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Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team

Guide · Rules checked on Wikipedia, 14 October 2026

How to create a Wikipedia page

To create a Wikipedia page, first confirm the subject has significant coverage in reliable, independent, secondary sources. Then create an account, write a neutral, fully cited draft yourself (no AI-generated text), disclose any connection or payment, and submit it through Articles for Creation. On 14 October 2026, Wikipedia’s banner said review may take 6 weeks or more.

Check your sources (free) Go to the 10 steps

Every rule on this page links to the Wikipedia page it comes from. Rules last checked on 14 October 2026.

Key facts, checked on Wikipedia on 14 October 2026

Review time
6 weeks or more
Articles for Creation banner. Drafts are reviewed in no specific order.AfC banner
Drafts waiting
2,988
Pending submissions shown on the same banner.AfC banner
Published approval rate
None
Wikipedia publishes no acceptance or decline rate for Articles for Creation.WP:AFC
Fee to Wikipedia
$0
Volunteer help is free, and the Wikimedia Foundation says you do not need to pay for an article.WMF
AI-written article text
Prohibited
Generating or rewriting article content with a large language model is strictly prohibited.WP:NOLLM
Direct article creation
10 edits and 4 days
An account becomes autoconfirmed after 10 edits, once 4 days have passed since its first edit, and can then create articles. Connected and paid editors should still use Articles for Creation.WP:AUTOCONFIRMEDWP:COI
Paid editing
Disclose or do not edit
Each employer, client, intended beneficiary and affiliation, from a registered account.Terms of UseWP:PAID
Abandoned drafts
6 months
A draft with no human edit for 6 months can be deleted (G13) and restored on request.WP:CSDWP:AFC

Start with your situation

I have no connection to the subject

Read the notability tests, check your sources, then follow the 10 steps.

It is about me, my company or someone I know

You have a conflict of interest. Disclose it, and use Articles for Creation instead of publishing directly.

I am paid, or I am hiring someone

Disclosure is mandatory under the Wikimedia Terms of Use. Read the paid-editing rules and the scam checklist first.

Start here

What a Wikipedia article is, and what it is not

A Wikipedia article is a neutral summary of what independent, reliable sources have already published about a topic. It is not a profile you control, a press page or an advertisement, and once it is live, anyone can edit it.

An article is

  • A summary of published coverage, where every fact can be traced to a reliable source. WP:V
  • Neutral: it gives each significant view in reliable sources a fair, proportionate hearing, criticism included. WP:NPOV
  • Built only from what sources already say, with no original research or new conclusions. WP:NOR
  • Owned by nobody. The subject, a client and a paid editor have no right to control or delete it. WP:COI

An article is not

  • Advertising, marketing, publicity or public relations. WP:NOT
  • A résumé, a CV or a page you write about yourself. WP:NOTWP:AB
  • A business listing or a directory entry. WP:NOT
  • A news report: Wikipedia is not written in news style. WP:NOT

That is why the hard part is not the writing. It is whether enough independent coverage exists to summarize. If it does not, no draft, editor or budget can fix it.

Notability

Does the subject qualify? The 4 notability tests

A topic qualifies for its own article when significant coverage exists in reliable sources that are independent of the subject (WP:GNG). People and creative professionals have alternative routes, and companies face the strictest test (WP:NCORP).

General notability guideline

WP:GNGWP:NOT

WP:GNG

Applies to: Every topic. The subject-specific guidelines below are alternative routes.

  • Significant coverage: sources address the topic directly and in detail. Trivial mentions do not count.
  • Reliable: published with editorial integrity, so facts can be checked.
  • Secondary and independent: not produced by the subject or anyone connected to it. Advertising, press releases, autobiographies and the subject’s own website are excluded.
  • Multiple sources are generally expected, but no number is set. Several works by the same author or organization usually count as 1, and reprints of a story are not separate works.
  • Routine coverage and churnalism (close rewrites of press releases) do not show notability.
  • Notability depends on whether suitable sources exist, not on whether the draft cites them yet, and it is not temporary.
  • Meeting it creates a presumption, not a guarantee: the topic must also not be excluded by What Wikipedia is not.

Companies and organizations

WP:NCORP

WP:NCORP

Applies to: Companies and organizations. The strictest of the 4.

  • Multiple sources, each of them significant, independent, reliable and secondary.
  • At least 1 source must be regional, statewide, national or international. Local-only media does not establish notability.
  • Independent means unpaid, original coverage, not material supplied by the company (WP:ORGIND). Significant means in depth, not brief or routine (WP:CORPDEPTH).
  • Never counts: press releases and stories built on them, advertising, case studies, paid or sponsored articles, and self-published material.
  • Also excluded: contributor posts without meaningful editorial oversight (non-staff Forbes, Inc.com and TechCrunch contributors are named), directories, best-of and top-100 lists, minor awards, and interviews with executives.
  • Routine business news does not count: funding rounds, mergers and acquisitions, expansions and closures, hires, product launches, share price moves, quarterly results, trade fairs and shareholder meetings.
  • Trade publications carry a presumption against them. Size, headcount, revenue and a stock market listing do not make a company notable, and notability is not inherited from a famous founder, investor or client.

