This is a tracking category for CS1 citations that have invalid generic values in name parameters.

Help desk

|<param>= has generic name

Articles are listed in this category when Module:Citation/CS1 identifies template author or editor name parameters that use place-holder names. Such names may have been provided by bots or other tools that are unable to identify the source's correct names. Pages in this category should only be added by Module:Citation/CS1.

CS1|2 maintains a short list of 'names' that are typically not the correct names for the cited source. Some examples are:

If you are aware of other common place-holder names, please report them at Help talk:Citation Style 1, so that they can be added to the list.

To resolve this error, replace the place-holder name with the source's actual author or editor name, or use a more appropriate parameter.

Example fixes:

• Replace |author=Smith, Jane, editor with |editor=Smith, Jane
• Replace |author=[[Jane Smith (author)|Jane Smith]] with |first=Jane |last=Smith |author-link=Jane Smith (author) (preferably) or |author=Jane Smith |author-link=Jane Smith (author)

False positives are possible. When the name is valid, wrap the parameter value in the accept-this-as-written markup:

|author=((Super User))

Please do not use this markup when it is not appropriate.

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:CS1 errors: generic name.^[a]

See also the error category Category:CS1 errors: generic title.