Saintapedia:Common errors

This is a list of common errors on Saintapedia and how to fix them.

Misplaced URL in References Causes Blue Highlighting

Issue: When a URL (e.g., a link to a PDF or external site) is placed directly after a reference tag (e.g., `<ref name="USCIRF"/>`) without being enclosed in the tag, MediaWiki renders it as a separate inline hyperlink. This results in unexpected blue (or purple if visited) text, often with a PDF icon if styled in the CSS, making it appear as "odd highlighting." This can occur due to copying and pasting URLs or improper reference formatting.

Example:

Significant event occurred.<ref name="Source"/> (https://example.com/report.pdf)

Result: The URL is displayed as a clickable link with blue text and a PDF icon, detached from the reference.

Fix:

• Move the URL inside the `<ref>` tag to ensure it is treated as part of the citation.
• Use a proper citation template (e.g., `{{cite web}}`) for better formatting and readability.
• Avoid placing URLs in parentheses immediately after a reference tag.

Corrected Example:

Significant event occurred.<ref name="Source">https://example.com/report.pdf</ref>

Or with a citation template:

Significant event occurred.<ref name="Source">{{cite web |url=https://example.com/report.pdf |title=Report Title |publisher=Example Publisher |date=2025-03 |access-date=2025-09-02}}</ref>

Result: The URL is properly included in the reference list (via `{{reflist}}`) without appearing as a standalone link in the text.

Notes:

• Ensure the URL is correctly encoded (e.g., use `%20` for spaces, not `%2520`).
• Clear your browser cache after updating to see the changes.