People

WP:BASICWP:BLP

WP:BASIC and WP:ANYBIO

Applies to: Founders, executives, public figures and anyone else without a more specific guideline.

  • Basic test: “significant coverage in multiple published secondary sources that are reliable, intellectually independent of each other, and independent of the subject.”
  • If no single source covers the person in depth, several independent sources may be combined. Trivial coverage is not usually enough.
  • Primary sources, such as the person’s own words in an interview, can support facts in the article but do not count toward notability.
  • Alternative routes (WP:ANYBIO): a well-known and significant award or honor, or several nominations for one; a widely recognized contribution to the enduring historical record of a field; or an entry in a country’s standard national biographical dictionary.
  • Known for a single event? The general rule is to cover the event, not the person (WP:BIO1E).
  • Living people get stricter sourcing: contentious claims that are unsourced or poorly sourced are removed immediately (WP:BLP).
  • “Notable” is not a synonym for “famous”. Followers, revenue and job titles do not count on their own.

Creative professionals

WP:CREATIVE

WP:CREATIVE

Applies to: Authors, journalists, artists and other creative professionals. Musicians and ensembles use WP:NMUSIC.

  • A creative professional is likely notable if any of these 4 applies:
  • 1. Regarded as an important figure, or widely cited by peers or successors.
  • 2. Known for originating a significant new concept, theory or technique.
  • 3. Created, or played a major role in co-creating, a significant or well-known work or body of work that has been the primary subject of multiple independent periodical articles or reviews.
  • 4. The work has become a significant monument, been a substantial part of a significant exhibition, won significant critical attention, or is held in the permanent collections of several notable galleries or museums.
  • The basic test for people still applies as an alternative, and claims under any criterion need reliable sources a reviewer can check.

Other subject-specific guidelines

Academics, books, events, films, music, sports and websites have their own guidelines. Meeting one does not guarantee an article.

AcademicsBooksEventsFilmsMusicSportsWebsites

4 myths to drop

“You need 3 sources.”

No guideline sets a number. Multiple independent sources are generally expected, and reviewers weigh depth and independence, not the count. WP:GNG

“Coverage must span 12 months.”

No guideline sets a time window, and notability is not temporary. For people known for a single event, the rule is to cover the event instead. WP:GNGWP:BASIC

“A big company qualifies automatically.”

Size, headcount, revenue and a stock market listing do not make a company notable. Only coverage does. WP:NCORP

“A famous outlet makes paid coverage count.”

Paid or sponsored articles and contributor posts without editorial oversight do not count, whatever the masthead. WP:NCORP

Free notability checker

Check your sources, rule by rule

A source counts toward notability only if it is independent, significant, reliable and original. For a company, at least 1 counting source must also reach beyond the local area. The checker below applies those tests to your own sources and cites the rule behind every verdict.

It runs in your browser, and nothing is saved or sent unless you choose to send it. The result bands are an Essentras rule of thumb, because no guideline sets a number of sources.

Wikipedia notability checker

Pick the subject, add your strongest sources and answer 5 questions for each. Every verdict names the rule it applies.

Runs in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent unless you choose to send it.

1. What is the article about?
2. What is your connection to it?

3. Your sources

Start with your strongest. Each source is judged on its own, then the list is judged as a whole.

Source 1
Answer to see the verdict
Your result

Choose what the article is about to see a result.

Open the checker on its own page

The 5 questions every source must pass

QuestionA source fails when the answer isRule
1Did the subject, or anyone acting for it, write, pitch, supply, place or pay for it?Not independent: the subject or someone acting for it was involved.YesWP:GNGWP:NCORP
2Is it mainly about the subject, and in depth?Not significant coverage: brief or passing treatment does not count.NoWP:GNGWP:NCORP
3Does the outlet have real editorial oversight, such as staff editors, corrections and fact-checking?Not reliable: there is no meaningful editorial oversight.NoWP:GNGWP:NCORP
4Is it original reporting or analysis, not a rewrite of an announcement?Churnalism: a rewritten announcement does not show notability.NoWP:GNGWP:NCORP
5Is it a reprint of another source on your list, or by the same author or series as one?Counts once with the earlier source: reprints, and works by the same author or organization, usually count as 1.Yes (it counts once)WP:GNG
Companies only: is the outlet regional, statewide, national or international?No counting source is (at least 1 is required)WP:NCORP

Source types and how the guidelines treat them

The same rules the checker applies, readable without JavaScript. Use it to sort your press list.

