wikiHow Content Management

Editorial Values: Crafted by People for People

At wikiHow, our Content Management Team consists of skilled editors and writers dedicated to crafting in-depth, reliable, and trustworthy how-to resources. We achieve this through first-hand subject-matter expertise, rigorous sourcing standards, and a thorough, multilayered review process done by our experienced content management team. Furthermore, our articles are verified by experts from diverse fields to ensure the highest level of accuracy and trustworthiness.

We never use AI or programs to write our articles, as we believe a human-first approach to writing is integral to the quality of our content. We coach our team to always keep our readers in mind, and to write in ways that connect with their experiences. Our unique editorial process combines trustworthiness, accuracy, and empathy to create the best how-to content on the internet.

Content Management Team

Since 2005, we've committed to our step-by-step teaching approach ensuring our content creation process is optimized for learning. Our Content Management Team works closely with our team of full-time writers, article reviewers, fact-checkers, and expert partners to create credible and helpful content.

Isabel
Spahn

BA in Literature & Writing, Towson University

Isabel Spahn has worked at various digital media companies, landing at wikiHow as the head of content. She believes that access to information is one of the most important aspects of a healthy society. She loves being part of a team that believes in making content that is clear, accessible, and accurate. She believes strongly in the mission that we can help everyone on the planet learn how to do anything.

Kyle
Hall

BA in Political Science,
Eckerd College

Kyle Hall works on the content team at wikiHow. He helps manage our team of editors and creates content for a variety of wikiHow projects. He also reviews articles created by the editing team and works on new content experiments. Kyle continually looks for ways to improve the content at wikiHow by making it as helpful and engaging as possible. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Eckerd College in 2015.

Sophia
Bell

BA in English,
Colorado State University

Sophia Bell believes in lifelong learning and making information accessible to all people, everywhere. At wikiHow, she works on various content projects, including managing our editors and reviewing articles. She delights in helping readers worldwide achieve their goals with clear, straightforward advice and guidance. Sophia also worked as a technical editor on six International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Annual Reports.

Caroline
Heiderscheit

BA in American Studies,
Stanford University

Caroline Heiderscheit is an enthusiastic member of team content who loves collaborating with wikiHow’s incredible writing staff to create accessible, exhaustive, and empathetic how-to guides for everyone to enjoy. For two years, Caroline worked as a developmental editor for first-time novelists. Now, she enjoys helping wikiHow writers develop their own unique voice through social guides, astrology deep-dives, and personality quizzes.

Talia
Kertsman

BA in Geography,
University of Washington

Talia Kertsman graduated from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 2022 with a double major in Geography and Community, Environment, and Planning. She believes that everyone should be able to participate in the teaching and learning process online and brings this passion to the Notable Co-Author Project, increasing the trust and reliability of wikiHow’s content while building relationships with industry experts.

Thomas
Churchill

BA in Intl. Relations, Stanford University

Thomas Churchill graduated from Stanford University in 2018 with a BA in International Relations. Thomas directs the Notable Co-Author Project, an effort to recruit and connect professional expertise to wikiHow articles and the platform’s greater community. Thomas is passionate about empowering people of all backgrounds to learn about any topic, and he works to create the best advice possible for users around the world.

Staff Co-Author Editorial Process

We believe in a people-centric approach—that’s why all wikiHow articles are written by our team of experienced writers and editors, monitored by our community of how-to and DIY enthusiasts, and reviewed by our network of real-life expert partners. Each article is researched, tested, and edited by our in-house content management team to ensure readers get the very best information in the most simple and effective way. Also, every article goes through at least one round of review to ensure quality and accuracy before it is published. Once articles are live, we carefully track and update them to ensure we’ve created the best possible content for our readers.

We continually update our content to ensure it is accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date. Additionally, we update content based on reader and community feedback, as well as proprietary quantitative measures of reader satisfaction to identify which articles need to be improved.

1 RESEARCH

Content Managers research the article topic, identify trustworthy sources to cite, and work to understand the readers’ needs.

2 ORGANIZE

Writers break up long, complex processes into manageable steps. They separate out multiple methods, when possible.

3 WRITE

Writers consider the audience for each article, and write steps in ways that are inclusive of many ages, backgrounds, and reading levels.

4 REVIEW

Every article is reviewed at least once by Content Managers, to check for accuracy, clarity, and comprehensiveness.

1. Researching

Understanding the Audience

We train writers to identify the correct audience for each how-to article and to understand the specific needs of the reader. For every query, they answer questions including:

What is the urgency of the topic?
What type of problem is the reader trying to solve?
What are the immediate concerns of the reader?
What information will help the reader effectively achieve their goals?

Using Authoritative & Credible Sources

Our writers cross-check facts, investigate the credibility of authors, and use wikiHow’s curated list of trusted sources. Proper sourcing not only means using multiple sources, but higher-quality ones. Our writers are trained to select:

Sources containing evidence-based information
Sources produced by individuals with credentials or relevant experience
Advocacy organization sites
Government-sponsored sites
Academic and peer-reviewed publications

2. Organizing

Articles are structured in a way that allows readers to learn the task at hand easily and comprehensively.

We restructure long or complex processes into shorter logical steps. This allows readers to digest the information in manageable chunks, and makes processes easier to follow along.

Writers also make sure to organize content into the most user-friendly format. Articles may be formatted as process-based parts, alternative methods that can help the reader achieve the same goal, lists of options, or sections that answer the reader’s pressing questions and provide them with all the information they need to complete their task or goal. Utilizing various formats makes it more likely that every reader will find a solution that works for them.

3. Writing

Writers create clear, action-oriented steps, followed by additional text that explains underlying concepts for readers who want more information. Readers not only learn how to take action, but they gain a deeper understanding of the article topic.

We also train writers to consider the unique audience of each article, and tailor the vocabulary, structure, and tone to suit the needs of the intended reader. They also work to create content that is inclusive and accessible to people of a variety of backgrounds, ages, genders, and reading levels.

4. Review

Every article is reviewed by an article reviewer, fact checker, or expert partner. During the review step the credibility, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of the article is examined. We do this by verifying the sources, ensuring the article meets certain editorial standards, and by utilizing the expertise of our expert network. The goal is to make articles as helpful, comprehensive, and well-researched as possible with a focus on first-hand experience and knowledge. In addition, wikiHow’s Content Management Team continually evaluates reader feedback and data trends to improve existing content and to create new content based on what works well for our readers.

Utilizing Fact Checkers

Fact Checkers provide an additional layer of review, looking to ensure that factual information is accurate, and that the sources cited are trustworthy and reliable.

Collaborating with Experts

Our Content Management team works with industry-leading experts to ensure that our articles are accurate, up-to-date, and backed by current research. Working closely with our editorial team, wikiHow's experts enhance article content, provide advice, and answer reader questions. Experts participate in a combination of written, verbal, and video interviews to verify claims and add engaging testimony to our articles. A team of hand-picked experts—members of our innovative Brand Ambassador program—carefully reviews newly written and updated articles each week to ensure their quality and credibility. Our expert network is constantly growing and to date features more than 1600 expert collaborators.

Our Editorial Values

Every new article adheres to a robust set of editorial values in order to provide you with a comprehensive and reliable learning resource.

Editorial
Values

AUTHORITATIVE

Reputable Sources
Expert Interviews
Personal Testimonies

COMPREHENSIVE

Multiple Methods

INSTRUCTIVE

Custom Illustrations
Videos
Quizzes

RELATABLE

Empathetic
Honest

INTUITIVE

Step-by-Step

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