 | This is an advice page from WikiProject AI Cleanup. This page is not an encyclopedia article or a Wikipedia policy, as it has not been reviewed by the community. |
This is a list of markup errors typical of AI chatbots, with real examples taken from various Wikipedia pages.
Wikipedia's prose is formatted in wikitext, a markup language used to tell Wikipedia's MediaWiki software how to format an article. This is a niche markup language, found mostly on Wikipedia, other Wikimedia wikis, and other MediaWiki-based platforms like Miraheze. While LLM-based chatbots do have the ability to produce wikitext, it is neither the most common markup language in their datasets nor the most salient one to their userbase – the overwhelming majority of whom are not Wikipedia editors.
Instead, the default formatting style of most chatbots is Markdown, a markup language conceptually similar to wikitext but more commonly used, especially for technology applications. Their system-level instructions often direct them to format article components like lists and headings with Markdown syntax, and the chatbot apps then render that syntax as formatted text on a user's screen. For example, the system prompt for Claude Sonnet 3.5 (November 2024) includes:
Claude uses Markdown formatting. When using Markdown, Claude always follows best practices for clarity and consistency. It always uses a single space after hash symbols for headers (e.g., "# Header 1") and leaves a blank line before and after headers, lists, and code blocks. For emphasis, Claude uses asterisks or underscores consistently (e.g., italic or bold). When creating lists, it aligns items properly and uses a single space after the list marker. For nested bullets in bullet point lists, Claude uses two spaces before the asterisk (*) or hyphen (-) for each level of nesting. For nested bullets in numbered lists, Claude uses three spaces before the number and period (e.g., "1.") for each level of nesting.
As the above indicates, Markdown syntax is completely different from wikitext. Markdown uses asterisks (*) or underscores (_) instead of single-quotes (') for bold and italic formatting, hash symbols (#) instead of equals signs (=) for section headings, parentheses (()) instead of square brackets ([]) around URLs, and three symbols (---, ***, or ___) instead of four hyphens (----) for thematic breaks.
When told to "generate an article", chatbots often default to using Markdown for the generated output. This formatting is preserved in clipboard text by the copy functions on some chatbot platforms. If instructed to generate content for Wikipedia, the chatbot might "realize" the need to generate Wikipedia-compatible code, and might include a message like Would you like me to ... turn this into actual Wikipedia markup format (`wikitext`)?
in its output. If the chatbot is told to proceed, the resulting syntax is often rudimentary, syntactically incorrect, or both. The chatbot might put its attempted wikitext content in a Markdown-style fenced code block (its syntax for preformatted plain text) surrounded by Markdown-based syntax and content, which may also be preserved by platform-specific copy-to-clipboard functions, leading to a telling footprint of both markup languages' syntax. This might include the appearance of three backticks in the text, such as: ```wikitext.
The presence of faulty wikitext syntax mixed with Markdown syntax is a strong indicator that content is LLM-generated, especially if in the form of a fenced Markdown code block. However, Markdown alone is not such a strong indicator. Software developers, researchers, technical writers, and experienced internet users frequently use Markdown in tools like Obsidian and GitHub, and on platforms like Reddit, Discord, and Slack. Some writing tools and apps, such as iOS Notes, Google Docs, and Windows Notepad, support Markdown editing or exporting. The increasing ubiquity of Markdown may also lead new editors to expect or assume Wikipedia to support Markdown by default.
LLMs incorrectly use asterisks to wrap text that it intends to be written in boldface.
Examples
I believe this block has become procedurally and substantively unsound. Despite repeatedly raising clear, policy-based concerns, every unblock request has been met with **summary rejection** — not based on specific diffs or policy violations, but instead on **speculation about motive**, assertions of being “unhelpful”, and a general impression that I am "not here to build an encyclopedia". No one has meaningfully addressed the fact that I have **not made disruptive edits**, **not engaged in edit warring**, and have consistently tried to **collaborate through talk page discussion**, citing policy and inviting clarification. Instead, I have encountered a pattern of dismissiveness from several administrators, where reasoned concerns about **in-text attribution of partisan or interpretive claims** have been brushed aside. Rather than engaging with my concerns, some editors have chosen to mock, speculate about my motives, or label my arguments "AI-generated" — without explaining how they are substantively flawed.
— From this April 2025 unblock request at User talk:Fileas Fogg
LLMs incorrectly use ## to denote section headings, which MediaWiki interprets as a numbered list.
