{"id":736,"date":"2026-11-05T11:49:40","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/?p=736"},"modified":"2026-11-05T11:49:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:49:41","slug":"wikipedia-outdated-information","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wikipedia-outdated-information\/","title":{"rendered":"How Wikipedia Editors Handle Outdated Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open a company\u2019s Wikipedia page and look at the leadership section. Sometimes a name is still listed there for someone who left the role a year or two ago. The line was correct when someone wrote it. It just never got changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wikipedia has no staff team that goes back and rewrites old facts on a schedule. Volunteer editors do it, using cleanup tags and sourced updates. This blog explains how that works and what it means if your business has a page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Do Wikipedia Pages Become Outdated<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Wikipedia page shows what reliable sources said when someone last edited it. If the real facts change and nobody updates the page, it falls behind. The sentence may still have a good source, but it no longer describes the present. Wikipedia pages improves visibility but outdated information can stop them from doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some details go stale more often than others:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Leadership:<\/strong> a CEO or board member who has left<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Figures:<\/strong> staff numbers, revenue or store counts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Locations:<\/strong> a head office that has moved<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Status:<\/strong> a product that was discontinued or a company that was acquired<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pages fall behind because editing is voluntary. Nobody is assigned to a page, and smaller businesses often have few editors watching theirs. A reader, a volunteer editor or the subject of the page can spot the problem. Anyone fixing it needs a reliable source for the new fact, and the next sections cover how that works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Editors Use Exact Dates Instead of Words Like \u201cCurrently\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wikipedia\u2019s style guidance asks editors to avoid time words such as currently, recently and soon. A reader may open the page years after a sentence was written, and by then those words point to a moment that has passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why a Date Works Better<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A date tells the reader when the fact was true. \u201cThe company currently has 500 employees\u201d gives no clue whether that is last month\u2019s figure or last decade\u2019s. \u201cAs of 2026, the company had 500 employees\u201d stays accurate even after the number changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Words Editors Usually Replace<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Currently<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recently<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Soon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How It Helps the Next Editor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A dated line is easier to review. They can see the figure comes from 2026 and look for a newer source. Editors sometimes add the {{As of}} template to these statements so volunteers can find them later. This is style guidance and not a strict rule so some older pages still use the looser wording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Maintenance Tags Mark Information That Needs a Fresh Look<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes an editor can see a fact is old but has no new source to replace it. Instead of leaving it unmarked, they add a tag to the page. The tag warns readers and puts the page on a list that other volunteers check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Tag<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>What it does<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Where editors use it<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>{{As of}}<\/td><td>Shows the date a statement was true<\/td><td>Figures and facts likely to change, like staff numbers<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>{{Update}}<\/td><td>Adds a notice to a page or section that needs newer information<\/td><td>Larger sections that have fallen behind<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>{{Update inline}}<\/td><td>Marks one sentence or figure<\/td><td>A single outdated line<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>{{Update after}}<\/td><td>Stays quiet until a set date, then flags the text<\/td><td>A fact with a known end date, like a contract or term of office<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each tag places the page in a tracking category and volunteers work through those categories when they have time. A tag only flags the problem. It does not change the text so the page stays outdated until someone adds a source and edits it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Update the Claim and Its Source Together<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When an editor fixes an outdated fact, the new figure and its new citation have to change at the same time. If the number changes but the old reference stays, the source no longer backs the sentence. Another editor can then undo the edit, even when the new number is correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Stale Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Editors start with one sentence, not a whole section. A headcount, a population figure or a name in a leadership list is easy to check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The New Source<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The replacement needs a reliable source that is independent of the subject. For a Canadian city, Statistics Canada is the usual choice. For a listed company, SEDAR+ filings or reporting from Canadian news outlets work well. A company\u2019s own website or press release does not count as independent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Edit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Replace the old figure with the new one<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replace the old citation with the new one<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add \u201cas of\u201d and the year if the figure will change again<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every edit has a summary box. A short note such as \u201cUpdated population figure using Statistics Canada census data\u201d tells the next editor what changed and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Editors With a Connection Suggest Changes on the Talk Page<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Say an employee notices their company\u2019s page lists an old office address. Wikipedia strongly discourages people with a close connection to a page from editing it directly. Anyone paid to edit must also disclose who they work for under Wikipedia\u2019s Terms of Use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>They Post a Request on the Talk Page<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The request goes on the article\u2019s Talk page with the {{Edit COI}} template. It should be short and specific:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The exact text that is out of date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The exact text they want instead<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A reliable, independent source for the new fact<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Volunteers Decide When to Reply<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Independent volunteers review the request, and none of them are obliged to. Some answer in a day, others take several months. A request that