Wikipedia:Images linking to articles

This page explains how to place images on wiki pages, where the image acts as a hypertext link to somewhere other than the image description page.

Most image links are created using the [[Image:...]] syntax, and clicking on such an image follows a link to a page with information about the image itself. However, it is sometimes desirable to have images that link to other pages. This can be done in two ways:

1. Using the |link= option with the [[Image:...]] syntax.
2. Using the <imagemap>...</imagemap> syntax, provided by the ImageMap extension.

The |link= syntax is easier to use and can create simple images that the imagemap syntax cannot, but it can only be used with plain pictures; it cannot be used with thumb images.

The imagemap syntax is very flexible, but it is complicated. It allows different parts of the image to link to different targets; the details of how to do that are out of scope of this article.

Examples

Note: Line breaks have been inserted to make the example easier to read, but must be removed in real use.

Internal link without a caption or magnification link

With image syntax, it can be done this way:

[[Image:Example2.png|150px |link=Main Page |alt=Alt text |Title text]]

This cannot be done with imagemap syntax.

External link without a caption or magnification link

With image syntax:

[[Image:Example2.png|150px |link=http://www.example.org |alt=Alt text|Title text]]

With imagemap syntax:

<imagemap>
Image:Example2.png|150px|alt=Alt text
default [http://www.example.org Title text]
desc none
</imagemap>

With a caption

This cannot be done with the image syntax, because a thumb image ignores its |link= parameter. With imagemaps, it can be done this way:

<imagemap>
Image:Example2.png|150px|thumb|alt=Alt text|Caption
default [[Main Page|Title text]]
</imagemap>

Caption

With info link but no caption

This cannot be done with image syntax. With imagemap syntax, it can be done this way:

<imagemap>
Image:Example2.png|150px|alt=Alt text
default [[Main Page|Title text]]
</imagemap>

See also

• Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2008-03-03/Tutorial
• mw:Extension:ImageMap - ImageMap MediaWiki extension

• Other ways of achieving similar results:
  • Wikipedia:Navigational images - techniques that worked with older versions of the MediaWiki software
  • Template:Click - a template intended to be easy to use

• More information about images
  • Help:Files
  • Wikipedia:Picture tutorial
  • Wikipedia:Extended image syntax