Misplaced Pages

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This page documents an English Misplaced Pages style guideline. Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on this guideline's talk page.

Shortcuts WP:SPOILER WP:SPOIL WP:SW

This page in a nutshell: Misplaced Pages contains revealing plot details of fictional works; this is expected. Spoiler warnings should only be used in articles about fictional subjects. When adding or removing a spoiler warning, be prepared to obtain consensus.

A spoiler is a piece of information in an article about a narrative work (such as a book, feature film, television show or video game) that reveals plot events or twists.

Spoilers on the Internet are sometimes preceded by a spoiler warning. In Misplaced Pages, however, it is generally expected that the subjects of our articles will be covered in detail. For purposes of style and clarity, the use of spoiler alerts is generally avoided unless a plot spoiler appears in a truly unexpected place. Because the overuse of spoiler warnings can have a damaging effect on article organization, they should be used sparingly, in such cases where consensus demonstrates the need for their use.

Spoiler tags are an exception to our general guideline no disclaimers in articles, and the weight and significance of the disclaimers guideline should be considered when trying to form a consensus for their use. Concerns about revealing spoilers in an article's lead should be governed by the lead section style guideline.

Giving article sections can avoid clumsy spoiler tagging. e.g. it is redundant to warn of significant plot details in the section titled "Plot summary."

When article sections are properly titled, it usually becomes redundant to include spoiler tags that, for example, warn a reader that significant plot details are about to be revealed in the "Plot" section.

It is not acceptable to delete information from an article about a work of fiction because you think it spoils the plot. Do not make spoiler-free parallel versions (content forks). Other unacceptable approaches include concealing spoilers using codes such as ROT13, and setting the text and background colors to the same color using HTML.

Spoiler warnings

When spoiler warnings should not be used

• Spoiler warnings must not interfere with neutral point of view, completeness, encyclopedic tone, or any other element of article quality.
• Spoiler warnings are usually inappropriate in articles discussing classical works of literature, poetry and theatre. In grey areas, editors placing spoiler templates should use the article's talk page to discuss the matter.
• Spoilers and spoiler warnings should not be used in articles on non-fictional subjects. If explicit spoilers are mentioned in non-fiction articles (e.g. articles on authors, actors, real-life locations in which fictional texts are set, or literary concepts like climax), consider whether the spoiler improves the encyclopedic quality of the article. It may be better to remove the example.
• Spoiler warnings are usually redundant when used to cover an entire "Plot" or "Synopsis" heading, or fictional "History" headings of any sort in articles whose subject is fictional, since spoilers are to be expected in a plot summary. If readers can easily deduce what is to be covered within a titled section, then there is no need to insert additional warning tags. If a section is not explicitly tagged as a plot section, and it contains an unexpected spoiler, consider whether the article can be improved by better section titling.
• Spoiler warnings should not be used when they can be replaced by more accurate heading information. If a "Themes" heading starts with a plot description, the best thing to do is break the plot description into a separate heading. If there are no headings, it is usually better to add them.
• Articles about fictional characters, objects, or places can be expected to include significant elements of the story. They should only contain spoiler warnings around specific details that a reader might not expect to come across.

When spoiler warnings may be appropriate

• Spoiler notices may be appropriate when significant plot revelations appear in unexpected places, if there is consensus that this is necessary (note it on the talk page).
• Spoiler notices are more likely to be appropriate in newer works than in older works. But consider using instead the {{current fiction}} tag, which is consistent with the {{current}} tag on current real-world events.
• Very rarely, a spoiler warning may appear in the article lead. Plot details that are not significant from an out-of-universe perspective should not be found in the lead at all. See Misplaced Pages:Manual of Style (writing about fiction)

How to add or remove spoiler warnings

• Where it is appropriate, a {{Spoiler}} tag can be used to mark spoiler sections, with {{Endspoiler}} to mark the end. Whether one is adding or removing, be sure to do both. Do not improvise such warnings in plain text.
• A reminder: before adding or removing a tag, as with any controversial information, it is helpful to check the talk page; others may already be discussing the tag in question, or may have consensus as to its presence or absence.

Notes

1. Examples include GameFAQs, Television Without Pity, and TV.com.
2. An explicit spoiler mentions the work of fiction concerned.

• Misplaced Pages style guidelines
• Misplaced Pages how-to