This template either adds the page to both Category:Wikipedia supplemental essays and Category:Wikipedia essays, or to Category:User essays, depending in which namespace it is.
Use this template carefully, only when there is a well-established consensus at the relevant policy or guideline page to link to an essay in question. The noun supplement does not mean "an interpretation" nor "something added". It means precisely "something added, especially to make up for a deficiency", in this case a deficiency in a official Wikipedia's policy or guideline. If consensus changes and the essay is no longer referenced in a policy or guideline, change the tag to a standard {{Essay}}.
This template can handle between one and three page parameters. It has an optional "shortcut" parameter that can be used to add a Shortcut: box to the right side of the template.
- becomes:
 | While this essay is not a policy or guideline itself, it is intended to supplement page. Please defer to the relevant policy or guideline in case of inconsistency between that page and this one. |
- becomes:
 | While this essay is not a policy or guideline itself, it is intended to supplement page and page. Please defer to the relevant policy or guideline in case of inconsistency between that page and this one. |
- {{supplement|page|page|page|shortcut=WP:SHORTCUT|shortcut2=WP:OTHER}}
- becomes:
 | While this essay is not a policy or guideline itself, it is intended to supplement page, page and page. Please defer to the relevant policy or guideline in case of inconsistency between that page and this one. | |
- {{essay|WP:SHORTCUT|WP:OTHER|interprets=the [[Wikipedia:Consensus]] policy and [[Wikipedia:Be bold]] guideline}}
- becomes: