wiki websites examples

What Is a Wiki? Definition, Examples, and Use Cases

How fast and easy is it for your employees to collaborate and share knowledge? Whether working in-office or remotely (or a mix of both), working together is vital to problem-solving, generating better outcomes, personal growth and motivation, improved job satisfaction, and less stress. The question is how to make that work efficiently when most teams are separated by distance in some way.

The solution could be a wiki— but what is a wiki? Whether an external or internal wiki , the online tool is a quick and easy way for teams to work together and share information on projects without the limitations of meeting in person.

Wikis offer many of the same benefits of a knowledge base by allowing you to take charge and nurture your organization’s collective insight and skill. However, there may be some limitations around wikis, especially when it comes to keeping information accurate and up to date. Here’s everything you need to know, including the pros and cons.

What Is a Wiki?

The term ‘wiki’ originated from the Hawaiian language, referring to something that is ‘fast’ or ‘quick.’ The concept behind a wiki database is similar—it helps your staff and business quickly create, add, edit, and share information on a website. This content can come in a variety of formats, including videos , files, links to other news, images, text, audio, etc.

And thanks to its ease of use and open-editing system, wiki web pages are excellent for easy collaboration in your organization. Team members can hop into the tool and start editing anytime they want to. However they want to.

This can be vital in business, particularly because team collaboration is so important to fostering innovation and creativity. According to recent studies, collaboration is cited as ‘very important’ by 75% of employees , with 86% reporting ‘lack of collaboration’ as the leading cause of most workplace failures.

Examples of Wikis

Wikis aren’t a new concept in the industry. The very first wiki software was developed back in 1994/95 by Ward Cunningham under the name Wiki Wiki Web . According to some academic publications , the inspiration behind the name came from it being “the simplest online database that could possibly work.” Every wiki since is a descendant of this software, with some popular examples being:

Wikipedia — a free online encyclopedia that is open for users to add and edit online content. It is currently the largest and most-read wiki in history.
Wikivoyage — as a sister site to Wikipedia, Wikivoyage is another free web-based platform. However, its content is more geared toward global traveling, including destinations, travel updates, itineraries, etc.
WikiHow —for how-to topics and content, users turn to wikiHow. The platform’s goal is to encourage worldwide collaboration on every possible topic in a how-to manual.
Wiktionary — the goal here is for every word in every language to be found on Wiktionary with a definition. Since its founding, however, it has gone beyond basic definitions and started including rhyme guides, phrasebooks, a thesaurus, and more.
Wikispecies — whether you have a passion for learning about animals or have made a career in zoology or biology, Wikispecies offers an array of information on classifications and other unique details.
Wikibooks — when you need free annotated and digital texts, Wikibooks is the platform. It’s an online collaborative book authoring site that allows anyone to edit and link to a page for resources.

As a side note, although many do, not all wikis have the name in their title. For instance, Fandom is a collection of wikis for entertainment-related content, and Baseball Reference is a wiki for baseball content related to current teams and players, as well as historical stats and scores.

How Can Wikis Benefit Your Business?

Implementing a wiki into your business can offer your employees several benefits, especially as a platform everyone can access in one place and manage the same content. The biggest advantages for your business are the following.

Makes company knowledge accessible and easier to find

Your company’s collective knowledge is its biggest strategic advantage. Your company has brought together all the creative and talented minds of its employees, and only you can ensure that those unique insights and knowledge stay with the company. With a wiki, every user can search through your database for information they need to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.

Lowers business costs over time

As productivity increases with quick access to information and innovative ideas are added to your wiki, business costs will begin to decrease over time. This is because fewer employees are wasting time searching for information—which research suggests can account for almost 20% of their workweek —and more employees are sharing better approaches to work.

Allows both in-office and remote employees to access the same resources

In 2022, 26% of employees in the United States report working remotely, with 16% of companies fully remote. Another study reports that 74% of companies have already, or plan to, implement a hybrid work model into their company permanently. To ensure you’re embracing the same collaborative and knowledge-sharing environment within the organization, a wiki creates one source for everyone to come together and contribute to, no matter where they are.

Common Use Cases for Wikis

There are many ways businesses and organizations can use wikis. A few examples include:

Blogs and articles
Onboarding materials
Handbooks and manuals
Answers to technical issues and questions
Knowledge-sharing with FAQs, how-tos, etc.
Company news and announcements
Process documents

Disadvantages of Wikis

There are some notable disadvantages of a corporate wiki that are worth keeping in mind as you decide what kind of knowledge management solution is best for your business.

Open to all for editing

While being open for all to edit can create a very innovative and creative space for users to collaborate, it can also cause problems if important information is deleted and/or replaced with incorrect edits. As the saying goes, there are too many cooks in the kitchen . And when too many editors dig into a piece, it can disrupt the flow of content and risk the loss of valuable information. It also threatens the spread of misinformation across teams and departments.

Extensive user rights management

Another advantage of wikis that also happens to be a disadvantage is that there’s no real management of users and their content distribution. Anyone can add anything, anywhere. In the workplace, this can get dangerous if you’re not extensively managing user rights because erroneous information can be shared. If this happens in a scenario related to customers, for instance, you may see team members approaching a customer problem or question inappropriately and possibly harm your business reputation–or even lose that customer.

Maintaining information authenticity

The authenticity of the information in your wiki is crucial to its success and your company’s growth. The whole point of a knowledge base is to accumulate all the knowledge coming into your organization and share it with your employees so they can make improvements and work more efficiently. If that knowledge is not authentic and accurate, it can do the opposite. After all, if the knowledge being shared isn’t correct, what’s the point of sharing it?

Is a Wiki the Right Choice for Your Business?

Overall, wikis are helpful and even a step in the right direction, but the challenges may outweigh the benefits. How easy it is to lose the collective knowledge you capture makes it more of a risk than a reward.

A knowledge base like Bloomfire is a modern alternative to using wikis that has a better user experience, makes it easier to update content, has moderation tools to make sure information is approved and has better engagement analytics.

This means you can still get the same collaborative space for team members to complete projects and share their knowledge without the risk of information being distorted or misrepresented in your database. It also means you can enjoy all the benefits wikis offer while eliminating the disadvantages that might be keeping you from implementing it into your business. It’s the best of both worlds.

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The supreme court just signaled what it will do if the election is close, jack white threatens donald trump with lawsuit over music usage, hong kong convicts journalists of sedition, deepening press freedom concerns, what google’s antitrust defeat means for ai, show hn: turn videos into ascii art (open source, js+canvas), the samsung galaxy z fold 6’s paint is peeling off because you’re charging it wrong according to samsung, forget the iphone 16 launch – october could be the real treat for macbook fans, amd ryzen 9700x and 9600x cpus just got a free speed boost from msi – and other motherboard makers are rumored to follow, a residential cruise ship that’s supposed to sail the world for 3 years has been stuck in northern ireland for 3 months, popular wiki sites and wiki examples worth checking out.

Wikis have revolutionized the way information is shared online. A wiki is a collaborative platform that allows multiple users to add, edit and delete content. The idea behind the wiki was originally to allow users to work on documents together, but today wikis are used for much more than that. Some of the most popular wikis are used as encyclopedias, recipe books, and even for project management.

Here are some of the most popular wiki sites and wiki examples worth checking out:

Wikipedia: Wikipedia is the most popular wiki site on the internet today. It started as an online encyclopedia and has grown into a massive database of information. Wikipedia is now the go-to reference for many people around the world, and it is translated into more than 300 languages. The site has over six million articles covering everything from popular culture to scientific research.

Wikimedia Commons: Wikimedia Commons is a database of images, sound, and video files that are free for anyone to use. The site has over 70 million files that can be used in educational and creative works. The creative commons licensing system used by Wikimedia Commons ensures that users can share and reuse files with minimum restrictions.

Wikibooks: Wikibooks is a site that allows users to create and share instructional textbooks. Wikibooks has a wide variety of topics that are covered, including languages, computer programming, and natural sciences. The site is unique in that it allows users to create their own textbooks and edit existing ones.

Wikitravel: Wikitravel is a collaborative site that features travel guides for various destinations around the world. The site has over 24,000 articles covering topics like accommodation, food, and activities. Wikitravel is a great resource for travelers looking to plan their next adventure.

WikiHow: WikiHow is a site that provides how-to guides for nearly any topic you can imagine. The site has over 180,000 articles covering topics like cooking, home repairs, and personal growth. WikiHow is a great resource for people looking to learn new skills or improve existing ones.

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Wiki Sites: What They Are & How to Create One

Published: January 24, 2023

Ever heard of a "wiki" and questioned what it is? Suppose having something similar to the renowned Wikipedia - but for your own private use. With just one click, you can create an internal wiki repository where teams can collaborate on research projects, store documents securely, and gain access to all their work in one location.

For businesses, big and small alike, wikis have become an indispensable source of centralized information - they've replaced the need for outdated printed employee handbooks or single-time email transfers of style guides.

This blog post will discuss what a wiki is, give some examples of what kinds of information are typically stored in them, and how to create your own.

What is a wiki?

A wiki is an application that allows users to quickly and easily share information. It's a collection of web pages that use simple language and hyperlinks to navigate from one topic to another easily. Wikis are typically used for internal collaborations but can also be used externally for public-facing purposes.

Wikis are highly versatile and can be used for a variety of tasks. Picture it as a go-to place where anyone can look up companywide details. It is like a universal filing system containing all the necessary content that employees should share. They're collaborative, easy to update and maintain, require minimal setup time, and are secure - what more could you want from a digital workspace?

Internal vs. External Wikis

Internal wikis are used by businesses to store and share sensitive information within their organization. On the other hand, external wikis are used for public-facing purposes and can be accessible by anyone.

Internal wikis are great for collaboration among team members, sharing customer feedback, updating business documents, and more. They provide a secure environment where all content can be organized in one central location - what's not to love?

External wikis are perfect for providing information to the public, such as product specifications or support information. They are also ideal for open-source projects and large customer communities.

What can you store in a wiki?

Below is a list of what you can store in an internal wiki:

Technical documentation (How-to guides, tutorials, etc.)
Meeting notes & minutes
Company policies & guidelines
Project plans & timelines
Reports & analysis
Customer service resources (e.g. FAQs)
Team contact information & organizational charts News & updates
Best practices & procedures
Employee handbooks
Help desk resources

How to create a wiki?

Choose what type of wiki you want to create (internal or external).
Pick the platform you're going to use.
Set security protocols and community guidelines.
Start adding content - make sure to use simple language, visuals, and hyperlinks.
Assign roles and permissions for editing access.

1. Choose what type of wiki you want to create (internal or external).

If your goal is to share sensitive, internal information within your organization, an internal wiki is what you should go with. But if you want to create a public-facing wiki that anyone can access, an external wiki is what you need.

2. Pick the platform you're going to use.

There are many software's available for creating a wiki online. To make your choice, consider whether you want an open-source or hosted solution and what functionality you need.

If you’re a large, global company looking for open-source software, then you might opt for MediaWiki , the collaboration and documentation platform powering Wikipedia. But if you’re a smaller business or simply need less bells and whistles, then you might prefer more basic software like DokuWiki , WikiWikiWeb , or Google Sites .

If you’re looking for software that’s easy to use and manage, then you might opt for a premium software like Tettra . With Tetra, you can connect other work management tools like Slack, put users in charge of particular sections of the wiki, and get enhanced search and analytics tools — all without coding. Even those just getting started with website development can use this tool to set up a wiki in no time.

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What Is a Wiki? Definition, Examples, and Benefits

If I asked you to name the world’s most famous wiki, you’d probably say ‘Wikipedia.’ And you’d be right!

But if I asked you for a definition of ‘wiki,’ or why businesses might buy a company wiki, you might struggle.

After all, there are a lot of different types of wikis out there. There’s an internal wiki, an external wiki, a company wiki, what does it all mean? Some are accessible to everyone, others are tightly restricted to specific groups of people. Some are powered by AI, others aren’t.

In this article, we’ll define what a wiki is, discuss the different types of wikis, explain how to make a wiki, give you an overview of the benefits and use cases, along with some examples.

Let’s dig in!

Wiki definition

What is a wiki.

A wiki is a web-based application that lets users easily publish, edit, manage, access, and share information. Companies use wikis to allow their employees to access the information they need to do their jobs and to document their own knowledge with ease.

The word ‘wiki’ comes from the Hawaiian word ‘wiki wiki, which means ‘fast.’ It’s a fitting name because one of the key benefits of a wiki is the speed at which it allows teammates to document and share information with each other.

