Wikipedia:Did you know/Guide

This page describes the steps to perform a full update to the "Did you know" section on the Main Page. However, since WP:DYKADMINBOT automates most of this process when it is working properly, and since all main page templates have been protected against vandalism, some of this information may be outdated.


 * If you help out updating at DYK you can add this userbox to your userpage: User DYK helper

Updating the DYK preparation areas

 * See also: Did you know/Preparation areas

After confirming that a suggestion meets the requirements listed on this page, any editor may add a nomination to the preparation area and then delete the suggestion from the DYK template talk page. For transparency, let an independent editor add the suggestion to the prep area page.

When updating Template:Did you know, admins may simply paste in the entries from a preparation area and add the talk notices.

After the update, anyone can replace the entries on a preparation area with fresh entries from the suggestions page.

The DYK preparation area can be "cleared" or "blanked", that is, restored to a pristine state with no nominations on it, by copying the contents of the DYK prep area "clear" page (or the old nominations can be cleared manually). Corrections to the instructions or formatting of the prep area page should be copied to the "clear" page to ensure that they are not lost when it is next cleared.

Guidance for "prep area" editors

 * Make sure the entries conform to the rules set out below under "Suggestions".
 * If an entry is disputed, don't add it to the template until the problem is resolved.
 * Try to include items from varied fields of interest, time periods, and parts of the world.
 * Avoid selecting your own suggestions. When possible, it is also best to avoid selecting the same article that you reviewed.
 * Please disambiguate linked words in the suggestion.
 * Try to ensure entries are of appropriate length and make them more interesting, if possible.
 * Stale entries are no fun, but please try to give every entry the exposure it deserves.
 * After adding an entry to the prep area page, remove it from the suggestions page. Make sure to include the article name, date, nominator, and creator under the "Credits" section to allow others to return it if a dispute arises.

Updating the DYK template

 * See also: Template:Did you know/Clear

After confirming that a suggestion meets the DYK rules, an administrator may move the suggestion to the DYK template and then delete the suggestion from the DYK template prep area page.

This section describes the steps to perform a full update to the "Did you know" section on the Main Page.

Preparations

 * Make sure the template was last refreshed more than hours ago (check the DYK-Refresh template on the suggestions page, or the edit history of the live DYK template).
 * Make sure you have the proper amount of eligible items so as to balance the main page, generally about eight hooks.
 * Make sure you have a suitable picture.


 * Eligible items:
 * Are interesting facts based on articles created or substantially expanded less than 168 hours (7 days) ago.
 * Not all suggestions have to be used in the template. Choose the ones that will pull in a variety of readers.
 * Are over 1,500 bytes or characters in length.
 * Cover a diverse field of topics.

If there are older articles waiting to be listed, try to use those first, unless other users' complaints have not been addressed.

Pictures

 * The article that will be listed on the top of the template should have a fitting and appropriate image attached.
 * The image must be protected before it goes live. (so long as the image is uploaded to the English Wikipedia, it should be protected automatically by cascading protection, but please check and upload from Commons if necessary)
 * Add  to the image description page if the image has been uploaded to English Wikipedia.
 * If you are an admin at Commons, you may protect the Commons version of an image, and add  there.
 * If the image is on Commons and you cannot protect it there or get it protected there, download the image manually on to your computer and upload it under the same file name as on commons to the English Wikipedia. Use  if you have uploaded a temporary copy from Commons, but make sure you also copy the author attribution and the licence tag.


 * Don't forget to UNprotect the previously used image AFTER you change the template to the new picture.
 * If you remove a '-tagged image from the template, please speedy delete it. Don't forget to immediately check the deleted history of its image description page and restore any relevant Wikipedia-specific edits, category links, and tags (such as ') that were on there beforehand.

Process

 * 1) Make sure that the old entries and the picture have been copied from Template:Did you know to the DYK archive.
 * 2) Cut the picture and questions out of the queue and place them in the live template's edit page, replacing the previous entries but making sure not to remove any other coding.
 * 3) Preview the template and make sure everything is correct, and that the image is protected. Save the template.
 * 4) [ Purge] the Main Page to force the Wikipedia servers to show everyone the new version of the template.
 * 5) [ Reset] the DYK time.
 * 6) Edit the queue counter to identify the next queued template to be copied to the main page.
 * 7) Clear the queue you just promoted hooks from with.
 * 8) If you have time, please do the credits for the hooks just promoted (see the "Credits" section in the queue).

Archiving
DYK entries that are added to the Main Page template should be copied by hand to Recent additions. After copying DYK entries to Template:Did you know, copy the previous set of hooks (not the new set promoted to the front page) to the archive. Be sure to copy the final revision of the set (should be the last diff on the T:DYK page before your update). Please include the picture/file.

Recent additions should be archived every month.

If Did you know sets are themed, please archive them at the relevant portal:
 * Main Portals: Arts, Culture, Geography, History, Mathematics, Biography, Philosophy, Science, Society, Sports, Technology


 * Countries: Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Wales


 * Regions: Illinois, London, Vancouver


 * Other: Architecture, Aviation, Cars, The Beatles, Communism, Food, Internet, Medicine, Music, Pokémon, Schools, Swimming, Trains, Tropical cyclones, United States Marine Corps, War