How to Add a Link to an External Website in a Wikipedia Article

One Wikipedia article doesn't have to refer only to others. There can be hyperlinks to other websites, too. You can add one of those external links yourself with a Wikipedia account. Follow these steps to open an account and add an external link.

Instructions

Open an account in Wikipedia

1. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page. You can also key in "Wikipedia" in search engines like Google or Yahoo.

2. Go to the top right corner of the page. Click on "Sign in/create account." Register yourself by providing a Username and Password. Once you've been added, your Username will appear in red on the top of the page.

Link to an external website in a Wikipedia article

1. Go to an article and click on "edit" to add a link to an external website. Do the same when adding external links to an article you're writing.

2. Type in the complete URL. Wikipedia will automatically treat this as a link and display the web address.

3. Key in the complete URL for the website page that has to be linked in single brackets, along with its header, to make the link clear. For example. [http://www.Wikipedia.com/Wikipedia's Main Page].

4. Create a section on "sub-headers" if an article has too many external links. Use an asterisk to mark each new link. One example is the following:
   Sub-header
   *[http://www.Wikipedia.com/Wikipedia's Main Page]. *[http://www.Wikipedia.com/Wikipedia's Edit Page].

5. Examine the preview and save the page before closing.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the plural word "external links" instead of the singular "external link." You will not need to change any section heading when you add multiple links.

• Name the website you're linking so your readers know where the link will take them.

• Avoid external links if an internal one works.