Now that we’ve defined what a wiki is, let’s take a look at some of the different types of wikis available today.

Internal wiki vs external wiki

An internal wiki is a type of software that companies use to store, organize, and share sensitive information. They’re secure internal websites that are only accessible by people who have specific permissions–usually a company’s employees. A company wiki is used to give teams a single source of truth for useful information and to ultimately improve efficiency.

An external wiki is a software application that members of the public can use to view, publish, and edit information. They are public-facing websites that can be accessed by anyone. Some external wikis provide different permissions to different people. For example, in some cases you might need to have an account to be able to edit content on an external wiki. Companies use external wikis to share content like product specifications and company updates with the public. Both business and non-business communities use external wikis to make relevant information widely available.

To summarize, the key difference between an internal wiki and an external wiki comes down to who has access. Internal wikis are specifically designed to limit access to specific groups of people, while external wikis are widely accessible to the public.

What is a company wiki?

A company wiki, also known as a corporate wiki enterprise wiki, is a private website used by internal teams to capture, find, and share knowledge. It acts as a central repository where employees can collaboratively create, edit, and remove information. Most company wikis have strict permission controls and privacy features that ensure only employees can access and adjust content. The primary purpose of a company wiki is to enable knowledge sharing between teams, improve alignment, and increase employee productivity.

Now let’s take a look at some examples of popular wikis.

Wiki examples

The first ever wiki was developed in the mid 90s by Ward Cunningham, an American computer programmer who co-wrote the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. The wiki he developed was called WikiWikiWeb and it set the standard for all the wiki software that would follow.

Here are some examples of wikis that are widely used today:

Wikipedia : an free online encyclopedia where members of the public add, edit, and organize information on a vast variety of topics.
WikiHow : an online manual full of information about how to complete various tasks, handle different situations, and find solutions to many of life’s challenges.
Wiktionary : a free digital dictionary that contains definitions of words in a wide range of languages, alongside a thesaurus, quotations, and details of the etymology of different words.
iFixit : a wiki of repair guides for consumer electronics and appliances that users can edit and contribute to.
Wikivoyage : a free web-based travel guide assembled through collaborative editing, providing destination guides and travel information.
SharePoint: sometimes referred to as SharePoint Wiki, this is a cloud-based content management platform used by companies across the globe to help their employees share information with ease.

Read on to learn about the key benefits of a company wiki, and how to make a wiki.

What are the benefits of a wiki?

Company wikis are fast becoming a standard part of the tech stack for most organizations, from small startups to large enterprises. After all, they can solve many universal business problems and offers a range of benefits. Let’s look at some of those now.

Find information easily

A wiki makes it easy for employees to find information. Simply put, wikis give every member of a team one place to find the information they need to do their jobs. Whether they’re looking for a product release date, an approved company logo, or HR policy, they can find it in their company wiki. And increasingly, some modern wikis are adding integrations that allow employees to search for information directly within whatever app they’re working from at a given moment.

Share knowledge quickly

A wiki gives employees a way to share information quickly. With a company wiki, employees have a single location to document the information they want their colleagues to be able to access. Whether it’s a project status update, a memo outlining go-to-market strategy, or a standard operating procedure, employees can publish valuable information in their wiki with confidence that it’ll be found by teammates who need it.

Reduced app overload

The number of apps the average company uses has grown dramatically over the past decade. While each app has a role to play, having a large number of software tools can create information silos, decrease productivity, and reduce operational efficiency. A new breed of AI-powered wikis are helping companies to solve this issue by making it possible to search across multiple sources from a single user interface–a workflow sometimes referred to as enterprise search . Some AI-powered wikis also allow users to create, edit, and adjust content to make it relevant to specific groups of employees. With features like these, wikis allow companies to consolidate tools, such as an intranet .

Increase employee efficiency

A study by McKinsey found that employees spend 20% of their time on average searching for the information they need to do their jobs. That’s the equivalent of losing one day every week to a task that’s both inefficient … and deeply frustrating! With a company wiki, employees have a single source of truth for information. This drastically reduces the time each employee has to spend searching for information and helps to significantly increase efficiency company-wide.

Improve company culture

Research from Gallup found that employee engagement has been stagnating in recent years, as workers report feeling disconnected from their teammates and their company’s mission. This has a knock-on effect on a team’s culture, productivity, and overall performance. However, with a wiki, company leaders can share important updates with their teams more easily and employees can engage with each other's content daily. This can go a long way to helping workers feel more connected to their company and engaged with their work.

As you can see, wikis offer an array of benefits to teams across an organization. But what type of information is most commonly documented in a wiki? We’ll explore that in the next section, where we look at common wiki use cases.

Top wiki use cases

Companies typically use wikis across a range of use cases. After all, a wiki is at its most effective when used across multiple teams and home to various types of content. Here are some of the top wiki use cases.

Employee onboarding materials : a company wiki is a great place to store the documents, tasks, and handbooks that are needed by new hires during onboarding.
Standard operating procedures : for many companies, the most common type of content found in a wiki is standard operating procedures that outline how best to complete certain tasks like filing a ticket with IT, filling out an expense report, or referring someone for an open role.
HR policies : whether it’s benefits information, PTO policies, or training materials, wikis are often used by HR teams to store materials that are relevant to all employees across a company.
Product FAQs : a wiki gives customer-facing teams a single source of truth for product information, making it easier for them to answer customers’ questions quickly and accurately.
Brand assets : company logos, employee headshots, and product images are often stored in company wikis, making it easy for employees to find the latest versions of key brand assets.

How to make a wiki

By this stage you might be wondering: ‘how can I make a wiki?’ Whether you’re looking to create a company wiki, an external wiki for an online community, or a different type of wiki altogether, here are the key steps to follow.

Choose a wiki platform

The first step is to select a wiki tool that suits your goals. If you want to make a personal wiki, a free open-source solution like DokuWiki might be a good fit. If you’re looking to implement a company wiki, you’ll need to consider factors like cost, ease of use, permission controls, integrations, and AI-powered capabilities. You might find it helpful to read about the best wiki software tools .

Set up your wiki

Once you choose a platform, the next step is to set it up. This might involve creating an account, assigning roles to different team members, customizing a homepage, and configuring permission settings. Many wiki tools provide templates to help you get started quickly.

Add and organize content

The next step is a fun one: adding content. It’s important to consider the structure and layout of your wiki pages to ensure it’s as easy as possible for users to navigate. Create pages for high-level subject areas, and add detailed subpages underneath. It’s also important to add internal links between related wiki pages.

Customize appearance

Before you share your new wiki widely, it’s important to customize it–especially if it’s a company wiki that’ll be used by a large number of employees. A lot of wikis allow you to adjust colors, fonts, layouts and other design features to match your brand’s style. This can go a long way to ensuring employees have familiar and engaging experience every time they use the wiki.

Establish processes to keep content fresh

The final step is to create guidelines and processes that ensure the wiki is widely adopted and well maintained in the long run. Historically, a lot of the work in maintaining a wiki was done manually, but with the advent of AI technology, the task is a lot easier nowadays. Whatever wiki software you use, it’s important that old content gets archives, popular content is always up to date, and analytics are continually leveraged to drive adoption.

Best wiki software

The world of wikis has changed dramatically since Ward Cunningham launched WikiWikiWeb in the 1990s. Today, some of the internet’s most popular websites are external wikis, while companies across the globe view internal wikis as a critical part of their tech stack.

In this article, we explained what a wiki is, shared examples of popular wikis, discussed the many benefits of a company wiki, and outlined how to make a wiki. Now you might be wondering what the best wiki software is for your business. The good news is there are a lot of options available today, many of which are adopting the latest AI technology to make it easier than ever for employees to find the information they need to do their best work. To learn more, read about the best wiki software tools .

Key takeaways 🔑🥡🍕

What are the key features of a wiki.

Wikis are characterized by several key features that distinguish them from other types of websites. They allow multiple users to collaboratively create, edit, and organize content, with changes being tracked and easily visible to all participants. Wikis also feature internal linking between pages, enabling users to navigate and explore related topics seamlessly.

How do wikis facilitate collaboration?

Wikis are designed to foster collaboration by providing a shared space where multiple users can contribute and edit content. They typically feature version control, allowing users to see the history of changes made to a page and revert to previous versions if necessary. Wikis also often include discussion pages or comment sections, enabling users to communicate and coordinate their efforts in improving the content.

What are the benefits of using a wiki for knowledge management?

Wikis offer several benefits for knowledge management within organizations. They provide a centralized repository for information, making it easy for employees to access and share knowledge across departments and locations. Wikis also promote a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, as users are encouraged to contribute their expertise and refine existing content. Additionally, wikis can help reduce duplication of effort and ensure that information remains up-to-date and accurate.

List of wikis

This article contains a list of notable wikis , which are websites that use wiki software , allowing users to collaboratively edit content and view old versions of the content. These websites use several different wiki software packages .