reads like a correction is easier to approve than one that reads like marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Paid Service Follows the Same Route<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/wikipedia-page-editing\">Wikipedia page editing service<\/a> that handles this work should do the same. That means disclosing the client and sending sourced requests instead of changing the page itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bots and Volunteer Groups Help Keep Pages Current<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No single person looks after a Wikipedia page. The upkeep is shared between automated tools and groups of volunteers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bots Handle Routine Jobs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bots are small programs that do repetitive work, such as fixing date formats, sorting pages into cleanup categories and reporting broken links. They do not decide whether a fact is still true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WikiProjects Watch Their Own Topics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A WikiProject is a group of volunteers who focus on one subject, such as medicine or video games. Members work through the backlog of tagged pages in their area and update them when they have a source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>People Check the Sources<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A bot cannot judge whether a citation backs a claim. Human editors who review recent changes do that, which is why an edit with a mismatched source can still be undone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Proper Page Editing Matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyone can edit Wikipedia, so it is fair to ask <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wikipedia-page-editing-importance\/\">why proper page editing is important for Wikipedia<\/a> at all. Readers treat the page as a reference. A wrong date, an old job title or a claim with no source gets read as a fact about the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>People Check Wikipedia First<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A journalist, a buyer or a job applicant often opens the Wikipedia page before the company website. If the leadership list is out of date, they may doubt the rest of the page too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Old Facts Get Repeated<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A page with current, sourced facts gives people the right information when they look for the business, which is the real point behind \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wikipedia-page-monitoring\/\">Wikipedia Pages Improves Visibility<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Careless Edits Get Challenged<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other editors tend to question changes that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have no independent source<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use promotional wording<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Change a figure but keep the old citation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A careful edit with a clear source is more likely to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When Professional Help Makes Sense<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most businesses can follow the steps in this blog on their own. Help becomes useful when the process takes more time or knowledge than a team has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Business Has No Page Yet<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wikipedia only accepts a page when independent sources have covered the subject in some depth. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/\">Professional Wikipedia page creation<\/a> starts by checking whether that coverage exists, and a reputable provider will say so if it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Page Keeps Getting Reverted<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Repeated reverts usually mean the edits have weak sources, promotional wording or an undisclosed connection. Someone who knows the policies can find the cause and rewrite the requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Team Has No Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Talk page requests can take weeks or months, and each one needs exact text and a source. Some teams would rather hand that to someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What a Reputable Provider Does<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Discloses the client on Wikipedia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uses independent sources only<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Makes requests instead of controlling the page<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does not guarantee approval<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Few More Things to Know About Wikipedia Editing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1- How can I tell if my Wikipedia page is outdated?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compare each fact on the page with current sources. Open the &#8220;View history&#8221; tab to see when the page was last edited. Look for cleanup tags like {{Update}} and for &#8220;as of&#8221; dates that are several years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2- Does Wikipedia delete old information?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Usually not. A fact that was true in the past stays on the page and gets a date, like a former CEO listed with the years they served. Every earlier version of the page is also kept in its revision history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3- How often should a business check its Wikipedia page?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no fixed schedule. It makes sense to look after a big change such as new leadership, a merger, a move or a rebrand. Outside of that, a quick check every few months is a sensible habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4- What if my edit request gets no reply?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Volunteers answer when they have time. It can take days or even months. A polite follow-up on the same Talk page after a week or two is common. A short request with the exact text and a source is easier to review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5- Can a business pay someone to update its Wikipedia page?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, as long as the paid relationship is disclosed on Wikipedia. Paid editors normally send sourced Talk page requests. Nobody can promise a change will be accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Final Thought<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think back to that old name still sitting in a company\u2019s leadership list. Fixing it takes one sourced edit and some patience. Wikipedia works through volunteers, so the page only stays right when someone keeps an eye on it and follows the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some businesses do that themselves. Others would rather have a person who knows the rules and can handle the requests. If your page needs a closer look, get in touch and we can talk it through.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Open a company\u2019s Wikipedia page and look at the leadership section. Sometimes a name is still listed there for someone who left the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[27,43,30,34,33],"class_list":["post-736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guide","tag-wiki-consultants","tag-wikipedia","tag-wikipedia-editing-services","tag-wikipedia-publishing-service","tag-wikipedia-writing-services"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=736"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":738,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736\/revisions\/738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikiconsultant.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}