View source for Wikipedia:Guide to deletion

{{Short description|Wikipedia how-to guide}}
{{Redirect|WP:GD|the general disclaimer|Wikipedia:General disclaimer|the wikiproject|Wikipedia:WikiProject Green Day}}
{{see also|Help:My article got nominated for deletion!}}
{{Wikipedia how-to|WP:GD|WP:GTD|WP:GAFD}}
{{Deletion debates}}
'''Deletion of a Wikipedia page''' removes the complete page (and all previous versions) from public view. Deletion happens when a page is unsuitable, unhelpful, or does not meet the required criteria. '''Two further [[WP:Deletion processes|deletion processes]] exist''' to address undesirable material that may have been added to a page or visible in a log. The [[Wikipedia:deletion policy|deletion policy]] explains when deletion is acceptable.

This page explains the processes available, and how deletion discussions work when articles are concerned. There is a separate [[Wikipedia:Guide to image deletion|guide to image deletion]].

You may have come here because a deletion notice of some kind was added to an article that you wrote. Please read this guide to see what happens now and how you can participate in the communal decision-making process.

==Summary of deletion processes==
Deleting an entire Wikipedia page or file:
* Any user may suggest deletion of a page for good cause. There are three processes available for doing this:
# If specific criteria are met, pages may be deleted summarily via the [[WP:CSD|speedy deletion]] process.
# If these criteria are not met but the deletion is expected to be uncontroversial, a notice of [[WP:PROD|proposed deletion]] (PROD) may be used, which results in deletion if no other editor objects.
# In all other cases, a "deletion discussion" takes place. This article deletion process is known as "[[WP:AFD|articles for deletion]]" (AfD). Non-article deletions have [[Wikipedia:Deletion discussions|similar processes]].
* An "appeal" process ([[WP:DRV|deletion review]]) also exists.

Deleting specific text within a page:
* Undesirable text can be removed by anyone by [[Help:Editing|editing the page]]. However, the text will remain publicly accessible in the article history. If this is unacceptable, then an administrator can permanently delete the content, and it will only be visible to administrators. This is called "revision deletion"; to request it, see [[Wikipedia:Revision deletion#How to request Revision Deletion|how to request revision deletion]].
* A form of extreme deletion known as [[WP:OVERSIGHT|Oversight]] also exists, which is operated by a very few specially authorized users. Users with Oversight access can often remove certain serious privacy-breaching and defamatory material so that even administrators cannot see the material. This is requested by email via  [[WP:RFO|requests for oversight]].

==Overview of the AfD deletion process==
All text created in the Wikipedia main [[Wikipedia:Namespace|namespace]] is subject to several important rules, including three cardinal content policies ([[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view]], [[Wikipedia:Verifiability]], and [[Wikipedia:No original research]]) and the copyright policy ([[Wikipedia:Copyrights]]). Together, these policies govern the admissibility of text in the main body of the encyclopedia, and only text conforming to all four policies is allowed in the main namespace.

A failure to conform to a [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|neutral point of view]] is usually remedied through ''editing'' for neutrality, but text that does not conform to any of the remaining three policies is usually ''removed'' from Wikipedia, either by removing a passage or section of an otherwise satisfactory article or by removing an entire article if nothing can be salvaged.

This guide deals with the process of addressing articles that contravene [[Wikipedia:Verifiability]] and [[Wikipedia:No original research]], which are often listed or "[[#Nomination|nominated]]" on [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion]]. A fifth, special, content policy additionally governs a large set of articles and has a top priority within its scope of application: Biographies of living persons and articles with material that relates to living persons require sensitive treatment ([[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons]]). Articles that contravene this policy in a way that is not easily treatable may also be listed (if they are not deleted outright). Articles that violate [[Wikipedia:Copyrights]] are listed on the project page for [[WP:CP|copyright problems]] for further action.

When an article is nominated for deletion, the Wikipedia community may discuss its merits for a period usually no less than seven days, in order to come to a public [[Wikipedia:Deletion guidelines for administrators#Rough consensus|rough consensus]] about whether the article is unsuited to Wikipedia.  Following seven days of discussion, an experienced Wikipedian will determine if a consensus was reached and will "[[Wikipedia:Guide to deletion#Closure|close]]" the discussion accordingly.

=== Other kinds of pages ===
A list of similar processes for other kinds of pages, including user pages, templates, categories, and redirects, is [[Wikipedia:Deletion process#Deletion discussion venues|here]].

== General advice ==
=== Pages in user space ===
If the page is in your own user space (i.e. starts with "User:YourName/"), then you can request immediate deletion of the page at any time. Simply edit the page and put the template <code><nowiki>{{db-u1}}</nowiki></code> at the top of the page. An administrator will see that the page is in your own user space and delete it.

User talk subpages, with names beginning with "User talk:YourName/", can normally be deleted in the same way, but your main user talk page, named simply "User talk:YourName" with nothing else on the end, can't be deleted except under very exceptional circumstances, nor can any page which was your user talk page but which has been moved to a new title.

=== Please do not take it personally ===
Please remember that the deletion process is about the appropriateness of the '''article''' for inclusion in Wikipedia. A deletion nomination is ''not'' a rejection of the author or an attack on their value as a member of the Wikipedia community. Therefore, please do not take it personally if an article you've contributed to is nominated for deletion.

