This template allows the addition of explanatory notes to images in the form of actual text (which can also contain links), which is usually more legible than text built into the image – especially if the image is reduced to thumbnail size.

Other uses include cropping an image to exclude unimportant parts and perhaps enlarge important parts, and internationalisation, as the annotations can be changed without changing the image.

This template and {{annotated image 4}} are the only two annotated image templates that utilize {{annotation}} to superimpose wikitext onto images.

{{Annotated image
| image = 
| image-width = 
| image-left = 
| image-top = 
| width = 
| height = 
| float = 
| annotations = 
{{Annotation | left (in px)| top (in px) | text | text-align=left | font-size=12 | font-weight=bold | font-family=Times New Roman | background-color=#ffcccee | color=blue}}
| caption = 
}}

All parameters have names; there are no nameless "numbered" parameters.

Two of the parameters, image and imagemap, are mutually exclusive: use one of them, not both.

In the following list, those parameters required by the template are shown in bold.

Parameter	Allowed values	Default value	Function and notes
caption	wikitext		Caption accompanying image.
alt	text	empty	Alt text for people whose vision of the image is impaired (see WP:ALT).
Either  image or  imagemap	valid image filename or valid X/HTML imagemap		Specify either image or imagemap, but not both.
width	positive integer	–	Total width (in pixels) of the box containing the image and annotations. Must be at least as large as the image's displayed width (which can be set using image-width).
height	positive integer	–	Total height (in pixels) of the box containing the image and annotations. Must be at least as large as the image's displayed height. If the displayed width of the image is changed by specifying image-width, the image's displayed height and any additional "margins" for annotations will need to be calculated.
image-left	integer	(zero)	X-coordinate of the image's top left corner (in pixels), relative to the top left corner of the box containing the image and annotations. Negative values crop the image.
image-top	integer	(zero)	Y-coordinate of the image's top left corner (in pixels), relative to the top left corner of the box containing the image and annotations. Negative values crop the image.
image-width	positive integer		Width of the original image (in pixels). (Look on the file's page and use the second number in the image size.)
annotations			Annotations for the image. May be left empty (i.e. |... |annotations= |...) to crop an image only.
link			To set the link of image. May be left empty (i.e. |... |link= |...) for purely decorative images.
float	right left center none	right	To specify whether or not the template floats to the right or left of adjacent content.
outer-css	any valid CSS	–	Additional CSS applied to the outermost box. Does not override any other parameters specified for the outer box (i.e. best used only as "a last resort").
image-bg-color	any valid CSS color	white	Background of the box in which the image is displayed. For example, a dark background for a relatively dark image on which relatively lightly colored annotations are placed.
image-css	any valid CSS	–	Additional CSS applied to the (inner box carrying the) image. Does not override any other parameters specified for this box (i.e. best used only as "a last resort").
annot-text-align	left right center	left	Sets a default text-alignment for all the contained annotations. Can be overridden per annotation.
annot-background-color	any valid CSS color	transparent	Sets a default background-color for all the contained annotations. Can be overridden per annotation.
annot-font-family	any valid CSS font-family	–	Sets a default font-family for all the contained annotations. Can be overridden per annotation.
annot-font-size	positive integer	–	Sets a default font-size (in pixels) for all the contained annotations. Can be overridden per annotation.
annot-font-weight	any valid CSS font-weight	–	Sets a default font-weight for all the contained annotations. Can be overridden per annotation.
annot-font-style	any valid CSS font-style	–	Sets a default font-style (e.g. "italic") for all the contained annotations. Can be overridden per annotation.
annot-line-height	any valid CSS line-height	–	Sets a default line-height (line spacing) for all the contained annotations. Can be overridden per annotation.
annot-color	any valid CSS color	–	Sets a default color for all the contained annotations. Can be overridden per annotation.

SVG images allowed.

This template makes internationalisation easy; the text is already separate from the image, so it is easy to translate the text and, if necessary, move pieces of text, as the lengths of the same text in different languages can vary a lot. For example, nl:Sjabloon:Zijbalk mariene extincties, the Dutch version of Template:Annotated image/Extinction, is widely used.

Template:Annotated image/Extinction

See Template:Annotated image/doc/Samples.

You have an image like commons:File:Mona Lisa color restoration2.jpg. But you want to show only a part of the image, say a part of the nose and mouth:

You can do it with following code:

{{Annotated image
| image = Mona Lisa color restoration2.jpg
| image-width = 2000  <!-- choose any width, as you like it. It doesn't matter the factual width of the image-->
| image-left = -850   <!-- crop the left part. Be aware of the "-" minus symbol  --> 
| image-top = -800    <!-- crop the upper part. Be aware of the "-" minus symbol  -->
| width =  250        <!-- crop the right part. That will be the width of the image in the article -->
| height =  250       <!-- crop the below part. That will be the height of the image in the article -->
| float = left
| annotations =       <!-- empty or not, this parameter must be included -->
| caption = Cropped Mona Lisa from a 2000 pixel image
}}

The result is a 250pixels x 250pixels area from the 2000 pixels width image (the factual width of the image doesn't matter). The upper 800 pixels and the 850 pixels at the left side of the 2000-image are "discarded" as well as the "rest" at the right side after the 250 pixels and at the bottom after the 250 pixels:

This list is automatically generated and updated. Redirects are shown in italics.

• {{Annotation}}, for creating annotations.
• {{Annotated image 4}}, for annotating left/right/center-aligned images with a normal caption background color.
• {{Image label}}, an alternative to this template.
• {{Overlay}}, which labels an image, automatically constructs a column-balanced legend, with, if desired, sub-legends; allows separate control of labels' pop-up tips; assists in determining corordinates for labels' position; etc.
• {{Location map+}}, for maps featuring "pin"-style location icons.
• {{Superimpose}} to superimpose images.
• ImageMap (MediaWiki extension) - adding links to areas of an image