Wikipedia:Non-free use rationale guideline

If you are using non-free images or other media, you must include two things on the image description page:

Note: Non-free images that do not include both a copyright tag and a use rationale may be deleted after seven days.

A well-written use rationale must explain how the use of these media meets the Non-free content criteria and should state:

Please note that these templates are not required to meet NFC, as long as the description on the file page addresses all 10 criteria outlined by NFC.

The template {{}} facilitates both adding essential metadata and creating a use rationale with the necessary components.

Optional/expert fields and can be left out. A older form, {{}}, is also available.

An alternative is to use {{}} with {{}}; this is helpful for items with multiple uses. The {{}} template is applied once and a {{}} template is added for each use, providing a separate purpose (rationale) for each use, per policy.

Insert this once:

Repeat this as many times as needed:

There are more specific use rationale templates in Category:Non-free use rationale templates, such as for album covers and logos.

Below are some basic examples. Good use rationales will expand on why the non-free item is needed, why a free item cannot be used in its place, and what essential function it performs in each article in which it is to be used. If the image is used in several articles, then you must include a separate use rationale for each article. If the article text comments on the image itself, then write so. If it does not, be sure to explain why the image is necessary despite the fact it is not mentioned.

Logo in the article about the topic that the logo represents

Historical photographs

Again, the above are only general examples; for more information on what needs to be included in this entry see . The information should be as specific as possible, i.e. why you need to use the image as part of the article. Adding this information is no guarantee that the image will not be later removed, but it will demonstrate a use rationale to others that you may have a valid justification for including fair use materials that can be used under the GFDL.

For more examples see .

WP:CSD#F6: Fair use images that contain no use rationale whatsoever should be speedy deleted 7 days after notification to the editor who uploaded the image is given.

WP:CSD#F7: Fair use images that obviously fail any part of WP:NFCC may be tagged as {{subst:|reason}} and deleted after 7 days.

...
Wikipedia