How to Create a Wiki Page

Define the purpose of your wiki page. Knowing the purpose of your wiki will help you decide on the software and server to use. A wiki can be personal, a broad community page, or anything in between. You might use a wiki to track life goals, create product manuals for your business, collaborate with colleagues on a project, start a local newspaper, create a discussion forum for a hobby, and much more.

• Wikis thrive best when the subject is open, encouraging multiple people to contribute articles and edit content. If you want to build a popular wiki that attracts a community, its focus must be broad enough to allow for growth.
• For example, a wiki about a game company and the games they create is more interesting than one that only discusses a single game they’ve made.

Decide whether to create your own server or use a wiki hosting service. If you need more control over your wiki or want to manage it yourself, setting up your own server is the best option. If you lack technical expertise, a wiki hosting service will make it easier to build and run your wiki, though you will have limited control.

• If you anticipate your wiki becoming widely known, having a lot of content and traffic, renting a server may become restrictive. Migrating content from a hosting service to your own server later on will also be challenging.
• Using a wiki hosting service means your wiki’s address will include their service name. For instance, if you use Wikia, your wiki’s address will be yourwiki.wikia.com. If you set up your own server, you can purchase a domain name and create an address like yourwiki.com.
• The cost of hosting your own wiki depends on the server you choose. Make sure to find a server with excellent uptime and high-quality customer support. Check out related articles for tips on selecting the right server for you.

Choose the right software package. Whether you are using a wiki hosting service or a custom domain, you will need to choose from several software packages. Most hosting services offer their own software, but if you have your own server, pick the one that best suits your needs. Services like WikiMatrix can help you compare the technical features of different packages.

• MediaWiki – The most popular wiki software, running sites like Mytour, Wikipedia, and many others. Many common wiki hosting services also use MediaWiki.
• TikiWiki – The second most popular wiki software, used by many wikis and hosting services. TikiWiki supports a powerful set of plugins, allowing you to add features like forums, photo galleries, calendars, etc.
• UserPress – A wiki solution for WordPress. It offers full functionality like MediaWiki and other standalone wiki software, but is much easier to use.
• DokuWiki – A smaller, increasingly popular wiki software, especially in businesses. It is specifically designed for teams and offers multiple access levels.

Select a wiki hosting service. If you decide to use a hosting service for your new wiki page, you’ll need to compare your options. There are many choices available, both free and paid. The main advantage of using a wiki hosting service is that it makes setting up and running your wiki easy. Remember that it will be difficult to switch to another hosting service or run your own server later on. Some popular hosting services include:

• Wikia – A popular wiki hosting service focused on lifestyle and entertainment. Wikia is one of the largest and fastest-growing game-focused wiki hosting services.
• WikiFoundry – A service similar to Wikia, used for personal pages. It’s one of the few wiki sites where users can apply for editing status.
• Wikispaces – A wiki hosting service designed for educational and academic purposes. This service is widely used in university websites.
• Wikispot – A service designed for community and non-profit purposes, although not exclusively for these types of projects. However, it ceased operations on April 30, 2015, to focus on the LocalWiki project.
• Wikidot – A versatile wiki hosting service that serves a wide range of purposes (business, personal, community, education), allowing you to use a custom domain with a free Wikidot account. You can also use Wikidot to create non-wiki websites.

Create your wiki page. The process varies by website, but generally, all you need to do is create a username and click on the "Create Wiki" link on the hosting service’s homepage. Some hosting services may require you to fill out additional information for approval, while others only ask for a name and basic details.

• Steps to create a wiki on Wikia (see related articles in the same category).
• Steps to create a wiki on Wikidot (see related articles in the same category).
• Most other wiki hosting services follow similar steps as outlined in the above guides.
• Once your wiki page is created, you can move on to the next step in the guide.

Customize your newly created wiki page. Most wiki hosting services offer a variety of customization options, including templates and pre-installed images. Choose a template that fits your wiki’s theme, or upload banners and other images to create a cohesive look for your wiki page.