Over time, Wikipedians have invested a great deal of thought in the question of what may and may not be included in the encyclopedia. The cardinal article policies mentioned above form the core requirements for textual contributions to the mainspace. However, some Wikipedians have also written a number of standards and guidelines that are intended to provide guidance in specific areas; note that such guidelines cannot supersede the requirements of the above policies. Please take the time to review the standards Wikipedians abide by in evaluating content.
* [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not]]
* [[Wikipedia:Notability (people)|Wikipedia:Criteria for inclusion of biographies]]
* [[Wikipedia:Notability (music)|Wikipedia:WikiProject Music/Notability and Music Guidelines]]
* [[Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies)|Wikipedia:Companies, corporations and economic information/Notability and inclusion guidelines]]

===Please be tolerant of others===
Please remember that AfD is a busy and repetitive place. The people who volunteer to work the AfD process may seem terse, gruff and abrupt. They are not (usually) being intentionally rude.  We value [[Wikipedia:civility|civility]] and always try to [[Wikipedia:assume good faith|assume good faith]]. However, often over a hundred articles are nominated for deletion each day.  Experienced [[Wikipedia:Wikipedian|Wikipedians]] have been through thousands of deletion discussions and have read and thought through many of the same arguments many times before.  For speed, some employ shorthands (described in the {{section link|#Shorthands}} section below) rather than typing out the same reasoning and arguments again and again. They are trying to be efficient, not rude. 

Deletion discussions follow the normal Wikipedia [[Wikipedia:talk page|talk page]] etiquette.  Please be familiar with the policies of [[Wikipedia:Please do not bite the newcomers|not biting the newcomers]], [[Wikipedia:Wikiquette|Wikiquette]], [[Wikipedia:no personal attacks|no personal attacks]], [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons|biographies of living persons]] and [[Wikipedia:civility|civility]] before contributing.

=== Sockpuppetry is not tolerated ===
{{shortcut|WP:AFDSOCK}}
A [[Wikipedia:sockpuppet|sockpuppet]] is an account created by a vandal or bad-faith contributor in an attempt to bias the deletion process. A close variation is the "[[Wikipedia:Sock puppet#Meatpuppetry|meatpuppet]]", people recruited from outside Wikipedia to try to alter the result of a discussion (for example, if your article about a web forum is up for deletion and you post a call for other forum members to "help keep our website in Wikipedia"). Because these tactics are common, comments by new users in deletion discussions may sometimes be viewed with suspicion. These users are difficult to distinguish from legitimate new users who are interested in improving the project. If someone notes that you are a new user, please take it in the spirit it was intended—a fact to be weighed by the closing admin, not an attack on the person.

Consensus is ultimately determined at the discretion of the closing admin after considering the contribution history and pattern of comments. Civil comments and logical arguments are often given the benefit of the doubt while hostile comments are presumed to be bad-faith.  [[Wikipedia:verifiable|Verifiable]] ''facts and evidence'' are welcome from anybody and '''will''' be considered when the discussion is closed.

=== You may edit the article during the discussion ===
{{shortcut|WP:EDITATAFD}}
{{See also| Wikipedia:Editing policy#Try to fix problems}}
You and others are welcome to continue editing the article during the discussion period.  Indeed, if you can address the points raised during the discussion by improving the article, you are [[Wikipedia:Be bold in updating pages|encouraged to edit]] a nominated article (noting in the discussion that you have done so if your edits are significant ones).

There are, however, a few restrictions upon how you may edit an article:
# You must not blank the article (unless it is a copyright infringement).
# You must not modify or remove the Articles for deletion notice (AfD notice).
# You should not turn the article into a redirect.  A functioning redirect will overwrite the AfD notice.  It may also be interpreted as an attempt to "hide" the old content from scrutiny by the community.
# Moving the article while it is being discussed can produce confusion (both during the discussion and when closing using semi-automated closing [[Wikipedia:scripts|scripts]]).  If you do this, please note it on the deletion discussion page, preferably both at the top of the discussion (for new participants) and as a new comment at the bottom (for the benefit of the closing administrator).
# Participants in deletion discussions should not circumvent consensus by [[Wikipedia:Copying within Wikipedia|merging or copying material to another page]] unilaterally before the debate closes. Such action may cause contention, extra process steps, and additional administrative work if undoing any copying is necessary. If you wish to merge or copy material, it is preferable to offer a specific proposal in the deletion discussion, negotiate with the other participants, and wait for the discussion to be closed. Even if the article is ultimately deleted, you can ask the closing administrator for a copy of the material to reuse, and the administrator can also advise you on any further steps that you may need to perform in order to reuse the content.

== Deletion process ==
:''Main article: [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy]]''
Deletion of articles from Wikipedia occurs through one of four processes.

# So-called [[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion|speedy deletion]] involves the scrutiny of only a few people before an article is deleted.  The allowable criteria for speedy-deletion are deliberately very narrow. The list of candidates for speedy deletion can be viewed at [[:Category:Candidates for speedy deletion]].
# Another quick method is the use of [[Wikipedia:Proposed deletion|proposed deletion]]: simply add <nowiki>{{subst:</nowiki>[[Template:Prod|prod]]|''reason goes here''<nowiki>}}</nowiki> to the top of the article. This is meant for articles where the deletion is believed to be uncontroversial, yet does not meet the criteria for speedy deletion. A proposed deletion can be contested by any user by removing the <nowiki>{{prod}}</nowiki> tag within seven days, and if anyone still wants the article deleted the full Articles for deletion process is required.
# For unsourced [[WP:BLP|articles about living persons]], adding <code><nowiki>{{subst:</nowiki>[[Template:Prod blp|prod blp]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki></code> will [[WP:BLPPROD|propose the BLP for deletion]].  If sources are not added within 7 days, the article may be deleted.
# Articles which do not meet the narrow criteria for speedy deletion and whose deletion is (or might be) contested are discussed by the community through the [[WP:AFD|Articles for deletion]] (AfD) process.