Examples
- Geography
Villers-Chief is situated in the Jura Mountains, in the eastern part of the Doubs department. [...]
- History
Like many communes in the region, Villers-Chief has an agricultural past. [...]
- Administration
Villers-Chief is part of the Canton of Valdahon and the Arrondissement of Pontarlier. [...]
- Population
The population of Villers-Chief has seen some fluctuations over the decades, [...]
— From this June 2025 revision to Villers-Chief
Instead of [example.com this], an LLM might incorrectly format external links in a manner similar to Gemini's WP:STARTSPAN citation formatting, like this: [Example](example.com)
Examples
- **Recent Changes**: You can track my latest edits [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/DoubleCrogs).
[...]
Contact Me- **Talk Page**: If you want to discuss anything related to Wikipedia or need assistance, you can reach out to me on my [talk page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:DoubleCrogs).
— From this August 2024 revision to User:Doublecrogs
- The Wikipedia entry does not explicitly mention the "Cyberhero League" being recognized as a winner of the World Future Society's BetaLaunch Technology competition, as detailed in the interview with THE FUTURIST ([https://consciouscreativity.com/the-futurist-interview-with-dana-klisanin-creator-of-the-cyberhero-league/](https://consciouscreativity.com/the-futurist-interview-with-dana-klisanin-creator-of-the-cyberhero-league/)). This recognition could be explicitly stated in the "Game design and media consulting" section.
— From this May 2025 revision to Talk:Dana Klisanin
AI chatbots sometimes include a thematic break (----) or (---) between each section in its output.
Examples
===Distinction from French “''[[List of English words of French origin|chiffon]]''”}} Some claims have suggested that ''Ichafu'' derives from the French word chiffon (“rag” or "light cloth”). However, early lexicographic records do not support this interpretation and later sources differ in their explanations. [...] ---- ==History== Headwrapping practices among Igbo women are documented in historical and ethnographic sources and are generally understood to predate the colonial period. [...] ---- ==Form and construction==
— From this March 2026 revision to Draft:Ichafu
=History}} Pixaroo was created as an educational animation project designed for children between the ages of '''3 and 6 years'''. The project aims to combine entertaining stories with early childhood learning in a colorful, family-friendly environment. The first original series introduced by the brand is '''Pixy's Adventure Club''', featuring recurring characters who teach letters, numbers, colors, creativity, and problem-solving. ---- =Programming= ==Pixy's Adventure Club== '''Pixy's Adventure Club''' is the main animated series produced by Pixaroo. [...] Episodes are designed to encourage participation through songs, games, and simple interactive questions. ---- =Main Characters= [...] ---- ==Roo== A playful kangaroo who loves jumping, games, and outdoor adventures. ---- ==Pandy== A gentle panda who enjoys reading, nature, and learning new things. ---- ==Ellie== A caring elephant known for her excellent memory and thoughtful advice. ---- ==Chiku== A cheerful little chick who brings energy, laughter, and optimism to every adventure. ---- =Educational Goals= Pixaroo focuses on developing early childhood skills through entertainment, including: [...] ---- =Style= Pixaroo uses colorful animation, original songs, engaging storytelling, and memorable characters to create a fun learning experience for preschool audiences. ---- =Target Audience= Children aged '''3–6 years''', along with parents, teachers, and caregivers seeking educational entertainment. ---- =External Links=
— From this August 2026 revision to Draft:Pixaroo
Since AI chatbots are typically not proficient in wikitext and templates, they often produce faulty syntax. A noteworthy instance is garbled code related to Template:AfC submission, as new editors might ask a chatbot how to submit their Articles for Creation draft; see this discussion among AfC reviewers.
Examples
[[Category:AfC submissions by date/<0030Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000202568 2025-06-13T08:18:00+00:00Fridayam0000=error>EpFri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000UTC00001820256 UTCFri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +00002025Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000: 17498026806Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000UTC2025-06-13T08:18:00+00:0020258618163UTC13 pu62025-06-13T08:18:00+00:0030uam301820256 2025-06-13T08:18:00+00:0008amFri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000am2025-06-13T08:18:00+00:0030UTCFri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000 &qu202530;:&qu202530;.</0030Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000202568>June 2025|sandbox]]
LLM output sometimes exposes its internal formatting metadata, which is an unambiguous indicator that the text originated with AI. The specific bugs vary by chatbot or tool.