• See related articles in the same category to learn how to customize a Wikia page.

Upload wiki software to your server. If you choose to create your own server to host your wiki, you’ll need to install wiki software on your server. Some servers come with pre-installed wiki software, but it may not match the software you want to use (for example, some servers have TikiWiki pre-installed, but you may prefer MediaWiki). Check out related articles to learn how to install MediaWiki or TikiWiki.

• The wiki software will be stored as a compressed file. You can extract the file on your computer or directly on the server.
• Place the extracted wiki software folder in the "web" directory on your server.
• Rename the folder to match your wiki’s URL. For example, if your website is www.example.com, renaming the folder to "w" will give your wiki homepage the address www.example.com/w/index.php.

Create a Database. MediaWiki software supports MySQL and SQLite database management systems. If you're using SQLite, simply choose a name for your database and it will be set up automatically. For MySQL, you need to download the necessary software if it’s not already installed on your server, and create a new database with the following commands:

create database wikidb;

grant index, create, select, insert, update, delete, alter, lock tables on wikidb.* to 'username'@'localhost' identified by 'password';

• Replace username and password with the user name and password you wish to use for your wiki.
• localhost can remain "localhost" unless your database is hosted on a separate server, in which case replace localhost with the database server's address.
• For more information, refer to related articles on how to create a database using MySQL.

Run the installation script via your browser. After downloading the MediaWiki files and setting up the database, navigate to index.php on your server using a browser to initiate the automatic installation process. Once MediaWiki completes its configuration check, you will be prompted to enter your wiki details:

• Wiki Title – The name of your wiki, appearing in its metadata and throughout the site.
• Contact E-mail – The admin's email address, displayed on notifications and error pages.
• Language – Select the interface language from the drop-down menu.
• License – Choose your license information. For example, Wikipedia uses the GNU Free Documentation License.
• Admin Username and Password – The credentials for the first admin account, used to restrict editing or perform other administrative tasks. Additional admin accounts can be created later.
• Database Host – The server where the database is hosted. If it's the same as the wiki software server, set it to localhost.
• Database Name – The name of your database.
• Database Username/Password – The credentials to access your database.

Customize your Wiki. After successfully setting up and running your wiki, you can adjust the layout and design to better suit your users, or modify it using custom CSS. You can also change the wiki’s logo to reflect its purpose more appropriately.

Adjust permissions. Your wiki will be set up with default permissions, but you can modify who can access or edit certain content as needed. This is especially crucial for business websites where you want to build a network of collaborators working on a product page but avoid damage from anonymous users.

• You can use a permissions file to create different user roles, such as administrators who can oversee edits without leaving traces in the recent changes log, or system operators who can merge pages without approval. This helps build a robust and diverse user base, ensuring smooth operation of your wiki.

Start creating content. Once your wiki is set up and running, it's time to start adding articles! When your wiki is first launched, it won't have any subpages or contributors. To change that, you need to add content. Good content will attract people to your wiki. As traffic increases, visitors will begin contributing their articles and editing your wiki’s content. It may take some time, but you'll have a community before you even know it!

• Remember, when you start, everything depends on HOW YOU create content that draws people to your wiki. Make sure you're well-versed in your topic so you can write detailed articles right from the start.

Create categories. The category page lists related pages. In addition to the main content categories, you can create categories like 'Organization' for pages such as the homepage or 'Help' for help-related articles. Keep in mind that categories themselves can have subcategories by organizing them within the category page.

Create policy guidelines for your wiki. Policy guidelines are the general rules for writing content on your wiki. These guidelines will instruct contributors on how to present information on your wiki. Don't be too rigid with these rules. Flexibility is key, as overly strict regulations could hinder collaboration and contribution.

• You may need to establish standards for linking, or for article quality.
• Not all contributors will follow writing style guidelines, but these guidelines will assist with oversight and article editing.
• A friendly set of guidelines is more inviting than reprimanding contributors verbally. It's easier to correct mistakes with a directive than by confronting someone directly.

