Guidelines:Getting Started

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Overview
Zelda Wiki, just like any other wiki, has its own lot of policies and unique ways of documenting information on the games it covers. This guideline is here to show you how we do things and how you can get started helping out. If you are interested in working alongside us, you are invited to join the Zelda Wiki Discord server! The staff would like to thank you for taking the time to help us with covering these games.

The Basics

  1. Articles are written in-universe, and there should be no mentions of "the player" or "the game". For example, the sentence "Walk through the river and pull the Switch. This removes the lock on the door and you can proceed." is not accepted, and should instead be "Link walks through the river and pulls the Switch. This removes the lock on the door, allowing him to proceed." There are exceptions to this for articles that deal in out-of-universe details (such as StreetPass).
  2. Zelda Wiki documents the North American English canon of the series. (see here for a more in-depth explanation on canonicity in The Legend of Zelda.)
  3. Games are usually written with their initialisms (for example, Ocarina of Time is usually written as OoT). To link to the page of a Zelda game, use curly brackets surrounding the game's initialism (for example, {{OoT}} to generate Ocarina of Time). If you need to refer to the game but not link to it (ie: you have already linked to it once in the same section of the article) you can append |- just before the closing brackets ({{OoT|-}} returns with Ocarina of Time). Each game has their own template to use for linking to the game.
  4. When uploading images, all files should follow the same pre-established format: File:<game> <topic> <filetype>.png
    For instance, if you were to upload a cropped screenshot of the Tail Key from Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch, you would upload it as: File:LANS Tail Key Model.png
    If you were to upload the inventory icon (or sprite) of the Tail Key, you would upload it as: File:LANS Tail Key Icon.png
    (see here to learn more about image policies and uploading standards.)
  5. Because The Legend of Zelda series is over 30 years old and most of the characters and items are recurring across all of its games but with different names, Zelda Wiki has come up with templates and modules to help maintain the canon of the series for each game. When linking or referring to a topic, the {{Term}} template should be used. For instances where the plural form of a term is needed, the {{Plural}} template exists and functions identically to {{Term}}, outputting the plural form of a term. (See here and here for more information on how to use the Term template.)
  6. Items and Objects are distinguished between whether they are obtained and put into the inventory in any capacity (for example, Sword, Shield, Hookshot, Rupees, etc). If not, we typically refer to things as objects instead (for example, Jars, Trees, Signs, etc.).

Editing Pages

First off, are you editing the Zelda Wiki on Mobile or PC? The following two sections will explain how to edit a page on each version. Please note that Zelda Wiki editing is best done on a PC and editing on Mobile can be more difficult, as well as lacking some features. For editing on a PC, click here. For editing on Mobile, tap here

Before you save your edit, you should read through the rest of this article so you know how editing works.

Editing on PC

So you've found a page that you want to edit. To do this, go to the top of the page and click the option that says "edit". (You can find this to the left of the search bar.) This pulls up the editing box with all the code of the page. From here, edit the article how you see fit (as long as it is within the realm of Zelda Wiki's Guidelines). But don't save just yet! You'll want to make sure that the edit is okay, and that there are no broken images, or that nothing else is messed up.

From here, click "Show preview" underneath the edit box. This will allow you to see the edits before you save them. Check to make sure that everything is in order (and sometimes spelling errors are easier to notice here). It is also preferred for the "Edit summary" to be used. Under the edit box where it says "Summary:", simply type a short summary of the edit you've made (for example, "Fixed 'als' to 'also'"), then click "Save page". This will save your edits for everyone to see! Congratulations!

In a nutshell, the basic steps for editing are:

  1. Click "edit" and make the changes in the edit box.
  2. Change the edit summary to detail the edit you've made.
  3. Click "show preview" and make sure that everything is working as it should.
  4. Click "save page".

Editing on Mobile

So you've found a page that you want to edit. To do this, go to the top of the page and tap the pencil icon on the right side underneath the page name. This pulls up the editing screen, where you can make changes to pages. From here, edit the article how you see fit (as long as it is within the realm of Zelda Wiki's Guidelines). Then, tap "Next" at the top of the page.

You will then be shown your edits before you save them. Check to make sure that everything is in order (and sometimes spelling errors are easier to notice here). It is also preferred for the "Edit summary" to be used. At the top of the page where it says "How did you improve the page?", simply type a short summary of the edit you've made (for example, "Fixed 'als' to 'also'"), then tap "Save" in the top right. This will save your edits for everyone to see! Congratulations!

