I have been editing Wikipedia for more than a decade. During my time as a professional Wikipedia page writer, I have encountered a number of questions people often ask before hiring me.
While I do offer advice through the website, I decided to take the time and create this list to help guide you through the process.
Creating a Wikipedia page for yourself is not an easy decision. There are many things to consider such as:
- Cost to create a page
- Ongoing maintenance and monitoring
- Who you should hire
- Avoiding scams and ensure you hire someone reputable
This list should address most of your concerns when looking for a Wikipedia content writing service. If not, feel free to reach out and I can help guide you through the process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
- How Much Does It Cost to Create a Wikipedia Page?
- Why Have a Wikipedia Page?
- Do You Need to Hire Someone to Create a Wikipedia Article?
- What Qualifications Should You Look For When Hiring a Wikipedia Writer?
- Is it Legal to Pay Someone to Create a Wikipedia Page?
- How Do You Avoid Scams and Find a Reputable Professional Wikipedia Agency?
- What Information Do You Need to Create a Wikipedia Page?
- How Long is the Process?
- Can I Edit the Wikipedia Page After it is Created?
- Is There a Guarantee the Page Will Stay Up After it is Created?
- What Are the Guidelines for Notability and Do You Qualify?
- What Happens if Your Page is Flagged or Recommended for Deletion?
- Do We Help Maintain Your Wikipedia Page Once it is Live?
- What is Conflict of Interest Editing on Wikipedia?
- Why Choose Us to Write Your Wikipedia Page?
1. How Much Does It Cost to Create a Wikipedia Page?
This is most commonly asked question. The cost to create a Wikipedia page can often be the only deciding factor on whether to create one or not.
The cost for Wikipedia page writing services can vary. You can often find a freelancer willing to do it for a few hundred dollars. You can also hire a professional service which can run you several thousand dollars.
The difference between the two is outcome. Do you want something that will likely get deleted? Or, would you rather hire an expert for your Wikipedia page?
Note, I cover more on scams and reputable agencies later in this FAQ. Oftentimes, cheaper means you likely won’t see results.
For Legalmorning, Wikipedia page creation cost can range from anywhere from $250 to $10,000 depending on the amount of work involved. However, typical Wikipedia page creation cost is in the $1,000 to $2,500 range.
2. Why Have a Wikipedia Page?
Of course you don’t need to have a Wikipedia page. But, do you want one?
There are some benefits to being listed in Wikipedia.
- Credibility and Recognition
- Visibility and Exposure
- Legacy and Documentation
- Overall Branding
Note, Wikipedia is not the marketing tool you may think. People going to Wikipedia are not looking to be sold on you. They are only looking to verify you exist.
As such, Wikipedia is great for branding and verification.
3. Do You Need to Hire Someone to Create a Wikipedia Page?
Seems strange for me telling you this since I run a Wikipedia page writing service, but NO, you do NOT need to hire a Wikipedia page creator.
Wikipedia is open source and anyone can edit. You don’t even need to create an account.
Instead of hiring someone, you can always do it yourself, but be mindful of conflict of interest guidelines.
You can also request that a page be created, but that can often take months assuming a volunteer editor wants to take on the task. If you are notable for Wikipedia and no one has yet to create a page, chances are they are not going to.
When you hire a Wikipedia editor, you also get things done in a timely manner. No need to wait on volunteers to “get around to it.”
It can also be difficult for someone without extensive knowledge of guidelines to create a Wikipedia page. You need to be precise the first time to avoid issues with the page in the future.
So, while you do not need to hire someone, it is always advisable if you want a professionally created page that represents you and your brand.
4. What Qualifications Should You Look For When Hiring a Wikipedia Writer?
You really want to make sure you choose an experienced Wikipedia editor for hire. But, what does this mean?
An experienced Wikipedia editor will have years of experience editing Wikipedia. Ask them how many years and how many edits they have done overall.
Another way to determine qualifications is where you hire them.
- Are they from a freelance website?
- Is Wikipedia their overall niche?
- Can they answer all your questions to your satisfaction?
- Are they able to point to specific guidelines to support the answers to your questions?
You also need to make sure they have proficiency in the language you want to create the page.