=== Nomination ===
{{shortcut|WP:GDBN}}
==== Considerations ====
{{IncGuide}}
Before nominating an article for [[WP:AFD|Articles for deletion]] (AfD), please:
* Strongly consider if an alternative deletion process ([[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion|speedy deletion]], or [[Wikipedia:Proposed deletion|proposed deletion]]) should be used.
* Check the [[Wikipedia:deletion policy|deletion policy]] to see what things are '''not reasons for deletion'''.  Consider whether you actually want the article to be [[Wikipedia:Duplicate articles|merged]], [[Wikipedia:Requests for expansion|expanded]], or [[Wikipedia:Cleanup|cleaned up]] rather than deleted, and use the appropriate mechanism instead of AfD.
** Before nominating a recently created article, please consider that many good articles started their Wikilife in pretty bad shape. Unless it is obviously [[Wikipedia:Speedy deletions|a hopeless case]], consider sharing your reservations with the article creator, mentioning your concerns on the article's discussion page, and/or adding a [[:Category:Cleanup templates|"cleanup" template]], instead of bringing the article to AfD.
** The pages [[Wikipedia:Notability (people)]], [[Wikipedia:Conflict of interest]], [[Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies)]], [[Wikipedia:Notability (music)]], [[Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources]], [[Wikipedia:Notability (web)]], and [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not]] are frequently cited in deletion discussions. Familiarize yourself with the ones relevant to the article in question.
** Consider adding a [[Wikipedia:Templates|tag]] such as <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Wikipedia:Template messages/Cleanup|cleanup]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki>, <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Wikipedia:Template messages/Disputes|disputed]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> or <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:expert-subject|expert-subject]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> instead; this may be preferable if the article has some useful content.
** Consider making the page a useful [[Wikipedia:Redirect|redirect]] or proposing it be [[Wikipedia:Merge|merged]] rather than deleted. Neither of these actions requires an AfD.
* If an article content happens to fit any of our [[WP:SISTER|sister wikis]], consider [[Wikipedia:Transwiki|copying]] it there before proceeding. You can replace an article with a [[Wikipedia:Soft redirect|soft redirect]] to a sister wiki in some cases.
* Investigate the possibility of rewriting the article yourself (or at least creating a [[Wikipedia:stub|stub]] on the topic and requesting expansion) instead of deleting it.
* First do the necessary homework and look for sources yourself, and invite discussion on the talk page by using the {{tl|notability}} template, if you are disputing the [[WP:N|notability]] of an article's subject. The fact that you haven't heard of something, or don't personally consider it worthy, are not criteria for deletion.  You must look for, and demonstrate that you couldn't find, any [[Wikipedia:Independent sources|independent sources]] of sufficient depth.  See [[WP:Before]].
* Check the "'''what links here'''" link to see how the article is being used within Wikipedia.
* Check [[WP:interwiki|interwiki]] links to pages "in other languages" which may provide additional material for translation.
* Read the article's [[Wikipedia:talk page|talk page]], which may provide reasons why the article should or should not be deleted.
* Check that what you wish to delete is ''an article''. [[WP:TFD|Templates]], [[WP:CFD|categories]], [[WP:IFD|images]], [[WP:RFD|redirects]] and [[WP:MfD|pages not in the main article space]] (including user and Wikipedia namespace pages) have their own deletion processes separate from AfD.
* Note that if you are editing under an [[IP address]] because you have not yet created a [[Wikipedia:Username|user account]], you will not be able to complete the AfD process, as anonymous contributors are currently unable to create new pages (as required by step 2 of "How to list pages for deletion", below). If this is the case, consider creating a user account.

====How to list pages for deletion====
{{shortcut|WP:AFDLIST}}
After reviewing the above section, if you still think the article should be deleted, you must nominate it and open the AfD discussion. Nomination is a three-stage process. Please carefully follow the instructions on the [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion#Nominating article(s) for deletion|Articles for deletion]] page. You ''must'' perform all three stages of the process (they are listed under the ''single page'' instructions). Nominations follow a very specific format because we [[transclusion|transclude]] the discussion page onto a consolidated list of deletion discussions. This makes it more efficient for other participants to find the discussion and to determine if they have anything relevant to add. Incomplete nominations may be discarded or ignored. If you need help, ask.
* It is generally considered civil to notify the [[Wikipedia:Assume good faith|good-faith]] creator and any main contributors of the articles that you are nominating for deletion.  Do not notify [[Wikipedia:Bot policy|bot accounts]] or people who have made only insignificant 'minor' edits.  To find the main contributors, look in the [[Help:Page history|page history]] or [[Help:Talk page|talk page]] of the article. For your convenience, you may use <nowiki>{{</nowiki>subst:[[Template:Adw|Adw]]|''Article title''<nowiki>}}</nowiki>.
* To avoid confusing newcomers, the reasons given for deletion should avoid Wikipedia-specific acronyms.
* Place a notification on significant pages that link to your nomination, to enable those with related knowledge to participate in the debate.
* If recommending that an article be speedily deleted, please give the criterion or criteria that it meets, such as "A7" or "biography not asserting importance".

''Anyone can make a nomination'', though anonymous users cannot complete the process without help from a logged-in user. The nomination, however, must be in good faith. Nominations that are clearly [[Wikipedia:vandalism|vandalism]] may be discarded. Anonymous users cannot complete the process, as they are technically prohibited from creating new pages.

