Writing a New Article on wikiHow: Tips & Best Practices

• Pick a topic that hasn’t been written about on the site yet.
• Create an outline filled with actionable, specific steps. Tell your reader exactly what to do and how to do it.
• Back up all your steps with quality references that you cite throughout the article.
• Make sure your article is formatted correctly, and proofread it before publishing it on wikiHow.

Article Topics

Write about something that hasn't been written about on wikiHow yet. Have an idea for a new article? Search through the wikiHow pages to make sure it hasn’t already been created. You can find if an article on your topic already exists by using the main search bar, or looking for it in Special:Search. If we already have an article on the topic you want to write, but it's incomplete, inaccurate, or messy, feel free to completely rewrite it from scratch! If you're not sure whether the article you want to write is the same as an article we already have, take a look at the Merge Policy or ask the Help Team.

Pick a topic that you already know about. We love it when our articles are very detailed and fully fleshed out. When you’re brainstorming ideas to write about, go for a topic that you know at least a little bit about already. Look at the articles featured on the home page to get an idea of how comprehensive an article should be. If you don't know much more about the topic you started, that's okay—you can research it! If you don't feel ready to write an article at this level of detail, that's totally okay. You can write a basic outline for others to build on, or you can spend time improving existing articles on wikiHow instead.

Solve a problem for other people with your article. What are some problems, big or small, that you see people dealing with in your daily life? Anything from fumbling with electronics to nursing a broken bone. If you can provide an article that makes life easier for other people, it’s sure to gain some traction on the site. Is there anything other people do that repeatedly frustrates you, and makes you think: If only they had the right guide or information, they could avoid that pitfall? Is there anything you've had to do in the past that was difficult or challenging for you? What did you learn from that experience? How did you adapt? Is there any advice you could share with others going through the same thing?

Think of something you've always wanted to do. Maybe there's a place you've always wanted to travel to or a kind of business you fantasize about starting. Research and write an article about that. Use writing as a tool and excuse to learn more about the topic and bring yourself one step closer to that reality. Maybe you have a dream of visiting London, so you create an article titled “How to Visit London.” Or, maybe you’re going skydiving for the first time, so you write an article called “How to Skydive for Beginners.”

Article Outline

Identify your audience for your article. Put yourself in the reader's shoes and think about what they would want to see in the article. How old are they? What knowledge do they already have about the topic? Try to answer these questions and others, like: What kind of emotions is my reader feeling? What does my reader want to learn? How can I provide the information my reader wants?

Do a Google search for the topic you want to write about. This will give you a better idea of what people are looking for and who is looking for it. It will also help you figure out the information that’s already out there, and what might be missing. What can the wikiHow article offer in terms of helpfulness that the other pages don't? Keep an open mind when you Google your topic. Your audience might not always be who you expect!

Find sources to cite throughout your article. Here at wikiHow, we take pride in providing the most accurate information that’s out there. Before you start writing, find 3 or more sites that you can reference throughout the article to back up your information. Avoid using blogs, web forums, and sites that seem primarily advertisement-driven. In particular, do not use sources like: aol ask ehow howstuffworks livestrong Wikipedia

Decide on your parts or methods and sketch them out. To write a successful how to article, pick between the Parts or Methods structure. If you aren’t sure how to organize your Parts or Methods, start with the section that will address more of the readers' immediate concerns. Try to frontload the information that’s most helpful for your audience so they get to the meat of the article right away. In general, a “Parts” article covers sequential steps, while a “Methods” article covers a topic that has multiple different methods to choose from. You'll indicate whether the article should be Parts or Methods at the very bottom of the article, with either __ Parts __ or __ Methods __ (note: this is 2 underscores on each side of the word).

Start filling in steps for each part or method. Do additional research to fill out additional steps as needed. Make sure that each Part or Method has at least 3 steps, and that each step has around 4 sentences of text. If you can’t reach these guidelines, it may be a sign that you need to expand your topic or reorganize your content. Aim to hit these general guidelines: An article with at least 10 steps. Each step has at least 4 sentences. The article tells the reader something that other articles on the web don't.

Create headers for each Part or Method. The headers tell the reader what the section is about so they can quickly jump from section to section in your article. Come up with clear, precise headers that tell the reader what’s in the section. For instance, if you’re writing about “How to Walk a Dog,” you might have headers like, “Gathering Supplies” and “Walking Around the Block.” Format your headers like this: === Gathering Supplies ===

Begin each step with an active verb. You can use verbs that are concrete/physical (such as “Cut,” “Draw,” “Screw in,” etc.), or you can use verbs that are abstract/non-physical (such as “Consider,” “Be aware,” “Understand,” “Avoid,” “Limit,” etc.). Active verbs help the reader understand what they need to do. This first sentence will automatically be bolded to draw the reader’s attention to it. Use a # in front of each step (the numbers are automatic). For example, if your article is about planting succulents, one step might start with, “# Fill a pot with potting soil.” Or, if your article is about walking a dog, a step might start with, “# Buy a harness and leash.” Avoid steps starting with “Research this.” They are researching; that's what they're doing on wikiHow.