Source typeVerdictWhyRule
Staff-written news report, feature or investigationDepends on the 5 questionsCan count. Answer the questions to find out whether it does.WP:GNG
Book, academic paper or peer-reviewed studyDepends on the 5 questionsCan count in any medium, if it covers the subject in depth.WP:GNG
Independent review or critical study of the subject’s workDepends on the 5 questionsCan count, and multiple independent reviews of a well-known work support WP:CREATIVE criterion 3.WP:GNGWP:CREATIVE
Local newspaper, TV or radio reportDepends on the 5 questionsCan count. For a company or organization, WP:NCORP also needs at least 1 source beyond the local area.WP:GNGWP:NCORP
Trade or industry publicationCompanies: supports facts only. Others: depends on the questionsFor a company, WP:NCORP presumes trade publications are not enough. For other subjects, answer the questions.WP:NCORP
Interview, Q&A, podcast or profile in the subject’s own wordsSupports facts onlyA primary source: it can verify facts in the article but does not count toward notability.WP:BASICWP:NCORP
Press release, newswire pickup or a story closely rewritten from oneDoes not countNot independent of the subject, and churnalism does not show notability.WP:GNGWP:NCORP
Sponsored post, advertorial or paid placementDoes not countPaid coverage is not independent, whatever the outlet.WP:NCORPWP:GNG
Contributor post with no real editorial oversight (for example non-staff Forbes, Inc.com or TechCrunch contributors)Does not countWithout meaningful editorial oversight the post is neither reliable nor independent. WP:NCORP names these platforms.WP:GNGWP:NCORP
Funding, launch, hire, results, partnership or other routine announcementDoes not countRoutine coverage does not establish notability, even in a major outlet.WP:NCORPWP:GNG
Directory, database, ranking, best-of list or award listDoes not countA listing is not significant coverage.WP:NCORPWP:GNG
Own website, blog, social media, LinkedIn, Crunchbase or IMDb profileDoes not countSelf-published or user-generated: neither independent nor reliable.WP:GNG
Passing mention or quote in an article about something elseDoes not countTrivial coverage is not significant coverage.WP:GNG

Step by step

How to create a Wikipedia page in 10 steps

Wikipedia’s own sequence is: make sure the topic is not covered yet, gather sources, confirm notability, draft, cite, check, and submit for review. Here it is in 10 steps, each with the official page and a common mistake.

  1. 01

    Check that no article or draft exists

    Search Wikipedia for the subject, including other spellings and the Draft namespace (search for Draft: followed by the name). If a draft exists, improve it instead of starting another.

    Common mistake: Starting a second draft next to a declined one.WP:YFA

  2. 02

    Gather independent sources before you write

    List every source that is independent, significant, reliable and secondary, and run them through the checker above. If none qualify, stop: writing will not change the result.

    Common mistake: Writing first and looking for sources afterwards.WP:GNGWP:YFA

  3. 03

    Create a personal account

    Register with a username that identifies 1 person, such as “Mark at WidgetFactory”. Usernames that are only a company name, and accounts shared by several people, are not allowed. After 10 edits, once 4 days have passed since your first edit, the account becomes autoconfirmed and can create articles directly.

    Common mistake: Registering as the company or sharing 1 login across a team.WP:UPOLWP:AUTOCONFIRMED

  4. 04

    Disclose any connection or payment

    If the topic is you, your employer, a client or someone close to you, disclose the conflict of interest before you edit. If you are paid in any way, disclosure is mandatory. The templates are in the disclosure section below.

    Common mistake: Disclosing only after a reviewer asks.WP:COIWP:PAID

  5. 05

    Start a draft, not a live article

    Use the Article wizard or your sandbox and work in Draft space. Connected and paid editors should go through Articles for Creation rather than publishing directly, even with an autoconfirmed account.

    Common mistake: Moving a connected draft straight into the encyclopedia.WP:WIZWP:AFCWP:COI

  6. 06

    Write it yourself, neutrally

    Summarize what the sources say in plain, factual sentences, including criticism where sources report it. Leave out superlatives and mission statements. Do not use ChatGPT or any other LLM to write or rewrite the text: it is prohibited.

    Common mistake: Pasting company copy or AI-generated text.WP:NPOVWP:NOLLM

  7. 07

    Cite every claim inline

    Put a citation after each fact it supports, with ref tags in the source editor, and list them under a References heading with {{reflist}}. Lean on the independent sources from step 2; the subject’s own material may support only basic, uncontroversial facts about itself.

    Common mistake: Citations that do not actually support the sentence.H:REFBWP:V

  8. 08

    Add an infobox and, if licensing allows, an image

    Use the infobox template that fits the subject, such as Infobox person or Infobox company. Upload only photos you own or that the copyright holder releases under a free license such as CC BY-SA 4.0; a non-free photo of a living person is generally not allowed. Logos follow separate rules.

    Common mistake: Uploading a press photo you do not own the rights to.H:IBWP:DCMWP:NFCWP:LOGO

  9. 09

    Submit it through Articles for Creation

    Click “Submit the draft for review!” on the draft, or add {{subst:submit}} at the top in the source editor and publish. The draft joins the queue, with no fixed waiting time.