Nominations already imply a recommendation to delete the article, unless the nominator specifically says otherwise, and to avoid confusion nominators should refrain from explicitly indicating this recommendation again in the bulleted list of recommendations. (Some nominations are performed by experienced users on behalf of others, either because they are inexperienced with the AfD process or because the deletion recommendation was the result of a separate discussion.)

=== Discussion ===
{{See also|Wikipedia:Arguments to avoid in deletion discussions}}
{{shortcut|WP:AFDDISCUSS}}
Discussion occurs on a dedicated discussion page, a sub-page of [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion]] named after the article.

Unlike speedy deletion, which can potentially involve just a single editor, AfD involves multiple editors.  The purpose of this is in part to ensure that articles are not erroneously deleted or kept.  Editors are not expected to know everything.  AfD is designed to place "multiple layers of swiss cheese" (see the [[Swiss Cheese model]]) in the process, to reduce the possibility of an erroneous conclusion being reached.  Other editors can find things that one editor has overlooked or not been aware of.  This process does not work when editors merely echo the rationales of others, and do not double-check things for themselves.  The best way to help AfD to continue to work is always to check things out for yourself before presenting a rationale.  (For example: If the assertion is that the subject is unverifiable, have a look yourself to see whether you can find sources that other editors may have missed.)

Anyone acting in good faith can contribute to the discussion. The author of the article can make their case like everyone else.  As discussed [[#Sockpuppets are bad|above]], relevant facts and evidence are welcome from anyone but the ''opinions'' of anonymous and/or suspiciously new users may be discounted by the closing admin.  Please bear in mind that administrators ''will'' discount any obviously bad faith contributions to the discussion when closing the discussion.  On the other hand, a user who makes a well-argued, fact-based case based upon Wikipedia policy and does so in a civil manner may well sway the discussion despite being anonymous.

====Formatting====
For consistency, the form for the discussion is a bulleted list below the nomination text. You may indent the discussion by using multiple bullets.  Mixing of bullets and other forms of indentation is discouraged because it makes the discussion much harder for subsequent readers to follow.

[[Wikipedia:Sign your posts on talk pages|Sign any contribution]] that you make by adding <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> to the comment.  Unsigned contributions may be discounted at the discretion of the volunteer who closes the discussion.

Please do not refactor the discussion into lists or tables of recommendations, however much you may think that this helps the process.  Both the context and the order of the comments are essential to understanding the intents of contributors, both at the discussion closure and ''during'' the discussion.  Refactoring actually makes the job of determining consensus at the time of closure much harder, not easier.

====Behavior====
Always explain your reasoning.  This allows others to challenge or support facts, suggest compromises or identify alternative courses of action that might not yet have been considered.  It also allows administrators to determine at the end of the discussion, whether your concerns have been addressed and whether your comments still apply if the article was significantly rewritten during the discussion period.  "Votes" without rationales may be discounted at the discretion of the closing admin.

The purpose of the discussion is to achieve '''consensus''' upon a course of action.  Individuals will express strong opinions and may even "vote".  To the extent that voting occurs (see [[meta:Polls are evil]]), the votes are merely a means to gauge the degree of consensus reached so far. [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a democracy|Wikipedia is not a democracy]] and [[majority voting]] is not the determining factor in whether a nomination succeeds or not. 

Please do not "spam" the discussion with the same comment multiple times.  Make your case clearly and let other users decide for themselves.

Experienced AfD participants re-visit discussions that they have already participated in.  They are looking for new facts, evidence or changes to the article which might change their initial conclusion.  In this situation, strike through your previous comment using &lt;s&gt;...&lt;/s&gt; (if you are changing your mind) or to explicitly comment "no change" to confirm that you have considered the new evidence but remain unconvinced.

Do not remove or modify other people's comments even if you believe them to be in bad faith—unless the user has been banned from editing the relevant pages, or is making a [[Wikipedia:Remove personal attacks|blatantly offensive personal attack]] or a [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons#Remove unsourced or poorly sourced negative material|defamatory comment about a living person]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Pagana&diff=74713507&oldid=74532842 |title=User talk:Pagana: Difference between revisions |publisher=English Wikipedia |date=<!-- 09:47 --> 9 September 2006 |accessdate=12 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nabble.com/AFD-courtesy-problem-t939597.html |title=AFD courtesy problem |first=Jimmy |last=Wales |authorlink=Jimmy Wales |publisher=English Wikipedia, Nabble Forums |date=17 January 2006 |accessdate=12 June 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217062938/http://www.nabble.com/AFD-courtesy-problem-t939597.html |archivedate=17 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 

It ''is'' acceptable to correct the formatting in order to retain consistency with the bulleted indentation.  It is also acceptable to note the contribution history of a new user or suspected sockpuppet as an aid to the closing admin.

If, in a deletion discussion, you refer to [[Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines|Wikipedia policies or guidelines]], you are responsible for making a [[WP:AGF|good faith]] effort to represent those policies or guidelines accurately. Policies and guidelines reflect widespread community [[WP:CONSENSUS|consensus]]. If you disagree with a guideline, you should raise your concern on the guideline's talk page; contradicting or misrepresenting policies and guidelines in deletion discussions is [[Wikipedia:Disruptive editing|disruptive]] of the discussion process.

=== Closure ===
:''Main articles: [[Wikipedia:Deletion guidelines for administrators]] and [[Wikipedia:Deletion process]]''
After seven days, links to discussions are automatically moved from [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion#Current discussions]] to the below section [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion#Old discussions|Old discussions]]. Depending on the backlog, a discussion may remain open for several more days, during which it is still acceptable to add comments to the discussion.  A volunteer (the "closing admin") will review the article, carefully read the discussion, weigh all the facts, evidence and arguments presented and determine if consensus was reached on the fate of the article.