External links

Name	Focus	Notes	Entries	License
		Initially pre-populated with information about many different websites. Uses software, but now largely with	28,739,286	GFDL and CC BY-SA 3.0
	Poverty reduction, international development		15,437	CC BY-SA 4.0
		wiki project, with birth details for notable people of the world.	37,614
	/ Simplified Chinese	encyclopedia	27,482,961
	/ Simplified Chinese	encyclopedia	15,180,000 ]
	Math/Science	Written at the reading and comprehension level of an advanced high school student. Wiki pages are reviewed before they are put up.
	/Spanish	encyclopedia, with own wiki software.	13,518	Copyrighted/Other
	Catalogues	Originally in Dutch, with English version. Collectors specific for comics, coins, stamps, trading cards, board games, model cars, model trains, bank notes, books, watches, Disney memorabilia, clocks and other.	200,000
		Requires writers to use real names rather than usernames; guided by expert input while allowing edits from the general public	17,258	CC BY-SA 3.0
		Information and articles are written from a viewpoint aimed at correcting the alleged .	51,493	Copyrighted (free use)
	studies	Exists to inform public debate and policy development on copyright related issues based on categorising empirical studies. Funded and maintained by CREATe at the .	2,980
(CPDL)		Wiki library of free	40,888	Public domain, CPDL Licence, C.C. Licences, Copyrighted (free use)
	Place –	City wiki dedicated solely to Davis; at one point the largest city wiki	15,593	CC BY 3.0
	Government –	Encyclopedia of the collecting items related to international relations and diplomacy
	Cuban perspective on global issues, in Spanish	Run by Cuba's Youth Computer Club, an affiliate of the Communist Youth Union	19,482	CC BY-NC-SA.
	/Spanish	fork of Wikipedia	47,281	CC BY-SA 3.0
	Mathematics	MediaWiki using extension	16,211	CC BY-SA 3.0
	Parody of	wiki	14,972	Fair use
			6,000,000	CC BY-SA 4.0
	Fiction/Gaming – series	Wiki about the video game series. Ongoing merger with "Nukapedia" (Fandom) and "The Vault" (Curse/Gamepedia).	52,000	CC BY-SA
	Genealogy research	Reference information and research guidance. In 11 languages.	82,857	CC BY-SA 3.0 US
	Pop culture and media franchises	Wiki hosting service. It is a collection of many wikis, each focusing on a different subject.	more than 40,000,000 articles	CC BY-SA 3.0
	Fandom	Fandom and transformative works, with a focus on fannish history and activities. Powered by MediaWiki.	60,753	CC BY-NC 3.0 US
	Reference – Food and Cooking	about foods, recipes, and other culinary information.		CC BY
	Parody of encyclopedia	Spanish language parody of Wikipedia.	11,159	GFDL
	Fiction – , related 'fringe science' topics	Powered by MediaWiki.	6,759	CC BY-NC-SA
	Gardening	Meant as a "complete plant and garden wiki encyclopedia"	22,005	CC BY-SA
	Government —	Internal Government of Canada Wiki
	Places	Geographical that links specific names with unique features
wikis		Mainly computer software program documentation
	Linguistics – Multilingual	A Wiki on linguistics and languages	3,227
Heraldry of the World	– Multilingual	A wiki dealing with non personal heraldry	139,558
	Fiction –	Articles about the TV show .
	– Multilingual	A on that includes an interactive world map showing the best and worst places to catch a ride.	3,867 in English and about 2,000 more in 16 different languages.
	Government –	Three non-accessible wikis running on networks that link the U.S. intelligence community
		Wiki library of public domain	14,800	GFDL
(IMFDb)	Firearm usage in Film, Television and Videogames	Runs on	27,723
	Government –	Multi-lingual encyclopedia, including , , , , and		CC BY-NC
	Fiction – website and video series		28,105
	Fiction –	Articles about episodes, characters, themes, etc. in the television show.	7,457	CC BY-NC-ND
	Music –	Listing of lyrics by album	1,737,000	Mostly copyrighted. CC BY-SA for minority of content.
	Communities –		5,213	Copyrighted
	Fiction –	Contains material	58,548	CC BY-NC 4.0
		White nationalist and extreme right-wing online encyclopedia.	7,896	Unknown
		Runs on MediaWiki.	39,703	CC BY-SA 4.0
	Misc – Business directory	Allows people and enterprises to write about themselves	9,093	GFDL and other
	/Korean		602,837	CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 KR
	Mathematics, physics, and philosophy wiki	For research-level notes, expositions and collaborative work, including original research, especially from the n-categorical point of view.	18,098	No formal license. Freely reusable if source acknowledged.
	Places –	Uses , aerial photography and other free sources of images to create a map of the world		ODbL 1.0
	Science –	Promotes sharing and dissemination of knowledge related to biological research		CC BY-SA
	Games –	Aims to provide fixes and information on all PC games	45,508	CC NC-SA 3.0
	Misc –	Free wiki-style mathematical encyclopedia
	and
	Science –	A 3D encyclopedia of proteins and other molecules	191,915	Copyrighted
		Information and articles are written from a , and point of view as a response to	7,998	CC BY-SA 3.0
	,	Tibetan-English Dictionary, Buddhist Glossaries, Biographies of Buddhist Teachers, and Resources	23,721	CC BY-NC-SA / GFDL
	Computers —	Powered by MediaWiki	2,045
			2,040,397	CC BY-SA 3.0
			1,913,845	CC BY-SA 4.0
		Written exclusively by professionals focusing on their field of expertise; subject to	1,812	Copyrighted
	Fiction — , ,	Fictional secret organization documented by the collaborative writing wiki project of the same name	15,000	CC BY-SA 3.0
	Misc –	WikiWiki Web site running on GoWiki, a custom wiki based on .	18,200	OPL
	Aviation safety information	Runs on MediaWiki.
	Science – Biology	Database of research and information about , including medical consequences for people who have DNA info about themselves	195,101	CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
	/ Simplified Chinese	encyclopedia	900,000
		Multilingual for	21,157	CC BY-NC-SA
	Fiction –	The wiki for the hit TV show	4,224
	Words in different languages	Social learning network built around terms and questions in 75 languages.	1,417,806
	Places –	site dedicated to sharing stories and recommendations about travel	8,578	CC BY-SA 3.0
		Focuses on documenting in various media	551,245	CC BY-NC-SA
	history,	Building towards a comprehensive history of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) life in the United Kingdom. Previously the LGBT History Project. Runs on MediaWiki.	4,654	CC BY-SA 3.0
	Satire –	Satirical encyclopedia dedicated to parody, notably parodying Wikipedia. Has 2 "official" English versions due to a split.	37,749	CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
	Selected English Wikipedia articles	A free, advertising-supported Internet encyclopedia project
	History of the city of , Austria.	The main content of the wiki are persons, buildings, topographical objects (streets, parks, waters, districts...), organisations, events and other items (such as special German expressions used in Vienna)	185,636	CC BY-NC-ND
	General knowledge	Compiles answers to questions posed	11,265,000	Copyrighted
	Art, paintings	Project aims to create high-quality, complete and well-structured online repository of fine art.	75,000	Public domain artworks
	General –		378,467	CC BY-SA/other
			112,896,641 items	CC0 1.0, CC BY-SA 4.0
		Open educational resources which anyone may use, adapt, and share	25,652	CC BY-SA and CC BY
	Emergency Medicine	Rapid reference for practical point-of-care clinical knowledge with a popular linked point-of-care phone application. Intended for clinicians only and not directly for patients.	4,704	CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
		Wiki specifically dedicated to documenting fundamental gaps in human knowledge.
(including WikiFeet Men)		Directory of pictures of celebrities' feet
	How-to articles	A wiki how-to manual	166,386	CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
			977	CC BY-NC 3.0
	Places –	Combines Google Maps with a wiki system for polygonally defined areas; currently supports 35 languages	13,300,000	CC BY-NC-SA
	Misc –	of free electronic media; a	107,853,614 files	CC BY-SA and some other free licenses
	General –	Collaborative news service, a	1,756,325 articles	CC BY
		Multilingual that uses	63,544,186 articles	CC BY-SA 3.0 for text (July 15, 2009–now). Files have various licenses. Dual license under GFDL and CC BY-SA 3.0 for text (November 1, 2008 – July 15, 2009). GFDL for text (–November 1, 2008).
	Reference –	Quote ; a	330,859 articles	CC BY-SA
		Online encyclopedia focusing on Shi'a, the second major denomination in Islam. It has articles in 8 languages. has the most articles which is more than 3500.	4,443 in English	Unknown
	Reference –	Digital library of free content textual sources; a	6,135,443 articles	CC BY-SA
	Science –	Directory of ; a	883,731 articles	GFDL and CC BY-SA
	Places –	using Wikimedia's software, but unconnected to the (which hosts ). 20 supported languages	62,345	CC BY-SA 3.0
		Free global using software, but unconnected to the .	11,148,296	Unknown
	General – Self-directed learning	Supports free learning communities, projects, materials, and learners; a		CC BY-SA 3.0
	Places –	Multilingual of the .	136,465 articles	CC BY-SA 3.0
	, specifically	World's oldest wiki (began circa 1995)	34,997	GPL
	Multilingual dictionary	Online ; a	40,753,518 articles	CC BY-SA 3.0
	Fiction –	encyclopedia	193,079	CC BY-SA 3.0
/	Gaming –	Contains in-universe material	168,466 (Wowpedia); 105,351 (WoWWiki)	CC BY-SA 3.0
	/ Simplified Chinese	encyclopedia

History of wikis
List of online encyclopedias
List of multilingual MediaWiki sites
List of wiki software
Wiki hosting service
Wiki software


	debate
Coverage

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HTML Templates

15 Wiki Web Design Templates for Building a Knowledgebase (2024)

People build custom wikis and knowledgebases for a ton of different reasons. Maybe you want to create a collaborative platform for your team, or maybe you’re looking to build an online encyclopedia. Whatever the reason, if you’re planning on building a wiki, you’ll need to start with a good wiki template.

There are a lot of different wiki templates out there, but not all of them are created equal. To help you find the best template for your needs, we’ve put together a list of the 15 best wiki templates for building a knowledgebase in 2023. But first, let’s break down some of the must-have features all Wiki websites or knowledge bases need to have.

What to Look for in a Wiki Template

Before we get into the list of specific wiki templates, let’s take a look at some of the must-have features all wikis or knowledge bases need. By keeping these essential features in mind, you can narrow down your template options and find the best one for your needs.

Easy to Use: A good wiki template should be easy to use, even for people with no coding experience.
Scalable: As your wiki grows, you’ll need a template that can scale with you.
Customizable: A good wiki template should offer a wide range of customization options so you can make it your own.
Mobile-Friendly: In today’s world, it’s essential that your wiki is accessible on all devices, including mobile.
Search Engine Optimized: A good wiki template should be designed with SEO in mind to help you rank higher in search engines.

Keeping these factors in mind should help you make a better decision once it comes time to select a template for your website.

Do I Need Any Special Tools to Launch a Wiki or Knowledgebase?

You don’t need any special tools to launch a wiki. In fact, there are a number of wiki templates available that require no coding experience whatsoever. However, if you want more control over the design and functionality of your wiki, you may want to consider using a plugin if you’re a WordPress user. A few plugins that can help in the organization and management of your wiki include:

Echo Knowledge Base : This plugin allows you to create a knowledge base from any WordPress post type.
BetterDocs : This plugin helps you create beautiful, user-friendly documentation for your products or services.
Yada Wiki : This plugin allows you to add wiki-like functionality to any WordPress site. These are just a few of the options available if you want

Using a plugin like one of these can give you more control over the organization and management of your wiki, but it’s not required. If you’re not a WordPress user, there are plenty of other options available as well.

15 Wiki Templates for Building a Knowledgebase

Now that you know what to look for in a wiki template, let’s take a look at some of the best options available.

1. VSDocs - Online Documentation Template

VSDocs comes with 13 header variations and 40+ HTML files. It’s ready for unlimited color customization, and the source code is well-organized for easy navigation and customization.

Interestingly enough, VSDocs won the Most Wanted Contest on ThemeForest as well.

2. Responsive Knowledge Base & FAQ HTML Template

The Responsive Knowledge Base template is designed for self-service support, providing a knowledge base and FAQ section. The search bar, accordion-style FAQ page, contact form, and article scrollspy make finding answers quick and easy.

The modern look and feel comes from the use of Google fonts and responsive design. Social icons are included so that users can share articles they find helpful.

3. Paper - Wiki and Knowledgebase HTML Template

The Paper Template is a great way to create a powerful and informative website. This template includes advanced search functionalities, article list by categories and tips which can make documents more attractive and user friendly. This is an excellent tool for those who are selling their items on marketplaces or have an open source project on GitHub.

4. Docy - Documentation & Knowledgebase HTML Template

Docy is an HTML online documentation template that can help you create your next product’s documentation quickly. It may be used to document APIs, frameworks, plugins, templates, software, and other applications. Docy enables you to create beautiful and easy-to-use documents in minutes.

It is based on Bootstrap 4 and includes a lot of features to make your interactive documentation pleasant. You can use Docy to generate stunning and simple-to-use manuals in minutes.

5. Knowledge - Knowledgebase and Wiki Design HTML Template

The Knowledge HTML template is a great way to create a powerful wiki or knowledgebase for a product or service. It allows you to add advanced search functionalities, article lists by categories, as well as tips and notifications. This template makes your Wiki docs more attractive and user-friendly.

6. Knowledge Desk - Ultimate Wiki and Knowledgebase Template

This template is perfect for creating a knowledgebase website. It features a modern and clean design, as well as a variety of useful features that will make building your website easy. A few standard out features include 8 homepage layouts, over 25 template options, over 20 elements, and a searchable FAQ plugin bundled with the template itself.

7. AmDesk - Helpdesk and Wiki Template

Amdesk is an easy to use, responsive template for your help desk system. You can use it to create documentation, a knowledge base, and help users in your ticket system or forums. It also allows you to sell goods from your site directly and manage users licenses.

This template is built on Bootstrap 4 and includes support for an online store, user accounts, and more.

8. Docy - Knowledgebase and Doc Jekyll Template

Docy is a reliable and responsive Jekyll documentation product that can help you rapidly create your next project’s documentation. With its customizable Bootstrap 4 foundation, it works great for documenting APIs, software frameworks, templates, user manuals, etc.

It includes lots of elements to easily make an interactive experience for your website visitors.

9. Knowledge Base - Helpdesk, Wiki Theme for WordPress

KnowledgePress helps you quickly build customer self-service knowledge bases using WordPress. You can use it to create a resource of helpful articles and answer popular customer questions. Many of our customers use KnowledgePress as their customer support center, extensive FAQs, product or service documentation, internal company documentation, or wiki.

This theme works with Visual Composer, supports drag-and-drop functionality, and supports live search, too.

10. Tessera - Knowledge Base WordPress Theme

The Tessera WordPress theme is perfect for creating a knowledge base or support forum on your website. With an easy-to-use interface and plenty of features, you can get your website up and running in no time.

Notable features include a rich Customizer experience, Elementor support, and integration with top plugins including bbPress and WooCommerce.

11. Knowledgedesk - Knowledge Base WordPress Theme

Knowledgedesk is a fantastic WordPress theme for building a knowledge base website. It comes with a powerful Redux option framework that allows you to manage your site using just the admin panel without any software expertise.

To produce different blocks by simply clicking on the mouse, the theme also contains our own WPBakery Page Builder, which enables you to build different blocks by simply dragging and dropping elements on blank pages. This makes it simple and enjoyable to create websites with Knowledgedesk.

12. kbDoc - Documentation and Wiki HTML Template

kbDoc is a user-friendly online documentation template created with HTML and Bootstrap 4. Perfect for API, software, plugins, templates, frameworks, or any kind of manuals, this template can be used to build a custom wiki of any sort.

13. xDocs - Help Desk and Knowledgebase Template

This website template is perfect for those who are looking for a modern and sophisticated design. The HTML and CSS code is well written and easy to edit, making it a great choice for any type of website. XDocs is perfect for Help desks, Support and/or discussion forums and knowledgebase websites.

