Page semi-protected

Help:Contents

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Wikipedia help.png

This page provides assistance with the most common questions about Wikipedia.

To start, click on what you need assistance with below, or search all the help pages using the search box to the right. Or browse the Help menu or the Help directory.
HelpPage IconPack-06.png
HelpPage IconPack-03.png

Read or find an article

The Readers' FAQ and our about page contain the most commonly sought information about Wikipedia.

There is a search box in the upper-right corner of every page with the word "Search" in it. Just type what you are looking for in there and then press ↵ Enter. See Help:Searching for more details.

There are other ways to browse and explore Wikipedia articles; many can be found at Portal:Contents. Also see our disclaimer for cautions about Wikipedia's limitations.
HelpPage IconPack-01.png

Edit an article

Contributing is easy: see how to edit a page. For a quick summary on participating, see contributing to Wikipedia. For a listing of introductions and tutorials by topic, see getting started. Or play the Wikipedia Adventure to learn to edit in an hour. The Cheatsheet can remind you of basic wiki markup.

Be bold in improving articles! When adding facts, please provide references so others may verify them. If you are affiliated with the article subject, please see our conflict of interest guideline.

If you're looking for places you can help out, the community portal is the place to go. You can practice editing and experiment in a sandbox.
HelpPage IconPack-04.png

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 read Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons/Help and, if necessary, add a discussion to the biographies of living persons noticeboard.

If you spot a problem with an article, you can fix it directly, by clicking on the "Edit" link at the beginning of that page. See the "I want to edit an article" section of this page for more information.

If you don't feel ready to fix the article yourself, please post a message on the article's talk page. This will bring the matter to the attention of others who work on that article. There is a "Talk" link at the beginning of every article page.

Alternatively you can contact us. If it's an article about you or your organization, see Contact us - Subjects.
HelpPage IconPack-02.png

Create a new article or upload media

Check Your first article to see if your topic is appropriate, then the Article wizard will walk you through creating the article.

Once you have created an article, see Writing better articles for guidance on how to improve it and what to include (like reference citations).

For contributing images, audio or video files, see the Introduction to uploading images. Then the Upload wizard will guide you through that process.
HelpPage IconPack-05.png

Factual questions

If searching Wikipedia has not answered your question (for example, questions like "Which country has the world's largest fishing fleet?"), try the Reference Desk. Volunteers there will attempt to answer your questions on any topic, or point you towards the information you need.
HelpPage IconPack-07.png

Stuck?

For your convenience, answers have been recorded for the most frequently asked questions.

You can find also where to ask questions or make comments.

You can ask questions about using Wikipedia at the Help desk or at the Teahouse. Volunteers will respond as soon as possible.

Or ask for help on your talk page and a volunteer will visit you there!

You can get live help with editing in the help chatroom.

For help with technical issues, ask at Village pump (technical)

Looking for help with something specific

Besides the Help Menu to the right, Wikipedia has many reference aids to help you find the wiki topic you are looking for:

  • Use the Search Help box at the top right of this page.
  • Help directory: for a descriptive listing of informative, instructional and consultation pages.
  • Quick directory: for a table of the key locations of interest around Wikipedia.
  • Department directory: for the pages to go to for specific needs or activities.
    • Request directory: for a list of the services and assistance that can be requested on Wikipedia.
  • Manual of Style (contents): for all the standards for the writing and design of Wikipedia articles.
  • Glossary: for a list of Wikipedia jargon, with definitions.
    • Abbreviations: for various pages, processes, policies, and proposals.
  • Shortcut directory: for abbreviated redirects and the pages they lead to.
  • Editor's index: for everything an editor needs to know to work on Wikipedia.

Help Menu

Tip of the day

Where to write about current events

The current events portal is used to describe current world-wide events of note, not just in politics, but also in science, culture, technology, sports, entertainment and many other areas. The information in question should be added to any relevant articles as well. However, Wikipedia does not offer first-hand news reports on breaking stories (use Wikinews for that). Instead, the in the news section on our Main Page mentions and links to entries of timely interest that are (and this is crucial) nonetheless encyclopedia articles that have been updated to reflect an important current event. Non-Administrators can suggest items or changes to this Main Page section by editing the candidates page, from which administrators will update the live template from time to time.

Become a Wikipedia tipster - Tips library, by subject
To add this auto-updating daily tip to your user page, use {{totd}}

Additional searches
The blue bar that follows is a navigation box linking many help pages. Click "show" on the right to expand it.
The navigation box below provides many useful policy and guideline links.
Shortcuts to this page: WP:HELP • WP:H • H:H
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Help:Contents&oldid=693511996"