ChatGPT sometimes adds code in the form of :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}, Example+1, or oai_citation in place of links to references in output text.
Examples
- contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
1. **Ethnicity clarification**
- :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17} * :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18} :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}. * Denzil Ibbetson’s *Panjab Castes* classifies Sial as Rajputs :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}. * Historian’s blog notes: "The Sial are a clan of Parmara Rajputs…” :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}.2. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}
- :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23} > :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24} :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25}.— From this June 2025 revision to Talk:Sial (tribe).
- 📌 Key facts needing addition or correction:
1. **Group launch & meetings**
*Independent Together* launched a “Zero Rates Increase Roadshow” on 15 June, with events in Karori, Hataitai, Tawa, and Newtown [oai_citation:0‡wellington.scoop.co.nz](https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=171473&utm_source=chatgpt.com).2. **Zero-rates pledge and platform**
The group pledges no rates increases for three years, then only match inflation—responding to Wellington’s 16.9% hike for 2024/25 [oai_citation:1‡en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Together?utm_source=chatgpt.com).— From this June 2025 revision to Talk:Independent Together
This was created conjointly by technical committee ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 (Information security, cybersecurity, and protection of privacy) IT Governance+3ISO+3ISO+3. It belongs to the ISO/IEC 27000 family that talks about information security management systems (ISMS) and related practice controls. Wikipedia+1. The standard gives guidance for information security controls for cloud service providers (CSPs) and cloud service customers (CSCs). Specifically adapted to cloud specific environments like responsibility, virtualization, dynamic provisioning, and multi-tenant infrastructure. Ignyte+3Microsoft Learn+3Google Cloud+3.
— From this November 2025 revision to ISO/IEC 27017
ChatGPT may include citeturn0search0 (surrounded by Unicode points in the Private Use Area) at the ends of sentences, with the number after "search" increasing as the text progresses. There also exists an alternate shorter form with only the increasing number surrounded by PUA Unicode like 0. These are places where the chatbot links to an external site, but a human pasting the conversation into Wikipedia has that link converted into placeholder code. This was first observed in February 2025. Less often, the pattern may appear as a ref name, e.g., <ref name="0search12">.
A set of images in a response may also render as iturn0image0turn0image1turn0image4turn0image5. Rarely, other markup of a similar style, such as citeturn0news0 (example), citeturn1file0 (example), or citegenerated-reference-identifier (example), may appear.
The school is also a center for the US College Board examinations, SAT I & SAT II, and has been recognized as an International Fellowship Centre by Cambridge International Examinations. citeturn0search1
For more information, you can visit their official website: citeturn0search0
— From this February 2025 revision to List of English-medium schools in Bangladesh
- **Japanese:** Reze is voiced by Reina Ueda, an established voice actress known for roles such as Cha Hae-In in Solo Leveling and Kanao Tsuyuri in Demon Slayer.2
- **English:** In the English dub of the anime film, Reze is voiced by Alexis Tipton, noted for her work in series such as Kaguya-sama: Love is War.3
[...]
The film itself holds a high rating on **Rotten Tomatoes** and has been described as a major anime release of 2025, indicating strong overall reception for the Reze Arc storyline and its adaptation.5
— From Draft:Reze (Chainsaw Man) (2025)
ChatGPT may add JSON-formatted code at the end of sentences in the form of ({"attribution":{"attributableIndex":"X-Y"}}), with X and Y being increasing numeric indices.
From Draft:Aleftina Evdokimova (2025)
Patrick Denice & Jake Rosenfeld, Les syndicats et la rémunération non syndiquée aux États-Unis, 1977–2015, ‘‘Sociological Science’’ (2018).]({“attribution”:{“attributableIndex”:“3795-0”}})
— From this April 2025 revision to fr:Syndicalisme aux États-Unis
Links to searches
Text copied directly from Google Gemini responses with links to sources may render with reference markers in the format [1, 2] or [3, 12, 13] markers, sometimes prefaced with "cite" as in [cite: 2, 6]. They may also include the more obviously amiss [span_1](start_span) and [span_1](end_span).
In Visual Editor, the URLs may also be included in the brackets alongside the number, which will appear like [[https://en.wikipedia.org 1], [https://en.wikipedia.org 2]].
Examples
Maloo founded Kreative Machinez in February 2010[cite: 17]. The agency provides services in search engine marketing, social media marketing, web development, and online branding[cite: 18]. The company employs more than 100 people and has worked with over 1,000 client accounts across sectors such as healthcare, real estate, and e-commerce[cite: 19, 20, 21].