Learn some basic wiki syntax. You'll find creating articles much more efficient if you learn some basic wiki syntax. This allows you to edit pages directly without using an editor and helps you adjust the layout and style exactly how you want it.

Copy from other wiki pages. While copying content may be considered plagiarism, using the style and templates of other wiki pages is encouraged. Templates are pages that can easily be added to other pages. They can be used for tasks like marking articles for deletion, flagging newly written content, or simply noting something; but you can also use templates for more creative purposes. Wiki, as an open community, is a prime example. Look at how these websites function, how people communicate, reuse habits, and understand why some wiki pages succeed. Compare your site to other wikis of similar size, not Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a large website with many more rules than yours will need.

Monitor your website. The appeal of a wiki lies in the fact that anyone can edit articles, but that also brings the greatest challenge. The more visitors you have, the higher the chances of random edits. Fortunately, most wiki software allows you to revert to previous versions of an article right away. Be patient. If both the original and the edits are accurate, approve the collaborator's changes. This will broaden the perspective of your wiki and welcome contributions from others.

Encourage active community members. If your wiki is engaging, you'll notice some visitors returning frequently to create and improve content. If you see these individuals are dedicated to your website, give your most committed contributors more control. Support and treat your editors well. It’s crucial to always be ready to guide and encourage them to write on the wiki. By creating admins from within your community, you will lessen the burden of monitoring and maintaining the site’s content.

• Create forums and discussion pages where community members can discuss guidelines and writing styles on your wiki.
• Allow admins to give feedback on changes in general guidelines and writing styles.
• Host community events, such as editing contests, to motivate your loyal contributors.

Promote your wiki. Do everything you can to make people aware of your website. Describe it on wikiindex.org. Look for smaller wiki pages and suggest linking to them. Your wiki page is a part of the wiki network. Don’t hesitate to ask questions on other wiki pages. The more you engage, the more people will know about you. Advertise your wiki on social media, tell your friends so they can spread the word, post on forums related to your wiki, and leave links in blog comments. Anything you can do to attract visitors to your site will increase its chances of success.

Expand your website. As your wiki becomes more familiar to people, continue to add new features to the site. Things like forums, chat rooms, polls, calendars, etc., will add more functionality and fun to your wiki. Be creative with your wiki’s content! Always make sure to update your wiki software to the latest version to get the newest features and security patches.

Enjoy the results! A wiki is a community-driven, collaborative effort. Enjoy the community you’ve built through your wiki, and always strive to make it grow. The internet was created to foster communication, and wikis are one of the most effective environments for gathering and sharing information. Congratulations on creating your own wiki page!

• If you learn PHP (a scripting programming language) and a bit of Javascript, you can create dynamic content on your wiki page. If you have advanced knowledge of this programming language, don't hesitate to update the wiki software on your website yourself.
• When you master HTML, CSS, and even Javascript, try adding/updating the layout of your wiki.
• A wiki page should be easy to use. Every page on your wiki is independent, meaning you don't need to read another page to understand or edit any given page. Encyclopedias are a perfect example of this as each article stands on its own. Meanwhile, Wikibooks, a website with content linked to various other wiki pages, has less independence.

• Some people might delete the content you've worked hard to add to your wiki. Make sure you can handle such situations and monitor the "Recent changes" page on your wiki, if your wiki software supports this feature. In such cases, back up your website’s data elsewhere.
• As mentioned earlier, assist collaborators in writing content. If they get confused or end up controlling the website too much, don’t get frustrated and avoid saying things you wouldn't say to anyone in real life.
• If using a wiki hosting service, ensure you read their terms of service to make sure your website or its content doesn't conflict with or violate their guidelines.
• Posting copyrighted material on your wiki might lead to legal issues, especially if your wiki is publicly accessible.
• Try not to use your wiki for unethical purposes.
• Follow the regulations to prevent cases of fraud and illegal activities.

• Creating a successful wiki
• How to Start and Manage a Wiki Website