14. Docs - Documentation and Manual HTML5 Template

This website template is perfect for businesses who want to showcase their work in a clean and professional way. The responsive design ensures that your site will look great no matter what device it’s viewed on, and the use of system fonts means that your site will be fast and reliable.

Social icons make it easy for visitors to connect with you on their favorite networks, and the two changelog pages keep you up-to-date on all the latest changes to your site.

15. Guia - Helpdesk and Documentation HTML5 Template

A stylish and modern HTML5 website template which features a live search function, a responsive design, social icons and more. This template would be perfect for any business or individual website and it offers a simple way to create a custom wiki website that provides your site visitors, customers, or client base the answers they need when they need them.

Where to Find the Best Wiki Web Design and Knowledgebase Templates

We will always recommend Envato Elements as the go-to marketplace whenever you need a wiki web design template. It’s a subscription-based service that provides unlimited access to creative resources, including wiki templates .

If you don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription, another great marketplace for finding wiki templates is ThemeForest . There you can purchase individual wiki templates for a one-time fee.

Build a Knowledgebase or Wiki Website in a Weekend with a Wiki Template

A wiki website is a great way to build an online knowledgebase or collaborate with a team. And with a little help from a wiki web design template, you can have your wiki up and running in no time.

In this post, we’ve rounded up the 15 of the best wiki templates for building a knowledgebase in 2024.

We hope you found this post helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. And be sure to check out our collection of the best helpdesk WordPress themes for more great options.

How-To Geek

What is a wiki.

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These 14 Linux Commands Helped Me Become a Better Troubleshooter

Pixel buds pro 2 vs. pixel buds pro: are the new earbuds worth the premium, 8 useful pcie cards to put in your secondary pcie slot, quick links, the origin of the name "wiki", should you trust a wiki.

The word "wiki" comes from Hawaiian and can be a verb meaning "To Hasten" or an adjective meaning "quick" or "fast." But how in the world does that relate to Wikipedia?

The first wiki, WikiWikiWeb , was created by a man named Ward Cunningham to facilitate the exchange of ideas, information, and experience between programmers. The name, WikiWikiWeb, was inspired by a shuttle service at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. Since then, the idea has grown explosively, and become one of the defining aspects of the internet.

A lot of the discussion and examples here will revolve around Wikipedia and other sites managed by the Wikimedia Foundation , as they're by far the largest wikis in existence. Not all wikis function in exactly the same way, though most will be similar.

The internet is loaded with informational websites of widely varying quality. Some are filled with carefully curated content, written and edited by people with specialized training or experience. Most sources considered authoritative are run this way, and for good reason --- selecting your content for accuracy goes a long way towards increasing credibility.

Wikis work in exactly the opposite way. The content found on wikis is written and edited almost exclusively by anonymous volunteers. If you spot an inaccuracy or problem with an article, you can make any corrections necessary. If an article doesn't exist at all, you can add it. If someone has a problem with your additions, they can dispute it or remove it. You can even host your own wiki if you wanted, either using software available from the Wikimedia Foundation , or your own home-brewed solution. The goal of wikis is always to be as open as possible.

The entire history of an article --- when it was created, what changes were made and when, and any discussion or debate about the content --- is publicly viewable. Here is an example of what you might see if you were to check out a page's edit history on Wikipedia.

Revision history on the wikipedia article about Heavy Water.

Specialized Wikis

The majority of wikis out there don't try to be as broad in scope as Wikipedia. There are specialized wikis for almost every topic you can imagine. Fandom.com (formerly Wikia) alone hosts thousands of Wikis relating to movies, television, books, video games, and more.

As an example, the Star Wars wiki --- which is named "Wookieepedia," a portmanteau of "Wookiee" and "Encyclopedia" --- has just shy of 175,000 articles.

Wikipedia maintains a non-exhaustive list of other wikis you can find on the internet, which you can check out.

Using an open collaboration model has allowed wikis to cover a diverse range of topics and grow at an astonishing rate with little---if any---centralized oversight. New information can be incorporated into existing articles within seconds. But what does the lack of centralized oversight mean for accuracy?

There has been extensive debate over the accuracy and reliability of crowdsourced resources like Wikipedia. Critics are quick to point out that "Anyone can edit it and say whatever they want," which is largely true. Sometimes false information is added and passed off as fact, either deliberately as an act of vandalism, or unintentionally, due to honest ignorance. Other times, biased or incomplete information is added without sufficient context.

Wikis rely on the "wisdom of the crowd" to sort out these issues. There is an assumption inherent to the wiki model that people will try to express the truth as best they know it, and that when you have a large enough group of people contributing, things like individual bias will get canceled out and major factual errors will be eliminated. Wikipedia, and associated sites, explicitly ask people to try to maintain a neutral point of view and to only make claims that are verifiable. But does this approach work?

As it turns out, it mostly does. Wikipedia scores decently when measured based purely on empirical fact. One study found that Wikipedia was accurate 80% of the time, whereas conventional encyclopedias were accurate about 96% of the time. Wikipedia does better with highly technical or specialized articles, where Wikipedia has been found to be comparable to Britannica in a Nature study , and a separate study found that experts rated Wikipedia articles related to their field more highly than laymen did. In the same study, only 5.7% of experts found factual errors in the articles they reviewed.

Wikipedia is usually factually correct, but what about bias? A study by researchers Harvard Business School found that the more times an article was revised, the more likely words indicative of bias are to disappear compared to expertly curated works --- in other words, Wikipedia articles tend become less biased as more people work on them.

So make the world a less biased place --- edit a Wikipedia article.

The wiki guide

Team Wiki Examples

Now that you know what a wiki is, why it's useful, and how to create and design an effective internal wiki for your team, let's look at a few examples.

Some companies need only one wiki for the entire organization. Others create specialized wikis for certain departments, then nest those within a larger team wiki. No matter how you choose to organize your wiki, remember your goals, which might be:

Centralize knowledge
Increase transparency
Improve communication
Speed up workflow
Create opportunities for self-paced learning

Keeping the last goal - learning and growth - in mind, we'll share some of the ways we use our own wiki at Slite. We'll look at two company wide examples, and two team-specific ones, and share a template for you to create your own version of each.

Company-wide example: Team Directory

One of the best ways to keep everyone on the same page during a stage of change or growth is to create a team directory. This way, newer team members can get to know more experienced ones, and vice versa. It's a fantastic icebreaker. The best part about creating a wiki for your people? They can get to know each other on their own time.

Tip: Take advantage of wiki features like comments and discussions to engage with colleagues' profiles, then follow up with a meeting to discuss their common interests.

Team Directory homepage

At Slite, we use a Smart Table as the front page of our team directory. Each row contains a link to the team member's intro document, and also contains vital stats such as their arrival date, languages spoken, field of knowledge, and preferred emoji. 🏄🛼🍕

Want to recreate this wiki page? Check out our free Team Directory Template-->

Wiki article.

To drill down further into our team wiki, each person contributes their own Intro document. They can format their intro however they like - but often these entries contain details about family life, working styles, hobbies and interests.

Want to replicate this wiki example in your team? Just download the template (illustrations of employees not included).

Free template: Create your team directory for free in Slite

Company-wide example: The Handbook

Getting to know the team is an important onboarding activity, but what about when a new employee needs to get down to business? The team handbook gets the job done. At Slite, our Handbook is required reading for all new team members, and is an essential step of onboarding. The Handbook contains guides to all of our general team processes, including:

Remote work best practices
Days off and vacation policies
How we conduct meetings
How we write and share documents in Slite (meta!)
Our principles and values

...and much more.

Even though the Handbook is an onboarding tool, like any company wiki , it can be an ongoing resource for existing team members as well. They can use it to look up particular policies, or update processes that have been changed.

Want to start your own team handbook?

Free template: Create your employee handbook for free in Slite

Team-specific example: Brand Guidelines

Once you've written down general guidelines for new and existing team members, you can start to get more specific with your wiki content. This means creating channels and documents about particular work processes.

Our marketing team has a guidebook for our brand voice and image. It helps keep things consistent across all of our marketing campaigns - whether we are pushing changes to our homepage, publishing articles on our blog, launching special projects, or writing educational content like this guide!

Ready to share your marketing knowledge?

Free template: Create your brand guidelines for free in Slite

Team-specific example: Developer Starter Pack

Technical teams can benefit from wiki content, too. By writing down tech team processes, new engineers won't be so reliable on more experienced team members for historical knowledge. They also can refer to the wiki whenever they're unsure how to tackle a particular problem - whether there's an established solution, or if they have to come up with a new way of doing things. In the case of the latter, new solutions can be added to the wiki to grow knowledge.

Last but not least, an engineering team wiki establishes the habit of technical documentation, which in turn reduces redundancies and avoids common mistakes. Whenever work starts on a new feature or product - add it to the wiki, and see how your team learns.

Ready to start documenting your tech processes?

Free template: Free Technical Documentation Template in Slite

Wikis are for learning, and winning, as a team

Congrats! You've reached the end of this wiki guide. A quick recap: we've covered what a wiki is, internal and external wikis, the best wiki software tools, how to create a wiki, wiki information design, and finally, real-life wiki examples we use at Slite.

If there's one takeaway to leave with it's this: a wiki is a learning tool. Writing things down is the first step towards building the valuable knowledge that only your team has. That knowledge empowers employees inside your organization to take ownership of their ideas and projects, and bring great products into the world. Individual learnings translate into team wins - and that's cause for celebration.

If you're ready to start scaling learning in your team, try out Slite– it's free .

Melanie Broder is on the Marketing team at Slite, where she works on all things content. She helps Slite users gain new skills through guides, templates, and videos. She lives in New York City, where she likes to read novels and run loops around Central Park.

Get started

Wiki Sites: What are They & How To Create a Wiki?

Have you ever come across the term “wiki” and wondered what it means?

Imagine having something similar to Wikipedia for your personal or team use. It’s like having a private hub where you and your colleagues can work together on projects, keep important documents safe, and access all your work in one place with a simple click.

Whether you’re a big company or a small business, wikis have become a crucial way to gather all your essential information in one spot. They’ve replaced the need for old-fashioned printed employee guides or sending style tips through emails that get lost.

In this article, we’ll explore the concept of a wiki, look at examples of what people usually store in them, and even guide you on how to make your wiki.

Let’s get started!

What is a Wiki?

A wiki is a type of collaborative website or platform that allows multiple users to create, edit, and organize content collaboratively. The term “wiki” comes from the Hawaiian word “wikiwiki,” which means “quick” or “fast.” The defining feature of a wiki is its open and editable nature, enabling users to easily contribute and modify content without requiring extensive technical knowledge or coding skills.

The most well-known example of a wiki is Wikipedia. This online encyclopedia allows volunteers worldwide to write and edit articles on various topics.

Internal Wiki vs. External Wiki

In the world of information sharing, there are two main types of wikis: internal and external. These wikis serve different purposes and cater to different audiences. Let’s look at what sets them apart and when to use each type.


	Collaboration within the organization	Public information sharing and engagement
	Restricted to authorized team members	Open to anyone interested
	Sensitive data, business documents	Product specs, support info, open-source
	High, content is kept within the team	Lower, content accessible to the public
	Limited to the internal team	Broad audience, including the general public
	May require transition as team grows	Scales well to engage a larger user base
	Need for secure collaboration	Desire to share information with everyone

Choosing the Right Fit for Your Team

Consider your goals when deciding which type of wiki is right for your team. Do you need a secure space for internal collaboration, document management, and sharing sensitive data? Then, an internal wiki is your best bet. It keeps your confidential information within the team and safeguards your privacy.

Alternatively, an external wiki is more suitable if you’re all about engaging with a wider audience. This wiki type helps you establish a virtual presence where people can access information conveniently.

As your team grows and evolves, your wiki needs might change, too. It’s crucial to think ahead. Will your current wiki be sufficient as your team expands? If not, you might need to transition to a different wiki type.

Related: Internal Wiki vs. External Wiki: The Key Differences You Need to Know!

How Can You Use Internal Wiki?

A wiki is a versatile tool that can cater to various organizational needs. It promotes knowledge sharing, collaboration, and streamlined communication across departments and teams.

Store technical documentation such as how-to guides and tutorials.
Organize meeting notes and minutes for easy reference.
Centralize company policies and guidelines to ensure clarity.
Manage project plans and timelines to track progress.
Archive reports and analysis for future reference.
Compile customer service resources like FAQs.
Maintain team contact information and organizational charts.
Share news and updates to keep everyone informed.
Document best practices and procedures for consistent workflows.
Host employee handbooks and HR policies.
Provide help desk resources for technical problem-solving.

