Note: You can use thesandbox to experiment with page editing.
Wikipedia is awiki, meaning anyone can edit almost any[1] page and improve articles immediately. You do not need to register to do this, and anyone who has edited is known as aWikipedian oreditor. Small edits add up, and every editor can be proud to have made Wikipedia better for everyone. There are two editing interfaces: the newVisualEditor (VE) and classicwikitext editing (wiki markup), which uses theSource Editor.
Anencyclopedic style with aformal tone is important: straightforward,just-the-facts, instead of essay-like, argumentative, or opinionated. The goal of a Wikipedia article is to create a comprehensive andneutrally written summary of existing mainstream knowledge about a topic. Wikipedia does not publishoriginal research. An encyclopedia is, by its nature, atertiary source that provides a survey of information already published in the wider world. Ideally, all information should becited andverifiable byreliable sources. Sourcing requirements are significantly stricter inarticles on living persons.
Edit screen(s)
Editing most Wikipedia pages is simple. Wikipedia uses two interface methods: classic editing with theSource Editor throughwikitext (wiki markup), and a newVisualEditor (VE).
Wikitext editing using the Source Editor is chosen by clicking theEdit source tab at the top of a Wikipedia page (or on asection-edit link). This opens an editable copy of the page, showing all the wikitext used there, and the Source Editor toolbar offers simple menu options to add or change the formatting. Wikitext is used extensively throughout Wikipedia for such things ashyperlinks,tables andcolumns,footnotes,inline citation,special characters and so on. The Source Editor lets users toggle on "wikitext highlighting", which uses different colours to help differentiate article text from wikitext.
The VisualEditor option is intended as a user-friendly, "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) editing aid, allowing one to edit pages without the need to learn wikitext markup. It is available only to registered, logged-in users through an opt-in choice that can be made inpersonal preferences. See theVisualEditor user guide for more information.
Two editing environments: Source Editor (wikitext) and VisualEditor
Edit box showing thewikitext markup. You can change the formatting and contents of the page by changing what is written in this box.
Screenshot showing the same article inVisualEditor. Unlike the wikitext display, VisualEditor will show the text being edited almost as if it were already published.
The Wikipedia community has developedstyle guidelines to make articles and facts appear in a standardized form, and Wikipedia easier to use as a whole. A basic list ofwikitext can be found on thecheatsheet. An "edit toolbar" is provided just above the edit box (pictured below), which allows logged-in users (by selecting the option inpersonal preferences) to automatically place and format various aspects of wiki code. SeeHelp:Wikitext for more information; remember that you can't break Wikipedia; and, although there are many protocols,perfection is not required becauseWikipedia is a work in progress.
When you have finished editing, you should write a shortedit summary in the field underneath those words (pictured below). You may use shorthand to describe your changes, as described in thelegend. To see how the page looks with your edits, press the "Show preview" button. To see the differences between the page with your edits and the previous version of the page, press the "Show changes" button. If you're satisfied with what you see,be bold and click on the "Publish changes" button. Your changes will immediately be visible to all Wikipedia users.
By publishing changes, you agree to theTerms of Use, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under theCC BY-SA 4.0 License and theGFDL. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
The "minor edit" checkbox (circled) in the wikitext editor
A check to the "minor edit" box signifies that only superficial differences exist between the version with your edit and the previous version: typo/grammar corrections, fixing a formatting problem, etc. Aminor edit is a version that the editor believes requires no review and could never be the subject of a dispute. Marking a change as minor does not mean that the edit is unimportant.
The "minor edit" option is one of severaloptions available only toregistered users. Editors are never required to use this button. When in doubt, consider your work to be a normal edit.
All editors are encouraged tobe bold when improving articles, but there are several things that a user can do to ensure that potentially disruptive edits are performed smoothly. Before engaging in a major edit, a user should consider discussing proposed changes on the article discussion/talk page. During the edit, if doing so over an extended period, the{{in use}} tag can reduce the likelihood of anedit conflict. Once the edit has been completed, the inclusion of anedit summary will assist in documenting the changes. These steps will help all to ensure that major edits are well received by the Wikipedia community.
A major edit should be reviewed to confirm that it is consensual to all concerned editors. Therefore, any change that affects themeaning of an article is major (not minor), even if the edit is a single word.
There are no necessary terms to which you have to agree when doing major edits, but the preceding recommendations have become best practice. If you do it your own way, the likelihood of your edits being re-edited may be higher.
When making particularly large or complex changes, you may want to copy the article toyour sandbox so you can make changes without being interrupted by other editors. It is also a good idea to publish changes frequently, so that a browser crash or electrical failure will not result in the loss of all your work.
