This page documents an English Wikipedia content guideline. It is a generally accepted standard that editors should attempt to follow, though occasional exceptions may apply. Any substantive edit to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page. |
This page in a nutshell: Spam is the inappropriate addition of content to Wikipedia with the intention of promoting or publicizing an outside organization, individual or idea, and is considered harmful to the encyclopedia. Do not disrupt Wikipedia with spam. If you find spam, please remove or rewrite the content. |
There are three main types of spam on Wikipedia: advertisements masquerading as articles and contributions to articles; § External link spamming; and adding references with the aim of promoting the author or the work being referenced.