    Common mistake: Resubmitting again and again without real changes.WP:AFC

  10. 10

    Respond to the outcome

    Accepted: the draft moves into the encyclopedia and anyone can edit it. Declined: the problems may be fixable, so address the reviewer’s comments and resubmit. Rejected: ask the reviewer to reconsider only with significant new evidence.

    Common mistake: Paying someone who contacts you after a decline.WP:AFCWP:SCAM

Conflict of interest and paid editing

How to disclose a conflict of interest or paid editing

If the article is about you, your employer, a client or someone close to you, you have a conflict of interest: disclose it, use Articles for Creation for new articles and request changes on talk pages. If you are paid in any way, the Wikimedia Terms of Use make disclosure mandatory.

What the rules require in your situation

Your situationWhat the rules sayHow to disclose
You are writing about yourselfStrongly discouraged. If you believe you meet the guideline, submit a draft through Articles for Creation and accept a neutral article you do not control. WP:ABWP:COIYour user page and the draft’s talk page (templates below).
You own, work for or are close to the subject, and nobody pays or asks you to editDisclose the conflict of interest. Do not edit affected articles directly: use Articles for Creation for new articles and edit requests for existing ones. WP:COI{{User COI}} on your user page, {{Connected contributor}} on the talk page, or an edit summary.
Editing is part of your job, or you are paid or rewarded in any wayDisclose each employer, client, intended beneficiary and affiliation, from a registered account. Put new articles through Articles for Creation and never review the affected draft yourself. Terms of UseWP:PAIDWP:COIAt least 1 of: {{Paid}} on your user page, {{Connected contributor (paid)}} on the talk page, or the edit summary.
You are hiring someone to do itThey must disclose you as the client. A broker such as Fiverr or Upwork counts as an affiliation, and a non-disclosure agreement does not remove the duty. They must also give you the link to their Wikipedia user page. WP:PAIDCheck their user page and the draft’s talk page before you pay.

What counts as paid editing

  • Compensation means money, goods or services, received or expected. Terms of UseWP:PAID
  • It covers every paid edit: articles, drafts, talk pages and sandboxes, and edits other people make at your request. WP:PAID
  • Anyone paid for publicity related to the subject counts, and so do interns told to edit. WP:PAID
  • Writing the text off-site and having someone else post it does not avoid disclosure: both must disclose. WP:PAID
  • Paid editing needs a registered account and must not be done from a temporary account. WP:PAID
  • Editors who cannot or will not disclose are prohibited from editing. WP:PAID
  • Paid editors must link their Wikipedia user page on every website where they advertise paid editing, and in messages to clients and prospective clients. WP:PAID
  • Paid editors have no more authority than any volunteer and cannot guarantee any outcome. WP:SCAMWP:COI

Copy-ready disclosure templates

Replace the example names with your own. Templates go in the source editor; the edit summary is plain text.

Paid editing: your user page
{{Paid|employer=Example Agency LLC|client=Example Company Inc.|article=Draft:Example Company}}

Where: Your user page. If your employer is also the client, use employer only. Name any broker with additional=, for example additional=Hired through Upwork. {{Paid}}

Paid editing: the draft’s talk page
{{Connected contributor (paid)|User1=YourUsername|U1-employer=Example Agency LLC|U1-client=Example Company Inc.|U1-otherlinks=Disclosure on my user page}}

Where: The top of the draft or article talk page. Keep the exact parameter names: User1, U1-employer, U1-client, U1-otherlinks. {{Connected contributor (paid)}}

Paid editing: edit summary
Paid contribution. Employer: Example Agency LLC. Client: Example Company Inc. Affiliation: none.

Where: The edit summary of each paid edit. Plain text. If this is your only disclosure, add it to every paid edit. WP:PAID

Unpaid conflict of interest: your user page
{{User COI|Draft:Example Company|text=Example Company was founded by my brother.}}

Where: Your user page. Also known as {{UserboxCOI}}. List every affected article or draft. {{User COI}}

Unpaid conflict of interest: the draft’s talk page
{{Connected contributor|User1=YourUsername|U1-declared=yes}}

Where: The top of the draft or article talk page. U1-declared can also hold the revision ID of your disclosure. {{Connected contributor}}