By this, I mean you need to hire someone proficient in English to work on English Wikipedia, someone proficient in French to edit French Wikipedia, and so on……
5. Is it Legal to Pay Someone to Create a Wikipedia Page?
Yes it is. There is no specific law (at least in the United States) in place preventing someone from paying a reliable Wikipedia page creation service from assisting you.
There are guidelines set up by the Wikimedia Foundation (parent organization of Wikipedia) dealing with paid editing. These are established to deal with disclosure and how paid editors need to operate on the site to avoid any attempt at violating Wikipedia rules on editing.
6. How Do You Avoid Scams and Find a Reputable Professional Wikipedia Agency?
As with all digital marketing, there are scammers out there looking to take advantage of you. Wikipedia page creation services are no different. While there are a few reputable providers, there are many more who are not.
First, did you do your own research? Many scam companies will cold email you. They will tell you they can create a Wikipedia page. The problem is this is a mass email sent to many people. Many of them do not qualify and are given false hope.
You wind up paying someone to create a page that winds up deleted which is unfortunate.
Some companies operate multiple websites as a numbers game. If you found a provider online, check their website layout versus others. Also find out how old the domain name is. Many scammers create new websites once the old ones rack up negative online reviews.
Are they US-based or overseas? Some regions of the world seem to have more digital marketing scammers than others. These services drawn you in with cheap prices, fail to deliver, then refuse to refund your money. In the end, you will never get a refund or collect as it is difficult to make a claim against someone outside of the country in which you reside.
Also be leery of articles talking about the “best Wikipedia page creator” as these are often paid for by the services listed therein.
7. What Information Do You Need to Create a Wikipedia Page?
To evaluate your eligibility to have a Wikipedia page, all a service should need is the topic name of the page and a few online references that talk about it in-depth.
An experienced Wikipedia page consultant can use that basic information to determine notability.
Once notability has been determined, the only additional information needed can be found by the person creating the page. Wikipedia is based on what the sources say about the topic, not what the topic wants people to know.
By this, I am saying that the writer can glean content from the references to build the page. Attempting to create the page without information in a reliable source is a recipe for disaster.
8. How Long is the Process?
The typical time it takes to create a Wikipedia page is one to three weeks. However, there are many factors involved which could extend this time.
For instance, maybe it will take longer for Wikipedia editors to approve the draft once submitted for creation. The articles for creation process can take anywhere from one day to six months depending.
To help speed up the process, a Wikipedia page freelancer needs to make sure to write the draft properly. This includes using the most reliable sources, adhering to guidelines, and following the proper process for submission.
Timing can also depend on you. A experienced editor will never submit a Wikipedia page without your approval on the overall content. If it takes you weeks to review the final draft, you will need to add that time to the overall process.
Other factors that could affect the time include:
- Complexity of the topic (how much research is needed).
- Length of content (involves more coding and research).
- Previous attempts at creation (previously deleted or declined through Articles For Creation).
When searching for someone to create your page, make sure to ask how long it will take for the specific topic you want created.
9. Can I Edit the Wikipedia Page After it is Created?
The simple answer is yes, you can edit the page after it has been created. However, the full answer is a little more complex.
Wikipedia is open source so anyone can edit, even you. This does not mean you want to do so though.
Any additions made to the page need to adhere to Wikipedia guidelines. If not, you are likely to get the page flagged and possibly deleted.
Remember, just because a page is live does not mean it will always be live. All pages in Wikipedia (yes, ALL PAGES) are subject to review and can be recommended for deletion at any time. So, make sure you do not add anything that would land the page into speedy deletion territory.
10. Is There a Guarantee the Page Will Stay Up After it is Created?
While any Wikipedia article writer can offer a guarantee, there is no way to fully ensure your page isn’t deleted. This is because the final decision for your page to stay live is up to consensus.
Consensus is determined by editors who vote to decide if a page should be deleted or not. So, despite doing everything possible to ensure it sticks, there is no way anyone can offer you a guarantee.
If you choose to go with a Wikipedia monitoring and maintenance service, there is a refund policy should your page be deleted. Outside of that, you just need to ensure that the editor you hire does things correctly to help give your page the best chance.
