Wikipedia:Articles for creation

For the WikiProject, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Articles for creation.

Welcome to Articles for creation!

Write a draft, submit it for review, and contribute to Wikipedia.

Articles for creation (AfC) lets you write an article as a draft and submit it for review by an experienced volunteer before publication.

Anyone can create and submit a draft. Articles for creation is especially useful if you are not yet autoconfirmed, are editing without an account, or would like an experienced volunteer to review your draft. Editors who are autoconfirmed can also create articles directly.

If you have a conflict of interest or are being paid to edit, you should submit your draft through Articles for creation and follow the relevant disclosure requirements.

Creating an article can be challenging, especially if you are new to Wikipedia. You may find it helpful to learn the basics of editing or improve existing articles first.

Before you start

For more guidance see Your first article.

Before writing a new draft, check whether your topic is suitable for a Wikipedia article. This can save you time and help avoid common problems during review.

1. Check for an existing article or draft: Search Wikipedia for your topic, including alternative names and existing drafts. If an article already exists, consider improving it rather than starting another.
2. Check whether your subject qualifies for an article: Most topics need significant coverage in multiple reliable, independent, secondary sources. These should discuss the topic in detail, rather than simply mentioning it in passing. Some topics have subject-specific notability guidelines.
3. Find suitable sources first: Base your draft on what reliable, published sources say about the subject. Find these sources before writing, and use inline citations to show where the information comes from. Sources do not need to be in English, online, or freely accessible.

Important rules

• Do not use large language models to write your draft: Wikipedia prohibits using large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, to generate or rewrite article content. Limited exceptions apply to basic corrections to your own writing and translations from other-language Wikipedias.
• Respect copyright: Write in your own words. Do not copy text or images from other places unless it is in the public domain or released under a compatible licence that allows Wikipedia to use it.

Writing about a topic you are connected to

Further information: Wikipedia:Plain and simple conflict of interest guide and Wikipedia:Paid-contribution disclosure

• Conflict of interest: If you are writing about yourself, your employer, your organisation, a client, or someone you know personally, you should disclose your connection on your user page or the draft's talk page.
• Paid editing: If you are paid or otherwise compensated to contribute, you must disclose your employer, client and affiliation as required by the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use.

Creating your draft

Ready to begin? The Article Wizard will guide you through creating a draft step by step. Click the button below:

Create your draft with the Article Wizard

Writing and formatting your draft

Further information: Help:Your first article and Wikipedia:Writing better articles

Focus on the information and references first. Your draft does not need to look like a finished Wikipedia article before it can be reviewed. You do not need photos, perfect formatting, or an infobox.

• Write from a neutral point of view: Summarise what reliable sources say in a neutral, encyclopaedic tone. Avoid promotional language, personal opinions and original research.
• Verify the content: Base your draft on reliable, published sources, and add inline citations (footnotes) to show where the information comes from. Learn how to create citations in the VisualEditor.
• Take care when writing about living people: Information about living people must be carefully sourced, especially anything that could be controversial or damaging.

Saving your draft

Your changes are not saved to Wikipedia until you publish them. To save your work, click the Publish page… or Publish changes… button at the top of your draft. Save your changes regularly, especially before leaving the editor. This does not submit your draft for review or turn it into an article on Wikipedia.

Once created, your draft will usually have Draft: at the beginning of its title. This means it is not yet a published Wikipedia article.

Finding your draft again

You can return to your draft at any time using its page address. If you have a Wikipedia account, you can also visit your contributions to find pages you have edited.

Submitting for review

When you think your draft is ready, submit it for review by clicking the Submit the draft for review! button.

Once submitted, your draft will display a notice with Review waiting, please be patient. You can still improve your draft while you wait.

Can't find the submit button?

Open your draft in the source editor, add {{subst:submit}} at the top of the page, and click Publish changes.... If the Articles for creation submission box does not appear at the top of your draft, you can ask for help at the Articles for creation Help desk.

After submitting

Waiting for a review

Your draft will join a list of submissions waiting to be reviewed by experienced volunteers. There is no fixed waiting time. Some drafts are reviewed quickly, while others might wait considerably longer. Drafts are not necessarily reviewed in the order they were submitted.

You can continue editing and improving your draft while you wait. Adding better sources, improving the writing, and correcting mistakes will not require you to submit it for review again. Make sure you click Publish changes... each time you want to save your changes.

Do not repeatedly submit your draft for review or ask individual reviewers to review it quickly.

Understanding your review

A reviewer will accept, decline or reject your draft. These outcomes mean different things:

Accepted

Your draft has been accepted and published as a Wikipedia article. You can continue improving the article. Congratulations!

Declined

Your draft is not ready to become an article yet, but the problems may be fixable. Read the reviewer's comments carefully and address the problems they identified. You can then resubmit your draft for another review.

Rejected

The reviewer considers the subject or content fundamentally unsuitable for Wikipedia, with little prospect that further work will make the draft acceptable. If you have found significant new evidence or believe the decision was mistaken, ask the reviewer for reconsideration before attempting to resubmit.