A screencast that walks through the essentials needed in citing your sources.(2:01 min)A screencast that walks through how to use the various features of RefTools.(5:03 min)
Generally, sources are added directly after the facts they support at the end of the sentence and after any punctuation. Wikipedia permits editors to use any citation system that allows the reader to understand where the information came from, and strongly encourages the use ofinline citations to do so. Common methods of placing inline citations includefootnotes,shortened footnotes andparenthetical references.
Inline citations are most commonly placed by inserting a reference between<ref> ...</ref> tags, directly in the text of an article. The reference is a footnote, appearing as an inline link (e.g.[1][2]) to a particular item in a collated, numbered list of footnotes, found wherever a{{reflist}} template or<references /> tag is present, usually in a section titled "References" or "Notes". If you are creating a new page or adding references to a page that didn't previously have any, don't forget to add a references section with this display markup.
There are a number of tools available to help with citation placement and formatting, some of which are internal tools and scripts, whereas others are available from external sites. For an example of the former,RefToolbar is aJavaScript toolbar displayed above the edit box that provides the ability to automatically fill out variouscitation templates and insert them in the text already formatted inside<ref> ...</ref> tags. For an example of the latter, theCiter converts adigital object identifier (DOI) orGoogle Books address (URL) into a filled-out{{cite journal}} or{{cite book}} template ready to be pasted into an article. SeeHelp:Citation tools for many others.
A file that is already hosted on Wikipedia or theWikimedia Commons can be inserted with the basic code[[File:FILENAME|thumb|DESCRIPTION]]. (Image: can be substituted forFile: with no change in effect; the choice between the two is purely a matter of editorial preference.) Usingthumb generates athumbnail of an image (the most common placement option), which is typically sized differently from the original image. The Wikimedia Commons'File Upload Wizard and Wikipedia'sFile Upload Wizard will guide you through the process of submitting media. There are various file formats available.
A screencast demonstrating how to create a Wikipedia article manually.(7:50 min)
Beforestarting a new article, please understandWikipedia's notability requirements. In short, the topic of an article must have already been the subject of publication inreliable sources, such as books published by major publishing houses, newspapers, magazines, peer-reviewed scholarly journals and websites that meet the same requirements as reputable print-based sources. Information on Wikipedia must be verifiable; if no reliablethird-party sources can be found on a topic, then it should not have a separate article. Wikipedia's concept of notability applies this basic standard to avoidindiscriminate inclusion of topics.
AnArticle Wizard is available to help you create articles — it is not required but will help you construct better articles.Note: The ability to create articles directly in mainspaceis restricted to autoconfirmed users, though non-confirmed users and non-registered users can submit a proposed article through theArticles for Creation process, where it will be reviewed and considered for publication. Before creating an article, pleasesearch Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject, and also review thearticle titling policy for guidance on what to name the article.
A screencast demonstrating how to use a talk page.(2:43 min)
Every article on Wikipedia has atalk page, reached by clicking the "Talk" tab just above the title (for example,Talk:Alexander the Great). There, editors can discuss improvements to the content of an article. If you ever make a change that getsreverted by another editor, discuss the change on the talk page! TheBOLD, revert, discuss cycle is a popular method of reaching consensus. It is very important that you conduct yourself withcivility andassume good faith on the part of others.Edit warring (repeatedly overriding or reimplementing contributions) is highly discouraged.
Most othertypes of pages on Wikipedia also have associated talk pages, including theUser page each editor is assigned once they sign up. When other editors need to contact you, they will usually do this by leaving a message onyour talk page. When someone has left you a message that way, you will see a notice the next time you log in or view a page on Wikipedia.
Sign your contributions to a Talk page by using four tildes (~~~~), which produces your username and a time/date stamp.
Some pages areprotected from editing. These pages have a "View source" tab instead of an "Edit" tab. You can still edit these pages indirectly by submitting anedit request and an editor with permission to edit the protected page will respond to it.
To submit an edit request, click on the protected page's "View source" tab and then the "Submit an edit request" button at the bottom right.
Policies,guidelines, andformatting norms are developed by the community to describe the best practices, to clarify principles, resolve conflicts, and otherwise further our goals. Make sure that you submit information that is relevant to Wikipedia's specific purpose, or your content might be deleted. You can always use thetalk pages to ask questions or check to see if your idea will be accepted. Please make note of which license will cover your contributions.
^Some pages areprotected from editing and marked by a lock icon at the top right. If you are not allowed to edit the page, it will have a "View source" instead of an "Edit" and "Edit source" tab. You can still edit these pages indirectly by submitting anedit request: click "View source", then "Submit an edit request" at the bottom right, and an editor who is authorized to edit the page will respond to your request.
For a listing of current collaborations, tasks, and news, see theCommunity portal. For a listing of ongoing discussions and current requests, see theDashboard.
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