Juncture adds support for Entity Info Popups — lightweight, contextual information panels that appear when a reader clicks a linked term in your text.

They allow you to reference people, places, organizations, works, and concepts without interrupting the flow of your writing. Instead of sending readers off-site, the relevant details appear instantly in a clean, structured popup.

What Are Entity Info Popups?

An Entity Info Popup is a small, on-demand information panel generated from a Wikidata entity.

For example, instead of linking directly to Wikipedia, you can reference a person or place using its Wikidata identifier (a Q number). Juncture then:

  • Retrieves structured data from Wikidata
  • Displays a concise summary
  • Shows an image (if available)
  • Includes key facts such as dates, roles, or locations
  • Provides links to related resources (e.g., Wikipedia)

The result is a richer reading experience with minimal effort from the author.

Entity popups are especially useful for educational, historical, or research-oriented writing where contextual clarity matters.

Where the Data Comes From

Entity popups rely on Wikidata.

What Is Wikidata?

Wikidata is a free, collaboratively edited knowledge base maintained by the Wikimedia Foundation. It underpins Wikipedia and many other structured data services.

Each entity in Wikidata has:

  • A unique identifier (e.g., Q42)
  • A canonical label
  • Structured properties (birth date, occupation, location, etc.)
  • Links to Wikipedia and other knowledge sources
  • Often an associated image from Wikimedia Commons

Unlike Wikipedia (which is primarily narrative text), Wikidata is structured and machine-readable. That makes it ideal for dynamic components like Juncture’s popups.

How to Create an Entity Popup

Creating an entity popup is simple:

  1. Identify the Wikidata ID (Q number) for the entity.
  2. Link text in your Markdown to that ID using Juncture’s entity syntax.

Step 1: Find the Wikidata ID

  • Search for the subject on Wikipedia.
  • Click the “Wikidata item” link in the sidebar.
  • Copy the Q identifier from the URL (e.g., Q937).

Step 2: Link the Text

Use the Juncture entity reference format in your Markdown:

1

[Charles Darwin](Q1035)

When rendered, clicking the name will open the popup.

That’s it. No additional configuration required.

Example

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[Charles Darwin](Q1035)

The work of Charles Darwin continues to influence modern biology, from genetics to ecology. Although controversial in his time, his ideas are now foundational to the life sciences.

What Appears in the Popup?

Depending on what Wikidata contains, the popup may include:

  • Title / canonical name
  • Short description
  • Thumbnail image
  • Key properties (dates, roles, affiliations, location, etc.)
  • Link to Wikipedia

Because the data is structured, Juncture can present it consistently across different types of entities.

The quality of the popup depends on the completeness of the Wikidata entry. Well-documented subjects produce better popups.

Traditional links:

  • Interrupt reading flow
  • Send users away from your site
  • Require multiple tabs for context

Entity popups:

  • Preserve reading flow
  • Provide just enough context
  • Reduce unnecessary navigation
  • Encourage exploratory reading

They are particularly effective in:

  • Historical essays
  • Biographical writing
  • Plant humanities content
  • Art history discussions
  • Geographically rich narratives

How This Fits with Chirpy and Jekyll

Chirpy already supports rich formatting, attribute blocks, and structured content (see the core writing guide and formatting examples ).

Juncture builds on that foundation by introducing semantic linking through Wikidata entities. Instead of simply formatting text, you are adding structured meaning.

From an author’s perspective:

  • You continue writing standard Markdown.
  • You add entity links where helpful.
  • Juncture handles the data retrieval and display.

No JavaScript knowledge or API work is required.

Best Practices

Use popups selectively. Too many can make a page visually noisy.

Link the first meaningful occurrence. Avoid repeating the same entity multiple times on a page.

Prefer canonical subjects. Well-known entities tend to have better Wikidata records.

Verify the Q ID. Some names are ambiguous. Make sure the ID matches the intended subject.

Summary

Juncture Entity Info Popups:

  • Turn plain text references into structured, interactive knowledge
  • Pull live data from Wikidata
  • Improve clarity without disrupting reading
  • Require only a simple entity link in Markdown

They are a small addition from an authoring standpoint, but they significantly elevate the reader experience.