How does disclosed COI editing work on Wikipedia?
An editor discloses the paid or affiliated relationship on their user page and on the relevant article Talk page, then submits proposed changes through the Talk page or Articles for Creation for community editor review.
Disclosed COI editing follows a structured process. Step one: the editor creates a Wikipedia user account and posts the disclosure on their user page, naming the employer, client, and affiliation, in compliance with the terms of use. Step two: when proposing changes to an article, the editor posts a Talk-page edit request that clearly identifies the proposed wording, the existing wording it would replace, and the reliable secondary sources that support the change. Step three: independent community editors review the proposal on its merits – sourcing, neutrality, weight – and either implement it, modify it, or decline it. The editor with the COI does not implement the change themselves. Done this way, the process is transparent, the article changes are made by uninvolved editors with no skin in the game, and the result holds up to scrutiny. Done any other way, the work is fragile and frequently does the opposite of what the client wanted.
Last reviewed: 19/05/2026