How To Create a Wiki?

Have you ever wanted to create a wiki?

It’s not as complicated as it might sound. A wiki is like a website where you and your team can collaborate and share information. Whether you want to keep things internal for your organization or make them public for everyone to access, here’s how you can get started:

Step 1: Decide the Type of Wiki

Think about why you’re creating a wiki. Are you onboarding new team members, making meetings more efficient, or storing company info? Clearly defining your goals will help you stay focused.

Then, consider whether you want an internal or external wiki. If you’re thinking about sharing information within your organization, an internal wiki is the way to go. But if you’re aiming to make information available to the public, then an external wiki is what you need.

Step 2: Choose Your Platform

Now it’s time to choose where your wiki will live. There are different software options available, each with its features. If you’re part of a large company, software like MediaWiki, which powers Wikipedia, might be a good fit. Simpler options like DokuWiki or Google Sites could work well for smaller businesses. If you want user-friendly software with extra features, Tettra is a premium option for beginners.

With various wiki software options available, pick one that suits your needs. Some are complex with advanced features, while others are simpler and organize existing documents.

Related: Discover the Best Wiki Software: Its Types and Benefits

Step 3: Set Rules and Guidelines

Security and community are essential when starting a wiki. Work with your IT department to ensure your content follows company policies and laws. Establish community guidelines, too, to prevent irrelevant or incorrect information. Setting style rules and deciding how edits will be handled can help keep your wiki organized. Introduce the wiki software to your team through a meeting. Explain how it works in its design, and get everyone on board.

Step 4: Add Content

Now comes the fun part – adding content to your wiki! Make sure to structure your wiki in a user-friendly way. You can use categories, tags, and links to make navigation easier. Start by listing the main topics your wiki will cover and organize them into categories. You can also use department names as categories. Internal links will help readers find related content quickly.

Tip: Identify Key Contributors. Determine who in your organization has specialized and institutional knowledge. These individuals can be valuable contributors to your wiki.

Step 5: Assign Roles and Permissions

As your wiki grows, you’ll want different people to contribute. Assigning roles and access levels ensures that only the right people can edit specific content. For instance, customer service reps might have access to certain pages, while the marketing team could have broader access. This keeps things organized and prevents accidental edits.

Use Templates: Starting from scratch can be daunting. Utilize templates to make the process faster and more organized.

Creating a wiki might seem overwhelming, but with these steps and tips, you’ll be well on your way to building a valuable resource for your team or the wider public.

Read More: 10 Corporate Wiki Best Practices and How Implement Them?

Final Thoughts

Making a wiki site isn’t as complex as it might seem. It’s about having a plan and being dedicated. You can establish a thriving wiki without much hassle by using suitable software and security steps, along with clear community rules and steady updates.

The best way to approach making a wiki is to take it step by step. Start by sharing the most crucial and correct details and then gather input. As you become more confident in the content and organization, you’re ready to unveil the wiki to your group.

Happy wiki-making!

Further Reads:

Company Wiki: What it is & Why You Need it For Your Business?

Top 10 Benefits of Using a Cloud-Based Company Wiki!

Corporate Wiki Guide for All types of Businesses!

Company Wiki vs Blog: What are the Differences & the Similarities?

Company Wiki Vs Knowledge Base: Understanding The Key Differences!

Marketing Activities: Exploring Essential Types, Importance & Examples!

What is Brand Strategy and How To Create One?

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What Is a Wiki?

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Chances are that you've settled an argument by referencing one, but what is a wiki exactly? For example, the most famous wiki pages can be found on Wikipedia, a massive online encyclopedia. The site has become so large (more than six million articles) that you run across it all the time in Google [source: Wikipedia ].

Wikis are growing because, at their core, they are the simplest online database platforms available. A wiki page allows groups of wiki users to enter and communally edit bits of text. These bits of text can be viewed and edited by anyone who visits the wiki.

That's it. What it means is that, when you come to a wiki, you are able to browse all the knowledge that the wiki's community has written. By clicking an "edit" button on an article, you are able to edit content too. You can add or change anything you like in the article you are reading.

This simplicity and the utter openness of a wiki cause many people to instantly reject the idea. Wikis also seem very strange to many people. Where does all the information come from? Is it reliable? What stops people from vandalizing a wiki until it dies? People assume that because anyone can edit a wiki at any time, the wiki must be flawed. But wiki supporters claim this is an incorrect assumption. Let's look at a real wiki to understand what is actually going on.

Ward Cunningham created the first wiki in 1995. His "WikiWikiWeb" lets software developers create a library of "software patterns." The name "Wiki" was inspired by the Hawaiian word wiki or wiki-wiki , which means "quick" and is often used as a term for taxis and airport shuttles. The WikiWikiWeb still exists.

Understanding Wikipedia

Wiki communities, vandalism and edit wars.

A screenshot of the revision history page of a Wikipedia

Because Wikipedia is the largest and most popular wiki on the planet, we will use it as an example to understand how wikis work in practice.

If you go to Wikipedia.org and look at the home page, you'll see a welcome screen that shows you how to access different versions of Wikipedia, along with a search box.

Type "wing warping" into the search box, and you will arrive at a typical Wikipedia article. The "wing warping" page offers a brief description of wing warping, supporting links to several related articles inside Wikipedia and several external links.

This is normal for any wiki — a wiki is nothing but a collection of Web pages interconnected with each other through internal links. In Wikipedia, there are more than a million pages like this in the English version.

If you read the article, you will find that it is a useful source of information. It simply tells you what wing warping is and directs you to other resources. Despite the fact that anyone can edit the page (even you), there is no pornography, profanity or Nazi slogans on the page. All the material is completely on-topic.

Now we can ask the key question when it comes to Wikis — where did this page on wing warping come from? Who wrote it? With any "normal" encyclopedia, the answer to that question is simple — the encyclopedia paid someone to write the article. With Wikipedia, the answer to that question is completely different.

The Creation of Wikipedia Pages

At the top of the "Wing warping" page in Wikipedia, you see a tab that says, "edit this page." That is a wide-open invitation to anyone — any visitor to Wikipedia (including you) can edit any page. If you have something to say about wing warping that you feel should be on the page, or if you have an external link that you believe would be helpful to other readers who are reading about wing warping, or if you're compelled to write something completely unrelated, then you can add whatever you have to say to the page. Simply click on the "Edit this page" tab and type away.

To many people who have never spent any time with an active wiki before, that last sentence is uncomfortable. The idea that anyone can come to Wikipedia and edit any page at any time and do so with complete anonymity is extremely disconcerting. Obvious questions arise immediately:

What if the person is a vandal and inserts profanity?
What if the person is a vandal and either completely erases the page or corrupts it?
What if the person is a spammer from a porn site who adds porn links and pictures to the page?

While it does happen, that kind of thing is relatively rare. The key thing that makes a wiki work is its community. Using a variety of tools, the community sees to it that vandals, dummies and spammers do not corrupt the encyclopedia.

When you edit Wikipedia, you do so using something called "Wikitext." For normal paragraphs of text, you simply insert the text. For special features like headings, lists, italics, etc., you use special character combinations. For example, if you place two equals signs at the beginning of a line ("=="), it means that you want to create a heading. To learn the symbols, looked at the page on editing .

A screenshot of the edit history for the "wing warping" Wikipedia page.

The heart of any wiki website is its community. Literally millions of people visit Wikipedia every month, and together they form Wikipedia's community. Each person who arrives is able to play one or more roles on the site. For example:

The large majority of people who visit Wikipedia are readers. They arrive at Wikipedia for whatever reason and read one or more articles.
Some people who visit Wikipedia become writers. They add a new section to an existing article or create a brand new article.
Many people act as editors. If they see an error on a page they are reading, they correct it. If they can make a small addition that is helpful, they will do it on the spot.
Several hundred visitors who have been contributing to Wikipedia for a period of time are granted wiki administrator privileges. These privileges give them the right to do things like deleting and un-deleting pages, blocking and unblocking IP addresses , etc.

Beyond sharing knowledge, Writers, editors and admins work together to solve almost all of the problems that you would expect to arise in an open platform like Wikipedia. They also work collaboratively to create some really well-written and in-depth articles.

The best way to understand how the community wiki system works is to add something to Wikipedia and see what happens.

Experiment: Changing a Page

The very best way to understand how a wiki community works is to go to a place like Wikipedia and add something. Here is an experiment for you to try:

Go to Wikipedia and find a topic that you know something about.
Search for and read the page about that topic on Wikipedia.
Find something that you feel is missing in the article, or find something that you disagree with.
Edit the page and add/change a sentence or two in the article. Simply click on "Edit this page" at the top of the article, and make your changes.
Submit your change.
Come back in a day or two and see what has happened to your change.

What will happen is that the Wikipedia community will react to your change in some way. If the community has no problem with what you wrote, then your change may still be there completely unaltered one day later. If what you entered was wrong or vandalistic, you will find that it has been removed. If you make a typo or two (try it), chances are that someone will come along and fix your typos. If you format your entries incorrectly or speak in the wrong voice, someone will edit your addition. In other words, your change will be either accepted, altered or rejected by the community. In that way, pages on Wikipedia are expanding and changing all the time.

How did the community know that you made the change? There are several tools available in most wikis that help the community to see what is changing.

After making your change, look up at the tabs at the top of the article and click "History." What you will find is that your entry on the page (including your IP address if you made the submission anonymously) has been recorded in the system. In other words, each page in Wikipedia has a revision history that anyone can see.

A list of all changed pages is also compiled on the recent changes page. Anyone can go to this page at any time to see all of the pages that are changing in Wikipedia.

On a big wiki engine like Wikipedia, the recent changes page is impressive. Thousands of pages change every day. During peak hours, there can be 50 or more pages changing every minute. Therefore, Wikipedia has a more personal tool called a watchlist. Here's how it works:

Let's say that you create a new article topic on Wikipedia, or you make some additions and modifications to an article. Once you do that, chances are that you have a certain attachment to the page — a certain interest in it — and you would like to know when other people change the page. By adding that page to your watchlist, you will get notified every time that page changes.

Now you can see why a change that you make will not go unnoticed for very long. After you make the change, many people in the Wikipedia community will see what you have done. Some of them may have a strong attachment to the page that you have changed. If they do not like the changes you make, they will remove or modify them. If they do like the changes you make, they will leave them alone or add to them.

Wikipedia is so popular that it takes hundreds of machines to handle the load. For a description of how all of these machines fit together (including a very nice architecture diagram), see Wikimedia.org: Wikimedia servers .

The only reason that a wiki works is because the community of people who work on it make it work. The community adds all of the content, edits everything and polices the content to root out problems. When the community is functioning well, it can produce a tremendous amount of content that gets better and better over time. If you are so inclined, you can become a member of the Wikipedia community (or any other wiki community). You can contribute either as a writer or an editor. If you would like to get actively involved, you should first look at the Wikipedia FAQ , and especially the Contributing FAQ , to learn about the editing tools and conventions of Wikipedia.

A screenshot of the Wikipedia page for George W. Bush

It is easy for a person to vandalize Wikipedia. Since anyone can edit any page, the possibility is always there. The vandal might add profanity or inappropriate images to a page, might erase all the content of a page, etc.

As you can see in the previous section, however, there are tools that make it easy for the community to find and remove vandalism. There are also other work management tools available on Wikipedia to help corral users who are persistently destructive. For example:

It is easy for anyone who sees vandalism to revert pages back to a pre-vandalism state.
It is easy for any user to alert the rest of the Wikipedia community to vandalism that is in progress.
It is possible for an admin to block or ban users (or IP addresses) who are persistently destructive.
It is possible for an admin to protect a page temporarily to keep people from changing it.
It is possible for an admin to delete an inappropriate page.

Tools like these make it easy for members of the community to quickly eliminate vandalism and prevent vandals from coming back.

A more subtle, less intentional form of vandalism, called an "edit war," can also occur on a wiki. In an edit war, two or more people edit or revert pages over and over again in order to express their point of view.

Edit wars can happen on any wiki, but on a large wiki like Wikipedia, they can reach epic proportions. The best way to understand an edit war is to look at a battleground page and use it as an example — Wikipedia's page about George W. Bush, for example [source: Wikipedia ].

It is easy to understand why the George W. Bush page might be a battleground. There are many, many people who love George W. Bush, and there are many, many people who despise him. Those who love him naturally want to emphasize things about George Bush that match their view of the man. In the same way, so do those who despise him. Thus, you can get dozens of people editing and re-editing the article to express their point of view.

