How To Edit Pages

Related topics: Help:Contents, Wiki Markup Reference, Page Templates, Wiki Templates

Editing refers to the process by which a page is altered. Unless certain restrictions are in effect, all pages are editable, by everyone. This is a brief overview of that process. A list of all available help pages can be found here.

Editing basics

Start editing

To start editing a page, click the Edit tab at the top. This brings you to the edit page: a page with a text box containing the wikitext – the editable code from which the server produces the finished page, and often called the edit box.

Type your changes

You can just type your text. However, also using basic wiki markup (described in the next section) to make links and do simple formatting adds to the value of your contribution. Some types of entries have templates you can use that include formatting information.

Summarize your changes

If the change you have made might be controversial, is an important change, or needs clarification, you can write a short edit summary in the small field below the edit-box. For pedestrian, self-explanatory, or minor changes you can leave this blank.

Preview before saving!

When you have finished, click Show preview to see how your changes will look before you make them permanent. Repeat the edit/preview process until you are satisfied, then click Save page and your changes will be immediately applied to the article.

Most frequent wiki markup explained

Here are the most frequently used types of wiki markup. For a more comprehensive list see the Wiki Markup Reference.

What it looks like	What you type
You can italicize text by putting 2 apostrophes on each side. 3 apostrophes will embolden the text. 5 apostrophes will embolden and italicize the text. (4 apostrophes don't do anything special -- there's just 'one left over'.)	You can ''italicize text'' by putting 2 apostrophes on each side. 3 apostrophes will embolden '''the text'''. 5 apostrophes will embolden and italicize '''''the text'''''. (4 apostrophes don't do anything special -- there's just ''''one left over''''.)
You should "sign" your comments on talk pages: Three tildes give your user name: Example (talk) Four tildes give your user name plus date/time: Example (talk) 07:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC) Five tildes give the date/time alone: 07:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC)	You should "sign" your comments on talk pages: * Three tildes give your user name: ~~~ * Four tildes give your user name plus date/time: ~~~~ * Five tildes give the date/time alone: ~~~~~
Section headings Headings organize your writing into sections. The Wiki software can automatically generate a table of contents from them. Subsection Using more equals signs creates a subsection. A smaller subsection Don't skip levels, like from two to four equals signs. Start with 2 equals signs not 1 because 1 creates H1 tags which should be reserved for page title.	== Section headings == ''Headings'' organize your writing into sections. The Wiki software can automatically generate a table of contents from them. === Subsection === Using more equals signs creates a subsection. ==== A smaller subsection ==== Don't skip levels, like from two to four equals signs. Start with 2 equals signs not 1 because 1 creates H1 tags which should be reserved for page title.
Unordered lists are easy to do: Start every line with a star. More stars indicate a deeper level. Previous item continues. A new line in a list marks the end of the list. Of course you can start again.	* ''Unordered lists'' are easy to do: ** Start every line with a star. *** More stars indicate a deeper level. *: Previous item continues. ** A new line * in a list marks the end of the list. * Of course you can start again.
Numbered lists are: Very organized Easy to follow A new line marks the end of the list. New numbering starts with 1.	# ''Numbered lists'' are: ## Very organized ## Easy to follow A new line marks the end of the list. # New numbering starts with 1.
A colon (:) indents a line or paragraph. A newline starts a new paragraph. Often used for discussion on talk pages. We use 1 colon to indent once. We use 2 colons to indent twice. 3 colons to indent 3 times, and so on.	: A colon (:) indents a line or paragraph. A newline starts a new paragraph. <br> Often used for discussion on talk pages. : We use 1 colon to indent once. :: We use 2 colons to indent twice. ::: 3 colons to indent 3 times, and so on.
Here's a link to the Getting Started page. Display different text than the name that links to the target page. But be careful - capitalization counts!	Here's a link to the [[Getting Started]] page. Display text different text than the page name as the link to [[Getting Started | the target page]].
Asheron's Call IV is a page that doesn't exist yet. You could create it by clicking on the link.	[[Asheron's Call IV]] is a page that doesn't exist yet. You could create it by clicking on the link.
You can link to a page section by its title: Getting Started#Naming Pages. If multiple sections have the same title, add a number. #Example section 3 goes to the third section named "Example section".	You can link to a page section by its title: * [[List of cities by country#Morocco]]. If multiple sections have the same title, add a number. [[#Example section 3]] goes to the third section named "Example section".

Minor Edits

A check to the minor edit box signifies that only superficial differences exist between the current and previous version: typo corrections, formatting and presentational changes, rearranging of text without modifying content, et cetera. A minor edit is a version that the editor believes requires no review and could never be the subject of a dispute. An edit marked as minor appears on the right of a lower case, bolded "m" character (m) in the history.

By contrast, a major edit is a version that should be reviewed to confirm that it is consensual to all concerned editors. Therefore, any change that affects the meaning of an article is not minor, even if the edit is a single word, for example, the addition or removal of "not", which can vastly change the meaning of a sentence, paragraph, section or article.

The distinction between major and minor edits is significant because editors may choose to ignore minor edits when reviewing recent changes; logged-in users might even set their preferences to not display them. If there is any chance that another editor might dispute a change, it is best to not mark the edit as minor.

When to mark an edit as minor:

• Spelling corrections
• Simple formatting (e.g., capitalization, punctuation, or properly adding italics to non-English words like et cetera)
• Formatting that doesn't change the meaning of the page (e.g. adding horizontal lines, splitting one paragraph into two—where this is not contentious)
• Obvious factual errors (e.g., changing 1873 to 1973, where the event in question clearly took place in the latter 20th century)
• Fixing layout errors
• Adding and correcting wiki links
• Removing vandalism and graffiti