Template:POTD
Usage
Displays the English Wikipedia's current picture of the day (POTD) in a box of no more than 600 pixels wide, without the blurb (explanatory text), for use on user pages. To always display the current day's POTD, use {{POTD}}; to permanently feature a particular day's POTD, use {{POTD|date=[date]}}, where the [date] parameter can be given in any valid format.
It is also possible to create your own custom POTD layouts, in case the already-existing versions will not look good within your user page design. Mix and match the following components to make your own. This system will only work for POTDs selected beginning January 1, 2007. Be sure to replace [date] with an appropriate date value. For a dynamically updating version, use {{#time:Y-m-d}} (example: {{POTD/{{#time:Y-m-d}}|image}}).
| Template | Description | Renders as |
|---|---|---|
{{POTD/[date]|image}} |
The name of the image, without the File: prefix |
Trou au Natron caldera satellite photo.jpg |
{{POTD/[date]|size}} |
The size of the image, without the trailing px |
600 |
{{POTD/[date]|caption}} |
The image caption (blurb) | Trou au Natron is a volcanic caldera in the Tibesti Massif in northern Chad. The volcano is extinct, and it is unknown when it last erupted. Trou au Natron is located just south-east of Toussidé, the westernmost volcano of the Tibesti Mountains. The caldera has an irregular diameter of approximately 6 to 8 kilometres (4 to 5 miles) and is up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) deep. Because of its irregular shape, it has been theorized that the caldera was formed as a result of multiple massive explosions, each of which deepened the enormous pit. Its exact period of formation is unconfirmed, although a Pleistocene formation has been suggested. Much of the surface of the caldera is lined with a white crust of carbonate salts such as sodium carbonate and natrolite, known as natron, leading to the caldera's name, literally 'hole of natron' in French. This crust is sometimes known as the Tibesti Soda Lake. Both the slopes and the floor of the caldera contain thick layers of fossilized aquatic gastropods and diatoms, indicating that it was once home to a deep lake. This satellite image of Trou au Natron was taken in 2008 from the International Space Station, at an altitude of around 352 kilometres (219 miles). The white crust can be seen at the bottom of the caldera. |
{{POTD/[date]|title}} |
A link to the article the image represents | Trou au Natron |
{{POTD/[date]|texttitle}} |
A linkless short caption, also useful as an alt attribute | Trou au Natron |
{{POTD/[date]|credit}} |
The credit line of the image, including the genre (e.g. photograph, painting) | Photograph credit: NASA |
There are two additional predefined layouts:
{{POTD/{{#time:Y-m-d}}|column}}: This has the image and caption above each other with no borders. Used on some of the Main Page alternatives and also suitable for user pages.{{POTD/{{#time:Y-m-d}}|row}}: This has the image and caption encapsulated in (usually) a single table row. This is the version used on the current Main Page.
It is also possible to permanently feature a POTD for a selected day. Just add a specific value for the date you want. For example, today's POTD is {{POTD/2025-04-20|image}}. Likewise, you can use date parameters with the other templates as well. If you like the pre-made formats, you can use date parameters there as well, like this: {{Pic of the day|date=2025-04-20}} or {{POTD|date=2025-04-20}}. Again, this system will only work for POTDs selected beginning January 1, 2007.