The desired standard is [[Wikipedia:Deletion guidelines for administrators#Rough consensus|rough consensus]], not [[unanimity]]. Please also note that closing admins are expected and required to exercise their judgment in order to make sure that the decision reached by the community complies with the spirit of all Wikipedia policy and with the project goal.  A good admin will transparently explain how they determined consensus.

Common outcomes are "speedy keep" or "keep" or "merge" or "redirect" or "userfy/draftify" or "delete" or "speedy delete". Discussions which fail to reach rough consensus, so that the community could not decide either for or against a particular action are closed as "no consensus"; this means that no particular action is taken, defaulting to the article being kept. The closing statement may also include a strong recommendation for an additional action such as a "merge" or "redirect".  In many cases, keeping or deleting may be conditional on the community's acceptance of the additional action. These recommendations do represent the community consensus and also should not be overturned lightly. However, these are actions which can be taken by any editor and do not require "admin powers".  If they are challenged, the closure should be discussed and decided on the respective article Talk pages.  A second deletion discussion is unnecessary.

The discussion is preserved for future reference in accordance with the [[Wikipedia:deletion process|deletion process]], both for consultation as non-binding precedent and for determining when a previously deleted article has been re-created. In some rare cases in the past, deletion discussions have been blanked as a courtesy, leaving the history available (example: the 2005 {{Diff|Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Rational objectivism|prev|37001030|deletion discussion for Rational objectivism}}; however, [[bugzilla:4776|discussions are no longer indexed by web search engines]].)  The closing admin will also perform any necessary actions to implement the outcome. If the consensus is to merge the article and the merger would be non-trivial, it is acceptable for the admin to only begin the [[WP:Proposed mergers|proposed article merger process]] by use of appropriate templates (if consensus is not clear on merger target, use {{tl|Afd-merge required}}; if merger target is clear, use both {{tl|Afd-merge to}} on source page and {{tl|Afd-merge from}} on destination talk page).

== Recommendations and outcomes ==
{{shortcut|WP:AFDR}}
Your vote should be made in '''bold'''.
* '''Delete''' means simply that the user thinks the article should be deleted. They may state reasons or simply leave it at this statement. Because the deletion process is a discussion and not a vote, simply stating "delete" without any further comment is discouraged.
* '''Keep''' means simply that the user thinks the article should not be deleted. They may state reasons or simply leave it at this statement. Because the deletion process is a discussion and not a vote, simply stating "keep" without any further comment is discouraged.
* '''Merge''' is a recommendation to '''keep''' the article's content but to move it into some more appropriate article.  It is either inappropriate or insufficient for a stand-alone article.  After the merger, the article will be replaced with a redirect to the target article (in order to preserve the attribution history).
* '''Redirect''' is a recommendation to '''keep''' the article's history but to blank the content and replace it with a [[Help:redirect|redirect]].  Users who want to see the article's history destroyed should explicitly recommend '''Delete then Redirect'''.
* '''[[Wikipedia:Userfication|Userfy]]'''/'''Draftify''' is a recommendation to [[Help:Renaming (moving) a page|move]] the article to either a subpage of the author's user page or the [[WP:Draft namespace|Draft namespace]].  Wikipedia allows greater leniency in the userspace than the main article space.  The resultant redirect is always deleted.

=== Outcome summary ===
This table summarizes the end state of several aspects of a page: its page history, the article itself, its status as a stand-alone article as opposed to a redirect, and how much content is retained.

{|
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Delete'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Redirect'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Merge'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Keep'''
|-
| Page history||Deleted||Kept||Kept||Kept
|-
| Article state||Deleted||Replaced with redirect||Replaced with redirect<ref group="t" name="move">If necessary, the resulting redirect may be removed per [[Wikipedia:Merge and delete]].</ref>||Kept
|-
| Stand-alone article||No||No||No||Yes
|-
| Content||0%||0%||0–100%||100%
|-
|
|}

<references group="t" />

===One bolded vote===
While editors are encouraged to discuss the deletion, a bolded AfD recommendation ("'''Delete'''", "'''Keep'''", etc.) should be left only once by an editor in a deletion discussion unless the previous one is [[Help:Wiki markup#Show deleted or inserted text|struck]]. Editors may leave multiple recommendations as alternatives when unsure, for instance "'''Merge''' or '''redirect'''".

== If you disagree with the consensus ==
The consensus of the community about an article's disposition is generally respected, and should not be overturned or disregarded lightly. Sometimes, however, users disagree with the consensus arrived at in the AfD quite strongly. If you disagree with the consensus, it is a good idea to first try to understand why the community made its decision. You may find that its reasoning was sensible. However, if you remain unsatisfied with the community's decision, there are a few options open to you.

If you think that an article was wrongly ''kept'' after the AfD, you could wait to see if the article is improved to overcome your objections; if it isn't, you can renominate it for deletion. If and when you do renominate, be careful to say why you think the reasons proffered for keeping the article are poor, and why you think the article must be deleted.

If you think that an article was wrongly ''deleted'', you can recreate the article. If you do decide to recreate it, pay careful attention to the reasons that were proffered for deletion. Overcome the objections, and show that your new, improved work meets Wikipedia article policies. It can help to write down the reasons you think the article belongs on Wikipedia on the article's discussion page. If you manage to improve on the earlier version of the article and overcome its (perceived) shortcomings, the new article cannot be [[WP:CSD|speedily deleted]], and any attempt to remove it again must be settled before the community, on AfD.

