# How do externally link to a subsection of Wiki? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974 "2016-07-15T14:33:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974/1 "2016-07-15T14:33:21Z")
See query. if it’s a really long article and I’m feeling helpful I’d like to link more directly. Thnx, Leo ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974/2 "2016-07-15T14:37:16Z")
In the “Contents” box at start of the article, click on the section or sub-section you want to link to. That will give you a URL that goes directly to the section in question, which you can use for your link. [Like so.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitten#Gallery) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974/3 "2016-07-15T14:37:59Z")
In short, use the links in the table of contents for the article. For example, [this link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_May) goes to the entire article on Theresa May. [This link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_May#Passport_backlog) goes to the subsection on the passport backlog during her tenure as Home Secretary. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974/4 "2016-07-15T14:38:47Z")
In the contents box, just click on the section you want and copy/paste from the address bar. [Major League Baseball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball) > [@](#): > > [Major League Baseball - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball#Ban_on_women) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974/5 "2016-07-15T16:02:57Z")
This is all predicated on the subsection you want to cite having a distinct section heading which generates a referable anchor. In normal Wiki markup, section headings seem to get those. If it’s just a normal block of text, it’s not guaranteed to have an anchor unless someone added it during edit. ETA: Here’s how that would be done, per [Help:Link - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Link#Section_linking_.28anchors.29:) > [@Wikipedia](#): > > The section title in fact points to an anchor on the target page. It may be preferable to define anchors other than explicit section titles, using the HTML code \…\, or **{{Anchor|anchor name}} (see {{Anchor}} syntax)**. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974/6 "2016-07-15T17:22:15Z")
Thanks to all. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974/7 "2016-07-15T17:28:14Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > This is all predicated on the subsection you want to cite having a distinct section heading which generates a referable anchor. In normal Wiki markup, section headings seem to get those. > > If it’s just a normal block of text, it’s not guaranteed to have an anchor unless someone added it during edit. > > ETA: Here’s how that would be done, per [Help:Link - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Link#Section_linking_.28anchors.29:) I knew that stupid entry must exist somewhere on Wiki, but I gave up looking for it and threw myself at the mercy of the court. I guess later I’ll grace ATMB with tryouts of this, although the specificity seems kind of insane given the fluid nature of the referent–true with the content header block also, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-externally-link-to-a-subsection-of-wiki/759974/8 "2016-07-16T20:34:43Z")
To oversimplify: If the subsection is demarcated it will simply be the main article’s link then a, ah, I guess it’s called a ‘hashtag’ now because of Twitter (the **#** sign) though us old folk call it a pound sign, then the title of the subsection (with underscores in place of blank spaces). Typically: [noparse][https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main\_Article\_Name[/noparse]\*\*#\*\*sub\_section\_name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Article_Name%5B/noparse%5D **#** sub_section_name)