Help:Growth/Tools/Newcomer Tasks
About this page
What is the purpose of this page?
This page aims to explain to experienced users what newcomer tasks are. It documents the instructions displayed to newcomers when they work on newcomer Tasks. It also provides some context to experienced users who notice these tasks in History pages, or in their Recent Changes or their Watchlist.
What are newcomer tasks?
Newcomer tasks are small and actionable edits that are suggested to newcomers. These tasks improve new editor participation and retention (see the results of "Add a link" experiment). Please check the FAQ section for more information about this feature.
Where are these tasks?
Newcomer tasks are suggested at the Newcomers' Homepage. This Homepage is automatically available for all new accounts created on Wikipedia, both on desktop and mobile Web. It is not available on Android and iOS apps. For other accounts, check how to enable the Homepage. At the Newcomers' Homepage, newcomers are offered a set of articles they can improve. They can select which of the Newcomer tasks types they want to work on. They can also customize the articles suggested by selecting topics that interest them. For each task, onboarding instructions provide guidance and teach some of the basics needed for a new editor to be successful.
Are all these tasks available at my wiki?
This page lists all existing newcomer tasks. Some of these tasks may not be available at your wiki. Check the Deployment table to know which tasks are available where. Newcomer tasks are configurable by communities by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
Why is this page partially translated?
This point is not necessarily true for all languages. Several sentences on this page are translations of the interface displayed to newcomers. If you see part of the text in English, you can help with translations. Translate Growth features on Translatewiki.net (it requires a different account than your Wikimedia one). Translations take up to one week to be applied. Translate
List of tasks
Copyedit
Copyedit (fix spelling, grammar, and tone) — Difficulty level: Easy
Purpose of this task
The purpose of this task is to demonstrate to newcomers that it is possible to edit the wiki.
This task is based on maintenance template. You can find which maintenance templates are used for your wiki, by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
Instructions shown to newcomers
Step 1:
Copy editing is about making a small fix to the way an article is written, such as spelling, grammar, or the clarity of the text. Copy edits help articles to be more professional and trustworthy.
Step 2:
To make a difference, you only need to make one or two small corrections. You do not need to work on the entire article. You also don't need to have any special knowledge about the topic.
Step 3:
You can fix spelling and grammar errors. This might include sentences that are too long, repeated words, or incorrect punctuation.
Example sentence
Mars has has two small moons.
Step 4:
You can also rewrite sentences so that they do not contain opinions. MediaWiki content should be neutral, clear, and encyclopedic. However, be careful not to change the facts in the sentence.
Example sentence
Jupiter is the largest, and most interesting, planet in the Solar System.
This sentence contains an opinion that should be removed.
Step 5:
Once you see a correction you want to make, click "Edit" to get started. Then go ahead and fix issues by deleting and typing as needed.
Step 6:
Either find more changes to make, or go ahead and click "Publish changes…" to publish your edit!
Add links
Add links between articles — Difficulty level: Easy
Purpose of this task
The purpose of this task is to demonstrate to newcomers that it is possible to edit the wiki.
This task is based on maintenance template. You can find which maintenance templates are used for your wiki, by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
At some wikis, this task is replaced by Suggested: add links.
Instructions shown to newcomers
Step 1:
Links between MediaWiki articles allow readers to click on something they want to learn more about. They help people navigate easily to other MediaWiki articles.
Example sentence
Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System.
Step 2:
All you need to do is add one or two links to make a difference. You don't need to work on the entire article. You also don't need to have any special knowledge about the topic.
Step 3:
Follow these guidelines when adding links:
- Link concepts that a reader might want to learn more about.
- Only link to the first time that word or phrase occurs in the article.
- Don't link to common words, years, or dates.
Example sentence
The Moon is thought to have formed about 4.51 billion years ago. The word "years" should not be linked, because it is a common word
Step 4:
Once you see somewhere to add a link, click "Edit" to get started. Then highlight the word or phrase want to make into a link.
Example sentence
Venus has a dense atmosphere
Step 5:
Click the "Link" button and choose the MediaWiki article from the list to which it should link.
Step 6:
Either add more links, or go ahead and click "Publish changes…" to publish your edit!
References
Find references (sources for existing articles) — Difficulty level: Medium
Purpose of this task
Find references demonstrates to newcomers the importance of adding sources to validate information added to Wikipedia.
