Make a wish – improving references on Wikimedia projects
Reliable references are at the core of Wikimedia projects, yet citation workflows remain complex, inconsistent across language versions, and difficult to adapt to the needs of authors with different experience levels. [WMDE Technical Wishes](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/WMDE_Technical_Wishes) aims to support users who add and maintain references by improving citation features in our [“improvements to references”-focus area](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/References).
This interactive workshop invites Wikimedians from different projects to explore challenges in referencing workflows and help shape future development priorities of our team. We will discuss current projects – like improvements to [Reference Previews](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/References/Reference_Previews), [Citoid](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/References/Citoid) or to re-using references in VisualEditor – gather the community's sentiment on proposed solutions and collect ideas for future improvements to references.
*Workshop attendees might also be interested in attending the [Wiki AI pre-conference](https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/wikimania2026/talk/TFF3JU/) which features [sessions on reference reliability](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence/2026_Wiki_AI#Tools_for_Reliability_&_Defense). Other recommended Wikimania sessions on referencing / citations: [1](https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/wikimania2026/talk/YASJQZ/), [2](https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/wikimania2026/talk/NSXGJU/), [3](https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/wikimania2026/talk/PFGF9C/), [4](https://wikimedia.eventyay.com/wm/wikimania2026/talk/LB389G/).*
