} – a less obtrusive template than {{Talkback}}, with more features and without the box
  • {{You've got mail}} – like {{Talkback}} but to notify of an offsite e-mail
  • {{Please see}} – similar to {{Whisperback}}, but notifying others of a topic they may wish to participate in
  • {{Discussion notice}} – an alternative to {{Please see}}, similar to {{ANI-notice}}
  • {{Usertalkback}} and {{Userwhisperback}} – notices for the top of one's own user talk page, so as to inform your interlocutors of your user discussion preferences
  • {{FYI}} – icon box to give a visual hint to readers of talk page items
  • {{Notified}} – disclosure indicating that a notification has been posted on another page
  • {{Reply to}} – ping a user without posting on their talk page (uses the mentions notification)
  • {{Response}} – to direct the attention of another user to a discussion on a specific talk page
  • {{No talkback}} – opt-out of talkback messages from Twinkle