The interesting thing about an edit war like this is that, with a controversial topic, it is completely natural and to be expected. Both sides have their unique point of view, and those views are incompatible. However, the outcome of the conflict is interesting, and you can see it if you read the George W. Bush page.

Both parties have to reach consensus on the page, and that eventually causes the page to achieve a neutrality and objectivity that satisfies both parties. Controversial topics, like Bush's National Guard service, move to separate pages so they can be dealt with separately. In general, the process actually works.

Many Topics, Many Wikis

There are thousands of other wikis on the Internet now. As a genre, wiki sites are growing rapidly. Here are several examples:

SwitchWiki - a large directory of wikis

Virtually any topic with any sort of active community can, in theory, support a wiki. Though it's important to remember that not all wikis are created equally. A wiki gives the community a way to gather information together and modify it as things change.

For this reason, it is now common to see wikis used inside corporations and organizations . Imagine the following scenario: There is a large corporation using an internally developed software application to manage its accounts. Two-thousand people inside the corporation use this application to enter and access data. The program is 25 years old, has never been documented very well and drives people nuts. Training is done by word of mouth.

An environment like this is perfect for a wiki. The 2,000 people using the program can build their own documentation a little bit at a time. Each time someone learns something, they can toss a sentence or two into the wiki to let other people understand how to use the feature. Over time, the 2,000 users will build complete documentation for the entire application.

It is quite likely that wikis and other community-based efforts will grow rapidly as people become familiar and more comfortable with the concept.

For more information on wikis and related topics, check out the links on the next page.

Edit wars demonstrate one type of problem that is unique to wikis. Usually the community can work it out, but sometimes it can't. Wikis, like anything else, have advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses. The article The Faith-Based Encyclopedia , written by the CEO of Britannica, discusses some of the problems, as does Why Wikipedia Must Jettison Its Anti-Elitism , written by one of Wikipedia's founders.

Frequently Answered Questions

Why is wiki called wiki, what is wiki and wiki is used for, whats wiki means, how do wikis work.

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

Create account
Contributions

Project pages on MetaWiki:

See also: the Nostalgia wiki (ca 2001), MediaWiki settings of Wikimedia projects , Wikimedia wikis (where also non-project wikis are listed).

Wikimedia coordination and other projects

Many of these are multilingual sites (at least nominally), but none have language sub-projects.

Wikimedia Foundation sites:

Foundation wikis : Wikimedia Foundation (restricted editing) • Wikimedia Foundation Office (private) • Wikimedia Board of Trustees (private) • Wikimedia chapters & foundation (private, defunct) • Wikimedia contractor collaborations (private) • Wikimedia Advisory Board (defunct, merged into Meta) Committees : Affiliations committee (private) • Special Projects committee (private, defunct) • Grants wiki (private, defunct)

Wikimedia community sites:

Community wikis : Meta-Wiki • Wikimedia Incubator • Outreach wiki • Wikimedia strategic planning (read-only) • Nostalgia wiki (read-only) • Wikipedia 10th anniversary planning (read-only) • Wikimedia Usability wiki (read-only) Chapters : Wikimedia Argentina • Wikimedia Argentina wiki • Wikimedia Australia • Wikimedia Bangladesh • Wikimedia Bangladesh wiki • Wikimedia Belgium • Wikimedia Brazil • Wikimedia Canada • Wikimedia CH • Wikimedia Colombia • Wikimedia Deutschland • Wikimedia Deutschland Forum • Wikimedia Danmark • Wikimedia Eesti • Wikimedia Iran • Wikimedia France • Wikimedia Georgia • Wikimédia Magyarország • Wikimedia India (http only) • Wikimedia Indonesia • Wikimedia Indonesia wiki • Wikimedia Israel • Wikimedia Italia • Wikimedia Italia wiki • Wikimedia Macedonia • Wikimedia México • Wikimedia Nederland • Wikimedia Norge • Wikimedia New York City • Wikimedia Österreich • Wikimedia Philippines (http only) • Wikimedia Polska • Wikimedia Portugal • Wikimedia Russia • Wikimedia Serbia • Wikimedia Spain • Wikimedia Suomi • Wikimedia Sverige • Wikimedia Sverige wiki • Wikimedia Taiwan • Wikimedia Ukraine • Wikimedia Türkiye • Wikimedia UK wiki • Wikimedia UK • Wikimedia ZA Wikimania : 2005 (semi-private) , 2006 (semi-private) , 2007 , 2008 , 2009 , 2010 , 2011 , 2012 , 2013 , 2014 , 2015 , 2016 , 2017 , 2018 , 2019 , 2020 , 2021 , 2022 , 2023 , Wikimania Team (private)

Technical sites:

Technical wikis : MediaWiki.org • Wikitech • Translatewiki.net (community site) • Login Wiki (read-only) • Phabricator • Downloads • Mailing lists • IRC Server Test wikis : Test Wiki • Test 2 Wiki • Test Wikidata

Core free-knowledge projects

Most of these are sub-projects specialized by linguistic edition of their main project. Wikimedia Commons, Wikispecies, Wikidata, and Wikifunctions are multilingual.

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What is a Wiki? Article

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What’s so Good About Wikis?

Wikis Simplify Editing Your Website: Each page on a wiki has an Edit link. If you want to change something on the page, click the link, and the wiki will display a simple editing screen. When you finish making changes, submit them by clicking a button, and, Voila! Your changes show up on the Website.
Wikis Record Document Histories: If you make a mistake, don’t worry. A good wiki will save plenty of old copies of your pages and will let you revert to an older version of a page. In fact, many Wikis will display a comparison, called a diffË†, which shows you the exact changes you have made to your page over time.
Creating Links Is Simple With Wikis: Wikis store all your Website’s content in an internal hypertext database. The wiki knows about every page you have and about every link you make. If you use a wiki, you don’t have to worry about the location of files or the format of your tags. Simply name the page, and the wiki will automatically create a link for you.
Creating New Pages Is Simple With Wikis: Wikis let you link to pages that don’t yet exist. Click on a link that points to a nonexistent page, and the wiki will ask you for initial content to put in the page. If you submit some initial content, the wiki will create the page. All links to that page (not just the one you clicked) will now point to the newly-created page.
Wikis Simplify Site Organization: As wikis work like hypertext databases, you can organize your page however you want. Many content management systems require you to plan classifications for your content before you actually create it. This can be helpful, but only if what you want to convey fits a rigid mould. With a wiki, you can organize your page into categories if you want, but you can also try other things. Instead of designing the site structure, many wiki site creators just let the structure grow with the content and the links inside their content. But you don’t have to have it either way. I do all three on my own site. Visitors can navigate the site by following a storyline, drilling down through a hierarchy, or they can just browse with the natural flow of the internal links. Without the wiki, such complexity would be a nightmare. Now that I use a wiki, I also find my site structure easier to manage than when I used a template system and a set of categories.
Wikis Keep Track of All Your Stuff: Because a wiki stores everything in an internal hypertext database, it knows about all your links and all your pages. So it’s easy for the wiki to show back links, a list of all the pages that linking to the current page. Since the wiki stores your document history, it can also list recent changes. Advanced wikis like the Wikipedia can even show a list of recent changes to pages that link to the current page.
Many Wikis are Collaborative Communities: The original wiki allows anyone to click the Edit button and change the Website. While this may seem odd, many wikis are able to do this successfully without major issues in terms of vandalism. Remember, the wiki stores the history of each page. For each vandal, there are probably ten people who actually need the information that was there before, and who will take the time to click the button and reset the page to its former contents. Many of the wikis handle this challenge differently. Some are completely open, some restrict access, and one even has a democratic error/vandalism reporting system. How you deal with this challenge depends on what you plan to use the Wiki for, as we’ll see.
Wikis Encourage Good Hypertext: In my recent article, Caffeinate Your Hypertext , I wrote that wikis are the purest form of hypertext available on the Web today. Many wikis sport features that make hypertext geeks drool, but the features aren’t the real reason wikis make great hypertext tools. They succeed because they make writing hypertext elegantly and easy. Effective Wiki writers don’t have to be geeks. They just need to be able to type.

Managing Your Brain by Wiki

Notebook: personal hypertext manager, wiki formatting, creating links and pages in wiki, wiki as web community software.

deals with vandalism democratically
lists all changes made to documents related to the current page
lists the contributions of registered users
The Tcl’ers Wiki: a one stop shop for anything relating the Tcl programming language. This also is a publicly editable wiki that manages to provide a mindblowing amount of useful information. However, it has more of a community feel to it than does the Wikipedia. This more laid-back style of wiki doesn’t diminish the quality of its content in the least. Their “welcome visitors” page gives a good insight into what makes The Tcl’ers Wiki special.
The Emacs Wiki: Like the Tcl’ers Wiki, the Emacs Wiki is geared toward users of a particular piece of software. On the Emacs Wiki, users of emacs can swap ideas, documentation, and plugin code with each other. While serious in nature, the Emacs Wiki has built a community that enjoys a bit of humor as well.
British Telecom: BT maintains numerous wikis internally to help employees collaborate. They also have set up TWiki as a B2B site to provide documentation on information standards and foster discussion with their customers.
Colorado State University, USA: maintains numerous FAQs for students. If someone encounters and solves a problem, they can post the solution easily. IT staff just need a browser to edit the page. This wiki saves the University time and money, since they don’t need specialized software to maintain an internal computer services Website.
TWiki has been used by many top companies to connect people and manage information. Disney , Motorola , SAP , Secure Works , and Wind River all use TWiki. TWiki is even used in a mission critical role at Hammarskjold Information to manage the creation of a bi-monthly magazine. More success stories are available on the TWiki site.

Choosing Wiki Software

Wiki Wiki Web (very nice) : the original wiki, this one’s plain and simple. WikiWikiWeb is written in Perl and requires no special database features on your Web host. One great feature of this wiki is the ability to autogenerate maps of the interlinked connections with surrounding pages. You can get WikiWikiWeb from the Running Your Own Wiki FAQ and the WikiBase page.
UseMod (simple, excellent) : a very simple-to-install Wiki — the entire program is just a single Perl script. While it may seem like overkill to throw an entire Web application into a single script, UseMod is very compact, yet extremely powerful. The Meatball Wiki uses UseMod. Configurations are made through a convenient configuration file. UseMod has many features , including an RSS feed , but it manages to stay simple and easy to use. UseMod contains as many of the concepts of pure hypertext as can be implemented simply on the Web, including the handy ability to include bits of wiki content from other pages, a technique called Transclusion .
TWiki (many features but somewhat confusing) : the most complex wiki I’ve set up. Twiki is great because it has so many features, but at the same time, the amazing number of features also makes it confusing. If you have a lot of time, Twiki is immensely rewarding; if you don’t, you will likely get lost. Twiki is often used by companies and workgroups because it has permissions systems, categorizing features, and even progress bars on TODO lists. Twiki is written in Perl as well; you can download it from Twiki’s release page .
Moin Moin (excellent, if you have Python) : a simple to set up, powerful Wiki, if your Web host has Python support . MoinMoin also has user management support. The MoinMoin Wiki has more information on installing MoinMoin on the Install Documentation page.
PHP Wiki (nice, if you have a database server, but complex) : If you want a PHP Wiki, then PHP Wiki may be just what you want. It requires a SQL-based relational database server like MySQL or PostgreSQL to run. It has many features, including user authentication. Like TWiki, PHP Wiki has many features and can seem a bit complicated if you just want a simple wiki. Unlike most wikis, PHP Wiki has template support. Templates are hard to create and require a good understanding of PHP object oriented programming.
PHP Wiki Processor (what can I say? I use it!) : Why not use a Wiki in the role of a regular content management system? I decided to try it out, and am very pleased with the result. PHP Wiki Processor keeps track of my pages and links at my site. Since it’s my personal site, I want to remain the sole creator — I can’t have anyone change my Resume, for example. So I set up PHP Wiki Processor to generate a set of static PHP pages from all my wiki pages. I can still edit my page online through a secure connection, but I decide who gets to change content on the site. When I load the site, I see an administrative wiki interface. Everyone else sees just a Website, which is how I want it. PHP Wiki Processor has simple, easy-to-use template support, and I was able to transfer my previous site header and footer easily. My knowledge of PHP did help, since I tend to tweak things endlessly. A thorough knowledge of PHP, however, is not necessary to use PHP Wiki Processor effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Wikis

What is the history of wikis.

The concept of wikis was first introduced by Ward Cunningham in 1995. He created the first wiki, WikiWikiWeb, to facilitate the exchange of ideas, information, and experience among programmers. The term “wiki” comes from the Hawaiian phrase, “wiki wiki,” which means “super fast.” Over the years, wikis have evolved and are now used in various fields, including education, business, and more.

