How to Create a Wikipedia Page For Your Company

Not only does Wikipedia get a ton of online traffic (over 4 billion people visit Wikipedia every month!), but the site’s business pages also rank highly on search engines. If you don’t know how to create a Wikipedia page for your company, you’re missing a lot of opportunities.

But getting a company Wiki page isn’t easy—you have to jump through a ton of hoops and meet their rigid guidelines. So, we’re borrowing some lessons from our first-hand experience creating Wikipedia pages to demystify this process for you.

Table of contents

• What is Wikipedia?
• Why create a company page on Wikipedia?
• Guidelines for featuring your business on Wikipedia
• Step-by-step process to create a Wikipedia page for your business
• Dos and don’ts of creating your Wikipedia page

What is Wikipedia?

A digital encyclopedia, Wikipedia, offers information on diverse topics and in different languages.

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The core strength of Wikipedia is its user-generated content. Anyone can contribute to its expansive database. This collaborative model ensures the platform remains up-to-date and relevant.

However, with this open model, it’s natural to question its accuracy and reliability. Wikipedia addresses this through its insistence on reliable sources. While user contributions are encouraged, they are also stringently vetted. Sources from recognized publications, academic journals, and other verified platforms are preferred, providing a layer of authenticity to the content.

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Why create a company page on Wikipedia?

Although Wikipedia pages are user-generated and can be edited by anyone, having a company page can help build trust with your audience.

Consider this example from Salesforce:

A quick search of the company’s name shows the brand’s websites. Neatly tucked under it is the Wikipedia page that contains the length and breadth of the company’s history as well as information about its acquisitions and other ventures.

With that option so visible, and since so many trust Wikipedia, you can bet searchers will go to the site to learn about Salesforce.

Guidelines for featuring your business on Wikipedia

Crafting a compelling Wikipedia page for your business can be a game-changer, but it’s crucial to get it right. Dive into these guidelines to stay true to Wikipedia’s discerning standards.

Check if you’re notable

Make sure your business has achieved significant recognition in its field. Having been mentioned in media outlets, newspapers, or social media is proof of this recognition. This notability should come from external parties not affiliated with your business.

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Tip: If you don’t have any news or press mentions, pitch funding news, acquisition, or customer impact stories to editors of reputed outlets. Check out these examples of media pitches that are deemed newsworthy.

Use credible citations

Don’t use self-promotional content or your content as citations. When setting up a business page, use external sources like news pieces, blog posts, forums, books, and magazines. Authentic citations can improve your chances of approval by editors.

Note: Here’s a growing list of sources that are considered reliable. Remember that this isn’t one of Wikipedia’s guidelines but crowdsourced from other users who have first-hand experience with creating and editing content on the platform.

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Become an active contributor

Get involved with the Wikipedia community. Engage by editing or contributing to pages in your field to understand the editing nuances.

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You’ll have much better luck getting your page accepted by editors if your account has a history of edits. A brand-new account can seem biased and reduce your chances of getting the page approved.

Encourage multiple editors

Pages with edits from various users are less likely to be flagged. Encourage multiple contributors to refine your business page.

Build connections with fellow contributors

As you contribute, remember that the Wikipedia community will view and assess your edits. They’ll evaluate your knowledge of the topic and the clarity and relevance of your writing.

Tip: Talk to fellow contributors by clicking on “Talk” at the top of any page and start a discussion.

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Reference existing Wikipedia content

If your business is already cited in a Wikipedia article, leverage this. Being mentioned on numerous pages makes it easier for editors to add more details about your business elsewhere.

Explore your industry on Wikipedia

Check if companies in your industry have Wikipedia pages. If they do, consider creating a related page and incorporating citations. Alternatively, you can repurpose and cite older content relevant to the topic.

Prioritize neutrality

Ensure your content is unbiased, succinct, and informative. Aim to offer valuable insights to readers instead of just promoting your business.

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How to create a Wikipedia page for your business: Step-by-step process

Now that you know the guidelines, here are all the steps you need to follow to create your Wikipedia page.

