Help:Author Resources/Infobox Guide

Infobox Guide

This page serves as a comprehensive guide and reference for the various Infobox types available on the site. Infobox templates are created and maintained exclusively by community managers and administrators to ensure consistency and to prevent redundancy — a recurring problem we've encountered in the past.

Each Infobox is purposefully designed to be broad in scope and highly adaptable, capable of covering its subject matter in near-totality. As a result, any given Infobox may be used across multiple article types, regardless of the page's specific Scope.

Editing Best Practices

When adding or editing an Infobox, do not assume that every field must be filled in. In fact, you are not expected to complete them all. Many fields are designed for optional use, and some may even contradict each other when used simultaneously. Use only the fields that are relevant to your article’s content and purpose.

Avoid overloading the Infobox with excessive or redundant information. The goal is to provide a clear, high-level snapshot — not to replicate the full article within a sidebar.

Important: An Infobox is a reference tool, not the article itself. Use it to summarize, not to explain.

What Needs an Infobox?

Technically speaking, no article requires an Infobox. However, as you’ve likely already noticed, most articles contain an Infobox of some kind.

This is for two main reasons: first, that an Infobox is an inherently useful narrative device; and second, that it provides a clean, organized space to display an article’s primary image.

If you're looking for a definitive list of what types of content should have an Infobox, a good rule of thumb is this: if the article is written for worldbuilding purposes — such as a planet, nation, character, or species — then including an Infobox is highly recommended. A unique Infobox template is available for each of these respective types.

What Doesn't Need an Infobox?

Two major page types are generally recommended to avoid using an Infobox as a narrative framing device:

1. Scope-specific META pages — such as a Scope’s Landing Page, Lexica, Index, or Timeline — should avoid Infoboxes, as they can distract from the core content of the page. These pages are meant to present foundational information about the Scope and benefit from a clean, uninterrupted layout.
2. Tale articles — which contain in-universe storylines — may include Infoboxes, and some already do. However, it is widely agreed in the Community that Infoboxes are best left out of Tale pages to preserve narrative flow and avoid breaking immersion in the story being told.

How do I put an Infobox on my Page?

This video tutorial should answer your question. However, if you prefer a written explanation, please refer to the "Written Explanation" seen below.

Video Explanation

Written Explanation

Within the page editor — whether using Visual or Source Editor — Infoboxes can be added by clicking the "Insert" button located above the page content. This is how all templates are applied, but for the purposes of this guide, we're specifically focusing on how this applies to Infoboxes.

What the Insert Button should look like

Once you click the Insert button, a dropdown menu will appear. From that menu, select the "Template" option — located between "Images and Media" and "Table" options

What the Insert Dropdown should look.

Once you select the Template option, a large search window will appear. In this window, type in the name of the Infobox you need. Every Infobox on the site follows the naming format: "Infobox [name of subject matter]." (without the brackets) For example; if you're looking for a world-related Infobox, searching "Infobox World" will bring it up — typically as the first result.

What the Template Search window should look like

Once you input your search query and select it, it should open up to the Infobox Builder window seen here:

What the Infobox Builder window should look like

On the left side of the Infobox Builder, you’ll see a scrollable window listing all the available "Fields" included in that Infobox. Select the fields you want to use, and they will appear on the "Parameter" screen to the right, where you can edit their values.

What the Infobox Builder Parameter screen should look like

Once you select a Parameter window, it will be highlighted with a colored outline, and a text cursor will appear inside the box — indicating that the field is now active and ready for you to edit.

What a Parameter should look like when selected and edited.

Once you're finished, click the small "Insert" button at the top right corner of the Infobox Builder screen. This will place the Infobox into your article with the respective Fields and Parameters you’ve selected.

What the Infobox Builder Insert Button should look like

What an Infobox following this tutorial should look like on your page!

And just like that — you're all done!

I Need a Field that isn't in an Infobox

If you believe a Field is missing from one of our Infoboxes, please reach out to a member of Staff or one of the Website Stewards. We can add the requested Field if it addresses a need/use-case not already covered by an existing one.

Note: If the request is determined to be redundant with a Field already present, Staff will likely deny the addition and suggest using the existing parameter instead. In some cases, the Field may be renamed to incorporate the requested new Field as a secondary title.

You can contact Staff via our IRC chat/Discord server, or by posting on the personal Talk Pages of individual Staff members.

In Respect to "Scope-Specific" Fields

We fully expect and understand that many Scopes within our community include unique concepts, rules, and explanatory elements not found in others. This is not only expected — it’s encouraged. However, it can sometimes feel limiting to express these distinct ideas through the standard Infobox formatting, especially since every Infobox is intentionally designed to be usable across all Scopes and Settings, regardless of individual narrative context.

To address this, we’ve done our best to make each Infobox as comprehensive as possible in terms of available Fields. Still, there will inevitably be times when you want to include specific details unique to your Scope. When that happens, feel free to customize the content directly within the Parameter text of the most appropriate existing Field. This allows for flexibility without requiring the creation of duplicate Fields meant only for a single Scope's use.