Wikipedia:Guide to image deletion

The following is a proposed Wikipedia policy, guideline, or process. The proposal may still be in development, under discussion, or in the process of gathering consensus for adoption.

Images may be deleted on Wikipedia if they do not conform to our image use policy or if they are no longer needed. The purpose of this page is to provide a brief overview of the procedures in place for deleting images or bringing them up for evaluation for inclusion. If you have specific questions, you should go to the most specific policy page related to your question for a prompt and accurate response. The primary avenues for image deletion or evaluation are speedy deletion, deletion debate, the possibly unfree images board and non-free content review.

While images may be deleted for many reasons, a frequent cause of concern is our legal right to display them. If you believe an image should be deleted for reasons related to copyright, licensing or compliance with non-free content guidelines, please see the "Copyright concerns" section below. Problems not related to copyright or licensing are addressed under "Other concerns".

Deleting images

To actually delete an image, you must be an administrator. To do so, go to the image description page and click "delete" at the top of the page (it may be located elsewhere if you are using a skin other than monobook). Deleted images can now be undeleted.

Only images on Wikipedia can be deleted through these processes. If an image is hosted on Wikimedia Commons, it must be deleted there. Please see Commons:Deletion requests. If an image is available at both Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, and it is deleted here, it's a good idea to also bring it up for deletion on Commons, as their inclusion policies are generally much stricter than those of the English Wikipedia.

Copyright concerns

Images and photographs, like written works, are subject to copyright. Any work created in the United States since 1978 is automatically copyrighted unless it has been explicitly placed in the public domain, and this also applies to most other nations in the world today. Many older works are copyrighted as well. Most images found on the Internet need to be licensed directly from the copyright holder or someone able to license on their behalf. In some cases, fair use guidelines may allow an image to be used irrespective of any copyright claims. Image description pages must be tagged with a special tag to indicate the legal status of the images, as described at Wikipedia:Image copyright tags. Untagged or incorrectly-tagged images will be deleted.

If you are uncertain of the copyright status of an image that you would like to use or have concerns about an existing image that are insufficient to prompt action as set forth below, you may seek feedback at media copyright questions.

Addressing suspected copyright infringement

If you encounter an image that is indisputably non-free, and it can comply with our non-free content policy, be bold and retag it as a non-free image with an appropriate tag. Otherwise:

For images claimed under free license

If the image lacks a source, so copyright status cannot be determined, follow the usage directions at Template:Di-no source. Note that editors sometimes specify such information in the upload summary, so be sure to check the circumstances of the image.
If the image lists a source with no evidence of permission, such as release at the source website or OTRS ticket number, follow the usage directions at Template:Di-no permission.
If a copyright infringement is blatant—that is, if the image is claimed under a free license when this is obviously not the case—it may be tagged for speedy deletion under speedy deletion criterion I9. This does not include images used under a claim of fair use, nor does it include images with a credible claim that the owner has released them under a Wikipedia-compatible free license. Those may, instead, be handled by one of the processes below. This does include images from stock photo libraries such as Getty Images or Corbis.
- Tag the image with {{db-i9|url=original source}}, replacing "original source" with the URL where the image may be found. No further action is mandatory, but it is a courtesy to notify the contributor. The tag will generate a notice which may be easily pasted onto the user's talk page.
If a copyright infringement is not blatant—that is, if you dispute the source or licensing information, but further investigation may be necessary to confirm infringement—it should be listed for review at possibly unfree images.
- Tag the image with {{PUI}}. Directions for using this tag are found at Template:Pui. Be sure that you follow through after tagging the image by notifying the contributor and listing the image at the possibly unfree images page as directed at that template. You may wish to monitor the conversation there in case your further input may be helpful in resolving the issue. Images are listed at that page for 14 days before they are processed.

For images of uncertain or restricted license

If the image:

is a user-created image, consider whether it can be properly brought into compliance with our non-free content policy. If it can, it is suggested to use the {{subst:Non-free use rationale}} template.
lacks a license, follow the directions at Template:Di-no license. Note that editors sometimes specify such information in the upload summary, so be sure to check the circumstances of the image.
claims non-commercial use, non-derivative use or used with permission, and it was uploaded after May 19, 2005 or is not used in any articles, you may tag it with {{Db-i3}}, but first consider whether it can be properly brought into compliance with our non-free content policy. If it can, please provide a fair use tag and a Fair use rationale, also adding {{Non-free with NC}} to images licensed for non-commercial use.

For images claimed under fair use

For fair use images:

with no non-free use rationale if the image was uploaded after May 4, 2006, tag the image as {{subst:nrd}}.
with vague or inappropriate justifications that do not meet non-free content guidelines, tag the image as {{subst:dfu|reason that the image does not meet the criteria}}.
that are replaceable either by a free image that could be located or by text alone, tag the image as {{subst:rfu}}.
that are not being used in any article, tag the image as {{subst:orfud}}.
that have been replaced by a smaller size, to request deletion of previous versions, tag the image {{Non-free reduced}}. (To request that an image be replaced with a smaller size, use {{Non-free reduce}}.)

Be sure to check the template that will appear on the image after tagging to see if additional steps, such as notifying the contributor, are necessary.

Other concerns

Speedy deletion

There are several circumstances unrelated to copyright which may result in an image being speedily deleted. These include:

redundant image. If an image is a redundant copy of an image:
- on Wikipedia, in the same file format, and at the same or lower quality/resolution, and all inward links have been updated, follow the usage directions at Template:Db-i1.
- at Wikimedia Commons, under the same name, and it satisfies the additional conditions set out at WP:CSD#I8, follow the usage directions at Template:Db-i8.
image corruption. If an image is corrupt or empty, follow the usage directions at Template:Db-i2.
file format. If the file is not an image, sound or video file (this includes .doc, .pdf and .xls files) and it has no foreseeable use in the encyclopedia, tag the image with {{db-i10}}.

Deletion discussions

For other concerns that may require deletion of an image, including if the image is unneeded, Wikipedia:Images and media for deletion should be used. Please follow the instructions there for listing the image for review. Images that have been listed there for more than 5 days are eligible for deletion if either a consensus to do so has been reached or no objections to deletion have been raised.

Undeletion requests

The first step in requesting undeletion is to approach the deleting administrator. The administrator should be courteously invited to take a second look at the issue. If the matter cannot be resolved through conversation with the deleting administrator, undeletion requests should be brought to deletion review.