This page provideshelp with the most common questions aboutWikipedia.
Use the search box below, or browse theHelp menu or theHelp directory to search Wikipedia's help pages.
For interactive assistance related to using and editing Wikipedia, see thehelp desk and theTeahouse.
Read orfind an article
TheReaders' FAQ and ourabout page contain the most commonly sought information about Wikipedia.
For simple searches, there is a search bar at the top of every page. Type what you are looking for in the box. Suggested matches will appear in a dropdown list. Select any page in the list to go to that page. Or, select the "Search" button, or press↵ Enter, to go to a full search result. For advanced searches, seeHelp:Searching.
There are other ways to browse and explore Wikipedia articles; many can be found atWikipedia:Contents. See ourdisclaimer for cautions about Wikipedia's limitations.
Formobile access, press themobile view link at the very bottom of everydesktop view page.
Report a problem with an article
If there is a problem with an article about yourself, a family member, a friend or a colleague, please readBiographies of living persons/Help.
If you spot a problem with an article, you can fix it directly, by clicking on the "Edit" link at the top of that page.See the "edit an article" section of this page for more information.
If you don't feel ready to fix the article yourself, post a message on the article'stalk page. This will bring the matter to the attention of others who work on that article. There is a "Talk" link at the beginning ofevery article page.
You cancontact us. If it's an article about you or your organization, seeContact us – Subjects.
Factual questions
Ifsearching Wikipedia has not answered your question (for example, questions like "Which country has the world's largest fishing fleet?"), try theReference Desk. Volunteers there will attempt to answer your questions on any topic, or point you toward the information you need.
Directories
- Directory: main list of directories and indexes.
Help related
Protocols and conventions
Community related
- Departments: for the different divisions of Wikipedia.
- Editor's index: for everything an editor needs to know to work on Wikipedia.
- Essay directory: for Wikipedia namespace essays.
- Dashboard: for current discussions taking place throughout Wikipedia.
- WikiProjects: for people who want to work together as a team to improve Wikipedia.
MediaWiki software
- Wikitext: for the syntax used by Wikipedia to format a page.
- HTML: for HTML5 elements, or tags and their attribute.
- Templates: for templates used within Wikipedia.
Tip of the day
Basic copyediting
Discovering that pages needbasic copyediting may surprise new visitors to Wikipedia. This is because the encyclopedia is a dynamic work in progress, published while it is being developed and updated in real time by people all over the world. Millions of the articles need simple improvements. You don't have to be an expert to edit Wikipedia. Just click the edit tab at the top of the page and start typing away!
Copyediting involves the "five Cs": making the articleclear,correct,concise,comprehensible, andconsistent. So, if you see something you can fix, click on the "edit" tab at the top of the page, and start typing in the edit window to fix it.Be bold. And, if there are any facts you know about the subject that are missing, then please, add them in!
For general help with editing, seeWikipedia:How to edit a page.
To add this auto-updating daily tip to your user page, use
{{totd}}