Edit request on an existing article
== Correction to the founding date ==
{{Edit COI}}
I am an employee of Example Company (paid contributor, disclosed on my user page).
Please change "founded in 2019" to "founded in 2018", per this independent source: [URL].
~~~~

Where: A new section on the article’s talk page (Add topic). Do not indent the template. Be specific, cite a source and let an uninvolved editor decide. For larger changes use {{Edit COI|R}}. {{Edit COI}}WP:COI

What you may still fix yourself

Editors with a conflict of interest are strongly discouraged from editing affected articles directly. The exceptions: removing spam, unambiguous vandalism or unambiguous violations of the policy on living people, and quickly fixing defamation or a serious error, then explaining it on the talk page. WP:COIWP:AB

AI and Wikipedia

Can you use ChatGPT or AI to write a Wikipedia article?

No. Wikipedia’s content guideline on large language models says using them to generate or rewrite article content is strictly prohibited. There are 2 narrow exceptions: having an LLM suggest corrections to text you wrote, which you then review, and translating an article from another language’s Wikipedia.

  • Persistent use outside those exceptions is treated as disruptive and gets editors blocked. The guideline was last edited on 13 October 2026, so expect it to keep evolving. WP:NOLLM
  • Pages that are unambiguously LLM-generated can be speedily deleted, without a discussion, under criterion G15. WP:CSD
  • Edit requests are checked too: the {{Edit COI}} template has its own decline code for AI-generated requests. {{Edit COI}}
  • Using AI for other tasks, such as finding where coverage might exist, is discussed in a separate explanatory essay. Every source and every sentence stays your responsibility. Essay

Hiring help? Ask in writing whether any part of the draft will be generated or rewritten by an LLM. The only acceptable answer is no.

Timeline

How long Wikipedia takes to review a page

There is no fixed wait. On 14 October 2026, the Articles for Creation banner said review “may take 6 weeks or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order”, with 2,988 submissions pending. Wikipedia publishes no approval rate.

Articles for Creation backlog

2,988

drafts waiting for review

Shown on the review banner, read on 14 October 2026.AfC banner

Check today’s number yourself

  1. Open any submitted draft: the review banner shows the current count and wait message.AfC banner
  2. Open the pending submissions category, which lists every draft in the queue.AfC queue
  3. Or query the Wikipedia API and read the “pages” value.AfC count (API)

This counts waiting drafts. It says nothing about how many are accepted, so do not read approval odds into it.

From draft to live article

StageWhat happensOfficial timingRule
DraftYou write in Draft space or a sandbox.A draft with no human edit for 6 months can be deleted (G13) and restored on request.WP:CSDWP:AFC
SubmittedThe draft joins the review queue.6 weeks or more (banner, 14 October 2026), reviewed in no specific order.AfC banner
ReviewedAccepted, declined or rejected.No fixed time.WP:AFC
LiveAnyone can edit it or nominate it for deletion.Proposed deletion: at least 7 days, cancelled by any objection. Deletion discussion: normally at least 7 days. Speedy deletion: no waiting period for pages that meet a criterion.WP:PRODWP:AFDWP:CSD

Nobody can buy a faster review: drafts are taken in no specific order, and paid editors have no more authority than volunteers.

After a decline

What to do after a declined or rejected draft

A decline means the draft is not ready yet but the problems may be fixable: read the reviewer’s comment, fix the cause and resubmit. A rejection means the topic was judged fundamentally unsuitable; ask the reviewer to reconsider only if you have significant new evidence.

The usual problems, and which ones editing can fix:

Not notable: no significant independent coverage
Not fixable
Nothing in the draft can fix this. The work is earning the coverage first, then returning to the article months later.
Sources are not independent of the subject
Hard
Re-audit every citation and delete the ones that trace back to you. If what remains is thin, you are back to the notability problem.
Promotional tone
Fixable
Cut every adjective that praises. Rewrite as plain declarative fact. Genuinely fixable in a single editing pass.
Undisclosed paid editing
Fixable
Disclose immediately and completely on your user page and the article talk page. Hiding it is what turns a decline into a reputational story.
Autobiography
Fixable
Declare the conflict of interest and submit through Articles for Creation rather than publishing directly.
Citations do not support the claims
Fixable
Check each footnote against its sentence. Reviewers spot-check, and a single bad citation costs you credibility on all of them.
Copied text from your own site or press material
Fixable
Rewrite from scratch in neutral prose. Copyright and tone problems compound each other here.

Ask the reviewer on the draft’s talk page, or post at the Articles for Creation Help desk or the Teahouse, a question and answer space for new editors. Both are run by volunteers. WP:AFCHDWP:TEA

Scammers watch declined drafts. Wikipedia’s scam warning says people with declined drafts and deleted articles are targeted with offers to get them published. Do not answer unsolicited offers. WP:SCAM

Cost

How much it costs to create a Wikipedia page

Wikipedia charges nothing. Doing it yourself costs time, hiring help costs money, and no one can sell you approval. Every figure below says where it comes from.

RouteCash costTime and riskSource
Do it yourself, no connection to the subject$0Your own hours, plus a review wait the banner put at 6 weeks or more on 14 October 2026. Nobody publishes a reliable hours estimate, so we do not offer one.Wikimedia Foundation; Articles for Creation banner WMFAfC banner
