Help:Edit check
Edit check is a tool in the visual editor that suggests improvements to Wikipedia articles before the edit is published. It can be configured locally by interface admins.
This page is meant to equip people who are seeking to understand, use, and/or contribute to the Edit Check project with the information and resources they need to do so.
Several features are available within Edit Check:
All terms we use are defined in the glossary.
Reference check
If you add a large amount of text without any citations, the reference check will remind you to add a citation. This only works for edits made using the visual editor. This check is shown when you click on the Publish button.
The reference check was introduced in late 2023. Please report problems on the talk page.
Reference check Tags
We use the following tags in Recent Changes and Watchlist, so that users can identify edits where Edit Check was activated, and the reasons why a user decided not to add a citation.
editcheck-references- EditCheck thinks a reference might have been needed
editcheck-newcontent- EditCheck thinks new content was added to the page
editcheck-references-activated- Edit Check (references) activated
- EditCheck thinks a reference might have been needed, and the UI was shown
editcheck-reference-decline-common-knowledge- Edit Check (references) declined (common knowledge)
- EditCheck reference was declined as common knowledge
editcheck-reference-decline-other- Edit Check (references) declined (other)
- EditCheck reference was declined for an unlisted reason
editcheck-reference-decline-uncertain- Edit Check (references) declined (uncertain)
- EditCheck reference was declined as being uncertain
editcheck-reference-decline-irrelevant- Edit Check (references) declined (irrelevant)
- EditCheck reference was declined as irrelevant
References check default configuration
It can be configured to your wiki's needs.
- Reference check is shown to all logged-out users, and to logged-in users with less than 100 edits.
Reference check is shown when a new paragraph of more than 50 characters is added.
Testing Reference check
URL snippet
- Edit any article in the main namespace using the visual editor.
- The feature is only available for articles.
- Add
&ecenable=1to the URL in your browser.- Example:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soleil&veaction=edit&ecenable=1
- Example:
- Reload the page with the new URL.
- Create a new paragraph, that is at least 50 characters long without adding a citation
- Press the Publish…
- Notice the prompt that appears
- ✅ Test is completed.
- Don't save your edit unless you know what you are doing!
Logged out mode
On Wikipedias where References check is deployed by default, you can test it while being logged out of your account (using the "incognito mode" in your browser, for instance). Adding a new paragraph with no reference to any article will show you References check.
Tone check
If you add promotional, derogatory, or subjective terms to a Wikipedia article, Tone check prompts you to consider “neutralizing” the tone of the edit.
This check uses a linguistic model to detect these terms. The model is evaluated by community members.
When a user adds a term that doesn't fit Wikipedia's guidelines, Tone check highlights the paragraph and offers to revise it. Users can also decline it.
All edits where Tone check is shown will be tagged when the editor publishes the change, no matter which action was taken. The goal is to allow experienced users to understand the context of the edit, and to verify if the tone fits the local policies.
Tone check is introduced as a test at a few wikis, mid-2025. Please report problems on the talk page.
Tone check Tags
 | This section is currently a draft. Material may not yet be complete, information may presently be omitted, and certain parts of the content may be subject to radical, rapid alteration. More information pertaining to this may be available on the talk page. |
Tone check default configuration
Tone check uses Reference check configuration regarding the number of changes below which the check is displayed, and whether the checks are shown to logged-in users.
By default, Tone check is shown to all logged-out users, and to logged-in users with less than 100 edits.
Testing Tone check
| This page is currently a draft.
|
Link check and Reference reliability
Reference reliability
Reference reliability evaluates all external domains people attempt to insert using Citoid against defined sources.
This check is shown when you click on the "Generate" button.
Link check
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Link Check evaluates all external domains people attempt to link using the link insertion inspector to against defined sources.
This check is shown when you click on the "Done" button.
Defined sources for rejected URLs
The following sources are used by Link check and Reference reliability to verify if a URL is blocked:
- Local lists, defined by each community:
MediaWiki:BlockedExternalDomains.json,MediaWiki:Spam-blacklist - Global list, shared by all wikis :
meta:Spam_blacklist
Multi-check
Multi-check allows several Edit Checks (of the same and/or different types) to be displayed during a single edit session. This allows the editor to be informed of several possible points for improvement, instead of showing only one.
Currently, Multi-check can display the following checks:
Multi-check deployment varies from wiki to wiki.
Configuration
Communities can configure how Edit check works at their wiki.
FAQ
- How do you decide what Checks to build?
- The Editing team prioritizes building Edit Checks that have the potential to reduce the likelihood that an edit someone publishes causes a negative consequence for:
- The person making the edit
- People who read Wikipedia
- Experienced volunteers who work to make Wikipedia a resource people can depend on.
- What editing interfaces is Edit Check being developed for?
- To start, Edit Check is being developed for the visual editor on both mobile and desktop.
- How does Edit Check and AbuseFilter relate? What are the distinctions between these two capabilities?
- As of June 2024, Edit check provides feedback when the editor clicks on "Publish changes...". This is where AbuseFiter is shown. The difference is that Edit Check offers feedback within the editing experience. The Editing team is also looking into the possibility of displaying checks during the editing experience. These checks would react to actions taken by the user. We also plan to display multiple checks within the editing experience, to highlight a few different improvements at once.
- Reference Check is displayed when a new paragraph is added. Some published edits show some text and a citation being added to an existing paragraph, tagged for Reference Check. Why?
- Edit Check is shown to the user who then add a new citation. Then, they can decide to change their edit before publishing, by merging it with an existing paragraph.
- What is the next check you plan to work on?
- Our next check is "Paste Check". You can submit your ideas for a new check on our Ideas page.