Reference tiddlers offer raw information in a comprehensive interlinked way. The reader is likely to be an intermediate or expert user.

There are several subcategories:

Concepts

• With definitions, together forming a glossary

User manual

• Presenting technical details of WikiText features
• Subcategorised: messages, operators, widgets, etc
  • Widget documentation should follow the Widget Documentation Style Guide

Developer manual

• Presenting technical details of TiddlyWiki's internal architecture

Reference material is written in a terse, formal style that avoids referring to the reader, and instead focuses on how TiddlyWiki itself behaves. The passive voice is often suitable:

• "the template is specified as a tiddler" rather than "specify the template as a tiddler"
• "the widget can be used for various purposes" rather than "you can use the widget for various purposes"
• But "this widget has several possible uses" is better, because it is less convoluted and more succinct

Most contracted verb forms are avoided in reference tiddlers. But those ending in "n't" ("aren't", "doesn't", "hasn't", "isn't", etc) are acceptable, as they make it less easy to accidentally overlook the word "not".