How to Format an Article on Wikipedia

Creating content for Wikipedia can be a challenging task, until you familiarize yourself with the preferred format. Once you have read and understood the Wikipedia style manual, you'ill be able to create content for this free online encyclopedia and participate in one of the most popular community projects on the Internet today.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet connection

Instructions

Learn How to Format a Wikipedia Article

1. Visit the Wikipedia home page (see the Resources section below).

2. Click on the link to the Wikipedia site in the language of your choice. Wikipedia is available in 10 different languages, including English.

3. Click on the 'Help' link in the navigation menu of Wikipedia's main page. This will take you to a page including various topics on editing Wikipedia, and its policies for users and editors.

4. Click on the 'Editing Wikipedia' link. You will find a list of links to topics specific to the process of editing content on Wikipedia.

5. Select the 'Manual of Style' link in the 'Contents' menu of this article. Then click on the 'Main Manual of Style' to be taken to its main page.

6. Peruse the sections on how to format article titles and section titles. Each of these requires a specific syntax to conform to Wikipedia's style guidelines.

7. Review the section on when to use capital letters..

8. Use two apostrophes on either side of a word or phrase to display it in italics. For example, ''word'' would display the word "word" in italics.

9. Understand Wikipedia's policy on using abbreviations and acronyms before you begin editing an article. You will find this information in the 'Acronyms and Abbreviations' section.

10. Keep your style simple and easy to read. Wikipedia prefers its users to limit their use of HTML or CSS mark-up styles, as these may appear differently on different browsers.

Use the 'Sandbox' to Make Edits

1. Find the Wikipedia 'Sandbox' by searching the term 'Wikipedia:Sandbox.'

2. Use the links to various tutorial sandboxes to try out your formatting skills before attempting to edit existing pages.

3. Copy edits from the 'Sandbox' to Wikipedia articles once you are satisfied that you fully understand the Wikipedia format.

Tips & Warnings

• Adding offensive or slanderous content may cause you to be blocked by Wikipedia. Familiarize yourself with Wikipedia's policies before adding content, to avoid potential disputes over any article you might create or add content to.