— From Parmod Maloo in February 2026
Riding the wave of their soundtrack success, the group released their fourth studio album, Fore, in August 1986[span_2](end_span). [span_3](start_span)The album mirrored the multi-platinum status of its predecessor and topped the Billboard 200 chart[span_3](end_span). Fore[span_4](start_span)! yielded two number-one singles on the Hot 100
— From this July 2026 revision to Huey Lewis and the News
Links to searches
Text generated by Grok may occasionally include XML-styled grok_card tags after citations.
Examples
Malik's rise to fame highlights the visibility of transgender artists in Pakistan's entertainment scene, though she has faced societal challenges related to her identity. [...]<grok-card data-id="e8ff4f" data-type="citation_card">
— From this November 2025 revision to Draft:Mehak Malik
Grok may also include grok_render_citation_card_json in place of links to reference in the output text.
Gölge was publicly revealed through trademark and patent applications filed with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in April 2026. The platform was showcased at the SAHA Expo 2026 in Istanbul alongside the jet-powered kamikaze UAV AYAZ. [](grok_render_citation_card_json={"cardIds":["3bb883"]})
Gölge is a **piston-engine** tactical UAV optimized for long-endurance missions. The name "Gölge" (Shadow) and associated branding suggest a focus on **low-observability** (low radar cross-section) features. It is designed as a flexible, multi-role platform, primarily for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) roles. [](grok_render_citation_card_json={"cardIds":["993eac"]})
— From this May 2026 revision to Draft:TUSAŞ Gölge tactical UAV
Links to searches
As of June 2025, markup with lenticular brackets and dagger symbols, like 【85†L261-269】, has also been seen. This format appears to be specific to DeepSeek and its derivatives.
Examples
Recent initiatives aim to reverse decline. Medway Council’s Gillingham Town Centre Planning Framework (2007) and later Gillingham Business Plan identified preservation of historic shopfronts and pedestrian enhancements as prioritiesmedway.gov.ukmedway.gov.uk. In 2024 MP Naushabah Khan launched the “Love Gillingham” campaign and a high-street taskforce to improve cleanliness, safety and commerce【85†L261-269】. A community panel is drafting a Gillingham Action Plan, and events like the September 2024 “Big Day Out” carnival (2,500+ attendees) help draw people in【85†L269-274】. As of 2025 vacancy rates on the High Street were reported at about 6.2% (well below the 16% UK average)【85†L261-269】, suggesting a modest stability even as big chains have disappeared.}
— From this June 2025 revision to Draft:Gillingham High Street
Paytra Gessler, known professionally as Paytra, is an American singer‑songwriter whose music combines pop and hip‑hop with R&B, funk and soul influences. She gained attention in the early 2020s with her genre‑bending singles and her feminist message. Paytra’s releases include the EP Momma Taught Me How to Fight and the album Tiny But Mighty (both 2023)【854140639155648†L119-L123】, as well as the singles “Villain Era” (2023), “Bright Red Flags” (2023)【331835262276082†L127-L149】, “Good Girls Don’t Make History” (2024)【610406519434033†L284-L290】, “All Kinda Bitches” (2024)【695032903925577†L42-L52】 and “World’s About to Get Crazy” (2024)【466616601965079†L42-L60】.
— From this August 2025 revision to Draft:Paytra
JAF-GT300 cars are generally Japanese makes or specially constructed “silhouette” vehicles, distinct from the FIA Group GT3 cars, also eligible in GT300【29†L582-L589】. The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) is the national motorsport authority in Japan and co-sponsors Super GT, setting technical rules for JAF-GT cars【32†L142-L149】. In practice, a GT300 field includes three types of cars: (1) **JAF-GT** cars (JAF-regulation, often modified Japanese road cars or special designs), (2) **FIA GT3** cars (homologated under FIA GT3 rules), and (3) **Mother Chassis** (MC) cars (built on a standard tubular chassis by Dome)【29†L598-L606】.
— From Draft:JAF-GT300 in March 2026
Links to searches
As of fall 2025, tags like [attached_file:1] and [web:1] have been seen at the end of sentences. This may be Perplexity-specific.