Note, Legalmorning does NOT take on projects unless the topic is notable. False hope should never be created when it comes to Wikipedia. Only notable projects stand the best chance of longevity.
11. What Are the Guidelines for Notability and Do You Qualify?
Notability guidelines are rules established by the Wikipedia community that are used to determine if a topic qualifies for a Wikipedia page. No matter how much you want a page, you simply cannot create one if the topic doesn’t meet these guidelines.
There are general notability guidelines and specific notability guidelines (specific to topics such as people, companies, films, etc.).
Determining notability can be difficult, but the general rule states that you must have:
- Significant coverage in
- Reliable sources that are
- Independent of the topic
Simply having a news article about the topic isn’t enough. The source must be reliable and talk about the topic in-depth (passing mentions, quotes, interviews, etc. do not count).
The best way to determine if you qualify is to ask a seasoned Wikipedia article writer. We offer a FREE evaluation and all you need to do is provide some basic information on this form.
If you want more detailed information on notability guidelines, check out our guide to notability and our simple guide to creating biographies.
12. What Happens if Your Page is Flagged or Recommended for Deletion?
Pages that are flagged for issues can easily be fixed by addressing the issues called out by editors. For instance, if it is tagged for being promotional in tone, simply fix the tone. If you created a Wikipedia page for a business, do not be surprised if it gets tagged as this is common in Wikipedia. In fact, we made a guide on how to clean up tags on company pages.
Deletion tagging needs to be addressed in one of three ways depending on if it is recommended for deletion, proposed for deletion, or tagged for speedy deletion. Here are descriptions of the three.
- Recommended for Deletion – A deletion process where editors can opine on whether a topic meets guidelines. Discussion normally last seven days unless other circumstances require it to be closed early or extended for more discussion.
- Proposed Deletion – A tag that it placed on a page which notifies administrators to delete the page should no one object. Oftentimes, when a tag is removed, an editor will then recommended it for deletion as described in the first bullet point.
- Speedy Deletion – This one is difficult because you may not act quick enough to save the page. A speedy deletion tag is when the article violates a guideline which requires it to be removed quickly (copyright violations, too promotional, etc.). Deletion can take place within minutes.
Deletion can be a tricky process if you are not experienced with Wikipedia guidelines. Contact us immediately should you want to save a page you created.
Note – If you have subscribed to our monitoring and maintenance service, there is nothing you need to do. We will actually notify you of the deletion discussion before you are aware and take the proper steps to help save the page.
13. Do We Help Maintain Your Wikipedia Page Once it is Live?
All pages under a monitoring and maintenance agreement are covered for regular maintenance. This includes updates to the page for anything that takes place since the page creation as well as defending a page should it get recommended for deletion.
Notification of anything that happens to the page is made to you by our team. If there are additions you want made, reach out with the information and we will get it taken care of.
All updates to Wikipedia pages must adhere to Wikipedia guidelines.
14. What is Conflict of Interest Editing on Wikipedia?
Conflict of interest editing is the term used to describe when someone edits Wikipedia on a topic they have a close connection with. This could be editing a page about themselves, their company, or being paid to edit.
Conflict of interest editing is allowed on Wikipedia, but there are rules that need to be followed. Failure to follow the rules could wind up with your page being flagged or deleted.
Wikipedia has implemented these guidelines to help ensure accuracy and a neutral point of view on pages. Over the years, many have engaged in Wikipedia whitewashing which can be detrimental to the overall goal of the website.
15. Why Choose Us to Write Your Wikipedia Page?
With over a decade of experience helping thousands of clients, my team and I have the knowledge and experience you need to help navigate Wikipedia. We have performed over a million edits and created thousands of pages for clients.
I am aware you can outsource Wikipedia page creation to anyone. However, you need to make sure you get it right the first time. Wikipedia is like surgery so each edit performed needs to be done correctly. If not, you may wind up in a worse situation or even worse…..wind up with a deleted Wikipedia page.
Also note this is our core business. While we do offer other digital marketing services, Wikipedia comprises the bulk of it. This is our focus and expertise.
Still have questions? Reach out and let us know.
