Help:Editing a Page

How to Edit a Wiki Article
All registered users of FamilySearch Wiki are invited to edit, or add to WIKI articles.

Follow these steps to edit an article
BEFORE you create, edit, or add to your first article:

Note: You will only have to do Steps 1 through 4 one time:


 * 1) Print these instructions. We recommend that you print these instructions for quick reference as you work.
 * 2) Register with FamilySearch WIKI. You must first register with FamilySearch Wiki. Registering helps the WIKI know who you are and keep track of the articles you create and edit. During registration you will be asked to provide a username and password and other information. You can register by clicking on the word "Register" in the blue bar in the upper right corner of the page. Or, you can register by clicking here.
 * 3) Verify your e-mail settings. At times, FamilySearch WIKI will need to send you e-mails. You must verify that the WIKI has your most current e-mail address and indicate how and when you want the WIKI to send you emails. To verify your settings, go to the Personal Tools section of the panel on the left of the page and click on "My preferences". Or, verify your settings by clicking here. At the Preference page, go to the Email heading and choose the options you want. Then click the "Save" button.
 * 4) Understand WIKI Publishing Policies. The articles your edit will be viewed by millions of people around the world and you are responsible for your work. Therefore, it is important that you understand the WIKI's policies on copyrights, privacy, etc. Click on the following links and become familar with these policies BEFORE you edit a WIKI article. Copyright Policies Purpose and Appropriate Topics Conditions of use

EACH TIME edit an article:

5. Sign into FamilySearch WIKI. Enter your user name and password in the fields in the blue bar in the upper right corner of the page. Or, sign in by clicking here.

'''6. Search for the article you want to edit. '''In the Search box, type the title of the article you want to edit. Press the "Search" button. A list of articles with titles that closely match the article you want to edit will appear. Find the article you want to edit and click on its title. The article will appear. If you cannot find the article you want to edit, here are a few suggestions:


 * X
 * X
 * X

7. Edit the article. Click on the Edit tab at the top of the article. An editing window and tool bar will appear. Begin typing new text or edting existing text.


 * You can use the edit tool bar for basic formatting and linking. To learn how to do more complex formatting, see the Tips Section below. You can import text from other sources. See the Tips Section below.
 * You can include graphics in your article but they will have to be checked for appropriateness and approved by a WIKI administrator. See XXX.
 * As you work, click the "Show preview" button at the bottom of the page to see how your article looks. You will need to save the page before the changes take effect. See Step 9 below.

'''8. Save your work and final article. '''We suggest you save often (a minimum of once every five minutes). Scroll to be bottom of the page and click the "Save page" button. Warning: If you navigate away from your article without saving, your work will be lost. After saving the page, you will have to click the "Edit" tab at the top of the article to add or edit more material.


 * When you finish editing the article, scroll to be bottom of the page and click the "Save page" button.
 * If you want to change the article after it is saved, click the Edit tab at the top of the screen.

Tips

 * You can import text from other sources. See How to Convert a Microsoft Office Document into Wiki Format
 * You can add an internal link to a page within the Wiki. See Create an internal link.
 * You can add an external link to a page at another Web site. See Create an external link.
 * You can add one or more categories to the article. See How to categorize an article.
 * The guidelines for naming a new article will help you determine the best possible article name.
 * How to Create a page linked from an existing page
 * How to Create a page not linked from an existing page
 * Read instructions on how to copy and paste in the Wiki.
 * Copyrighted material should not be posted without permission.

FAQs

 * Why does my sign in session go away when I edit?

You need to save your edited content every few minutes to keep your edit session alive. However, if you've signed iin, navigated to your User page and immediately lose the edit links on the left, most likely you're looking at a version of the page that the Web browser has cached on your machine. Just click the "refresh" icon in your browser while holding down your shift key and chances are, you'll see the edit links appear.


 * Why aren't the changes I made showing up?

There are a couple possibilities. Perhaps you only "previewed" your changes and did not actually save them. Another reason could be that your page was cached by your browser, so you are seeing an old version. If you want to be sure that you're seeing the most recent version of a wiki page, go to "preferences", select "miscellaneous", select "disable page caching" and hit "Save preferences".


 * Can you set the session timeout longer? I lost my edits.

The session timeout is set for the PHP server, not for MediaWiki specifically. Session timeout is intended to help prevent other people from walking up to your computer and editing things with your Username when you've stepped away. As near as I can tell, PHP session lengths are 24 minutes by default. Therefore, it's a good idea to save your edits, say, every 10 minutes.

Category:Help

Click here to see a Guided Practice of this task.

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