This list of Wikipedia guidelines is a summary of guidelines that are in use and have the current consensus of Wikipedia editors. Unlike policies, guidelines are usually more flexible and more likely to have exceptions and could be changed and improved more easily.
See Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines for a general overview of what policies and guidelines are about, how they are made, and why we have them.
Wikipedia has a whole lot of guidelines. Consult them whenever you are in doubt about what to do on Wikipedia: in all likelihood they contain relevant suggestions. This list attempts to be comprehensive, but currently is far from it. You can also find an alphabetical list of all of Wikipedia's guidelines, without descriptions, at Category:Wikipedia guidelines. Sometimes the category will contain guidelines that this page does not mention. Please help us by keeping this page in sync with the category.
Article size is limited by technical issues and considerations of readability and organization. It's useful to split long articles and combine small pages.
Wikis develop faster when people fix problems, correct grammar, add facts, make sure the language is precise, and so on. We expect everyone to be bold. It's okay.
3D Illustrations which use a method or technique to simulate depth such as Anaglyph images and Stereograms should not be used as general inline illustrations in articles.
Avoid writing or editing articles about yourself, since most of us find objectivity especially difficult when we ourselves are concerned (however it is not impossible.). Contribute on the talk page instead. Feel free to correct mistaken or out-of-date facts about yourself.
Patent nonsense (Text or random characters that have no assignable meaning at all and completely and irredeemably confused texts) should be dealt with appropriately.
By all means state your point. But don't spam Wikipedia, disingenuously nominate articles for deletion, push rules to their limits or otherwise create work for other people just to "prove your point".
Contributors have different views, perspectives, and backgrounds, sometimes varying widely. Treating others with respect is key to collaborating effectively in building an encyclopedia.
Many new contributors lack knowledge about Wikipedia policies. But always understand that new contributors are prospective "members" and are therefore our most valuable resource.
Words and images that might be considered offensive, profane, or obscene by other Wikipedia readers should be used if and only if their omission would cause the article to be less informative, relevant, or accurate, and no equally suitable alternatives are available.
