This is an essay on notability and the deletion policy. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

This essay in a nutshell: The presumption of notability is an assumption that a topic is notable enough to have its own Wikipedia article. We assume that a topic is notable if it has received significant coverage in secondary and independent reliable sources. The presumption is rebuttable; editors can show that it does not apply to a topic or that the topic does not otherwise warrant a Wikipedia article. Before beginning the deletion process, the burden is on the editor who wants to delete the article to conduct a search and explain why the presumption does not apply. During a deletion discussion, any editor who wants to keep an article must show that the topic is notable.

The general notability guideline creates a presumption of notability. The presumption makes an assumption about what articles are noteworthy enough to have a Wikipedia article. The presumption is rebuttable; editors can show that it does not apply to a topic or that the topic does not otherwise warrant a Wikipedia article. Before beginning the deletion process, an editor proposing or nominating an article for deletion (the "deleter") must first show that the presumption does not apply; during a deletion discussion, any editor advocating to keep an article (a "keeper") must show that it does. The deleter may also show that even if the presumption does apply, an article should not be created on a particular topic if it is inconsistent with Wikipedia's purposes.

Defining the presumption

The presumption of notability is an assumption that a topic is notable enough to have its own Wikipedia article if it has received significant coverage in secondary and independent reliable sources. ^[a] This assumption exists because the Wikipedia community has reached a consensus that significant coverage in secondary and independent reliable sources usually indicates that a topic is worthy of note and because most things are not inherently notable.

The presumption applies to topics that receive significant coverage in secondary and independent reliable sources. This is because the presumption focuses on topics, not articles. A topic is not notable just because a Wikipedia article about it exists. Similarly, a topic may be notable even if an article is poorly sourced.

Applying the presumption

The presumption of notability is rebuttable, meaning that it can be argued that it does not apply to a particular topic or that a Wikipedia article should not otherwise be created for a topic, even if notable. Before beginning the deletion process the initial burden is on the deleter to show that the presumption is inapplicable; the burden then shifts to keepers, who must show that the presumption applies.

The deleter is expected to conduct due diligence through a search for sources before proposing (via proposed deletion [PROD]) or nominating (at articles for deletion [AfD]) an article for deletion. ^[b] A search showing a lack of sources meets the deleter's burden. Generally, when using PROD or at AfD, the deleter must explain that they conducted a search and explain why the sources that they found do not warrant applying the presumption. ^[c]

Once a deletion discussion at AfD is started, the keepers usually must prove that a topic is notable. ^[d] The keepers have that burden because information on Wikipedia, including a claim of notability, must be verified in reliable sources. The keepers can usually show that a topic is notable by explaining why there are enough reliable sources with significant coverage to write an article on the topic. ^[e]

See also

• Wikipedia:Deletion policy
• Wikipedia:Existence ≠ Notability
• Wikipedia:Inclusion is not an indicator of notability
• Wikipedia:But there must be sources!
• Wikipedia:Subjective importance
• Wikipedia:Arguments to make in deletion discussions

Notes