Conflict of interest & paid editing.
Editing about yourself, your employer or a client is allowed - but only if you do it the right way. Here is what Wikipedia requires, and why discretion never means secrecy.
- A conflict of interest exists whenever you are connected to a subject.
- Paid editing must be disclosed under Wikipedia's Terms of Use.
- COI editors should propose changes, not edit articles directly.
- Covert editing, once exposed, causes serious reputational harm.
What counts as a conflict of interest
On Wikipedia, you have a conflict of interest (COI) whenever your outside relationships could compromise your neutrality - writing about yourself, your company, your client, your family or anyone paying you. COI is not forbidden, but it triggers obligations.
The disclosure rule is not optional
Wikipedia's Terms of Use require anyone paid to contribute to disclose their employer, client and affiliation. This is a foundational rule, not a guideline that can be quietly ignored. Reputable practitioners disclose; the rest operate at the client's risk.
The right way to contribute
- Disclose the paid or connected relationship openly on-wiki.
- Do not edit the article directly. Instead, propose changes on the talk page through an edit request, with sources.
- Let independent editors decide whether to implement the change.
This is precisely the model our editing service follows. It is slower than simply rewriting an article, and far more durable - because consensus-backed, disclosed changes are the ones that stay.
Why covert editing always backfires
Undisclosed paid editing is one of the few things that genuinely scandalises the Wikipedia community. When it is discovered - and it frequently is - the edits are reversed, the accounts are blocked, and the episode itself can become a documented, reportable embarrassment for the subject. The reputational downside dwarfs any short-term gain. Discretion about your affairs is right and proper; secrecy about your editing is neither.
Questions, answered plainly.
Q.Is paid editing allowed on Wikipedia?
Q.How should someone with a conflict of interest edit?
Q.What happens if paid editing is not disclosed?
Q.Can WikiExec edit my page anonymously?
Related pages.
Begin a confidential conversation.
If you believe your achievements meet the threshold for an encyclopedic entry - or you wish to review an existing one - we would be glad to assess it candidly and in confidence.