This task is based on maintenance template. You can find which maintenance templates are used for your wiki, by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
Instructions shown to newcomers
Step 1:
Everything in MediaWiki comes from reliable sources like books and newspapers. When readers see references to those sources in an article, they can feel confident in what they're learning.
Saturn is probably best known for the system of planetary rings that makes it visually unique.[3]
This sentence has a citation at the end that links to its reference.
Step 2:
To make a difference, you only need to add one reference to this article. You do not need to work on the entire article.
Step 3:
Sentences need references when they mention specific facts, like numbers, dates, or historic occurrences.
If a sentence contains information that people might disagree on, or information that is not commonly known by most people, it likely needs a reference.
Step 4:
When you find a sentence that needs a reference, click "Edit" to get started.
Some sentences even have tags showing exactly where a reference is needed.
Step 5:
Next, you can look for sources through search engines, news sites, or your library.
Follow these guidelines when adding a reference:
- Reliable sources include books, news organizations, and magazine articles.
- Social media or blogs are usually not reliable sources.
- Information published by the subject, such as a company's own website, is usually not reliable.
Step 6:
When you've found a source, click at the end of the sentence and then click the "Cite" button . Add as much information as you know about the source, and insert the citation.
Step 7:
Either add more references, or go ahead and click "Publish changes…" to publish your edit!
Update
Update articles (bring existing articles up-to-date) — Difficulty level: Medium
Purpose of this task
Updating articles is a task that identifies articles that need minor edits to keep the information up-to-date.
This task is based on maintenance template. You can find which maintenance templates are used for your wiki, by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
Instructions shown to newcomers
Step 1:
Articles get out of date as time goes on and new events occur. You can update the text and add the correct details so that MediaWiki always contains the best information.
Example sentence
The probe will land on Mars in 2018.
Step 2:
To make a difference, you only need to make one update to the article. You do not need to work on the entire article.
Step 3:
Follow these guidelines when updating the article:
- Look for sentences that describe past events as happening in the future.
- Look for numbers that may have gone out of date, such as the population of a country.
- Look for situations that have changed under current events, like the mayor of a city.
Step 4:
When you see information that needs to be updated, click "Edit" to get started.
Step 5:
Update the article by deleting and typing. If you change or add new information, you should add a reference for the source of that information.
Step 6:
Either continue updating the article, or go ahead and click "Publish changes…" to publish your edit!
Expand
Expand short articles — Difficulty level: Hard
Purpose of this task
Expanding articles is needed because many Wikipedia articles are only a sentence or two long. Find more information and add it to make the article more complete.
This task is based on maintenance template. You can find which maintenance templates are used for your wiki, by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
Instructions shown to newcomers
Step 1:
Many MediaWiki articles, whether they are short or long, can be expanded with more information. This helps people learn more about a topic.
Step 2:
To make a difference, you only need to add one new fact to this article. You do not need to add a whole new paragraph or section.
Step 3:
Follow these guidelines when expanding the article:
- Look at articles about similar topics to get ideas for content that is missing.
- Only add factual information that can be verified by others.
- Write using a neutral tone, leaving out any of your own opinions.
Step 4:
When you find a section you want to expand, click "Edit" to get started. If you wish, you can add a new header to start a section.
Step 5:
When you add new information, make sure to add a reference, so that others can see where the information came from.
Step 6:
When you are finished expanding the article, go ahead and click "Publish changes…" to publish your edit!
Suggested: add links
Machine suggestions — Add links between articles — Difficulty level: Easy
At some wikis, this task is replaced by Add links between articles.
Purpose of this task
Adding links is the easiest way to edit. Links help readers move between articles to learn more quickly.
The purpose of this task is to demonstrate to newcomers that it is possible to edit the wiki.
This task is based on machine suggestions. Suggested links have to be checked by the user, who decides if they are relevant or not.
Communities can configure how many Add links tasks a user can do each day and how many links are suggested for each article by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
Instructions shown to newcomers
Step 1: Adding links will help people learn faster.
You will decide whether words in one MediaWiki article should link to other MediaWiki articles.
Example sentence
The moon is the only natural satellite that orbits around the Earth.
No special knowledge about the article is needed to do this task.
Step 2: Suggested links are machine-generated, and can be incorrect.
The suggestions might be on words that don’t need them, or might link to the wrong article. Use your judgment to decide whether they are right or wrong.
