Since its first edit in January 2001, Wikipedia has become the biggest reference website in the world and attracts billions of visitors monthly. And anyone can edit an article.

It’s possible to contribute to Wikipedia by creating and editing articles of all types by ensuring content is up-to-date and from validated sources to support the edit. While you can edit any article that isn’t protected, you still have to follow the guidelines.

Here, we will explain how you can become a Wikipedia editor and what the benefits are in comparison to editing without an account.

Who Can Edit Wikipedia?

Anyone can become an editor for Wikipedia, and you don’t have to sign up or log in. But, editing with an unregistered account will result in the IP address that made the edit being tracked and appearing in the edit history.

But Wikipedia isn’t the only type of wiki website available. There are other wiki sites you can explore. Like Wikipedia, it’s free to create an account.

While you can edit anonymously, it won’t go unnoticed by Wikipedia. The edit will go through device fingerprinting, which can identify unregistered users through their IP address, installed browser plugins, and time zone.

With articles more likely to be vandalized by unregistered users, it’s better to be registered. Registration protects your IP address and prevents your edits being blocked by Wikipedia.

How You Can Become a Wikipedia Editor

The sign-up process to become a registered Wikipedia user is free and straightforward.

A screenshot of the Wikipedia Create Account page

First, enter Wikipedia and click Create account on the top right to be redirected to the sign-up page. Complete the form by creating a username and password and entering your email address. Choose an appropriate username, as it will be public and can’t be changed.

Once you have filled out the form, completed the CAPTCHA security check, and verified your account in your email, you are now a registered user. You should be able to edit articles while logged in by clicking Edit source unless the page is protected.

As a registered user, you can create a user page to let those viewing your page know a bit about you. You can use the sandbox to practice editing and Wikipedia's style manual. You can also use an article’s talk page to communicate with other editors.

If you are looking for other ways to navigate Wikipedia, there are free apps that can help your navigation easier.

What Are the Benefits of Becoming a Wikipedia Editor?

As mentioned above, being registered with Wikipedia will protect your IP address and grant you features via user access levels you can’t use while unregistered. For instance, four-day-old accounts with ten edits can edit semi-protected pages.

A screenshot of an article being edited in Wikipedia

In addition, you can create new articles, rename existing pages, and upload images. Furthermore, accounts that are 30 days with at least 500 edits can edit extended protected pages. You wouldn't be able to do this without an account.

Other benefits include the ability to keep a log of all the contributions you made on Wikipedia, from newest to oldest. When you make changes to an article, you can track the page via your watchlist for however long you want and get notified when other users make changes.

Edit Away on Wikipedia

It’s easy to create an account on Wikipedia and edit articles once you familiarize yourself with the markup and guidelines. When you make edits while logged in, other editors and page visitors will be able to recognize you through your online identity.

Editing articles with an account will hide your IP address, thus protecting you online and preventing curious users from pinpointing your location. Now that you have registered with Wikipedia and started creating and editing articles, have you ever used Wikipedia while using Microsoft Word?