The parameter options are displayed above. Note that when the template is used, blank parameters will not be displayed.

The usage parameters are taken mostly from the message header fields (see RFC 2822, RFC 1036) as follows:

  • title, from Subject header field (required)
  • author, from From header field (or from signature block)
  • date, from Date header field (or from NNTP-Posting-Date field)
  • newsgroup, from Newsgroups header field
  • id, from Message-ID header field
  • url, on Google Groups or other newsgroup archive, if possible
    • accessdate, for the above URL
  • quote, relevant excerpt to be quoted from the post.
  • PS, additional commentary to be included within the cite.
  • Sep, specifies the punctuation mark used to separate fields. This usually defaults to a period, but may occasionally be a comma.
{{cite newsgroup |title= |author= |date= |newsgroup= |id= |url= |accessdate={{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY2}}}}
{{cite newsgroup
  | title =
  | author =
  | date =
  | newsgroup =
  | id =
  | url =
  | accessdate = {{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY2}}
 }}
{{cite newsgroup
  | author = A. S. Tanenbaum
  | title = LINUX is obsolete
  | date = 1992-01-29
  | newsgroup = comp.os.minix
  | id = 12595@star.cs.vu.nl
  | url = http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.minix/browse_thread/thread/c25870d7a41696d2/f447530d082cd95d?tvc=2
  | accessdate = 2006-11-27
}}

produces: A. S. Tanenbaum (1992-01-29). "LINUX is obsolete". comp.os.minix. (Web link). সংগ্ৰহ কৰা হৈছে: 2006-11-27.

{{cite newsgroup
  | author = Tanenbaum, A. S.
  | title = LINUX is obsolete
  | date = 1992-01-29
  | newsgroup = comp.os.minix
  | id = 12595@star.cs.vu.nl
  | quote = I am not unhappy with LINUX
  | Sep = ;
  | PS=Single post.
}}- Uses Google Groups default Message-ID lookup URL

produces: Tanenbaum, A. S. (1992-01-29); "LINUX is obsolete"; comp.os.minix; (Google Groups); "I am not unhappy with LINUX" Single post.- Uses Google Groups default Message-ID lookup URL