How to edit

File:Visual Editor Screenshot.png

Screenshot of the Visual Editor in use on Vivipedia.

Editing on Vivipedia is as easy as clicking "Edit" on a page!

Once you click Edit, you'll be taken to the Visual Editor for that page, where you can make changes directly to the page or article you're viewing.

Selecting "Edit Source" will take you to the Source Editor, which utilizes the wikitext editing system.

The Visual Editor is easy to use, and is good for making edits to existing text.

The Source Editor is good for formatting, organization, and complex or large edits (like creating a new page).

Whichever method you choose, be sure to "Save Changes" when you're done, and leave a short summary of the changes you made in the summary box.

Using the Visual Editor

The Visual Editor is the simplest tool to use when editing Vivipedia. It allows you to make edits directly to the page, and see how they look right away.

Follow these steps to edit with the Visual Editor:

1. Navigate to the page you want to edit, and select "Edit" from the section heading, or bar at the top of the page.
   File:Visual Editor - Edit button.png
2. Add, remove, or modify text on the page.
3. Select "Save changes" in the top right of the page.
   File:Save Changes button.png
4. Leave a short summary of the changes you made in the confirmation box that appears.
   File:Summarize changes.png

After you complete these steps, your edits will be added to the Moderation Queue for a Moderator to approve.

If you make enough edits, your edits will be pre-approved, and you'll be able to bypass the queue to see your edits right away!

Using the Source Editor

The Source Editor is powerful, and provides access to the unique capabilities of MediaWiki, the software that Vivipedia (and Wikipedia!) runs on.

Using the Source Editor will provide additional formatting options, as well as access to style and formatting tools that are unavailable in the Visual Editor.

If you want to create a new page that's similar in structure to an existing page, you can use the Source Editor to copy the Source from the existing page, and paste it into the new page you want to create.

From there you can add, remove, or modify text as needed.

Follow these steps to edit with the Source Editor:

1. Navigate to the page you want to edit, and select "Edit source" from the section heading, or bar at the top of the page.
2. Add, remove, or modify text on the page using the wikitext markup language. (Hint: use the Magic Words article as a reference for syntax)
3. Select "Show preview" to check that your edits appear as intended. (Optional)
4. Provide a brief summary of the changes you made in the "Summary" box.
5. Select the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

After you complete these steps, your edits will be added to the Moderation Queue for a Moderator to approve.

Over time, and with enough edits, your changes will be pre-approved, meaning you'll be able to make changes without Moderator approval.

How to Create a New Page

Want to create a page that doesn't exist yet? Creating new pages is as easy as editing existing ones - there's just one small change.

Instead of navigating to an existing page, try modifying the URL to the page you want to create.

For example, if you were on this page, and suddenly became inspired to create a page about Hippopotamuses, you would:

1. Modify the URL in your web browser from XYZ to ABC.
2. Select "Create" (for Visual Editor) or "Create source" (for Source Editor).
3. Add your desired text and media.
4. Select "Show preview" (Optional, if in the Source Editor).
5. Leave a brief summary of the changes you made (e.g., "Created page").
6. Select "Save page".

As with edits, your page will be added to the Moderation Queue for approval.

With time your changes may be pre-approved, allowing you to create new pages without waiting for approval.