You cannot simply create a Wikipedia page about yourself or your business
Wikipedia has strict rules about who gets a page. The site does not let you write about yourself, your company, or anyone you know personally. Instead, Wikipedia requires that a person or organization be written about by independent sources — journalists, researchers, and other writers who have no stake in making that person or organization look good.
If you try to create a page about yourself, Wikipedia editors will delete it. If you edit a page about yourself to remove criticism or add promotional language, other editors will undo your changes. This is by design. Wikipedia's core rule is that pages must be written from a neutral point of view by people with no conflict of interest.
That said, there are legitimate paths forward. You can prepare the groundwork for a Wikipedia page, work with the community, or help ensure an existing page about you is accurate.
Key Takeaways
- Wikipedia does not allow you to create or edit pages about yourself, your business, or people you know — editors will remove the content and may block your account.
- A Wikipedia page requires coverage in independent, reliable sources like newspapers, academic journals, or established magazines that are not affiliated with the subject.
- You can request a page through Wikipedia's Articles for Creation process, but an independent editor must review your sources and write the page.
- If a page about you already exists, you can report factual errors on the talk page, but you cannot edit the page directly to remove criticism or add promotional material.
- The best preparation is to build a public record through legitimate media coverage, speaking engagements, and published work that independent sources can cite.
Understanding Wikipedia's conflict of interest rule
Wikipedia's conflict of interest policy exists because pages written by the subject tend to be promotional rather than neutral. A person writing about themselves naturally emphasizes achievements and downplays failures. Wikipedia's editors assume this bias and forbid it.
If you have a financial stake in how a page reads — because it is about you, your business, or someone you employ — you cannot edit that page. You also cannot ask a friend or colleague to edit it on your behalf if they know you are asking them to do so. This is called a "sockpuppet" account, and Wikipedia editors actively look for it.
The rule applies even to minor edits. Fixing a typo on your own Wikipedia page, updating a job title, or correcting a date counts as editing about yourself and violates the policy. If you are caught, your account can be blocked from editing.
What Wikipedia actually requires to create a page
Wikipedia pages exist only for people, organizations, and topics that have been written about in independent reliable sources. This means publications that are not affiliated with the subject and have editorial standards. A newspaper article, a peer-reviewed academic paper, or a feature in an established magazine all count. A press release, a company website, or a social media post do not.
The sources must be substantial — a single mention in a news brief is usually not enough. Wikipedia editors look for multiple sources that treat the subject as notable enough to write about at length. For a person, this might mean newspaper profiles, interviews in major publications, or academic citations. For a business, it might mean coverage of a significant milestone, a lawsuit, or an industry award.
You do not need to have a Wikipedia page to be notable. Notability is about what has been written about you, not about your importance. A local business owner might not be notable for Wikipedia even if they are important to their community, because no independent sources have written about them at length.
How to request a Wikipedia page through the proper channel
If you believe you or your organization meets Wikipedia's notability standards, you can request a page through the Articles for Creation process. This is a system where you submit a draft and sources, and volunteer editors review whether the sources support a page.
To start, go to Wikipedia's Articles for Creation tool. You will write a draft of the page in a sandbox — a practice area where your work is not published. You will also list the sources you want editors to cite. You do not write the final page yourself; instead, you provide the information and sources, and an independent editor decides whether to publish it and how to write it.
Be prepared for rejection. If the sources do not meet Wikipedia's standards, or if the draft reads as promotional, editors will decline it. You can revise and resubmit, but there is no may provide of eventual publication. The process can take weeks or months.
Building the foundation before requesting a page
The most practical step is to generate independent coverage before you ever request a Wikipedia page. This means getting written about in newspapers, magazines, academic journals, or other publications that have editorial standards and are not affiliated with you.
For individuals, this might mean publishing research, speaking at conferences, or doing work that journalists find newsworthy. For businesses, it might mean reaching a significant milestone, winning an industry award, or being involved in a story that news outlets cover.
You do not need to hire a publicist or a PR firm, though some people do. The key is that the coverage must be genuine — journalists writing about you because they find you interesting, not because you paid them or asked them to. Wikipedia editors can usually tell the difference between earned media and paid placement.
What to do if a Wikipedia page about you already exists
If someone has already created a page about you, you cannot edit it directly. Instead, you can flag errors on the page's talk page — a discussion area where editors debate changes. Click the "Talk" tab at the top of the page and leave a message describing the factual error, with a source that contradicts what the page says.
Be specific. Instead of "this is wrong," write "The page says I graduated in 2010, but my diploma shows 2011. Here is a link to my university's records." Provide a reliable source that supports your correction. An independent editor will review your flag and decide whether to make the change.
You cannot use the talk page to remove criticism, add promotional language, or change how the page frames you. You can only report factual inaccuracies — dates, job titles, biographical details that can be verified against independent sources. If the page contains criticism that is sourced to a reliable publication, that criticism stays, even if you disagree with it.
Why Wikipedia will not let you control your own page
Wikipedia's approach feels restrictive because it is. The site prioritizes neutrality and verifiability over the subject's comfort. This means a Wikipedia page about you might include criticism, unflattering details, or framings you would not choose.
This is intentional. Wikipedia's editors believe that pages written by the subject become marketing materials rather than encyclopedias. They have seen thousands of attempts to use Wikipedia for self-promotion, and they have built rules to prevent it.
If you want complete control over how you are presented online, Wikipedia is not the right platform. A personal website, a LinkedIn profile, or a company website are all places where you can write about yourself. Wikipedia is for information written by people with no stake in the outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay someone to create a Wikipedia page for me?
No. Wikipedia forbids paid editing. If you pay someone to create or edit a page about you, and Wikipedia finds out, both you and the editor can be banned. Wikipedia editors actively look for signs of paid editing, including sudden changes to a page or multiple edits from accounts that seem coordinated.
What if I have a friend who is not connected to me create the page?
If the friend knows you are asking them to create the page, it is still a conflict of interest and violates Wikipedia policy. Editors look for patterns — if a new account suddenly creates a page about you and edits nothing else, that looks suspicious. The page might be deleted and the account blocked.
How long does it take to get a Wikipedia page approved?
The Articles for Creation process typically takes two to eight weeks, depending on how many submissions editors are reviewing. Some submissions are rejected quickly if the sources are clearly insufficient. Others take longer if editors debate whether the subject meets notability standards.
Can I add a Wikipedia page about my small business?
Only if your business has been written about in independent reliable sources. A local news article about your business opening is a start, but Wikipedia usually requires multiple sources and substantial coverage. Most small businesses do not meet this standard, and their pages are deleted.
What happens if I edit my Wikipedia page anyway?
Other editors will undo your changes, often within hours. If you keep trying, your account will be warned and eventually blocked from editing. You may also be reported to Wikipedia's administrators, which can result in a permanent ban from the site.