Finally, if you are unsatisfied with the outcome of an AfD because you believe that a ''procedural issue'' interfered with the AfD or with the implementation of its outcome, you can challenge the closure at [[Wikipedia:Deletion review]], where deletions are reviewed by the community over a period of seven days. The consensus reached at this forum has the authority to overturn AfD closures. Note, however, that by long tradition and consensus, Deletion review only addresses procedural problems that may have hampered an AfD. For example, if the participants of an AfD arrived at one decision but the closing administrator wrongly executed another, a consensus at Deletion review can overturn the administrator's action. It must be emphasized that the review exists to address ''procedural'' (or "process") problems in AfDs that either made it difficult for the community to achieve a consensus, or prevented a consensus that was achieved from being correctly applied. ''It does not exist to override community consensus''. If the outcome of the AfD was arrived at fairly and applied adequately, it is unlikely that the closure will be overturned after a review. For more information, please see [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy#Deletion review]].

== Can I recreate an article that was deleted in the past? ==
{{shortcut|WP:RADP}}

Articles that have been deleted in the past generally should not be re-created unless the reason for deletion is specifically addressed (for information on determining the reason why the page was deleted, see [[Wikipedia:Why was the page I created deleted?]]). If the article was deleted at [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion]], you should read the full deletion discussion before re-creating. Articles that are re-created without any substantial changes can be re-deleted immediately (see [[Wikipedia:CSD#G4|CSD G4]]). This applies regardless of whether you wrote the original article. If you are uncertain whether your new article will adequately address the original reasons for deletion, you may wish to create a draft version of it in [[Help:My sandbox|your sandbox]] and then request feedback at [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy#Deletion review|deletion review]]. Some example scenarios:
* If an article was deleted because it infringes copyright ([[WP:CSD#G12|G12]]), it may be recreated if you rewrite the article entirely in your own words. See [[Wikipedia:Copy-paste]].
* If an article was deleted because it was advertising or promotion ([[WP:CSD#G11|G11]]), it may be recreated if it is rewritten from a [[WP:NPOV|neutral point of view]], avoiding any promotional language.
* If an article was deleted because it included no assertion of significance ([[WP:CSD#A7|A7]]), it may be recreated if you include an explanation of why the subject is important or significant.
* If an article was deleted because the subject was not [[WP:N|notable]], but since that time many more independent [[WP:RS|reliable sources]] discussing them have been found or published, you can re-create the article if you include these new additional sources.
* If an article was deleted because it was [[Wikipedia:Proposed deletion of biographies of living people|a biography of a living person with no sources]], you may recreate it if you include reliable sources.
* Articles deleted for any of the following reasons may be re-created as a new, completely rewritten article at any time:
** patent nonsense ([[WP:CSD#G1|G1]]), vandalism ([[WP:CSD#G3|G3]]), test page ([[WP:CSD#G2|G2]]), author requested deletion ([[WP:CSD#G7|G7]]), attack page ([[WP:CSD#G10|G10]]), no context ([[WP:CSD#A1|A1]]), no content ([[WP:CSD#A3|A3]])

In some cases, articles may be deleted for erroneous reasons. For example, the deletion summary may claim that the article included no assertion of significance, but in fact the article did explain why the subject is significant. In this case, contact the administrator who deleted it, or request undeletion at [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy#Deletion review|deletion review]].

Note that if you copy and paste text from a deleted article (that you did not write yourself) into a new article, you should visit [[Wikipedia:Cut and paste move repair holding pen]] to request an administrator to repair the history and correctly give credit to all authors. Articles that are restored via [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy#Deletion review|deletion review]] will automatically include the original history.

Articles that are deleted by the Wikimedia Foundation for legal reasons (see [[Wikipedia:Office actions]]) should never be re-created without the Foundation's explicit approval.