Do it yourself, with a connection$0The same, plus disclosure, Articles for Creation and no control over the result.WP:COI WP:COI
Freelancer through a marketplaceVaries by listing (not verified)The marketplace is an affiliation the editor must disclose. Check their disclosure history before you pay.WP:PAID WP:PAID
Agencies (vendor-reported)$1,200 to $4,000 starting pricesStarting prices for 5 vendors in a third-party roundup dated 19 July 2026, which elsewhere quotes $1,200 to $5,000 or more. Unverified and inconsistent: verify at the source.ONES blog roundup, 19 July 2026
Essentras$4,000 flatFree notability check first, and we decline subjects that do not meet the guideline. Disclosed paid editing through Articles for Creation. No promise of approval.Essentras service page

What fees usually do not cover: creating the independent coverage itself (paid placements do not count toward notability), ongoing monitoring, or defending a page in a deletion discussion. A recurring fee to “protect” a page matches a pattern on Wikipedia’s scam warning. WP:NCORPWP:SCAM

Full breakdown, including how providers bill: how much a Wikipedia page costs

Essentras

When paying for help makes sense

If the checker shows real independent coverage and you would rather not learn the process, paid help can save you time. It cannot buy approval.

Essentras charges $4,000 flat. We check notability for free first and decline subjects that do not meet the guideline. If we take it on, we research the sources, draft neutrally, disclose the paid relationship on Wikipedia and submit through Articles for Creation. Volunteers decide the outcome, and we tell you that before you pay.

Run the free notability check See how the service works

Scams and red flags

How to spot a Wikipedia page scam

Wikipedia’s scam warning describes the pattern: unsolicited offers to write, publish, speed up or protect an article, often right after a decline, from people claiming special status. Disclosed paid editing is allowed, but it buys work, never an outcome.

The Articles for Creation Help desk goes further and tells new editors that anyone asking for payment to help publish, protect, restore or undelete an article or draft is running a scam. Treat every unsolicited offer that way. Wikipedia itself never asks for money. WP:AFCHDWP:SCAM

Red flags

  • Guaranteed approval, acceptance or permanence. Nobody can promise it, paid editors included. WP:COIWMF
  • Claims to be an administrator or Wikimedia Foundation staff, or to have inside contacts or special privileges. WP:SCAMWP:COI
  • Promises that the work “won’t trigger scrutiny”, needs no disclosure or will stay hidden. WP:PAID
  • Unsolicited contact right after a decline or a deletion nomination. WP:SCAMWMF
  • Pressure to move the conversation to WhatsApp, LinkedIn or private email. WP:SCAM
  • A recurring fee to “protect”, “monitor” or “maintain” a page. WP:SCAM
  • Offers to stop or reverse a deletion for a fee. WP:SCAM
  • No Wikipedia username you can check, or a user page with no paid-editing disclosure. WP:PAID
  • Requests for your Wikipedia password, or plans to edit from several accounts. WP:SCAMWP:UPOL
  • Offers to write the article with AI. WP:NOLLM

Check any provider in 5 minutes

  1. Ask for the Wikipedia username that will do the editing. Paid editors must give it to clients and prospective clients, and link it wherever they advertise. WP:PAID
  2. Open that user page. Look for a disclosure naming the employer and clients, and a list of paid contributions. WP:COI{{Paid}}
  3. Open the talk pages of articles they cite as past work and look for a paid connected-contributor notice. {{Connected contributor (paid)}}
  4. Ask what they refuse to do. “Guarantee approval” and “skip disclosure” should both be on the list. WP:COI
  5. Ask whether any text will be generated or rewritten by AI. The answer must be no. WP:NOLLM

If you were contacted or already paid

Stop replying, and do not pay, click links or share passwords. Forward the whole conversation, with email headers, to [email protected] and keep a copy. Change any password you shared. Wikipedia cannot recover money already paid. WP:SCAMWP:PAID

Not notable yet

Not notable yet? What to do instead

Do not pay anyone for a draft yet, us included. Build coverage that counts, and use the routes that do not depend on Wikipedia notability: Wikidata, a Google Knowledge Panel and accurate information on your own site.

Earn coverage that counts

Notability comes from journalists, critics, authors and academics who choose to write about you in depth. Give them a reason: real news, original data, a book, a performance or a product worth reviewing. Notability is not temporary, so once that coverage exists, the case can be made. WP:GNG

Know what will not help

Press releases, sponsored articles, contributor posts and paid placements, including the placements Essentras sells, do not count toward Wikipedia notability. They can help people and search engines find you. They cannot build a Wikipedia case. WP:NCORP

Wikidata

Wikidata is a separate Wikimedia project with its own inclusion rules: an item needs a sitelink to a Wikipedia or sister-project page, or must describe a clearly identifiable entity using serious and publicly available references, or must fill a structural need. It is not a back door to Wikipedia, and paid edits there carry the same Terms of Use disclosure duty. WD:NTerms of UseMeta

A Google Knowledge Panel

Google can show a Knowledge Panel without a Wikipedia article, drawing on independent coverage, reference databases such as Wikidata and your own structured data. Our guide explains how panels are built and claimed.

How to get a Google Knowledge Panel

Your own site

Publish an accurate About page with Organization or Person structured data that links your official profiles. It does not create notability, but it gives search engines and AI assistants a consistent source about you.