In a nutshell, the basic steps for editing are:

  1. Tap "edit" and make the changes in the edit box.
  2. Change the edit summary to detail the edit you've made.
  3. Tap "show preview" and make sure that everything is working as it should.
  4. Save your edit.

Basic Code

What you see What you type Notes
Italic Text
''Italic Text''
<i> can also be used, but '' is prefered.
Bold Text
'''Bold Text'''
<b> can also be used, but ''' is prefered.
Bold and Italic Text
'''''Bold and Italic Text'''''
<i><b> can also be used, but ''''' is prefered.
Underline
<u>Underline</u>
Strike out
<s>Strike out</s>
Biggest text, big text, normal text, small text
{{Big|Biggest text|3}}, {{Big|big text}}, normal text, {{Small|small text}}
<big> and <small> can also be used, but the templates are preferred. See {{Big}} and {{Small}} for more info.
Superscript or subscript
<sup>Superscript</sup> or <sub>subscript</sub>
Centered text
<center>Centered text</center>
This is typically only used in tables
A line break won't be registered with only one new line.

This line appears to be in the same paragraph as the previous line.

Two new lines, however, begins a new paragraph.

A line break won't be registered with only one new line.
This line appears to be in the same paragraph as the previous line.

Two new lines, however, begins a new paragraph.
You can break lines
without starting a new paragraph.
You can break lines<br/>without starting a new paragraph.
The <br/> tag creates a line break anywhere and is usually used to separate subjects in Infoboxes.
[[Wiki]] coding '''is not''' {{Small|rendered}}.
<nowiki>[[Wiki]] coding '''is not''' {{Small|rendered}}.</nowiki>
The <nowiki> tag can be used in citations that use symbols that may break wiki formatting.
that isn't shown when viewing the page.
<!-- This is a hidden comment --> that isn't shown when viewing the page.
This can be used to add notes to other editors on pages that shouldn't be read by normal readers.
A typewriter font for monospace text or for computer code
A typewriter font for <kbd>monospace text</kbd> or for <code>computer code</code>
For aesthetic reasons, using <code> where applicable is preferable to using <kbd>.

Linking to Other Pages

As explained above, you should almost always link to pages with the {{Term}} or {{Plural}} templates. However, there are some instances where this is not possible. We have provided a table showing all of the ways that you can link. Linking using brackets should only be used when linking to pages about real-life subjects, for example Merchandise.

Intent What you see What you type Notes
Linking to pages directly Princess Zelda or Princess Zelda
[[Princess Zelda]] or {{Term|Series|Princess Zelda|link}}
The brackets option should only be used when creating redirects. When possible, you should use the {{Term}} option.
Linking while using text that is different from the page name Zelda or Zelda
[[Princess Zelda|Zelda]] or {{Term|Series|Princess Zelda|link|display=Zelda}}
This form of brackets should only be used when linking to subjects outside of the Zelda universe. For in-universe subjects, both {{Term}} and {{Plural}} have the |display= function for this purpose. Add an extra parameter at the end of the template, then follow with what you want to appear.
Linking to pages that have parentheses Ocarina of Time or Ocarina of Time
[[Ocarina of Time (Item)|]] or {{Term|Series|Ocarina of Time (Item)|link}}
As long as you only leave a pipe before the closing brackets, it will take whatever text appears before the parentheses and use that for the text of the link. Keep in mind that {{Term}} should be used and it will automatically remove the parentheses and still link to the correct page.
Linking with text after the link (i.e. using plural terms) Hearts or Hearts
[[Heart]]s or {{Plural|Series|Heart|link}}
For plural links, you can use {{Plural}}. For other cases, we have the |display= function on the templates.
Linking to pages that don't exist This is a link to a page that doesn't exist or Term that doesn't exist
[[This is a link to a page that doesn't exist]] or {{Term|Series|Term that doesn't exist|link}}
If you want to create that page, you could do so by clicking the link. When using {{Term}}, some pages will exist but the term will appear bolded. When hovering the mouse over the term, it will say "Invalid or missing term" and this is because the term has not yet been stored on the page, or there is an error in your code.
Linking to a different namespace that is not Category Talk:Main Page
[[Talk:Main Page]]
These links are perfectly acceptable. The brackets should always be used here and {{Term}} should not be used to link to any pages that aren't in-universe.
Linking to the category namespace :Category:Zelda
[[:Category:Zelda]]
This will add a link to a category, but will not add the page to the category. To add a category to a page, please refer to the {{Categories}} template. (See here for information on when and how to add pages to categories.)
Linking to file pages (instead of displaying files) :File:TFoE King Harkinian.png
[[:File:TFoE King Harkinian.png]]
Removing the colon will simply display the image instead.
Linking to a subpage Talk:Main Page/Archive 7
[[Talk:Main Page/Archive 7]]
The / separates the main page from the subpage.
Linking to external sites Zelda Universe
[https://zeldauniverse.net/ Zelda Universe]
There are other ways to link to external sites, but this is the ideal way. Some pages will have more in-depth articles on different wikis, so templates have been created to provide for those instances.
Creating redirects
#REDIRECT [[PAGENAME]]
Other templates should be used along with this to categorize the redirects. (See here for more information.
Linking to sections of another page Link#Breath of the Wild or Link
[[Link#Breath of the Wild]] or {{Term|BotW|Link|link}}
This is where the Game parameter comes into play in {{Term}} and {{Plural}}. The game abbreviation will automatically link to the section on the page. For non-Zelda articles, using the "#SECTION NAME" should be used.
Linking to sections of the same page #Linking to Other Pages
[[#Linking to Other Pages]]
The part after the "#" must match a section heading on the page. Matches must be exact in terms of spelling, case, and punctuation. Links to non-existent sections aren't broken; they are treated as links to the top of the page.
As with linking to pages with parentheses, you may leave a pipe before the closing brackets to create text for the link that matches the header name. These links aren't usually used on in-universe pages, so you shouldn't come across these often.
Linking to Wikipedia Kimchi
{{Wp|Kimchi}}
You can add an additional pipe and text to display text differently from the page name ({{Wp|Kimchi|김치}} for 김치).
You should only link to Wikipedia articles for things which aren't covered by NIWA.
Embedding YouTube videos
Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - First Look Trailer
{{Youtube|3fr1Z07AV00|200|Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - First Look Trailer}}
See here for details.