Reviewers will normally explain why a draft has been declined or rejected. If you do not understand their feedback, you can ask for clarification or seek advice at the Articles for creation Help desk.

Improving and resubmitting your draft

If your draft has been declined, read the reviewer's feedback carefully and make the necessary improvements before submitting it again. Once you have addressed the problems identified, click the Resubmit button.

Do not remove or alter previous review notices or reviewer comments, even if you have addressed the issues raised. These provide a record of earlier reviews and help future reviewers understand what has changed.

Getting help

If you are unsure about any part of the process, you can ask other Wikipedia editors for help.

• For an overview of Wikipedia's policies and guidelines, see Everything you need to know.
• For specific questions on why your draft was declined, read the reviewer's feedback or ask at the Articles for creation Help desk.
• For friendly peer support regarding editing, sourcing, or policies, visit the Teahouse, a question and answer hub for new editors.

Unfinished and old drafts

You do not need to finish your draft immediately. However, drafts that have not been edited by a person for six months may be deleted under Wikipedia's abandoned-draft rules. If your draft has been deleted because it was abandoned, you can normally request its restoration.

Frequently asked questions

Choose a topic below to find answers to common questions about creating, submitting and reviewing Wikipedia drafts.

Creating and submitting a draft

Questions about creating and submitting drafts

Can I use ChatGPT or another AI tool to write my draft?

Wikipedia prohibits using large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, to generate or rewrite article content. Limited exceptions apply to basic corrections to your own writing and certain translations. Read the guideline before using an AI tool to assist with writing.

I clicked "Publish changes". Is my draft now an article?

No. On Wikipedia, the Publish page… and Publish changes… buttons saves your edit. It does not submit the draft for review or turn it into a published article. Your draft remains a draft until it is accepted through AfC or otherwise moved into mainspace.

To submit the draft for review, press the Submit the draft for review! button

How do I know if my draft has been submitted for review?

A properly submitted draft will display a notice with Review waiting, please be patient..

If the submission notice has disappeared, check the page history in case the AfC submission template was accidentally removed. You can also ask at the AfC Help Desk.

Can someone check my draft before I submit it?

Submitting your draft for review is the usual way to get feedback on whether it is ready to become an article. If you have a particular question about notability, sourcing or Wikipedia's guidelines before submitting, you can ask at the Teahouse.

If your draft has previously been declined and you believe you have addressed the problems identified, you can simply resubmit it.

Can I keep editing my draft while it is waiting for review?

Yes. You can continue improving your draft while it is waiting for review. Remember to save your changes. You do not need to submit it again after making changes while it is already awaiting review.

Do I need an infobox, images, categories or perfect formatting?

No. These are not requirements for acceptance. Your draft does not need to be complete or beautifully formatted before it becomes an article. Focus on demonstrating notability, using reliable sources and writing neutrally. Ordinary formatting problems can usually be addressed after acceptance.

Can I move my draft to mainspace myself?

If your account is autoconfirmed, you can usually create or move articles into mainspace yourself. However, if you are new to creating articles, it is generally better to leave your draft submitted for review by experienced editors.

Moving a draft into mainspace does not resolve problems with notability, sourcing or neutrality. An unsuitable article may be returned to draft space or nominated for deletion.

Do I have to use Articles for creation?

Not always. Autoconfirmed editors can usually create new articles directly in mainspace. New or unregistered editors who cannot create articles directly can use AfC instead.

If you have a conflict of interest, including if you are being paid to edit, you should use AfC. More experienced editors may also choose to use AfC if they would like another editor to review their draft before publication.

Waiting for review

Questions about review times

How long will my draft take to be reviewed?

There is no fixed waiting time. Wikipedia is maintained by volunteers, and drafts are not necessarily reviewed in the order they were submitted.

Some reviewers work through older submissions, while others review subjects they are familiar with. Your draft may be reviewed quickly, while another may wait considerably longer.

Can somebody review my draft right now?

Reviewers are volunteers and are under no obligation to perform individual reviews. There are also no deadlines on Wikipedia. Normally, you should leave your draft submitted and wait for a reviewer to reach it.

You are welcome to continue improving your draft while you wait, but repeatedly submitting it or asking individual reviewers to prioritise it will not make the process faster.

Sources and notability

Questions about sources and Wikipedia's inclusion requirements

How many sources do I need?

There is no fixed number. For subjects relying on the general notability guideline, a useful rule of thumb is to look for around three strong, distinct sources that are reliable, independent of the subject and provide significant coverage.

The quality and depth of coverage matter more than the number of references. Three strong sources are generally more useful than dozens of passing mentions, press releases, directory entries or other weak sources. Some subjects may also qualify under subject-specific notability guidelines.

Why aren't my reliable sources enough?

A source can be reliable without helping to establish notability. For most subjects, sources used to establish notability must also be independent of the subject and discuss it in significant detail.

For example, an interview in a reliable newspaper may be useful for verifying what somebody said, but much of its content may come from the subject themselves. Likewise, company websites, press releases, sponsored articles and routine announcements may verify facts without providing the independent coverage needed to establish notability.

Can I use offline, paywalled or non-English sources?

