Take, for example, a situation when the Wikipedia page for your business has the incorrect founding date. Or maybe it says something on the page about you that does not apply anymore because the relevant case was resolved years ago. You will probably be inclined to log into the site and correct the information immediately.
However, in most cases, it would be better to not do so. The Wikipedia website is accessible to everyone; however, there are very specific policies regarding who can make changes and how the edits are made, with the site making distinctions depending on whether or not one has an interest in a particular page. This topic will be discussed below, along with what you can do and what should be left alone
Why does one wrong line on Wikipedia matter?
For many names and brands, the Wikipedia page is one of the first results in Google. Journalists check it. Just as potential investors, recruiters and clients who are just about to cooperate with your business. The wrong dates and misleading statements are very likely to spread far beyond the initial point.
However, Wikipedia is not your website. You cannot own an article, even if it’s you or your company who is the subject of the page. Hence, proper Wikipedia reputation management does not imply control over the article. On the contrary, it requires accuracy, reliability of information and presence of your voice via proper channels.
Explanation of conflict of interest on Wikipedia:
Conflict of interest on Wikipedia implies that you have a connection to the topic you want to edit.
You have one if the page is about you, if you own or work for the company, if someone connected to it pays you, or if the page is about a friend or family member. The guideline says, in short, don’t edit in your own interests or the interests of people and groups you are tied to.
Being right does not remove the conflict. You can be completely correct about your founding year and still be the wrong person to change it.
Paid editing has an extra rule. The Terms of Use of the Wikimedia Foundation stipulate that paid editors have to reveal their employer, client and connection. They may do it in their user pages, the article’s talk page or the edit summary. As this rule is set by the Foundation, it applies to all language versions of Wikipedia.
Disclosing also does not give a free pass. People with a financial interest are still asked to suggest changes on the talk page instead of editing the article directly.
There is a practical reason to take this seriously. Companies caught quietly editing their own pages have ended up in news stories, and that coverage did more harm than the original mistake.
So, can I edit my own Wikipedia page?
What we hear most often from people is “Can I edit my own Wikipedia page?” and the truthful answer is that there’s nothing preventing you from pressing the edit button, yet the autobiography guideline advises against that.
It says to avoid writing or editing an article about yourself or paying someone to do it, apart from fixing plain errors of fact. Removing obvious vandalism or serious violations of the rules for living people is also accepted.
Many people type “edit Wikipedia page about me” after spotting one small mistake, like a wrong birth city or job title. Even then, the safer route is the talk page. You explain the problem and give a source, and someone with no link to you checks it and makes the change. It is slower, but it tends to stick.
Company pages work the same way. If you own the business or work there, you are connected, so you go through the talk page too.
| Situation: | Usually fine: | Better to avoid: |
| Obvious vandalism | Remove it and mention it on the talk page. | Rewriting the whole section while you are there |
| Wrong fact with a solid source | Post a request on the talk page with the source. | Changing it quietly yourself |
| Old but true negative news | Ask for updated context, like the case outcome, with sources. | Asking to delete it because it hurts |
| New page for your company | Check notability first, then submit a draft for review with disclosure | Publishing straight to the main pages |
| Hiring an editor | Someone who discloses the paid work openly | Anyone working in secret or with several accounts |
Step by step: how to correct wrong info on a Wikipedia page of my company?
If you are asking how to correct wrong info on a Wikipedia page of my company, this order tends to work best.
- Write down exactly what is wrong. Copy the sentence and note what it should say. “Wrong” and “I don’t like it” are different things, and reviewers can tell.
- Find a source that is not you. A news report, a government record, a published book or a trade publication. Your own website, press releases and sponsored posts are weak evidence.
- Create an account and disclose your connection. One or two plain lines on your user page and the article’s talk page are enough.
- Post an edit request on the talk page. There is a template for conflict-of-interest requests. Keep it short, neutral, and limited to one change.
- Wait. Volunteers handle these, so it can take days or longer. Don’t repeat the request every morning.
- Ask for help if nobody replies. The conflict of interest noticeboard and the COI collaboration project exist for this.
A good request reads like this: “The article says the company was founded in 2014. The attached company registry record and this news report both say 2012. Suggested change: replace 2014 with 2012.” No adjectives and no arguing, just the fix and the proof.
When the problem is serious?