== Shorthands ==
{{see also|Wikipedia:Glossary}}
{{further|Wikipedia:List of policies and guidelines to cite in deletion debates}}
As discussed above, experienced Wikipedians use specialized jargon in an effort to communicate efficiently. Often, if a Wikipedian uses capitalized letter abbreviations, you can find what they are talking about by affixing <code>WP:</code> in front of their capitalized abbreviation and searching for an article of that name. "NPOV", for example, can be found at [[WP:NPOV]]. Be sure to match capitalization. Other examples of shorthand in general include:
;[[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion|Articles for deletion]] {{nobold|or}} AfD: The place on Wikipedia where people discuss whether an article should be deleted. It includes '''[[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion#Before nominating: checks and alternatives|BEFORE]]''' which states that alternatives to deletion must be considered before deletion. It also includes [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy#Alternatives to deletion|'''Alternatives to deletion''']] or '''ATD''' which outlines the alternatives to deletion.
;[[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons|Biographies of living persons]] {{nobold|or}} BLP: A policy which outlines the rules around adding information on living people to Wikipedia.
;[[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons#Subjects notable only for one event|BLP1E]]: A policy-level norm that low-profile individuals covered only in the context of a single event, when their role was not substantial or well-documented (or the event itself wasn't even significant), must not be subjects of standalone articles.
;Copyvio {{nobold|or}} CV: The user thinks the article is a [[Wikipedia:Copyright problems|copyright violation]]. In general, the copyvio deletion process takes precedence over the AfD process.
;-cruft {{nobold|(for example, "[[Wikipedia:fancruft|fancruft]]", "gamecruft" or "forumcruft")}}: Shorthand for "This article is trivia of interest only to hardcore fans of a specific film, television series, book, game, pop singer, web forum, etc".
;Delete: The user thinks the article should be deleted. They may state reasons or simply leave it at this statement. Because the deletion process is a discussion and not a vote, simply stating "delete" without any further comment is discouraged.
;Deprodded: The article was ''[[Wikipedia:Proposed deletion|proposed for deletion]]'' (or "prodded", see below), but someone contested this by removing the {{tl|prod}} message from the article.
;Dicdef: Shorthand for "This is a dictionary definition and [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a dictionary|Wikipedia is not a dictionary]]".
;[[Wikipedia:Drafts|Draftify]]: A recommendation to [[Help:Renaming (moving) a page|move]] the article to draft space. Wikipedia allows somewhat greater leniency in the draft space than the main article space. The resultant redirect is always deleted.
;[[Wikipedia:Notability#General notability guideline|General notability guideline]] {{nobold|or}} GNG: Standard under which a topic that has received significant coverage in [[WP:reliable sources|reliable sources]] that are [[WP:Independent sources|independent]] of the subject is presumed to be suitable for a stand-alone article or list. 
;Essay {{nobold|and}} original research {{nobold|(}}OR{{nobold|)}}: Shorthand for an opinion that an article contravenes the [[Wikipedia:no original research|no original research]] policy or is an essay that promotes a particular point of view, contravening the [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|neutral point of view policy]]. Both policies are fundamental Wikipedia policies.
;[[Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines#Role|Essays]]: The opinion or advice of an editor or group of editors for which widespread consensus has not been established. See [[WP:EDIR]] for a directory of essays.
;[[Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines#Role|Guidelines]]: Sets of best practices that are supported by consensus. Editors should attempt to follow guidelines, though they are best treated with common sense, and occasional exceptions may apply.
;Keep: The user thinks the article should not be deleted. They may state reasons or simply leave it at this statement. Because the deletion process is a discussion and not a vote, simply stating "keep" without any further comment is discouraged.
;Merge: A recommendation to '''keep''' the article's content but to move it into some more appropriate article. It means the editor thinks the article content is either inappropriate or insufficient for a stand-alone article. After the merger, the article will be replaced with a redirect to the target article (in order to preserve the attribution history).
;[[Wikipedia:Avoid neologisms|Neologism]] {{nobold|or}} [[Wikipedia:Avoid protologisms|protologism]]: The user considers an article to be about a word or phrase that is not well-established enough to merit a Wikipedia article. This could be a [[neologism]] (a recent word) or a [[protologism]] (a brand-new word coined in a small community but not used outside it).
;[[Wikipedia:Notability|Notability]] {{nobold|or}} WP{{Colon}}N: A test used by editors to decide whether a given topic warrants its own article.
;[[Wikipedia:Notability (people)|Notability (people)]] {{nobold|or}} NBIO: A guideline for [[Wikipedia:Notability|notability]] of people, it includes '''[[Wikipedia:Notability (people)#Any biography|ANYBIO]]''', '''[[Wikipedia:Notability (people)#Basic criteria|BASIC]]: and [[Wikipedia:Notability (people)#Creative professionals|CREATIVE]].
;[[Wikipedia:Notability (events)|Notability (events)]] {{nobold|or}} NEVENT: A guideline that outlines the notability criteria for events. It includes [[Wikipedia:Notability (events)#Inclusion criteria|'''event inclusion criteria''']] also called '''EVENTCRIT'''.
;Non-[[Wikipedia:Notability|notable]] {{nobold|or}} nn: The user thinks the subject fails to meet Wikipedia's [[Wikipedia:Notability|inclusion guidelines]] because it is an obscure topic that is not documented by multiple independent reliable sources.
;NOTNEWS: The policy that Wikipedia is [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a newspaper|not a newspaper]].
;[[Wikipedia:patent nonsense|Patent nonsense]]: Total nonsense or content that, while apparently intended to mean something, is so confusing that no reasonable person can be expected to make any sense of it
;Per nomination{{nobold|,}} per nominator{{nobold|, or simply}} per nom: The user agrees with and wishes to express the same viewpoint as the user who nominated the article for deletion.
;per <nowiki><user></nowiki>: The user agrees with the reasoning or comments of the other user named, who will have commented earlier in the discussion, and wishes to express the same opinion.
;[[Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines#Role|Policy]]: Pages that have wide acceptance among editors and describe standards that all users should [[wikipedia:Ignore all rules|normally]] follow.
;POV: The user considers the article's title and/or the article's mere existence to be inherently biased and to violate Wikipedia's [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|neutral-point-of-view policy]].
;POV fork: Shorthand for "This article is on the same topic as an existing article and was created in an attempt to evade the spirit of [[WP:NPOV]]."
;Prodded: The article was previously ''[[Wikipedia:Proposed deletion|proposed for deletion]]'', a half-way house between [[Wikipedia:Speedy deletion|speedy deletion]] and [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion|Articles for deletion]] for uncontroversial proposals. The name comes from the {{tl|prod}} template the process uses.
;Protect {{nobold|or}} salt the Earth {{nobold|("}}salt{{nobold|")}}: The user thinks that the article, if deleted, should be [[WP:PP|protected against recreation]]. This is for cases where the article may be persistently re-created.
;Redirect: A recommendation to '''keep''' the article's history but to blank the content and replace it with a [[Help:redirect|redirect]]. Users who want to see the article's history made unavailable to the general public should explicitly recommend '''delete then redirect'''.
;Smerge: "Slight merge" or "selective merge", and is used when a user thinks the article's topic deserves mention in another article, but doesn't think that all of the information is needed (or wanted). This is a recommendation for merging the essentials of an article, but not the whole thing.
;Speedy delete{{nobold|,}} speedy {{nobold|or}} CSD: The user thinks the article qualifies for one of the narrow speedy deletion criteria. If there are no objections, the deletion discussion may be closed early. If the decision is contested, the AfD discussion continues. See also: [[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion]].
;Speedy keep: Rarely but thoroughly used. It implies that the user thinks the nomination was in bad-faith (vandalism, disruption, edits by banned users, and so forth) and that the deletion discussion can be closed early. See also [[Wikipedia:Speedy keep]]. It is sometimes, even more rarely, used for cases where a discussion has led to all parties being in favour of keeping. However, that is usually not indicated by a third party coming along and using a shorthand.
;Snowball: A request for application of the [[Wikipedia:snowball clause]] (for either keeping or deletion). However, an AfD should be closed early only by reference to [[Wikipedia:Speedy keep]] or [[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion]].
;[[Wikipedia:Too soon|Too soon]] {{nobold|or}} TOOSOON: An essay (not a policy). This indicates that the subject of the article might be notable in the future, but isn't yet.
;TNT {{nobold|or}} [[Wikipedia:Blow it up and start over|blow it up and start over]]: An essay (not a policy) that suggests articles should be deleted even if the topic is notable if the content is not repairable.
;Transwiki: A recommendation to [[m:Transwiki|copy]] the article to a sister project in Wikimedia (such as [[Wiktionary]], [[Wikisource]], [[Wikibooks]], or one of the foreign language projects) and remove it from Wikipedia, either by deleting it or redirecting it to another article. It has also been used to recommend a transfer to a wiki aimed at a more specific audience (for example, [[Wookieepedia]] for [[Star Wars]] topics, [[WikiFur:|WikiFur]] for [[furry fandom]] topics).
;[[Wikipedia:Userfication|Userfy]]: A recommendation to [[Help:Renaming (moving) a page|move]] the article to the author's user page. Wikipedia allows somewhat greater leniency in the userspace than the main article space. The resultant redirect is always deleted.
;Vanity: Suggests that an article was created to promote the author or some topic associated with the author. This term is discouraged because it is easy to interpret as an attack against the author, and has caused problems for the Wikimedia Foundation.<ref>See http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Incidents&diff=prev&oldid=194204663</ref>
;[[WP:POINT]]: The rule that one should not disrupt Wikipedia to make a point.
;{{User:Jruderman/Template full-URL wiktionary link|https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/without_prejudice|Without prejudice}}: When used in Wikipedia AfD debates, it suggests that the result of this particular debate does not preclude a particular option (for example, without prejudice of re-creation) and should NOT be used as an example in other and future AfD debates due to its unique situation or issues.
;[[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not|What Wikipedia is not]]: A policy which outlines what Wikipedia isn't, it includes [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|'''NOTTRAVEL''']] and [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a soapbox or means of promotion|'''PROMO''']].
;Withdraw: The nominator withdraws their deletion proposal, usually because the article has been improved enough to address the initial concerns, or because the nominator changed their mind after seeing the counter arguments.

