Wikipedia:To-do list
As its name implies, the To-do list on an article's talk page shows the list of improvements suggested for the article. It is created and formatted using the {{Todo}} template. The list is maintained by editors, writers, reviewers or readers like you as a way to focus your collaborative efforts. As such, they represent a tentative consensus that helps improve the efficiency of the editing process. A To-do list for this page may look like this:
edit · history · watch · refresh  To-do list for Wikipedia:To-do list: |
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The template (tag) to include the above is {{todo}}. The dynamic list in the box is drawn from a subpage of the talk page represented simply by "to do."
For a list of all articles with to-do lists, see Category:Wikipedia pages with to-do lists. Check the category page from time to time if you're looking for articles to help out on. This is a great way to contribute to Wikipedia.
To-do lists focus on improving otherwise adequate articles: tasks in to-do lists are important, significant, but not urgent (example: "insert a history section", or "provide more examples in the introduction").
The "to do" collaboration mechanism has the following advantages:
- the list of tasks is permanently visible in the talk page of the article, i.e. where most editors will see it.
- articles with To-dos are automatically listed in the list of articles with To dos, so that additional editors unaware of the article are also attracted to it. More specialized sub-categories can be defined for specific purposes (e.g. for a WikiProject).
Feel free to discuss to-do lists in the talk page of articles, to add new tasks, or to work on pending tasks. We also encourage you to contribute to other articles by visiting the list of "articles with To-dos", at Category:Wikipedia pages with to-do lists.
Please note that the to-do list is edited in a special to-do page which is separate from the talk page of the article. However, its content automatically appears at the top of the talk page. Therefore, you cannot edit the normal talk page to modify the to-do list, as you may have expected. This is further explained in the detailed procedures below.
| Procedure |
| What a to-do list is |
| What a to-do list is not |