If you've never used a particular template before, or have not used it recently, read it (e.g. with preview) to ensure it actually says what you want to say.

The purpose of user warnings is to guide good-faith testers and dissuade bad-faith vandals. Issuing more than one warning level simultaneously serves no purpose, since they did not get the first warning before you escalated to the next resort. Furthermore, user blocks serve to prevent further vandalism rather than to punish bad users. If the user stopped vandalizing some time ago, and their edit histories don't suggest a pattern of chronic vandalism, there's no need to warn or block them at all (although a welcome template might help future visits). Likewise, if a user is in the midst of an obviously bad-faith vandalism spree, there's no need to warn them before temporarily blocking them.

These templates are placed on talk pages to warn a user against vandalism, convey a standardised message, or to place a standard boilerplate note at the top of a page. You are responsible for ensuring that the template's text is appropriate to the violation: if the template's tone isn't appropriate, don't use the template. They are not a formal system that you have to use: they are a shortcut to typing, nothing more. If you cannot find a template that says what you want to say then go ahead and say it normally.

The templates are split into two groups of warnings: single issue templates, which are one off messages usually to provide information hints and tips, and multi-level warnings are usually issued for edits that in one form or other do not meet Wikipedia's criteria or policies and can be issued with varying levels of severity. On the top of each table is a link to a details page for both sets of warnings.

Remember:

• Always substitute messages by adding "subst:" before the name of the template, so that the message does not change from what the user originally saw and perhaps responded to, and
• Give the level of the template you have used (and preferably the name: for example, "error3", "v2", "d1") in your edit summary, so that other users know what templates have been used.

If you want to change the name of a series, or propose a new multi-level series, make sure to leave a note about it on WT:UTM, so that it can be fully integrated as a warning template, if there are no major objections. Before creating new templates, please check to see if the template in mind already exists, to avoid duplication. Note: User warning templates are generally semi-protected. However, creation of a template does not automatically semi-protect it; be sure to request semi-protection. In the meantime, make sure the template does not erroneously indicate that it is already semi-protected.

Layout:

• Warnings should follow the layout below as discussed by Wikiproject User Warnings.

• Warnings should be grouped by date under the heading "Warnings". Note: If there have been multiple warnings, add the template {{s/wnote}} (or {{repeat vandal}} if the account has been repeatedly blocked) at the top of the Warnings section.

• User warnings and block messages should be placed without line breaks.

• Old warnings may be archived into page history when they are no longer useful. Give consideration to the IP's contribution history when deciding how long to leave warnings visible. Always note the archiving of old warnings, but be sure to remember that any editor -including anonymous IPs- may remove messages at will from their own talk page.

==Warnings==
{{subst:s/wnote}}

===October 2008===
# warning
# warning
* block
# warning

===November 2008===
# warning
#: comment about warning
#:: comment
# warning
* block

Warnings and notices

Multi-level templates

• Level 1 – Assumes good faith. Generally includes "Welcome to Wikipedia" or some variant.
• Level 2 – No faith assumption
• Level 3 – Assumes bad faith; cease and desist
• Level 4 – Assumes bad faith; strong cease and desist, last warning
• Level 4im – Assumes bad faith; strong cease and desist, first and only warning

Single-level templates

Blocks

Other

Meta-templates