Wikipedia Deletion Process

Why do Wikipedia pages get deleted?

Wikipedia pages are deleted for a variety of reasons, but the most common fall into a few consistent categories:

• Lack of notability: The subject does not meet Wikipedia's notability guidelines. This is the single most common reason for deletion. If the article cannot demonstrate significant coverage in reliable, independent sources, it will not survive a deletion review.
• Promotional content: The article reads like a press release, marketing document, or advertisement rather than an encyclopedic entry. Wikipedia has no tolerance for promotional tone.
• Insufficient sourcing: The article makes claims that are not supported by citations, or relies entirely on primary sources such as the subject's own website.
• Copyright violations: Content copied from other websites without proper licensing will be deleted immediately.
• Vandalism or spam: Pages created as jokes, attacks, or advertising are deleted on sight.
• Redundancy: A topic already adequately covered in another article may be merged or redirected rather than maintained as a standalone page.

In most cases, deletion is not arbitrary. Wikipedia's editorial community follows documented processes and the reasons for deletion are recorded and publicly accessible.

What are the different deletion processes on Wikipedia?

Wikipedia has three main deletion processes, each designed for different situations:

• Speedy Deletion (CSD): Used for articles that are obviously inappropriate and require no discussion. An administrator can delete an article immediately under speedy deletion criteria, which include things like blatant advertising, attack pages, copyright violations, and articles with no content. There is no discussion or vote. The article is simply gone.
• Proposed Deletion (PROD): A less urgent process for articles that are likely uncontroversial deletions but do not qualify for speedy deletion. An editor tags the article with a PROD notice. If no one objects within seven days, an administrator can delete the article without further discussion. Any editor can remove a PROD tag to contest the deletion, which then requires the nominator to escalate to AfD if they still want deletion.
• Articles for Deletion (AfD): The main community discussion process for contested deletions. An editor nominates the article for deletion and the community discusses it for seven days. Any registered editor can participate. At the end of the discussion, an administrator reviews the consensus and decides whether to delete, keep, merge, or redirect the article. AfD outcomes are archived publicly and can be found through search engines.

If your article is nominated for deletion, the process it goes through matters. A speedy deletion leaves little room for response. An AfD gives you a window to participate, or to have someone experienced participate on your behalf.

Can I recreate an article that has been deleted?

It depends entirely on why the article was deleted.

If an article was deleted because of notability concerns and the underlying source coverage has not changed, recreating the article will almost certainly result in the same outcome. Wikipedia administrators can and do apply a "salt" to repeatedly recreated articles, which prevents them from being created again without administrator approval.

However, if circumstances have genuinely changed, if the subject has since received substantial new coverage in reliable, independent sources, a new article can be created that reflects the improved notability case. The key is that the new article must be meaningfully different from what was deleted, not simply a rewrite of the same content with the same source problems.

A few important things to know about deleted articles:

• Deletion discussions are publicly logged and archived. A history of deletion attempts can be found by experienced Wikipedia editors and may affect how new submissions from the same subject are received.
• If an article was deleted through AfD, the deletion discussion is permanently archived and often appears in search results.
• Deleted article content is not publicly visible but is accessible to Wikipedia administrators. If a new article appears to be a recreation of deleted content, it will be flagged.
• Wikipedia has a Deletion Review process that allows editors to challenge deletion decisions they believe were made incorrectly. This is a legitimate avenue if you believe the deletion was unjustified.

If your Wikipedia page has been deleted or is at risk of deletion, the most important thing is to get an honest assessment of why, and whether the underlying situation can be addressed. Legalmorning offers consultations specifically for this situation.