Create a user account

You don’t have to create an account, but a guest account makes your IP address public. Create an account to ensure your privacy is protected.

When choosing your username, avoid using your real name to prevent any potential harassment. Also, avoid using a username that indicates you’re linked to a notable figure or well-known person.

Start with small edits

Wikipedia lets you choose some topics that you’re interested in to get started with editing.

Once you select the topics you’re interested in, you’ll see three different types of edits you can start with: Easy (for beginners), Medium (after you complete easy edits), and Hard (to expand short articles).

Wikipedia editors recommend you complete these types of edits first before attempting to write a new article.

If you’re completely new to editing, you can learn more about how to edit on Wikipedia.

Clarify your page’s focus

Wikipedia is considered a trusted resource, so approach it with respect. Think about what sets your company apart, ensuring your page offers unique insights. Wikipedia’s notability criteria will be a significant hurdle, so ensure your content stands out.

Start creating your page

Search for your company’s name. If there is no existing page for your company, you’ll see an option to request the creation of one. Use this to begin the process of introducing your company to the Wikipedia community.

Draft your article

For extremely new contributors, Wikipedia requires you to create a draft of the article before adding it to the main article space. And don’t worry, Wikipedia has an article wizard that will guide you through the steps of creating a draft.

You can practice editing by using your personal sandbox before creating your first draft.

Tip: Look at other Wikipedia articles on similar subjects to see how those articles are formatted. Pick articles that have been checked for quality. This rating is available on the article’s Talk page. If an article has been assessed as B-class, Good Article, or Featured Article, you can use it as a template for your article. Check out Wikipedia’s Manual of Style to learn how articles should be structured.

Add citations for claims

Every fact on Wikipedia should be verifiable. Ensure you provide accurate citations, enhancing your page’s authenticity. Link your company’s official site, but also include other credible sources that mention or discuss your company.

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Submit for review

When you’re done with the draft, you can submit it to be reviewed by an experienced Wikipedia editor. If you don’t see a “Submit for review” button on the draft, you can add {{subst:submit}} at the top of the draft.

Await feedback from editors

A reviewer will look at your draft and move it to the main article space. If the article needs improvements, they will give you feedback on how to improve it. Reviews can take a long time since editors are volunteers. Plus, if your sources aren’t written in English, many volunteers can’t read them to verify the statements.

Maintain and update the page

Publishing is not the end. To keep your page relevant and accurate, update it as your company evolves. This proactive approach not only provides current information to readers but also projects transparency and dedication.

The dos and don’ts of creating your Wikipedia page

Even though Salesforce has a Wikipedia page now, the first iteration wasn’t perfect. Editors left comments pointing out how the draft read like an advertisement and was most likely produced by a marketing company.

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To avoid having your article flagged for deletion or receiving negative feedback, here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

Dos:

• Do use good sources that are verifiable by other editors
• Do link to sources that are independent of the subject
• Do add citations as you write so you don’t forget to back up your claims
• Do adopt a neutral point of view when writing

Don’ts:

• Don’t create an article about your company yourself. It’s best to outsource this to a third party to create an article that’s neutral and contains reliable sources.
• Don’t use Wikipedia to promote your product or business.
• Don’t add any links to your commercial website.
• Don’t create an article that isn’t notable enough
• Don’t create an article that’s only a few sentences or just a website link. If you don’t have 10 separate facts about your topic, it might not be enough information for an article.
• Don’t copy text from other websites. A few words attributed to the right source is okay but the article cannot be plagiarized.
• Don’t use generative AI tools like ChatGPT to write your text. These tools produce copy that isn’t reliable and are known to make things up.

Navigating the Wikipedia world

While the steps to creating and maintaining a Wikipedia page are intricate, the dividends in terms of credibility and global recognition are unparalleled.

As you chart this course, remember that Wikipedia is a testament to collaboration and knowledge sharing. By contributing to this platform, you’re not just carving a niche for your company but also enriching shared global knowledge.