View source for Wikipedia:Make stubs

{{Essay|WP:MAKESTUBS}}
{{policy in a nutshell|Why make a red link, when you can make a stub?}}

[[File:Quercus ilex rotundifolia.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A well-crafted stub is an acorn that can grow to become an oak tree of an article.]]
So, you just wrote a killer new [[Wikipedia:Starting an article|article]], and you see lots of [[Wikipedia:Red link|red links]]. You're surprised, because these topics would probably satisfy the [[WP:N|notability guidelines]] and Wikipedia seems to have articles on [[List of Pokémon|every single topic imaginable]]. 

Instead of letting that [[Wikipedia:Red link|red link]] sit there doing nothing: '''Make it a [[WP:STUB|stub]]!'''

Replacing red links with stubs helps to [[Wikipedia:Size of Wikipedia|grow the encyclopedia]]. Starting articles can be difficult for [[WP:BITE|new users]] who aren't accustomed to Wikipedia's culture and policies. Give them a head start. Wikipedia is consistently in the top of Google searches, so making stubs also helps attract other editors who are familiar with that topic. 

Do not feel compelled to create all these stubs on the same day. If it is a lot of work, you can do it gradually at your own pace. Remember, [[WP:VOLUNTEER|Wikipedia is a volunteer service]] and [[WP:DEADLINE|there is no deadline]] and no rush.

==What makes a good stub==
Even if you don't have the time or the inclination necessary to give that topic a full [[WP:FA|featured article]]-style treatment, it's okay to create a stub if you are willing to provide:

* Enough information to make it clear what the subject of the article is and for other editors to expand upon it. 
* Adequate context, keep in mind that articles with little or no context usually end up being [[WP:Criteria for speedy deletion |speedily deleted]]
* A [[WP:WSS|sorted]] {{tl|stub}} tag.  Try, for example, {{tl|Bio-stub}} or {{tl|US-bio-stub}} for a biography.  (You can see a full list of [[:Category:Stub categories|stub categories]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Stub sorting/Stub types|browse stub types]] organized by the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Stub sorting|stub sorting WikiProject]].)
* At least one good category
* Consider alerting the appropriate [[Wikipedia:WikiProject|WikiProject]] of the new article by adding their tags to the talk page.
* Providing sources, even just a small number, is valuable in preventing the article's deletion. A plain [[Google Search|Google search]] may provide some [[WP:RS|reliable sources]], but they will likely be buried within many more unreliable ones. [[Google News]], [[Google Books|Books]], and [[Google Scholar|Scholar]] provide the most reliable sources that are useful for establishing notability.  Don't just provide links to these sources, [[WP:CITE|cite]] them to make it clear where your information came from.

==Alternatives==
Not all words or phrases found in an article are [[WP:NOT|suitable for making new articles out of]] in the near future or in some cases, ever. If you think the likelihood is low, consider the following:
*'''Creating a [[WP:R|redirect]]''': You can redirect the term to an existing article, or even a section within an article that more definitively describes the term. Even if that section has not been written yet, if it fits there, it may be added. And if more information is added there in the future, the redirect can be converted into an article of its own.
*'''Linking''' the term straight to another article. If the article you created or worked on has some terms that sound worthy of articles, and these terms are already described in an existing article with a different title, you can link them by entering '''<nowiki>[[Desired target article|Word or phrase in this article]]</nowiki>'''. This is useful when it is unlikely the word or phrase is suitable as an article title or a redirect.
*'''Linking''' to a [[WP:SISTER|sister project]]. For example, if the word or phrase has a dictionary definition that is not encyclopedia, you can link to [[wiktionary]] by entering '''<nowiki>[[wikt:Desired target entry]]</nowiki>'''. This is also useful when wiktionary has an entry that defines the term accurately, and Wikipedia has a page with the exact title referring to something unrelated.

{{Wikipedia essays|notability}}

[[Category:Wikipedia essays about building the encyclopedia]]
[[Category:Wikipedia essays about stubs]]