Are you wondering about the different types of people who contribute to Wikipedia, whether to create or edit articles?
Who can you delegate the creation of a page to if you don’t want to create it yourself, or if you’re unsure how to go about it?
Let me introduce you to the 6 types of people who geWikipedia support servicest involved on Wikipedia.
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Wikipedia Contributors: Volunteers
First, it’s important to know that anyone can edit a Wikipedia page, even without creating an account.
You just need to go to the page you want to edit, click on “Edit” at the top, and then click “Publish” once you’ve made your changes.
However, robots and humans monitor the pages that are edited, meaning your changes probably won’t stay live for long if they don’t follow Wikipedia’s guidelines. (Actually, it can sometimes be challenging to get certain edits or new Wikipedia pages approved.)
When someone doesn’t create an account on Wikipedia, they’re called an anonymous contributor. When they create an account, they are referred to as a Wikipedian. There are nearly 50 million Wikipedians on the English version of Wikipedia.
Anyone can create an account for free by providing an email address, a username, and a password.
Each month, about 120,000 Wikipedians contribute to the English Wikipedia at least once [source: Wikipedia]. Most of these people are volunteers and have no direct connection to the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Administrators
As of 2024, the English version of Wikipedia has 846 administrators [source: Wikipedia].
These are Wikipedians elected by other Wikipedians who have special technical tools to maintain Wikipedia. For example, only administrators can delete an article. As Wikipedia explains here:
Their role is primarily technical, and they do not have any editorial responsibilities beyond those of other contributors.
These individuals are volunteers. They are not employees, contractors, or affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
Paid Independent Contributors: Freelancers
Mastering the best practices for effectively editing Wikipedia often takes time. And people frequently encounter difficulties or obstacles. That’s why individuals or organizations sometimes hire freelance contractors to work on Wikipedia for payment.
This activity is allowed across the various language versions of Wikipedia, including French. However, it is subject to strict transparency and regulatory requirements, even for simple benefits in kind.
Some museums, libraries, scientific institutions, or art galleries also employ “Wikipedians in Residence” to facilitate the creation of entries on Wikimedia projects related to the institution’s mission. Again, this is permitted, provided that it is carried out transparently [source].
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Communication Agencies and Consulting Firms
Some communication agencies or consulting firms also offer services to clients to intervene on existing Wikipedia pages or create new ones. This is particularly relevant for reputation management, online visibility, or improving search engine optimization (SEO).
These contributions are allowed with the same transparency requirements as for freelancers or Wikimedians in Residence.
Many agencies (like some freelancers) do not respect the transparency rules, which regularly leads to media coverage in the national press.
For example, The North Face brand was criticized in 2019 because its PR agency replaced hundreds of photos on Wikipedia with images showing people wearing the brand’s products. All the photos were quickly removed. [Source: The New York Times]
Anti-advertising movements have formed on Wikipedia, and lists of agencies that do not follow the ethical guidelines are frequently compiled [Example here]. Pages that don’t comply with the guidelines are also often marked with a red banner stating “undisclosed payments or benefits.”
Communication Managers or Other “Advertisers”
The last type of people who frequently intervene on Wikipedia are individuals working within companies or organizations who wish to create or update pages related to their field.
These individuals are often employees, interns, or communication, public relations, or marketing staff. Regardless of their connection to the organization, they must declare their affiliation. Choosing a username that reflects the company name, which is often done, is not enough.
For example, the startup Indy uses an evocative username, but that is not sufficient according to Wikipedia’s paid contribution guidelines.
Conclusion: There Is No Mediator or Editorial Authority on Wikipedia
As you may have realized by reading this article, no one has ultimate authority over what can or cannot be posted on Wikipedia. Even employees of the Wikimedia Foundation, or administrators, do not have the power to make editorial decisions.
There is also no one you can contact for mediation or appeals, as you could with public institutions. You simply need to discuss the issue on the article’s talk page, without assuming that other volunteers will respond.
I hope this article has helped clarify things!
As for me, I have been a Wikipedian since 2012 and a paid independent contributor since 2022. If you need assistance, you can explore my Wikipedia support services. I wish you happy editing on Wikipedia 🙂.
Written by Albin Guillaud
A Wikipedia contributor since 2014, with Wikiconsult I support businesses, institutions, public figures, and agencies looking to create, update, or monitor their presence on Wikipedia.