Knowledge Panel service

When new independent coverage appears, run the checker again. Run the free notability check

After publication

After the page is live: ownership, edits and deletion

Nobody owns a Wikipedia article: not the subject, not the client and not the paid editor. Once it is live, anyone can edit it, add sourced criticism or nominate it for deletion.

  • Request changes with {{Edit COI}} on the talk page and let an uninvolved editor decide. {{Edit COI}}WP:COI
  • You may fix obvious problems yourself: revert vandalism, remove obviously mistaken facts about yourself, and quickly correct defamation or a serious error, then explain on the talk page. WP:ABWP:COI
  • Sourced criticism stays. A neutral article represents the significant views in reliable sources in proportion. WP:NPOV
  • Deletion routes: speedy deletion (G11 covers pages that are exclusively promotional), proposed deletion (at least 7 days, cancelled by any objection) and a deletion discussion (normally at least 7 days). WP:CSDWP:PRODWP:AFD
  • Paid help with later edit requests needs the same disclosure as the original draft. WP:PAID

FAQ

How to create a Wikipedia page: FAQ

How do I create a Wikipedia page?▾

Confirm the subject has significant coverage in reliable, independent, secondary sources; create an account; write a neutral draft with inline citations, without AI-generated text; disclose any connection or payment; and submit it through Articles for Creation. Connected and paid editors should not publish directly.

Can anyone create a Wikipedia page?▾

Anyone can submit a draft through Articles for Creation, with or without an account. Autoconfirmed accounts (10 edits, at least 4 days after the first edit) can create articles directly, but editors with a conflict of interest and paid editors are expected to use Articles for Creation.

How do I create a Wikipedia account?▾

Register on Wikipedia with a username that identifies 1 person, such as “Mark at WidgetFactory”. A username that is only a company name, or an account shared by a team, breaks Wikipedia’s username policy.

Can I make a Wikipedia page about myself?▾

It is strongly discouraged. If you believe you meet the notability guideline, disclose the connection, submit a draft through Articles for Creation, and accept that the article will be neutral and that you will not control it.

How do I create a Wikipedia page for a person?▾

Show significant coverage in multiple reliable secondary sources that are independent of the person and of each other (WP:BASIC), or meet an alternative criterion such as a significant award or an entry in a national biographical dictionary (WP:ANYBIO). Living people need especially careful sourcing (WP:BLP).

How do I create a Wikipedia page for a company?▾

Under WP:NCORP a company needs multiple significant, independent, reliable, secondary sources, including at least 1 regional, statewide, national or international outlet. Press releases, paid articles, routine business news and company size do not count.

How many sources do I need for a Wikipedia page?▾

No guideline sets a number. Multiple significant, independent sources are generally expected, several works by the same author or organization usually count as 1, and reprints of a story count once.

Do press releases or paid placements count toward notability?▾

No. Press releases, stories built on them, sponsored or paid articles and contributor posts without editorial oversight are not independent coverage, whatever the outlet (WP:NCORP).

Can I use ChatGPT to write a Wikipedia article?▾

No. Using large language models to generate or rewrite article content is strictly prohibited (WP:NOLLM). The exceptions are LLM-suggested corrections to your own writing, which you review, and translations from another language’s Wikipedia.

How long does Wikipedia take to approve a page?▾

There is no fixed time. On 14 October 2026 the Articles for Creation banner said review may take 6 weeks or more, with 2,988 drafts pending, because drafts are reviewed in no specific order.

What is the difference between a declined and a rejected draft?▾

A declined draft has problems that may be fixable: fix them and resubmit. A rejected draft was judged fundamentally unsuitable; ask the reviewer to reconsider only if you have significant new evidence.

Can I pay someone to create a Wikipedia page?▾

Paid editing is allowed only with disclosure of each employer, client, intended beneficiary and affiliation, from a registered account. Payment buys work, not approval, and the Wikimedia Foundation says you do not need to pay for an article.

How do I disclose paid editing on Wikipedia?▾

Disclose in at least 1 of 3 places: your user page ({{Paid}}), the talk page of the draft or article ({{Connected contributor (paid)}}), or the edit summary. Paid editors must also link their user page wherever they advertise paid editing.

How much does a Wikipedia page cost?▾

Nothing, to Wikipedia. A third-party roundup dated 19 July 2026 lists agency starting prices of $1,200 to $4,000, unverified. Essentras charges $4,000 flat after a free notability check.

Can anyone guarantee my Wikipedia page will be approved?▾

No. Volunteers decide, paid editors have no more authority than anyone else, and Wikipedia’s scam warning lists guarantees as a warning sign. Any article can also be nominated for deletion later.

Who owns a Wikipedia page?▾

Nobody. The subject, the client and any paid editor have no right to control or delete it. Request changes on the talk page with {{Edit COI}}.

What happens if my Wikipedia page is deleted?▾

Pages can be removed by speedy deletion, proposed deletion (at least 7 days if nobody objects) or an articles for deletion discussion (normally at least 7 days). Notability is not temporary, so a topic can return once new significant coverage exists.

What should I do if I am not notable yet?▾