Some errors can’t wait, like a false claim about a crime or a home address posted on the page. Wikipedia’s rules for living people are strict, and poorly sourced negative claims should be removed. If you want to edit a Wikipedia page about me because of something like this, raise it on the biographies noticeboard instead of fighting over the text. For serious privacy problems, the Wikimedia volunteer response team takes reports by email. If a statement is false and damaging, a lawyer is a separate option outside Wikipedia.
Why you may not have a page: Wikipedia notability guidelines:
Founders often ask us why their company has no page. The Wikipedia notability guidelines answer that. A topic needs significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of it. For companies, the bar is higher, and each source has to go into real depth about the company.
These usually do not count:
- Your own website, press releases and sponsored articles
- Company-sponsored posts on big websites, even famous ones
- Short mentions and routine announcements
- A famous client or investor. Notability is not inherited.
One reference is not always sufficient, and small local businesses are usually rejected. Wikipedia notability guidelines equally apply to any company, whether it is a startup in Noida, a clinic in Dubai or a company in London.
Anyone who guarantees you a page is guessing.
Where do we fit in?
At Build Brand Better, we are an online reputation management company based in New Delhi. No matter if you are based in India, the US, the UK or the UAE, the criteria are equally applicable, and our approach is also universal. We will never promise a Wikipedia page or a certain change on the site since nobody can do that except Wikipedia. What we do is help you identify what is wrong on your page, gather reliable independent references, craft a professional and unbiased request, and disclose all information whenever we participate. A reputation audit can be an excellent starting point since you’ll get to know what people find while searching for you.
Mistakes that make things worse:
- Editing quietly from a new account
- Using more than one account
- Hiring a freelancer who does not disclose paid work
- Adding praise words like “leading” or “award-winning”
- Arguing for days on the talk page
- Trying to remove true, well-sourced negative information
That last one deserves a note. Facts in Wikipedia articles are not deleted if they are embarrassing. A more efficient strategy would be requesting fair context, for instance, the result of the case.
Fix the sources, and the page often follows.
Wikipedia follows what independent sources say, so the lasting fix usually sits outside Wikipedia. Interviews, news coverage and expert commentary in real publications give editors something to cite. The principle of our public relations and personal brand monitoring practice here at Build Brand Better is based on the following notion: getting accurate coverage and monitoring what is written about you to find any mistakes in advance. Reputation management on Wikipedia is most effective when it is combined with other services like Google reputation management, reviews management, and press.
Final thoughts
However, while you can influence the information presented in Wikipedia, it is done via the talk page with proper disclosure and a reliable source. Therefore, may I edit my own Wikipedia page?
Only in narrow cases. For everything else, learn the Wikipedia conflict of interest rules, follow the steps above, and be patient. If you are working out how to correct wrong info on a Wikipedia page of my company, a calm, well-sourced request will get you further than any quick edit.
FAQs
Q1. May I edit my own Wikipedia page?
Strongly discouraged. Exceptions are cases of removing obvious vandalism and fixing clear mistakes or violations in the case of living persons.
Everything else should go through the talk page.
Q2. What is considered a Wikipedia conflict of interest?
Being a subject, owner or employee of a company, being paid by a person associated with the company, and even just having a connection to the individual or the company, regardless of how accurate your information may be. In such cases, you should propose an amendment rather than make one yourself.
Q3. How do I correct wrong info on a Wikipedia page of my company if my request is ignored?
Wait a decent amount of time before asking at the noticeboard for conflict of interest or the COI collaboration project. Keep it brief, and if possible, provide an independent source.
Q4. Do I have to reveal if I am hiring an editor?
Yes. Paid editors need to reveal their employer/client and relationship. Do not work with anyone who advises you not to do so.
Q5. Can I edit my Wikipedia page in case it has wrong information?
Only for clear vandalism or serious problems with living-person rules. If not, try the talk page or the noticeboard for biographies. In case of privacy-related matters such as your residential address, contact the volunteer response team.
Q6. Can I remove true negative information?
Most likely, not. If there is a source and it is relevant, it can stay. However, you can request an update on the current situation with references.
Q7. Why was my company’s page rejected or deleted?
Most often, the Wikipedia notability guidelines were not met. The sources were probably not independent, not in-depth, or not enough in number.
Q8. Can Wikipedia reputation management guarantee a page or a specific edit?
No. There is no official policy, as decisions are made by volunteers. Any promise of a guarantee should raise a red flag. What you can influence is the quality of the source.