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[edit] Steps

Log in or register for a free account. Click on Create an Account at the upper right of any page. You’re welcome to remain anonymous, but creating an identity allows everyone to relate in a more personal way. Logging in will give you full access to all of the Editor's Tools.
Review the Writer's Guide for proper format. Feel free to improve the quality of any article. There is no need to ask for anyone's permission. Do not be concerned if your writing is not perfect. Other editors will help to improve your work. You can always return, at another time, with a better perspective. Just do your best and have fun!
Edit an existing article. The list of new articles is a good place to start, because most articles need multiple contributions from a variety of editors to reach their full potential. Click on Random Page at the upper right of any page or choose an older article from the Category List.
- Write a more detailed Introduction that summarizes the content of an article. Include a question, within the opening line, to capture a reader's interest.
- Begin each step with a verb. Limit each step to one main idea. Add further explanation, if needed. Keep sentences short and simple. Use concise words to maintain this concept. This makes it easier for a reader to follow instructions.
- Remove extraneous or redundant concepts. Retain pertinent information from a previous author. Post content with the understanding that it will be expanded, modified and rewritten.
- Remove personal reference. Replace “I, me, my, mine, we, our or us” with "you or your" to address the reader. Personal reference is not suitable in a wikiHow article, because it refers to the author or editor. WikiHow articles should address the reader’s thoughts and actions as they proceed through a set of instructions.
- Review for consistent style. Use a cohesive and logical flow in your writing. Use terms to address the general public. Address a certain age group or gender if it is specific to the title. Use a universal tone of language to address a world-wide audience.
- Provide alternatives to supplies or ingredients within the Tips section. Clarify common mistakes or misconceptions.
- Provide precautions with possible solutions within the Warnings section, such as "Parental supervision is advised."
- Embed links or add Related wikiHow articles to provide a reader with an expansive network of information.
- Add photographs or drawings to enhance step-by-step instructions. Many articles need a visual reference to clarify certain concepts. Click on Find Free Photos in the column to the left or add your own photos.
- Embed a video from YouTube or another site. See our Video Curation Guidelines.
- Add wiki Syntax to enhance the presentation of an article. Embolden the first words, phrase or sentence of a step to accentuate each new concept. Use italics or embolden a word or phrase to accentuate a major concept within a sentence. Use bulleted and numbered lists to provide organization to a page. Copy and Paste symbols if you do not have them on your keyboard.
- Remove excessive whitespace (empty space) within an Edit Page. Exclude space between # and the beginning of a sentence. Exclude space between a bullet and the beginning of a sentence. Exclude space between lines of text. This creates a simple layout for quick editing.
- Copyedit (proofread) for errors. Review spelling, punctuation, grammar and overall style.
Apply a template. This will attract the attention of other editors to improve the quality of an article. Templates are placed within an Article Page or an article's Discussion Page to convey certain aspects about the article. Correct articles that have been tagged with a template. Collaboration is key to our success.
Create a more suitable title. It should include the "most concise, most commonly searched words" to describe the content of an article. It should reflect the "distinct or specific technique" described in an article. Each title should begin with a verb.
Categorize an article to make it easier for others to locate. The Category List is one of the major Search Tools at wikiHow. If an article is not categorized, it will not appear within the list. Help organize the Category List. Place an article in a more relevant or appropriate category. Some articles may be suitable for several categories. This is one of the easiest ways to contribute and learn your way around.
Expand a Stub article. Some articles are incomplete and need significant help to reach their full potential. If you know something about a topic, feel free to improve the quality of an article with more useful or detailed information.
Rewrite a troubled article. Some articles need significant cleanup to meet our quality standards. Feel free to get involved with a major revision. An entire article may need to be rewritten with a Bold Edit.
Start a new article. Search for duplicates first, because wikiHow is constantly changing. If your topic is not covered, please add a new article to wikiHow. Maybe you know how to Ride a Bicycle, Bake a Special Chocolate Cake or do T'ai Chi. Share your knowledge and special talents.
Become a New Article Booster, once you have been editing articles regularly for a month. This helps to create a better article and provide incentive to new authors.
Choose a Suggested Topic. If you know how to do something that others need to know more about, this is your chance to participate. Search for duplicates first. Some articles may have already been written. You may also want to Suggest a Topic.
Search for duplicate articles, because wikiHow is constantly changing. Articles that have "interchangeable or synonymous titles" should be merged to condense pertinent information into a "single comprehensive article."
Do accuracy patrol and correct inaccurate articles. Click on Article Stats, in the column to the left of an article, to review it's accuracy.
Patrol Recent Changes, once you are registered. WikiHow changes every minute with each new edit. Some changes may not be very helpful, so every edit is reviewed by a patrol of your fellow editors. Click on Recent Changes in the column to the left to view the most recent edits. Click on Diff to compare past and present edits. Click on Patrolled, at the upper right of the page, if the quality of an article has been improved.
Revert or remove vandalism, nonsense and violations to the Deletion Policy. Review the History Page of an article to find the best and most current version. Include any vital information from any other versions that are about to be omitted. Leave a courteous, logical and detailed note of explanation in the Edit Summary to prevent an Edit War.
Speak up at the forums. Click on Forums in the column to the left of any page. Use the forums to meet other authors, chat, ask for help, help others and share ideas about wikiHow. To chat in real time, use the IRC chatroom.
Start a wikiHow in another language. Our goal is to provide a free multi-lingual resource to help improve the everyday lives of millions of people throughout the world.
Apply the OLPC template on an article of your choice. Search for articles that would be appropriate for the One Laptop Per Child Association.WikiHow would like to offer 1,000 articles.
Make a fun and informative User Page, once you are registered. Review other User Pages by clicking on any editor's name. Names can be found at the bottom of any article and within different pages: Click on the History tab at the top of any article or click on Recent Changes in the column to the left. To keep up-to-date, each new publication of The wikiHow Herald can be directed to your User Talk Page.
Offer thanks and praise to your fellow editors for their excellence, enthusiasm and dedication to each other. Pick out a note of thanks or a deserved award and apply it to someone's Talk Page. These acts of kindness increase the strength of our community.

[edit] Tips

Bookmark this page for quick reference.
Take the wikiHow Tour. If you need help, click on Help at the upper right of any page or leave a note for the Help Team. Feel free to ask any of the admins for help at any time. Everyone is very supportive and informative if you need further clarification. If something needs immediate attention, such as reporting a vandal or troll, please leave a note at our Administrator Notice Board.
Please be civil, friendly, kind and supportive towards one another. Post content with the understanding that it will be expanded, modified and rewritten. Every edit is meant to improve the quality of an article. Assume good faith with the intention and perspective of your fellow editors as they patrol each edit.
- Click on Preview, at the bottom of the article, to review each succeeding version of your article. Submit only the final draft of your work.
- Write a note in the Edit Summary at the bottom of the article, to clarify your improvement.
- Click on Save Page, at the bottom of the article, to save your changes.
- Click on Recent Changes, in the column to the left, to see if your changes have passed through the patrol.
Hope to see you return to wikiHow day after day!