Wikipedia is the online encyclopedia par excellence. It is defined as a “free encyclopedia” because it is totally free (however, donations can be made) and anyone can contribute to the creation of a new page, as long as they respect the terms of the site.
But how do you create a new page and how do you get it 100% approved?
Follow our guidelines to create a Wikipedia page and get it published!
1. Research a topic for your page
Before creating your own article, make sure you have an appropriate and unbiased argument.
Your writing must be of high quality. Try to achieve acceptable academic standards and references to sites with a good reputation. It is essential to include citations from relevant external sources. Wikipedia editors reject articles promoting your business or personal website. This type of promotional content will likely be marked as spam.
Most importantly, make sure you do your research well in advance before writing anything. Read the next steps for a better understanding of which topics to write and which to avoid.
2. Search for WP: RA in the Wikipedia search box
The Wikipedia search box appears at the top of every page on the website. There are several types of useful search functions that you can type in the box. The “WP: RA” search function is useful for finding topics on which to write your article on Wikipedia.
“WP” stands for “wiki” and “pedia”.
“RA” stands for “items requested” by other users.
Therefore, if you go to the search box on your website and type “WP: RA” (without the quotes), you will see a number of required article topics.
This is a great way to find a topic to write about because it gives you an idea of what other people are looking for.
3. Avoid rewriting and double-checking
Before creating a page, make sure Wikipedia hasn’t already published an article you’re thinking about or writing.
In the site search box, type the subject to see if any similar topics appear in their database. If your topic appears, you’ll need to find another topic to write about that isn’t already there.
Even if the topic does not appear in their search engine, there is always the possibility that Google may refer to Wikipedia. Do the same Google search for the topic. If it doesn’t appear in Google’s index, it probably hasn’t been published yet, and you can choose that topic.
4. Register your Wikipedia account
Become a registered user on Wikipedia. Registering for an account allows you to create a user profile which will bring you many benefits. For example, it allows you to receive messages from other users about changes made to your articles. Additionally, you can get (non-financial) credits for your writing and contributions.
If for any reason you choose not to register, try submitting an article proposal via the Wikipedia section for creation. Type “WP: AFT” in the Wikipedia search box for more information.
5. Mention your sources correctly
To create a Wikipedia page and get the article accepted, it is essential to cite reputable sources. For example, reliable references can come from published books, magazines and newspapers. Relying on sources such as personal blogs will appear much less credible and may not even be accepted by Wikipedia moderators.
For more information on how to cite sources, type “WP: CITE” in the Wikipedia search box. This will lead you to many helpful tips and guidelines on referencing.
6. Use the Wikipedia sandbox editor
What does a sandbox have to do with writing Wikipedia articles? All.
Sandbox is the name of the Wikipedia text editor that you will use directly on their website to create and submit your articles. You can write your article in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but you’ll need to paste it into Sandbox to submit it.
So, to familiarize yourself with the process, practice writing in Sandbox and learn how to juggle its tools. For more information on using the Sandbox editor, type “WP: SB” in the Wikipedia search box.
Also, for more details on Sandbox, we recommend that you read the following tutorial on creating a sandbox .
7. Enter and review your article
When you are ready to post your content in the Sandbox, do another search for your topic in the Wikipedia search engine and click “go”.
If the topic is still available, and we hope so after all your hard research and writing, the topic should appear below the search box as a link.
Click on the subject text link and you will be taken to the Sandbox editor where you can post your article.
Once you have made the latest changes to the article, click on “show preview” at the bottom of the Sandbox to see how your Wikipedia article will look.
Finally, when you are finally ready to publish, click “save page”.
8. Publish your article and wait for approval
After the Wikipedia staff editors have finished reviewing your article, they may request more sources from you if they feel it is necessary. However, if everything is okay with the article, it will be available to the public for viewing.
Remember to click “Help” anywhere on the sidebar menu if you need further assistance with publishing articles.
To learn more about how to create a page, remember to check out the official Wikipedia tutorial .
After following these steps and reading their guidelines outlined in the tutorial, you should be well on your way to having your first Wikipedia article 100% approved!