How does a wiki differ from a blog?

While both wikis and blogs are tools for online collaboration and information sharing, they serve different purposes. A blog is typically managed by an individual or a small group, with posts appearing in reverse chronological order. On the other hand, a wiki is a collaborative platform where multiple users can contribute and edit content. The information in a wiki is organized in a non-linear, interconnected way.

What are the benefits of using a wiki?

Wikis offer numerous benefits. They promote collaboration, as multiple users can contribute and edit content. They also provide a centralized location for information, making it easier to manage and retrieve. Additionally, wikis have a version control system, allowing users to track changes, revert edits, and maintain the integrity of the information.

How secure are wikis?

The security of a wiki depends on its settings. Some wikis are open to the public for viewing and editing, while others are private and require user authentication. Most wikis have a version control system, allowing administrators to track changes and revert any unwanted edits. However, like any online platform, wikis are susceptible to cyber threats, so it’s essential to follow best practices for online security.

Can I use a wiki for project management?

Yes, wikis can be an effective tool for project management. They provide a centralized location for project documentation, task lists, and collaboration. Team members can easily access and update project information, improving communication and efficiency.

How do I start a wiki?

Starting a wiki involves several steps. First, you need to choose a wiki software or platform. Then, you need to set up the structure of your wiki, including its main categories and pages. After that, you can start adding content and inviting others to contribute.

What are some popular wiki platforms?

There are numerous wiki platforms available, each with its own features and benefits. Some of the most popular ones include MediaWiki, the software behind Wikipedia; DokuWiki, a simple and lightweight platform; and Tiki Wiki, a robust platform with a wide range of features.

Can I use a wiki for personal use?

Absolutely! Wikis can be used for a variety of personal purposes, such as organizing information, planning events, or documenting personal projects. You can choose to keep your wiki private or share it with others.

How do I edit a wiki page?

Editing a wiki page is usually straightforward. Most wikis have an “edit” button or link on each page. Clicking this will open an editor where you can modify the text, add links, insert images, and more. Once you’re done, you can save your changes and they will be immediately visible on the page.

What is the future of wikis?

The future of wikis looks promising. As collaborative tools, they are becoming increasingly important in a world where remote work and online learning are becoming the norm. We can expect to see more advanced features, improved usability, and wider adoption of wikis in various fields.

Nathan, also known as The Rubber Paw , programmed his first game of Pong in 1994. A web professional since 1998, Nathan likes tech writing so much, he's studying English at Elizabethtown College .

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How to Create a Company Wiki for your Team Collect and Share Knowledge

Sudarshan Somanathan

Head of Content

December 13, 2023

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Creating a wiki is a strategic move toward building a better future for your company (organization) and team members. You’re laying the bricks to centralize the company information and construct a collaborative space that will grow with time.

This collaboration enhances the productivity of your employees because they have better access to information and proper guidance to navigate the internal processes. However, creating your own wiki needs time and a well-established process.

This blog covers the step-by-step process of creating a wiki with one of the best wiki software. Before we get on to that, we have discussed the definition of a wiki, its types, and why you should create one.

What is a Wiki Page?

Internal wiki, external wiki, encourage collaboration, organize content, link related information, content revisions, clickup docs – best internal company wiki software, clickup ai – ai wiki creator, clickup templates, create wikis effortlessly using clickup.

A wiki page is an online community hub where individuals bring their expertise, insights, and information. While some wiki platforms, such as Wikipedia, are publicly accessible, organizations use others to collate and manage in-house information, allowing teams to share knowledge and work together more efficiently.

In a corporate setting, a wiki page is a collective brain that encourages employee collaboration, peer learning, and centralizes all the knowledge within the company.

Think of it as a work management tool that breaks down information silos and gives everyone access to the essential information required to perform their job. By eliminating the back-and-forth chaos, your team focus more on what’s essential within the given timeline.

Types of Wikis

There are two types of wikis—internal and external wikis. Let’s see the difference between the two, as each plays a different role in terms of usability.

Depending on your goal, pick the right type for your company.

An internal wiki, also called a private wiki, is a closed site for your employees who collaborate in real-time to maintain and update the company’s internal information. Your company wiki becomes a go-to source for them when they want to learn about the regulations, check for references when they get stuck, and gain knowledge from experts.

The internal wiki allows everyone to share notes and suggestions and contribute resources, especially for a virtual team.

Organizations store proprietary data and sensitive information about the company on internal wiki pages. Host the team wiki on your own server or a wiki hosting service for complete control over the data and personal pages.

If you’re looking for advanced security to protect your data, you must host the internal wiki on your server. You need an IT team to monitor regular updates and storage space on the wiki syntax.

External wikis are also called public wikis accessed by anyone using an internet connection. The Wikipedia page is the best example of an external wiki that accepts contributions from millions of users globally to its public pages.

A fandom wiki is another example of an external wiki; it’s a community of people who share the same interests and love to write about it online.

External wikis act as self-service websites to cut down on customer queries and reduce the waiting time for answering their concerns.

The idea is to create a wiki containing the most common problems customers are likely to encounter and make it publicly accessible.

If a customer gets stuck, they access the wiki and try troubleshooting the problem independently. This is a win-win for both the customer as their issues are resolved quickly and for your company as your support team focuses on solving more advanced issues.

Internal and external wikis help centralize your product and organizational knowledge.

Reasons to Create a Wiki Page

Although the concept of a wiki is nearly as old as the internet, using wiki pages for productivity is relatively new. Here are the benefits of creating a wiki in your organization.

Broadly, company wikis are used for two primary purposes:

To find information and learn something
To contribute knowledge and teach something

Let’s dig deeper into this context.

Wiki means ‘fast’ in Hawaiian. That’s how Wikipedia got its name—one location for quick information access.

A wiki page gets your team up to speed by becoming an all-in-one knowledge source that helps them get work done faster. From experienced employees to new joiners, everyone needs information quickly to perform their job. With a team wiki, they know where the data is without depending on other teams, such as the IT department.

But you need to create a wiki to stop sending them on a non-productive trip into the labyrinth of information that will cost a considerable time of their productive hours. The result is low productivity and employee burnout.

Let’s understand how a wiki helps in employee onboarding with an example.

Jenna has recently joined your design team. Instead of scavenger hunting for brand guidelines, tone, and design standards, she heads to your wiki’s ‘Style guide’ section. Jenna gets instant access to the guidelines and standards. The same is applicable when she wants to learn more about the company policies and code of conduct at the workplace.

Wiki sites are great platforms for encouraging collaboration between employees in different teams. Organizations create wikis as knowledge systems that rely on teamwork, inputs, and contributions from different users.

Think of wiki articles as a platform for employees to share their ideas and thoughts, add pages and content, refer to community guidelines, and keep refreshing the material so that it’s relevant to the current times.

This is especially a boon for teams that work in a remote or hybrid work setting. Different time zones obstruct the information flow between teams working together on a project. A wiki solves this problem by becoming a common source to get all the latest updates on the project and avoid delays no matter where the teams are located.

As your employees start seeing the benefit of wiki sites, they naturally participate in making them a more robust source of institutional knowledge.

The best part is that this is not only reserved for your experienced employees; new team members also get a podium to share and gain knowledge from the beginning.

Wikis may remind you of familiar tools like spreadsheets. After all, spreadsheets are known for handling vast amounts of data.

However, there are two areas where spreadsheets fall short by a high margin to Wiki sites—collaboration and organization. We already explained the first; let’s focus on organization.

Wiki allows users to add tags to content and create categories with a structured layout. Tags are wiki tools that allow users to fetch information faster. Team members tag each other to point them to the source and avoid confusion.

This way of organizing content is also beneficial when onboarding new stakeholders (suppliers, vendors, agencies, etc.).

Traditionally, onboarding involves a barrage of email exchanges and scattered documents. The external Wiki website allows your new stakeholders to easily access compliance guidelines, collaboration protocols, and project timelines under different categories within a single source.

Another notable characteristic of the wiki sites is their linking ability. A link using CSS code is a hyperlink to other related pages or external web pages.

This internal linking feature makes the wiki more powerful because it empowers the user to get into the granular details of a project or a piece of information without exiting the wiki site.

The uninterrupted flow of information also makes it an easy source of learning for your new employees. Allow them to explore the whole wiki at their own pace, and they don’t have to spend needless hours searching for relevant knowledge on other pages and articles.

Plus, a wiki is an open-source content management system with collaborative features and allows you to individual user accounts with role-based access.

Having your wiki is a significant achievement, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. The key contributors keep editing the content in the team wiki to stay up-to-date with the shifting business demands.

However, you need to use one of the most popular wiki platforms and rely on word processing tools to track revisions online. Returning to the original wiki content is only possible if someone has kept the revision history button on while editing.

A wiki software or platform saves each revised version of the changes, and the administrators have the final call to monitor what goes into the wiki and what does not. The built-in mechanism makes it easy to track changes and when other users made it.

How to Create a Wiki Page?

Let’s focus on creating wiki pages using one of the best Wiki software —ClickUp.

ClickUp helps you create wikis and connects them with other tasks in your project. Track your activities and provide your employees with the necessary information to perform their tasks from a single source.

Here are the three features that will help you create, write, and design your wiki farm and pages without making it feel like an ordeal.

ClickUp Docs is the place to start to create wikis. It’s the backbone of your new Wiki, allowing you to create and add content and edit documents from scratch. To structure your information appropriately, use the many styling options in docs, such as bookmarks, tables, and bullet points.

ClickUp is a wiki software that allows you to collaborate with your colleagues in real-time. The Instant and Live Collaboration feature lets you monitor their changes while they’re making them and add your comments to share your thoughts instantly. This allows the editor to review and rework the edits before publishing changes. If the revisions demand internal discussions, tag team members and assign them tasks from the wiki to get work moving quickly.

Feel free to include rich media files like how-to or instructional videos within the docs. Add flowcharts, diagrams, and other interactive elements to make your wiki visually appealing and easily understood.

Plus, ClickUp allows you to connect wiki pages with your existing workflows. Link back to existing documents, add widgets within docs to assign tasks, and update the project status to keep everyone in the loop about the progress. This way, the information and actionable items come together in the same place.

Creating new pages from scratch within a wiki can take much work for even the most experienced writers. ClickUp’s content writing templates are useful for the key contributors to create a structure for their content. The best way to complement that is using the ClickUp AI writing assistant.

ClickUp AI is one of the best AI writing tools to write, edit, and format content for your wiki farms and pages. If you fall short of ideas, run a prompt and prepare your first draft in seconds. The internal editor helps you chisel the content to make it sharper and more engaging.

In need of a creative boost? ClickUp AI is your brainstorming partner to get your creative juices flowing so your content is fun and on-point.

Use pre-structured headers to format your content and save time. Summarize your meeting notes and task updates, and add them to your wiki to ensure no critical discussions are skipped in your knowledge management software .

ClickUp Wiki Template makes your job a lot easier in streamlining the process of organizing and sharing knowledge with your teams.

The Knowledge Base Templates come with readymade styling for constructing the repository. This responsive design looks clean on all devices, and the templates are accessible on different applications.

The template allows your employees to quickly find answers to their questions and navigate to the desired information effortlessly.

The template allows you to create custom views like List, Gantt, Calendar, and more. Use custom statuses to create tasks and keep track of the progress of the wiki page. Similarly, add attributes to manage your wiki platform and pages and get more accurate information.

Creating a wiki is challenging and time-consuming; however, building your company and Wiki pages is a breeze with the right wiki software, such as ClickUp.

ClickUp is handy, especially when your workflows and projects are document intensive; ClickUp’s pre-built wiki templates allow you to create detailed standard operating processes (SOPs), guidelines, and instructions for your team. Customize the templates to fit your business needs and information requirements.

For example, have a communication plan template within your wiki pages for internal and external communication within the organization. Specify the target audience, how to communicate, the communication frequency, and the template’s message structure.

Further, create whiteboards and docs in ClickUp, connect them to project tasks, organize company-wide organizational pieces, and allow everyone to collaborate. From meeting notes and requirement specifications to SOPs—everything is created within ClickUp Docs in the free version.

For real-time flow of information, ClickUp integrates with other work management tools, boosting your team’s productivity and data accuracy.

Looking to make your first wiki a grand success? Sign up for ClickUp .

Start by using ClickUp’s wiki templates that are loaded with features.

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Entrepreneurship

What Are Wikis? How Are They Different From Knowledge Bases?