Examples
During his time as CEO, Philip Morris’s reputation management and media relations brought together business and news interests in ways that later became controversial, with effects still debated in contemporary regulatory and legal discussions.[attached_file:1]
— From this October 2025 revision to Hamish Maxwell
Perplexity may also cite text to an Amazon S3 bucket, with ppl-ai-file-upload in the URL.
Links to searches
As of June 1, 2026, markup in the format :::writing{variant="document" id="[NUMBER]"}, where [NUMBER] is a random 5-digit number, has been spotted; the triple colons at the beginning may or may not be interpreted as an indent. Triple colons at the end of the "document" are often paired with this. The markup may or may not be in other languages.
Examples
I can help draft a Wikipedia-style biography, but I should be clear: a page written this way is not automatically suitable for Wikipedia. Wikipedia requires facts to be supported by independent, reliable sources, and promotional or unsourced claims may be removed.
Based only on the information you've shared with me, here's a professional encyclopedia-style draft:
— From this June 2026 revision to User:Drrbharanidharan
- writing{variant="document" id="68427"}
:::écriture{variante="document" id="28471"} == AK7== '''AK7''', aussi connu sous le nom de '''Yanixak7''', [...] == Discographie == === Célibataires === • « Digba Kistha » (2022) • ''Tals'' (2025) == Privilèges externes == pédia : :::writing{variant=“document” id=“51724”} == Liens externes ==[external links omitted]
::: Et petite corr :::
— From this June 2026 revision to Draft:Ak7
LLMs may hallucinate non-existent categories, sometimes for generic concepts that seem like plausible category titles (or SEO keywords), and sometimes because their training set includes obsolete and renamed categories. These will appear as red links. You may also find category redirects, such as the longtime spammer favorite Category:Entrepreneurs. More recent LLMs will occasionally omit punctuation and words in category markup (e.g. Category people instead of Category:Living people), visibly breaking them.
Note that the presence of bad or nonexistent categories does not necessarily prove the use of AI by itself, as human editors regularly make similar mistakes. New users are unlikely to be familiar with Wikipedia's categorization system, and older users may be used to now-deprecated categories. Broken categories are, however, valid corroborating evidence if a page also shows other signs of AI editing, and given that it relies on the removal of actual words from a category name rather than just a coding error alone, the "Category people" form of category breakage is a strong AI tell as this is not an error typically made by human editors.
Examples
[[Category:American hip hop musicians]]
— From this August 2025 revision to Draft:Paytra
rather than
[[Category:American hip-hop musicians]]
LLMs often hallucinate non-existent templates (especially plausible-sounding types of infoboxes) and template parameters. These will also appear as red links, and non-existent template parameters in existing templates have no effect. LLMs may also use templates that were deleted after their knowledge cutoff date (such as the lang-?? series).
Examples
{{Infobox ancient population | name = Gangetic Hunter-Gatherer (GHG) | image = [[File:GHG_reconstruction.png|250px]] | caption = Artistic reconstruction of a Gangetic Hunter-Gatherer male, based on Mesolithic skeletal data from the Ganga Valley | regions = Ganga Valley (from Haryana to Bengal, between the Vindhyas and Himalayas) | period = Mesolithic–Early Neolithic (10,000–5,000 BCE) | descendants = Gangetic peoples, Indus Valley Civilisation, South Indian populations | archaeological_sites = Bhimbetka, Sarai Nahar Rai, Mahadaha, Jhusi, Chirand }}
— From this revision to Draft:Gangetic hunter-gatherers
rather than
{{Infobox archaeological culture | name = Gangetic Hunter-Gatherer (GHG) | map = [[File:GHG_reconstruction.png|250px]] | mapcaption = Artistic reconstruction of a Gangetic Hunter-Gatherer male, based on Mesolithic skeletal data from the Ganga Valley | region = Ganga Valley (from Haryana to Bengal, between the Vindhyas and Himalayas) | period = Mesolithic–Early Neolithic (10,000–5,000 BCE) | followedby = Gangetic peoples, Indus Valley Civilisation, South Indian populations | majorsites = Bhimbetka, Sarai Nahar Rai, Mahadaha, Jhusi, Chirand }}
Non-infobox examples
== <!-- EDIT BELOW THIS LINE --> == markup {{Update submission |reasons=Complete biographical rewrite executed to strip out promotional prose. Incorporated independent third-party literary journal analysis from Ashvamegh Journal to satisfy WP:NBIOGRAPHY. |ts=2026-06-08T12:19:00Z}}
— From this revision to User:Blueskyreader/sandbox
Links to searches