As a courtesy, when dealing with articles written by new contributors, one should avoid shorthand to facilitate their learning Wikipedia policy and improve their future contributions.

== Miscellaneous advice ==
* If you are the nominator of an article for deletion, your desire to delete it is assumed (unless you specify that you are neutral, and nominating for other reasons). Because of this, you do not get to [[WP:!VOTE|!vote]] (that is, for the second time) in your own AfD.
* If you expect the AfD page will be edited by newcomers to Wikipedia (perhaps because the article is linked from some visible place outside Wikipedia), or if you notice this happening, you might want to insert the {{tlx|Not a ballot}} template into it.
* If you are not logged in, you will not be able to create the AfD discussion page. You could either [[Special:UserLogin|log in, sign up]], or [[Wikipedia:Request an account|request an account]] first, or request that a logged in user complete the nomination on the article talk page.
* It is recommended that you describe the steps you have taken to check that your nomination is appropriate, including any search for reliable sources you have done. This may avoid duplication of effort and prevent your nomination from being labelled as spurious or thoughtless.

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=35em}}
* [[:Category:Pages for discussion]]
* [[Wikipedia:Centralized discussion]] for a number of discussions on groups of articles
* [[Wikipedia:Google test]] for a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of Google hit-counts as supporting evidence
* [[Wikipedia:Alternative outlets|Alternative outlets to recreate deleted articles]]
* [[Wikipedia:Arguments to avoid in deletion discussions|Arguments to avoid in deletion discussions]]
* [[Wikipedia:Arguments to avoid in image deletion discussions|Arguments to avoid in image deletion discussions]]
* [[Wikipedia:Closing discussions|Closing discussions]]
* [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Common outcomes|Deletion common outcomes]]
* [[Wikipedia:Deletion guidelines for administrators|Deletion guidelines for administrators]]
* [[Wikipedia:Deletion policy|Deletion policy]]
* [[Wikipedia:Deletion process|Deletion process]]
* [[Wikipedia:Deletion review|Deletion review]]
* [[User:GRBerry/DRVGuide|Deletion review guide]]
* [[Wikipedia:Introduction to deletion process|Introduction to deletion process]]
* [[Wikipedia:Undeletion policy|Undeletion policy]]
* [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion#How to list pages for deletion|How to list pages for deletion]]
* [[Wikipedia:Oversight]] describes the policy of removal of personal information
* [[Wikipedia:Requests for oversight]] to request the use of oversight
* [[Wikipedia:How to delete a page|How to delete a page]]
* [[WP:IMPROVEDONTREMOVE]]
{{Div col end}}

== Notes ==
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