Creating a Page

To create a page, follow these steps:

  1. First, think: does my page stay within the realm of the Wiki? That is to say, is it important enough or part of what the Wiki covers? An article about "Link" is acceptable as it is related to Zelda; an article about "Xbox" is not, because it is not related to Zelda or Nintendo in any way.
  2. If you deem it acceptable, check the wiki to make sure that the page doesn't already exist. This includes alternate spellings, alternate capitalization (i.e. "Kakariko Village" is an existing article whereas "Kakariko village" counts as a different article and may be a source of possible confusion in creating an article), and alternate possible names. Use the search feature as much as possible!
  3. If you're sure that your article doesn't exist, search for it on the Wiki. When no results appear, you will see text stating that you can create the page in question. Click it, and create the page, making sure to stay within the Wiki's Guidelines. If all is well and good, save the page.
  • Note: Clicking on a red link will also take you to a "create this page" screen.

In a nutshell, the basic steps for page creation are:

  1. Figure out if your topic deserves its own page
  2. Find out whether or not it already exists
  3. Create the page using the search function's "create this page" link

Sections and Lists

Intent What you see What you type Notes
Making a level 2 header
Header Text
==Header Text== This is the largest header that should be used, that largestest being reserved for the title of the page.
Making a level 3 header (Subsection of level 2)
Header Text
===Header Text=== Subsection headers continue down from here, adding one = each time. Headers shouldn't be used repeatedly on a page and should follow the Article Guidelines.
Creating a horizontal divide between text. A horizontal

dividing line.

A horizontal
----
dividing line.

or

A horizontal
<hr/>
dividing line.
Isn't often used by itself and it normally imbedded in templates.
Indenting text

Normal text

Indented text
Further indented text
Normal text
:Indented text
::Further indented text
Each additional : will indent the text further. This is mostly to be used on talk pages.
Making a bulleted list
  • A list
  • You can go in the same level
    • Or create a sub-level
      • As many as needed
  • Then start a new list with an empty line
*A list
*You can go in the same level
**Or create a sub-level
***As many as needed

*Then start a new list with an empty line
These are used in See Also sections of pages and also on disambiguation pages.
Making a numbered list.
  1. You can also make numbered lists
  2. The numbers are automatically added
    1. It's easy to create them
#You can also make numbered lists
#The numbers are automatically added
##It's easy to create them

