Categories and colours
editAmboxes are divided into various categories. Each category has a corresponding colour code. The colour-coding helps to inform of the severity of the issues at a glance.
| Code | Name | Description | Example Templates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #b22222 | Speedy | Immediate deletion | {{db-meta}} | |
| #b22222 | Deletion | Full-discussion deletion; proposed deletion | {{afd}}, {{prod}} | |
| #f28500 | Content | Problems with the content of an article, i.e., what the article actually says | {{POV}}, {{globalize}} | |
| #f4c430 | Style | Problems not with the content, but how it is formatted/presented | {{cleanup}}, {{underlinked}} | |
| #1e90ff | Notice | Information readers/editors should be aware of | {{current}}, {{recent death}} | |
| #9932cc | Move | Merge, split and transwiki proposals | {{split}}, {{copy to wiktionary}} | |
| #bba | Protection | Page is locked against edits | {{pp-protected}} |
The choice of colour is partly inspired by the ANSI standard safety "Signal Words" and their corresponding colors: Danger (Red), Warning (Orange), Caution (Yellow), and Notice (Blue).
Most amboxes have a background colour of #fbfbfb (slightly off white), which is intended to contrast slightly with the full white (#ffffff) used for articles, while still being easy to read. The exception is the Speedy category, which uses a pink background (#fee) to highlight the immediate nature of the problem.