Fill out each step with 3 to 4 sentences of “wrap text.” In general, the first sentence of the step should be followed by at least 3 to 4 sentences of “wrap text” that doesn’t rephrase the first sentence. Use the wrap text to explain the step in further detail or explain why it’s important. For instance, in “# Buy a harness and leash.” your wrap text might say, “A well-fitting harness will give you extra control over your dog and help you lead them as you walk. Be sure to pair that harness with a sturdy leash that’s made for your dog’s size.” Try to stay away from "robot language." This is when you don't provide an article or possessive like a/the/your. It's pretty common for writers to do this in the step title (the bold part of the step), but it makes your writing seem a little stilted/impersonal. For example, “Place chicken in water” should be “Place the chicken in the water”; “Express feelings” should be “Express your feelings.”

Provide more details or advice in the sub-steps. Use sub-steps to give extra advice or explain confusing terms to your reader. If a certain step won't work for certain readers or in specific situations, make that clear and provide alternatives or extra information in bullet points under the step. Use a #* to make a sentence into a substep. To continue the example from above, you might use a substep to include additional information about harnesses or leashes, like, “#* Most harnesses come in sizes small, medium, large, or extra-large. Be sure to follow the size guide to get the right one for your dog.”

Add Tips or Warnings if you need to. Tips and Warnings go at the end of the article, and they aren’t necessary for every single article. However, if you have a handy tip or a safety warning that you’d like to include, put those underneath all of your other steps. Format the Tips and Warnings like this: == Tips == and == Warnings == Use a * before each tip and warning to automatically make it a bulleted list.

Publishing

Click on Write an Article at the upper right of any page. You'll need to be using the desktop site, not the mobile one. Once you click this option, a new page will open up, and you can start writing.

Type in a title for your article. The words “how to” are automatically added, so a title should begin with a verb (e.g. “Walk a Dog”). Not sure about the perfect title? Don't worry, it can always be changed later. After typing in a title, click on “Get Started.” A list of existing articles on similar topics will come up. If there's already a title that means the same thing as yours according to the Merge Policy, click on it. This will allow you to edit (or rewrite) the existing article to make it better. Otherwise, select “None of these are exactly the same” and then click “Write My Article.”

Write an introduction for your article. Think about the reader again—why are they looking up this topic? How are they feeling? Creative? Curious? Desperate? Use the introduction to tell the reader in 3 to 4 sentences that you understand their situation. Some people like to do this at the end, once they have a “big picture” view of the topic. You can also include a question to capture the reader’s interest. For example: “Have you ever been super excited to go to a party where all your friends will be, and maybe some crushes too, only to show up and freeze the second you walk through the door?” “Do you ever wonder how astronauts get ready to go into space?” “Are you wondering what to do with that big chunk of top round steak you found on sale at the grocery store?” Avoid referring to the article with phrases like “follow these steps” or “here are 3 methods” or “see below.” Instead, the introduction should be able to stand alone as an introduction to the topic at hand.

Proofread your work before you publish. Copy and paste your written outline into the wikiHow website. Use the “preview” function to check your work before you publish it. Look for formatting errors, typos, grammar mistakes, and clunky or unclear writing. If you have trouble finding mistakes in your own writing, try taking a short break then returning to proofread. You can also read “backward”—begin at the last step and work your way “up” the article to the introduction. It’s okay if you don’t catch everything right away—you can still edit your article after it’s been published.

Hit “Publish” to release your article into the Article Review tool. Once you’re satisfied with your work, you can hit the publish button at the bottom of the page. That will put your article into the New Article Boost tool on the site to be reviewed before being fully published. Don’t be surprised if your work gets edited or rearranged at any point. Since anyone can edit on wikiHow, other readers may add to your work.

Add images if you’d like to. Images are totally optional, but they definitely help the article feel more complete. If you have any images that you’d like to use, select “Edit,” and then click on the “Image” icon on the top right of the HTML box. From there, you can add your own images to each step. Be sure that you have permission to use the images that you are uploading. This means that you either need to own the image (meaning you created it or took it), or you purchased the image from a stock photo site or similar.

Writing Tips

Focus on actionable information. wikiHow articles are more “how to guide” than a comprehensive encyclopedia entry. Give good, comprehensive information, but present the information in actionable steps rather than informational text. Don't be afraid to briefly teach readers why something works. Often, background information on why something is the case enriches the step. Try including “why” information in your wrap text after you've adequately explained the how.

Save “informational” sections for the end. Never start out with “Understanding” or “Learning About.” If it's really necessary and you feel that the article would be deemed incomplete and unhelpful without it, put it at the end of the article. Similarly, we've found that readers prefer to have “Preparing” sections at the end of the article (even when it seems out of order to do it that way). The bottom line is to answer the reader's “question” (How do I do something) as quickly as possible. When you start with “Understanding the Thing” or “Preparing to Do the Thing,” you're delaying giving the reader the information they're here for.

Prioritize concrete, verified steps over more ambiguous ones. In a health article, for example, prioritize scientifically-verified information over home remedies and herbal supplements, and use clear language in your wrap text: “Drink ginger tea twice a day. Although ginger tea has not been scientifically proven to help with chronic gastrointestinal issues, some sufferers find that it reduces discomfort.” Try not to over-promise, either. You don’t want to tell readers that you have a miracle cure for an ailment, when actually, it’s just an herbal supplement that may or may not work.

Define any terms as necessary. Don't assume that your reader will know all of the vocabulary related to whatever topic you are writing about, and don't just tell them to research or read about the topic—you need to provide the basic information required to execute the steps. If there are any confusing words or phrases throughout the article, use sub-steps to define them.