Yes. Sources do not need to be freely available online or written in English. They must have been published and be accessible in some way so that the information can be verified. Books, academic publications and newspaper articles can all be suitable sources, including those behind paywalls.

What if I can't find enough suitable sources?

Sometimes there is nothing you can do to resolve a notability problem. Not every topic meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion.

Adding large numbers of weak sources will not compensate for a lack of significant independent coverage. If suitable sources are not available, it may be better to improve an existing article or wait until further coverage becomes available.

Why does another subject have an article when my draft was declined?

Drafts are assessed on their own merits, not by comparison with existing Wikipedia articles. The existence of an article about one subject does not mean another automatically qualifies.

Wikipedia has millions of articles, and not every existing article meets current standards. Some were created many years ago, while others were created directly in mainspace without being reviewed through AfC. An existing article that does not meet Wikipedia's guidelines is not a reason to accept another unsuitable article.

Declines, rejections and appeals

Questions about review decisions and deleted drafts

What is the difference between a decline and a rejection?

A decline means that the draft is not ready to become an article, but the problems may be fixable. You can improve the draft and submit it again.

A rejection means that the reviewer considers the subject or content fundamentally unsuitable for Wikipedia, with no reasonable prospect that further work on the current draft will make it acceptable. If important new evidence becomes available, it may be appropriate to ask for reconsideration.

Can I resubmit after a decline?

Yes. A decline is an opportunity to improve your draft and submit it again. Before resubmitting, read the reviewer's comments carefully and address the problems they identified. Click the Resubmit button to resubmit a draft for review.

Repeatedly submitting substantially the same draft without addressing clearly explained problems is unlikely to produce a different result and may eventually become disruptive.

Can I appeal a decline or rejection?

If your draft was declined, you can ask the reviewer to explain their decision, improve the draft and resubmit it, or seek further advice at the AfC Help Desk.

If your draft was rejected, and significant new evidence or sources have appeared that may change its suitability, first ask the rejecting reviewer to reconsider. If you do not receive a reply after a reasonable time, you can ask for advice at the AfC Help Desk.

Why did different reviewers give me different decline reasons?

A draft can have more than one problem, and different reviewers may identify different issues. Fixing one decline reason does not necessarily mean that the draft is ready for acceptance.

Reviewers should try to identify all the substantive problems they can see, but reviews are performed by individual volunteers who may sometimes reach different conclusions.

Can I ask for a different reviewer?

You can ask for clarification at the AfC Help Desk or seek a second opinion if you genuinely believe a previous review was mistaken.

However, this should not be used to repeatedly approach different reviewers in the hope of receiving a more favourable decision.

What happens if my draft is abandoned or deleted under G13?

Drafts that have not been edited by a human for six months may be deleted under criterion G13. This is a housekeeping process, rather than a determination that the subject is not notable or can never have an article.

A draft deleted under G13 can normally be restored on request at Requests for undeletion/G13.

Can I recreate a previously deleted article?

Sometimes. A previous deletion does not necessarily mean that an article on the subject can never exist. The reason for the deletion matters.

For example, a draft deleted because it was promotional may be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's guidelines, provided there are no other barriers to recreation.

However, if an article was deleted following an Articles for deletion discussion, the reasons for that deletion need to be addressed before it is recreated. Significant new independent coverage or other changed circumstances may affect whether an article is now appropriate.

Conflicts of interest and other questions

Questions about conflicts of interest, scams, and search engines

Can I write an article about myself, my company or my client?

Wikipedia strongly discourages editing where you have a conflict of interest, but having a connection to the subject does not automatically prevent an AfC draft from being accepted.

Your draft will be assessed against the same notability, sourcing, neutrality and other requirements as any other submission. You should disclose your conflict of interest. If you are being paid to contribute, you must also comply with the paid-contribution disclosure requirements.

Someone offered to publish my article for money. Is this a scam?

Be very cautious. Wikipedia does not charge authors to submit, review or publish articles. Scammers may falsely promise publication, protection from deletion or other special treatment in exchange for payment. See Wikipedia:Scam warning.

I've been contacted by a reviewer off-wiki about my article. Is this a scam?

Be cautious of unsolicited messages from people claiming to be AfC reviewers or Wikipedia administrators, particularly if they request payment or offer to guarantee publication.

Keep discussions about your draft on Wikipedia wherever possible, and verify any unexpected claims through the site's established processes. See Wikipedia:Scam warning for further advice.

When will my accepted draft appear on Google?

New articles may be prevented from being indexed by search engines until they have been reviewed by New Pages Patrol or have existed for 90 days.

This only allows search engines to index the article. Wikipedia does not control search engine indexing and cannot guarantee when an article will appear in Google or other search results.

If your question is not answered here, you can ask for help at the Articles for creation Help desk or the Teahouse.

Other ways to contribute

You do not need to create a new article to make a useful contribution to Wikipedia. There are plenty of other ways to help:

• Improve an existing article: Visit the Task Center to find articles that need attention.
• Create a redirect: Use the Redirect Wizard.
• Create a category: Use the Category Wizard.
• Request a file upload: Use the Files for Upload Wizard.