Learn more about machine suggestions
Step 3: Guidelines
- Link concepts that a reader might want to learn more about.
- Make sure the link is going to the right article.
- Don't link common words, years, or dates.
- If you're not sure, skip.
Suggested: add images
Machine suggestions — Add an image to an unillustrated article — Difficulty level: Medium
Purpose of this task
Add an image suggests an image from other wikis that match the article topic. Newcomers have to check if the image is accurate, and write a caption.
The purpose of this task is to demonstrate to newcomers that it is possible to edit the wiki.
All suggested images are hosted on Wikimedia Commons. They are suggested because they are already used at other wikis where an article about the same topic exists.
Only articles with no images are suggested.
Communities can configure how many Add images tasks a user can do each day by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
Learn more about this feature.
Instructions shown to newcomers
Step 1: Images help people learn, but many articles don't have one.
You will decide whether a suggested image should be put in a Wikipedia article.
Suggestions are machine-generated, and you'll use your judgment to decide whether to accept or reject it.
Images come from Wikimedia Commons, a collection of freely licensed images used by Wikipedia.
Step 2: Look at the suggested image
Use the filename, description, and the reason it was suggested to help you decide if it should be placed in the article.
You can also expand the image to view it more clearly.
Step 3: Look at the article
Read over the article and think about whether the suggested image will help readers understand the content. Is it appropriate to display in the article?
Step 4: Decide if the image belongs
The suggestion may be unrelated to the article, low quality, or may not belong for other reasons. Use your judgment to decide whether the suggestion is right or wrong.
After you accept an image, you'll write a short caption, and then you can publish your edit.
Add an image to an article section
Machine suggestions — Add an image to an article section — Difficulty level: Medium
Purpose of this task
Add an image, section level suggests an image from other wikis that matches a given section of the article.
It is based on the same system as Add an image.
Newcomers have to check if the image is accurate, and write a caption.
The purpose of this task is to demonstrate to newcomers that it is possible to edit the wiki.
All suggested images are hosted on Wikimedia Commons. They are suggested because they are already used at other wikis where an article about the same topic exists. Images are suggested because they are used in an equivalent section at the other wiki.
Only sections with no images are suggested.
Communities can configure how many Add images tasks a user can do each day by visiting Special:EditGrowthConfig locally.
Instructions shown to newcomers
Step 1: Images help people learn, but many articles don't have one.
You will decide whether a suggested image should be put in a specific section of a Wikipedia article.
Suggestions are machine-generated, and some of them can be incorrect. You will use your judgment to decide whether to accept or reject them.
Images come from Wikimedia Commons, a collection of freely licensed images used by Wikipedia.
Step 2: Look at the suggested image
Use the filename, description, and the reason it was suggested to help you decide if it should be placed in the article section.
You can also expand the image to view it more clearly.
Step 3: Look at both the article and its section
Read over the article and its section and think about whether the suggested image will help readers understand the content. Is it appropriate to display in the section?
Step 4: Decide if the image belongs
The suggestion may be unrelated to the section, low quality, or may not belong for other reasons. Use your judgment to decide whether the suggestion is right or wrong.
After you accept an image, you will write a short caption, and then you can publish your edit.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm an experienced user. Can I test these features?
Of course! If you do not have access to Special:Homepage locally, please follow the instructions on how to turn it on.
A newcomer is not following the instructions given. What can we do?
Newcomers are provided onboarding, however, instructions are not always understood or followed. If a new editor is using newcomer tasks inappropriately, please contact them and provide guidance. Assume good intent, but if a new editor is clearly acting in bad faith, then the situation should be handled as is standard on your wiki.
If instructions are not followed on a regular basis, let us know. Please provide example links (diff) where the task instructions were not followed by several users.
Can we change the configuration of the task by ourselves?
Communities can change how the Growth features work by editing Special:EditGrowthConfig.
We advise all communities make configuration changes after a community discussion. Please inform us of your discussions when they happen, because we can help you on the issue you found, or assist you with the configuration. It is also very useful for the Growth team to know about such discussions, so that we can continue to improve Growth features. Please let us know.
Can we change how articles are selected?
Articles are selected based on maintenance templates. Communities can change how the Growth features work by editing Special:EditGrowthConfig.
However, articles provided as "Machine suggestions" are based on an algorithm. The configuration of this algorithm can't be changed by communities. Please let us know if you noticed a problem with these suggested articles.