:)

Paragraph: This helps you set the style of the text. For example, a header, or plain paragraph text. You can also use it to offset block quotes.

A : Highlight your text, then click here to format it with bold, italics, etc. The "More" options allows you to underline, add code snippets, and change language keyboards.

Links: The chain button allows you to link your text. Highlight the word, and push the button. VisualEditor will automatically suggest related Wikipedia articles for that word or phrase. This is a great way to connect your article to more Wikipedia content. You only have to link important words once, usually during the first time they appear. If you want to link to pages outside of Wikipedia (for an "external links" section, for example) click on the "External link" tab.

Cite: The citation tool in VisualEditor helps format your citations. You can simply paste a DOI or URL, and the VisualEditor will try to sort out all of the fields you need. Be sure to review it, however, and apply missing fields manually (if you know them). You can also add books, journals, news, and websites manually. That opens up a quick guide for inputting your citations. Finally, you can click the "re-use" tab if you've already added a source and just want to cite it again.

Bullets: To add bullet points or a numbered list, click here.

Insert: This tab lets you add media, images, or tables.

Ω The final tab allows you to add special characters, such as those found in non-English words, scientific notation, and a handful of language extensions.

Here's some basic Wikicode to format your text on Talk pages or the "Edit source" option on articles.

The wiki code for bold text is like this:

'''bold''' = bold

Creating a wikilink (that is, a link to another article on Wikipedia) looks like this:

[[bold]] = bold

That link to the article Bold will redirect you to Emphasis (typography). To link to an article with a different name than the text, put a | (a "pipe", inserted with shift + \ on most keyboards) in between the code and the word you want to appear on the page. Like this:

[[boldness|bold]] = bold (with the link to Boldness)

If someone leaves a reply or tags you with a question, you should respond.

Open up the page just as you would open up an article to edit. Underneath the comment you're responding to, type a colon ( : ). Each : will indent your response deeper into the conversation. So if you respond to a response, use two colons, etc.

It is crucial that you sign your messages with four tildes ( ~~~~ ) to automatically mark it with your username and a timestamp.

Everything you write on Wikipedia must be attributable to a reliable source.

Wikipedians are working to create an accurate encyclopedia. Adding sources means that your work can be fact-checked by these editors.

Editors (yourself included) can challenge unreferenced statements by adding a {{fact}} tag in WikiCode, which adds a [citation needed] tag to the statement. Some editors remove unreferenced material on sight.

So, you have a solid paragraph drawn from a reliable source. How do you let other editors know where to look to verify your information?

First, if it's a new article, let's look at how to add a References section to the article using WikiCode.

You can access WikiCode through the "Edit source" option on the page.

Then, follow these instructions:

  1. Check that the bottom of the page has a "Notes" or "References" section. If not, type: ==Notes==.
  2. Check that the Notes section either has the text {{reflist}} or <references />. If not, type: {{reflist}}. This determines where your references will appear on the page.
  3. Now click after the text you would like to create a reference for.
  4. Now type in the <ref> tag before your reference and type </ref> after your reference. Wiki software will automatically add your inline reference number.

Let's try adding citations through VisualEditor. You may want to open up a sandbox page to follow along.

Click "edit" above the section or article you want to edit.

Within VisualEditor's toolbar, you'll find the "Cite" button. You can simply paste a URL, and the VisualEditor will try to sort out all of the fields you need. Be sure to review it, however, and apply missing fields manually (if you know them). You can also add books, journals, news, and websites manually. That opens up a quick guide for inputting your citations.

If the page already contains a citation you want to use again, you can!

To re-use an existing reference, place your cursor in the body of the text

where you want to add the new reference for that citation. Then open the "Cite" menu and find the "Re-use" item.

To edit an existing reference, use the "edit" button to open VisualEditor. Click on the bracketed number for the source you want to edit. You will see an icon for the type of reference (book, web, news, etc.) and an "Edit" button to the right.

Clicking on the "Edit" button will open a dialog where you can do exactly that.

Remember to leave a description of your edit in the edit summary, such as "added reference," and then click "Save."