Help:Editing a Page

Tutorials and demonstrations
All registered users of FamilySearch Wiki are invited to edit, or add to Wiki articles.

Before you edit an article
Before you edit your first article, you should:


 * 1) Register with the Wiki
 * 2) Review Wiki guiding principles
 * 3) Understand Wiki publishing policies
 * 4) Review the conditions of use
 * 5) Learn how to name a new article and read about naming conventions

How to edit an article or page
1. Log in to the FamilySearch Research Wiki website. You may also sign in here.

2. Search for the article you want to edit. In the Search box, type the name or title of the article you want to edit. Press the "Search" button. Otherwise, learn how to create a new article.

3. After clicking the "Search" button, you will see the search results page. Find the article you want to edit and click on the title to open the article.

4. Click "Edit" in the navigation bar page options. After clicking "Edit," the editing window will open.

5. In the editing window, begin typing new text or editing existing text in the article. You may use the toolbar at the top of the editing window to format text, insert links to other pages, insert links to other websites, and add tables. For more details about how you can edit, learn more about the editing toolbar. You may also insert images or files into an article.

6. While editing, save your work frequently. The browser may time out, and lose work that has not been saved often. The browser will time out every twenty minutes, however, we recommend saving your work after every paragraph you type, or in stages while working on a time intensive task such as creating a table or list.

7. After making any changes, remember to save your work. To save, scroll to the 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. This includes clicking on links in the preview mode, and clicking the "back" button on your browser after saving. Remember, after saving the page, you may click the "Edit" tab again to add or edit more material.

Things you can do while editing articles

 * You can import text from other sources
 * You can add an internal link to a page within the Wiki
 * You can add an external link to a page at another Web site
 * You can create a new page linked from an existing page
 * You can create a new page not linked from an existing page
 * You can copy and paste text into the Wiki
 * You can insert images into articles after images are approved
 * You can add tables to pages
 * You can add citations to pages

For more information on contributing to the FamilySearch Research Wiki, please visit the Contributor's Portal Page

FAQs

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

You need to save your edited content often to keep your edit session active. You may be viewing a page that has been saved in your Internet browser, showing that you are logged on when your editing session has timed out.


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

If you clicked the "Preview" button instead of the "Save page" button, your changes may not have been saved. Also, you may have started edting a page that someone else already started editing. To avoid conflicting changes, the system may have rejected your changes to the page since you started editing it after it was already being edited.


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

At this point, no, however, if this is problematic for you, please send your comments through our feedback channels, requesting a change.

Category:Help

Related Content

 * Name a new article
 * Renaming pages