Do not pay for a draft. Build independent coverage, and use routes that do not depend on Wikipedia notability, such as Wikidata, a Google Knowledge Panel and accurate structured data on your own site.

Sources and verification

Every page this guide relies on, with the date we read it. Wikipedia pages change; if a rule here disagrees with the page, the page wins.

  1. Notability (general notability guideline) (WP:GNG, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026)
  2. Notability (organizations and companies) (WP:NCORP, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 11 Oct 2026)
  3. Notability (people) (WP:BASIC, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 4 Oct 2026)
  4. Notability (people): creative professionals (WP:CREATIVE, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 4 Oct 2026)
  5. What Wikipedia is not (WP:NOT, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026)
  6. Neutral point of view (WP:NPOV, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026)
  7. Verifiability (WP:V, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026)
  8. No original research (WP:NOR, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026)
  9. Biographies of living persons (WP:BLP, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026)
  10. Your first article (WP:YFA, Help page; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 12 Oct 2026)
  11. Article wizard (WP:WIZ, Help tool; read 14 Oct 2026)
  12. Username policy (WP:UPOL, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026)
  13. User access levels (autoconfirmed users) (WP:AUTOCONFIRMED, Information page; read 14 Oct 2026)
  14. Referencing for beginners (H:REFB, Help page; read 14 Oct 2026)
  15. Infobox (H:IB, Help page; read 14 Oct 2026)
  16. Donating copyrighted materials (WP:DCM, Information page; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 9 Oct 2026)
  17. Non-free content (WP:NFC, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026)
  18. Logos (WP:LOGO, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026)
  19. Articles for creation (WP:AFC, Process page; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 13 Oct 2026)
  20. Articles for creation review banner (pending submissions) (AfC banner, Template; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 3 Oct 2026)
  21. Category: Pending AfC submissions (AfC queue, Category; read 14 Oct 2026)
  22. Wikipedia API: size of the pending submissions category (AfC count (API), Live data; read 14 Oct 2026)
  23. Articles for creation Help desk (WP:AFCHD, Help desk; read 14 Oct 2026)
  24. Teahouse (WP:TEA, Help space; read 14 Oct 2026)
  25. Conflict of interest (WP:COI, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026)
  26. Paid-contribution disclosure (WP:PAID, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 20 Apr 2026)
  27. Wikimedia Foundation Terms of Use, section 4 (paid contributions without disclosure) (Terms of Use, Terms of Use; read 14 Oct 2026)
  28. Autobiography (WP:AB, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 13 Oct 2026)
  29. Template: Paid ({{Paid}}, Template; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 25 Oct 2025)
  30. Template: Connected contributor (paid) ({{Connected contributor (paid)}}, Template; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 14 Jul 2025)
  31. Template: User COI ({{User COI}}, Template; read 14 Oct 2026)
  32. Template: Connected contributor ({{Connected contributor}}, Template; read 14 Oct 2026)
  33. Template: Edit COI ({{Edit COI}}, Template; read 14 Oct 2026)
  34. Writing articles with large language models (WP:NOLLM, Guideline; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 13 Oct 2026)
  35. Responsibly using large language models (Essay, Explanatory essay; read 14 Oct 2026)
  36. Criteria for speedy deletion (G11, G13, G15) (WP:CSD, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026)
  37. Proposed deletion (WP:PROD, Policy; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 8 Jul 2026)
  38. Articles for deletion (WP:AFD, Process page; read 14 Oct 2026)
  39. Scam warning (WP:SCAM, Information page; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 1 Oct 2026)
  40. Wikimedia Foundation: You don’t need to pay for a Wikipedia article (22 August 2018) (WMF, Foundation statement; read 14 Oct 2026)
  41. Wikidata: Notability (WD:N, Wikidata policy; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 28 Sep 2026)
  42. Meta-Wiki: Alternative paid contribution disclosure policies (Meta, Information page; read 14 Oct 2026; page last edited 14 Sep 2024)

Other sources

Changelog

  • : Rebuilt the guide. Removed an unsourced decline statistic and an unsourced hours estimate, replaced a vague review-time claim with the Articles for Creation banner wording, and stopped presenting press releases or paid placements as a route to notability. Added the people and creative tests, disclosure templates, the AI rule, the backlog snapshot and the source checker.
  • : Re-read every rule cited here on Wikipedia.

Conflict of interest: Essentras sells paid Wikipedia drafting ($4,000 flat) and is not affiliated with Wikipedia or the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

More on Wikipedia page creation

Wikipedia page creation service (notability-first)/services/wikipedia-page-creationFree Wikipedia notability pre-assessment/tools/wikipedia-notability-checkerWikipedia notability requirements explained/guides/wikipedia-notability-requirementsHow much does a Wikipedia page cost?/guides/wikipedia-page-costCan you pay for a Wikipedia page? (the honest answer)/guides/can-you-pay-for-a-wikipedia-pageHow to get a Wikipedia page for your company/guides/wikipedia-page-for-your-companyHow to fix a Wikipedia page about you or your company/guides/edit-wikipedia-page-about-youHow to get a Google Knowledge Panel/guides/how-to-get-a-google-knowledge-panel

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