Help:Classic editor

The classic editor is the editing interface you will see if you do not use the new VisualEditor experience.

thumb|620px|center|Watch a quick tour of the classic editor

Editor modes

 * Visual Mode
 * This mode is generally the default and allows you to make edits that will appear similar to how they will on the published page.


 * Source Mode
 * This mode allows you to edit the page using wikitext.

You can disable Visual Mode entirely by visiting the "Editing" tab in your preferences, opening the "Preferred editor" dropdown, then selecting "Source editor". This mode may be preferred for editors who need to edit complex templates frequently.

Editing tools

 * Edit Area
 * This is the main content area where you can add text, media and make adjustments to the layout of the page.


 * Toolbar
 * The toolbar allows you to format text, making it different sizes and styles. You can expand and condense the toolbar to view more or less tools.


 * Feature Modules
 * The right pane also includes modules that allow you to add features and media such as photos, slideshow, videos and tables. You can access templates to use on the page and add categories. The preview and publish buttons are found at the top of this area.

Quick tips

 * Once the editor is opened, you can use the toolbar, features modules and free form edit area to add or adjust to the page content.
 * To see how your page will appear once it's published, click on the preview button. This will pop up a window that shows the page as it is currently designed. You can also choose to view how the page will look at the minimum and maximum sizes that other users might see.
 * If you like your preview, hit publish and your edits will be pushed live.
 * If you don't like your preview, you can keep editing until it appears as you would like it to.
 * To let others know what you added, fill in a summary above the publish button.

Next steps

 * Learn how to modify text.
 * Learn how to add links.
 * Learn how to create a new article.