A wiki article is a page on a collaborative website where anyone can add, edit, or fix information

The most famous wiki is Wikipedia, but thousands of smaller wikis exist for specific topics — from local history to video game guides to medical information. When you create a wiki article, you are writing a page that other people can read, change, and improve. The wiki software keeps a record of every change, so nothing is ever truly lost.

The process is simpler than it sounds. You pick a topic that does not already have a page, write the article in plain language with sources backing up your claims, and submit it. A moderator or community member reviews it to make sure it fits the wiki's rules. If it passes, your article goes live and becomes part of the site.

Key Takeaways

  • Most wikis require you to create a free account before you can write a new article, though you can edit existing pages without one on some sites.
  • Your article needs reliable sources — books, news outlets, government websites, academic papers — not just your own knowledge or opinion.
  • Wiki articles follow a specific format: an opening paragraph that defines the topic, sections with headings, and citations that show where each fact came from.
  • New articles go through a review process that can take days or weeks, and moderators may ask you to add sources, rewrite sections, or explain why the topic deserves its own page.
  • Once your article is published, other people can edit it, so you should check back and fix errors or vandalism if you notice them.

Choosing a topic that does not already exist

Before you write, search the wiki to see if an article on your topic already exists. Many wikis have a search box at the top of the page. Type in your topic and see what comes up. If a page exists but is incomplete or outdated, you may be able to improve it instead of creating a new one — which is often easier than starting from scratch.

If no page exists, check whether the topic is notable enough for its own article. On Wikipedia, this means the topic has been covered in reliable sources — newspapers, books, academic journals — not just mentioned in passing. Smaller wikis have different standards. A wiki about a specific video game might have articles about individual characters or items, while a local history wiki might cover buildings or people from your town. Read the wiki's guidelines to understand what topics they accept.

Some wikis have a "Requests for Articles" or "Wanted Pages" section where you can see what topics the community wants written about. Starting with one of these gives your article a better chance of being accepted.

Setting up your account and learning the wiki's format

Create a free account on the wiki. Click "Create Account" or "Sign Up" — the exact wording varies by site. You will need a username and password. Some wikis ask for an email address so they can contact you if someone questions your article.

Before you write, spend time reading existing articles on the wiki. Pay attention to how they are structured: what sections they use, how they cite sources, what tone they take. Most wikis have a style guide or manual that explains their rules. Wikipedia's is called the Manual of Style. Read it. It sounds tedious, but it saves you from having to rewrite your article later.

Look at the edit history of an article you like. Click "History" or "View History" to see how other writers have improved it over time. This shows you what kinds of changes the community accepts.

Writing your article with sources

Start with an opening paragraph that explains what your topic is, in plain language. Do not assume the reader knows anything about it. If you are writing about a person, say who they are and why they matter. If you are writing about a place, describe what it is and where it is. If you are writing about a concept, define it clearly.

Organize the rest of your article into sections with clear headings. A biography might have sections like "Early Life," "Career," and "Later Years." An article about a place might have "Geography," "History," and "Economy." Keep sections short — two to four paragraphs each — so the article is straightforward to scan.

Every factual claim needs a source. Do not write "The city was founded in 1887" without telling the reader where that date came from. Use sources that are reliable: published books, news articles from established outlets, government websites, academic papers. Do not use social media posts, blogs, or websites with no author or date. At the end of each sentence or paragraph with a fact, add a citation in brackets — usually a number like [1] or [2] — that points to your source list.

Write in a neutral tone. Do not say "This amazing discovery changed everything." Say "The discovery led to three new research programs." Avoid words like "obviously," "clearly," or "of course." Let the facts speak for themselves.

Formatting citations and references

Every wiki has a way to format citations. Wikipedia uses a system where you put source information in a section called "References" at the bottom of the page. You can use a template — a pre-made format that fills in the blanks for you.

For a book, you need: author, title, publisher, year, and page number if you are quoting a specific part. For a news article, you need: author, title, publication name, date, and URL. For a website, you need: author (if there is one), title, website name, date (if available), and URL.

Most wikis have a citation tool that builds the reference for you. On Wikipedia, it is called the "Cite" button. You fill in the blanks and it creates the formatted text. If your wiki does not have one, look at how other articles cite the same type of source and copy that format.

Submitting your article for review

When your article is finished, save it as a draft. Most wikis let you do this by clicking "Show Preview" before you publish, so you can see how it will look. Check for spelling errors, broken formatting, and missing citations.

Then click "Publish" or "Save Page." On some wikis, new articles go straight live. On others — especially Wikipedia — new articles go into a review queue. A moderator or experienced community member will read it and decide whether it meets the wiki's standards.

The review can take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks, depending on how busy the wiki is. If your article is rejected, the reviewer will explain why. Common reasons include: not enough reliable sources, the topic is not notable enough, the article reads like an opinion piece instead of neutral information, or the topic is already covered in an existing article. You can revise and resubmit, or ask the reviewer for information on how to improve it.

What happens after your article is published

Once your article is live, other people can edit it. This is the whole point of a wiki — it is a collaborative project. Someone might fix a typo, add new information, or reorganize a section. You can watch these changes by clicking "Watch" on the article page, which sends you a notification whenever someone edits it.

If you see vandalism — someone deleting content, adding false information, or inserting spam — you can revert the change by clicking "Undo" on the edit history. Most wikis have tools to report serious vandalism to moderators. If you disagree with another editor's changes, you can discuss it on the article's "Talk" page instead of reverting back and forth, which is called an edit war and is against the rules on most wikis.

Check back on your article occasionally. Fix errors you find, add new information if it becomes available, and update citations if sources change. Your article is not finished when it is published — it is part of a living document that the community maintains together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be an informed to write a wiki article?

No, but you need reliable sources. You do not have to be an informed yourself — you just have to find published sources that are experts and cite them properly. The wiki's readers trust the sources, not your personal knowledge.

What if someone edits my article and I think they got it wrong?

Go to the article's Talk page and explain your concern. Link to your source and ask why they made the change. If you cannot agree, ask a moderator to help settle the dispute. Do not keep reverting each other's edits — that violates wiki rules.

Can I write about myself or my business?

Most wikis have strict rules against this because it creates bias. Wikipedia does not allow articles about private individuals or small businesses. Some wikis are more lenient, but they usually require you to disclose the conflict of interest and let other editors decide if the topic is notable enough.

How long should a wiki article be?

There is no set length. A short article with solid sources and clear writing is better than a long one that rambles or repeats itself. Most articles are between 500 and 2,000 words, but that varies by topic and by wiki.

What if my article gets deleted?

You can ask why. Most wikis give a reason when they delete something. If you think the deletion was wrong, you can request that it be restored and make your case to the moderators. You can also revise the article to address the concerns and resubmit it.