Intermediate Tips

  1. When creating new articles, make sure to use the Boilerplates provided. To learn more about Boilerplates, see the Boilerplate guidelines.
  2. Images in the infobox (when multiple) are added through the use of {{Media}}. Infoboxes containing a single image should be formatted as such:
    [[File:Foo.png]]
    Files in the infobox will automatically be resized to fit the infobox. To resize a file yourself, add |#px to the end of the file, with # being a number.
  3. The games listed in the infobox should not be exhaustive, only the first iteration of a game should be listed (for instance, if something appeared in the original Link's Awakening (1993), you should use {{LA}}. If something first appeared in Link's Awakening DX or Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch, you should use the corresponding links).
  4. The Nomenclature section should make use of the {{Nomenclature}} template, which automatically displays any names in other languages that have been stored.
  5. To properly categorize appearances within games, we place {{Categories}} at the end of each article and assign parameters based on the type of article. The types are as follows:
    bosses
    characters
    dungeons
    enemies
    items
    objects
    places
    songs
    stages
    sub-bosses
    Inside these parameters, you should list the games in the canon order (i.e.: LANS is placed after LA and LADX but before OoT even if it was released after).

What is Your Specialty?

There is a large assortment of work topics and fields where you can edit in, and maybe there is one that you would feel comfortable in, or maybe you want to work on a variety of topics. Whatever your topic, Some of the main topics can be found here:

There are several ways that you can contribute to Zelda Wiki depending on your interests. Many of these disciplines overlap, so you are welcome to explore anything that interests you. If you would like guidance on any field, we can help you over on our Discord server.

Article Writing

Though all of our projects are important, writing is one of the most prominent fields on the Wiki. As linked above, we have a Guideline going over how to format articles if you are interested in seeing what goes into writing articles. We also have a list of wanted pages, and a list of priority pages on our Trello board.

The best place to discuss writing is in #wiki-general on our Discord. There are also specific channels for recent games under the WIKI category.

Music

Coverage of music and soundtracks in The Legend of Zelda series is a relatively fledgling field. Though we generally cannot host any music for legal reasons, it is one of our goals to descriptively cover all named songs in the series. We don't have any guidelines for music yet, but the basic formatting in the article guidelines is a great start!

The best place to discuss music coverage is in #wiki-music on our Discord.

Images and Graphics

Images are crucial to help illustrate the ideas that we write about on Zelda Wiki. Graphics work is usually divided into two types of work: image retrieval, such as taking screenshots directly from a game, and image alteration, which usually entails touching up images or removing their backgrounds in an image editor such as GIMP. As linked above, we have a Guideline that covers how files should be formatted and uploaded along with other help.

The best place to discuss graphics work is in #graphics on our Discord.

Modules

Modules and templates make up the base of the Zelda Wiki and they give us the framework we need to make our articles look and feel easy to read. If you feel like you are fluent in code and can help with coding our base for the Zelda Wiki, we also have a Guideline for modules.

The best place to discuss modules is in #wiki-tech on our Discord.

Research and References

In order to maintain an accurate database of information, we often have to research our topics in-depth. There are many applications for research, such as fact checking, checking official names, and sourcing claims. It doesn't hurt to ask other people directly for information, either. Sometimes the information you're looking for is already known even though it's not documented on the Wiki yet. Even if what you're looking for isn't known, many of us have access to the tools to check and we would be happy to help.

The best place to ask questions for research is in #wiki-general on our Discord. There are also specific channels for recent games as well under the WIKI PROJECTS category. For terminology research, check out our #terms channel.

Translations

Since terminology in English is already a very precarious topic, one can assume that terminology in different languages is even more precarious. Because we don't have many editors that speak different languages, we keep our translations locked away on pages where people can't get to them as easyily. We wouldn't want someone adding an inaccurate translation to a page and not having anyone to check if the translation is correct. To make sure that you are capable of providing accurate translations, all you need to do is send a Staff member a message on either their talk page or on the Discord server that you wish to help with translations, and that's it! Just taking the time to ask us about translations is enough to show us that you can add accurate information because if you couldn't even take that first step, that wouldn't be a good sign for accurate information. Once you take that first step, we will be happy to set you up and explain more about translations.

The best place to ask questions for translations is in #wiki-general on our Discord.

What Else Can You Do?

Maybe none of these topics appeal to your liking and you would rather try something else out. Whatever you have in mind, go for it! If you ever have any questions or ideas, you can always share them on our Discord (that we've already linked 5 times) and we can see what we think. Don't feel like you need to read through every single guidelines page on the wiki; having to read through every guideline gets rough, so we don't want to make you do that. Skimming through a few to get a general idea of how to edit is a great start, and once you find a good topic to work on, then you can read in-depth on that specific guideline. And again, thank you for your contributions!

See Also