'Wiki' is one of the most common buzzwords on the Internet. But as a creative professional, do you really know what a wiki is or how it differs from a knowledge base?

Learn how to use wikis for better online collaboration. Image source: Envato Elements

What is a wiki? Do you know?

Here's one way to d efine a wiki:

A wiki is a form of online hypertext publication that is collaboratively edited and managed by its own audience directly through a web browser. The term "wiki" comes from the Hawaiian word meaning "quick."

Most sources credit the use of wikis to Ward Cunningham.

What makes wikis different from any other type of website is collaborative editing by the users . If you can read it, you can edit it. It seems simple at first, yet profoundly powerful in practice.

That's what we're going to explore. The benefits a wiki can provide to a business, the problems it can solve, why you might use a wiki, and your options for setting up a wiki for yourself. It's a lot to cover, so let's keep things moving.

In this article, we'll answer the questions:

What are Wikis?
Why do you need a Wiki?

What is a knowledge base?

Are knowledge bases better than Wikis?

Jump to content in this section:

Quick Composing With Wikis
Wikis Are Great For Collaborating
Hyperlinking Powers All Wikis
What Is a Knowledge Base? (Knowledge Base Definition)

Are Wikis or Knowledge Bases Right for My Business?

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To really appreciate what wikis in and of themselves do for your business, we need to first travel back in time, back to the original days of the web. The current state of wiki software will make a lot more sense By looking at what the first wiki and wiki website was intended to do.

I mentioned Ward Cunningham, the father of the wiki, earlier. On the front page of his own wiki , he gives some insight into the origins of wikis and what they're designed to do.

The idea of a "Wiki" may seem odd at first, but dive in, explore its links and it will soon seem familiar. "Wiki" is a composition system; it's a discussion medium; it's a repository; it's a mail system; it's a tool for collaboration. We don't know quite what it is, but we do know it's a fun way to communicate asynchronously across the network.

At first, Ward and his colleagues didn't even know what wikis were supposed to do exactly. But they knew it was fun.

A few examples of well-known wikis include:

Wikipedia , the famous online encyclopedia
WikiLeaks , the source of leaked government secrets
Wikiversity , a source of free learning materials

From that short summary, we can pull out some of the main themes of wikis:

hyperlinking
collaborating
communicating.

Notice something about those words? They're all verbs . They're what wikis do .

1. Quick Composing With Wikis

How do wikis work, and what is a wiki page? At their core, wikis are composition systems. They're trying to make writing on a web page as easy as possible. This is so important because it separates wikis from your average website.

Most people only visit a site like Wikipedia to read something, just like they do most websites, so this aspect of wikis is often lost on the casual observer. But back in the late 1990s, when Ward Cunningham built his wiki, it was the easy authoring of web content that he had in mind.

At that time, web pages were almost always written by hand in HTML. HTML is fine as a markup language and still powers the web today. But it can be a cumbersome language to type by hand and frequently gets in the way of just writing . This is especially true when you try to do more than type simple paragraphs. The HTML markup quickly swallows the content If you want to add structure or formatting to a document.

Ward wanted a tool that let people write web pages quickly (see how the name wiki comes back into play here?), and HTML needed to be quicker. So, within his wiki system was a basic text formatting system. It was simpler and easier to type than HTML tags and was less obtrusive when writing and editing wiki pages. Plus, it enabled anyone to edit a wiki without knowing how to edit HTML code.

Quick and easy composition has become a cornerstone of wiki design. Writing and editing text in a wiki should be faster than writing HTML code by hand. Wiki syntax—somewhat similar to the now-popular Markdown syntax—is designed to help decrease friction when writing and editing wiki pages, which in turn helps users write and edit more frequently.

Discover great Wiki WordPress Themes on Elements:

2. Wikis Are Great For Collaborating

The Internet has simplified communications to such a degree that today, talking to someone on the other side of the world isn't even that exciting. In the early days of the web, that power was all the more tempting. Today's Internet-powered communication apps didn't yet exist, so the web was the primary communication method. That's part of what made the wiki such a fascinating product. It's great for discussing, collaborating, and communicating.

Flexible Access for Editing Wiki Pages

We already looked at how the wiki made things quicker to edit than your average web page. But the wiki allowed for something else unique: anyone who could read a wiki page could edit that wiki page. In its most open sense, a wiki is editable by any visitor.

It was this feature that Ward was referring to when he called the wiki " a discussion medium; a mail system; a tool for collaboration. " These days, wiki software allows for more control over who can edit the wiki, but the power of the feature remains the same. You can make a wiki into all those things Ward mentioned and more.

Editing doesn't just have to mean working together to make a site—it can also mean updating a project's wiki page to let others know how it's progressing, for instance. When you start thinking about it in the context of business, the potential gets pretty exciting.

3. Hyperlinking Powers All Wikis

Hyperlinking is certainly nothing new—it's been around since the dawn of the web. It's the first word in the acronym "HTML". But how the first wiki handled hyperlinks was what made it so special, and that's why linking has become a cornerstone of wiki design.

Adding Links to Wiki Pages is Quick

Like everything else we've looked at, adding and creating links within the wiki is designed to be fast and easy. Notice I said within the wiki. Its internal links are designed to be so easy to make.

The specific syntax for creating an internal link differs between different wiki systems, but they all share efficiency. That, among other reasons, is why it's so easy to get lost in Wikipedia since there's always more info to explore among the dozens of links on any page.

The Power of Linking to Future Wiki Pages

Beyond just being quick to add, something special about links in wikis is that you can link to something that doesn't exist. What do I mean by that? Let me illustrate: what if you're writing a wiki page and want to go into more depth on a particular subject? You can create a link to a page about that subject, even though the other page doesn't yet exist.

Take a moment to think about that. It's simple yet profound.

And it fits in so neatly with the vision Ward Cunningham had for his wiki in the first place. He wanted it to be a fertile place for communication, discourse, and knowledge sharing.

Here, we have a simple means for users to request further thought and discussion on a particular topic. Or, used differently, the means for a user to map out subjects he wants to elaborate on in the future. A natural to-do list, one that automatically makes the original project better when the tasks are completed.

These two aspects of linking within wikis become more special than your average hyperlink. They help growth within the wiki. It's with this sort of linking that wikis start becoming magical.

What Is a Knowledge Base? ( Knowledge Base Definition)

In the digital world, the efficient management of information is crucial. A knowledge base, increasingly recommended over wikis , is a focused solution for this need.

Defining a Knowledge Base

A knowledge base is a centralized repository for organizing and managing information. Unlike wikis, which are open and collaborative, knowledge bases are controlled and structured.

They're often used in customer support to provide:

troubleshooting guides
product information

Here are some knowledge base examples through comparison to help you understand knowledge bases vs. wikis.

Knowledge Base vs. Wiki

The main differences between knowledge bases and wikis lie in authorship, purpose, and structure.

1. Authorship and Control

Wiki . Open to public editing, offering diverse perspectives but sometimes at the cost of accuracy.
Knowledge Base . Managed by authorized personnel, ensuring reliable and quality content.

2. Purpose and Usage

Wiki . Ideal for community-driven knowledge sharing on various topics.
Knowledge Base . Used by organizations for targeted information like customer support and product documentation.

3. Organization and Structure

Wiki . Has a fluid structure, which can complicate navigation.
Knowledge Base . Highly structured, allowing users to find information quickly and efficiently.

While both platforms serve as information repositories, a knowledge base provides a more controlled, organized environment. It's suitable for organizations needing precise, reliable information delivery, distinguishing itself from wikis' more collaborative, broad-reaching nature.

So, in a nutshell, wikis:

Make it quick and easy to write information on web pages.
Facilitate communication and discussion since it's easy for those reading a wiki page to edit it themselves.
Allow for quick and easy linking between wiki pages, including pages that still need to be created on the wiki.

But that's still a bit abstract. It might help you see how Wikipedia became such a success, but it's a bit harder to see how it can benefit your business.

For that, here are some specific examples of wikis and what they can do for you.

1. Wikis Are the Documentation Dream

Every business wants detailed, well-maintained documentation. And yet, it so often feels like a pipe dream. Back then, your business documentation was a detailed employee handbook, meticulously researched, spiral-bound, and made in-house. But it's the 21st century. Nobody wants to use something like that anymore.

You could try modernizing things and going digital with your documentation. You could have some Word documents in shared folders for your entire company. That would give you some nice features. It's digital, syncs to your different employees' computers, and it's easy to write and edit... well, as long as everyone has Microsoft Word.

But what if you want to reference a document while you're in a meeting and don't have your computer right in front of you? How about searching for a particular procedure or an important technique in those Word docs? After all, it'd take a lot of Word docs to document everything. Then, it'd be way too easy for someone to accidentally delete a document or edit out something important, and the only way to fix the mistake would be to restore from a backup.

And we have yet to talk about trying to associate different documents with each other. How do you connect documents together when you're talking about Word files in a shared folder? Let's look at a simple scenario:

The Problem With Organizing Business Documents

Let's say you have a few different departments all writing their own documentation. How do you organize all of those documents? Just throwing them all inside one shared folder will get messy quickly. So you start putting some of those documents inside folders.

Let's say you organize those folders by department.

What happens if a document could apply to more than one department and, therefore, fits into more than one folder?
Do you place a copy of that document in each folder?
What happens when someone edits one of those documents?
How do those changes make their way to the copies of that same document?

See how things can get out of hand quickly? I don't mean to bash Word documents in shared folders. If a system like that genuinely works for you, I'm happy for you. But suppose you've encountered any of the issues I just described. Then you owe it to yourself to examine a wiki or knowledge base as a solution for your business.

2. Making That Dream a Reality

How can a wiki or knowledge base help to make your documentation dreams a reality?

Think about office memos that you feel like you're always resending. With a wiki, they turn into a single page with a link you can display somewhere everyone will see it. When it comes time to edit that memo, it's simple and easy. And the best part is the link will always be accurate, even after you've edited the memo. Cool, right?

Create a Searchable, Online Product Catalog

Do you have a large and complex catalog of products? Imagine it neatly organized in one place. A place that's searchable, easily editable, and links related products together. That's a wiki, my friend. Neat, huh?

Make a Knowledge Base for Your Team

What if you have a sales-based business? With a knowledge base, you can help your salespeople keep track of their sales numbers, client information, or tips and tricks in one convenient place. And you can set up your knowledge base so that it's accessible to them from any mobile device when they're out in the field. Now that feels like the 21st century, doesn't it?

Build a Wiki or Knowledge Base Intranet for Business Training

Now, think about how a wiki or knowledge base can revolutionize employee training. The wiki becomes a consistent place to put business policies, best practices, standards, and guidelines. A new employee can benefit from all the things you've learned over time right away just by reading the wiki or knowledge base. You can stop worrying about teaching the same thing over and over again. Write it once now, and it will teach everyone in the future—and will be easy to edit when things change.

A wiki or knowledge base can be home to all this and more. Remember what makes a wiki unique: they're easy to edit, accessible from anything with a web browser, with simple and intuitive linking between pages. These features help facilitate an environment where quality documentation like you've always wanted can grow and thrive.

Pros of Wikis

Ease of Use . Wikis are user-friendly, making it easy to write and edit information directly on web pages.
Collaborative Nature . They facilitate communication and discussion, allowing readers to edit pages, which promotes a collaborative environment.
Interlinking Capability . Wikis enable easy linking between pages, enhancing the organization and accessibility of related content, even for pages that are yet to be created.

Cons of Wikis

Potential for Disorganization . The ease of editing can lead to a lack of structure, making it hard to navigate and find specific information.
Risk of Inaccurate Information . Open editing access increases the risk of inaccuracies or inconsistent information, especially if not regularly monitored.
Limited Control . In a business context, the inability to restrict editing rights might lead to security concerns or accidental alteration of critical information.

Pros of Knowledge Bases

Structured and Organized . Knowledge bases provide a more structured and formal environment, making information easier to categorize and retrieve.
Controlled Authorship . Access to editing and creation is typically restricted, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the information.
Targeted Information . They are designed for specific purposes and audiences, such as customer support or internal training.

Cons of Knowledge Bases

Less Collaborative . The restricted authorship can limit the diversity of perspectives and insights.
Potential for Outdated Information . Without broad collaborative inputs, knowledge bases might become outdated if not regularly maintained by the authorized personnel.
Resource Intensive . Setting up and maintaining a knowledge base can require more resources and technical know-how compared to a more flexible wiki platform.

If you're interested in wikis or knowledge bases, then you must be someone who is looking to be as productive and efficient in their job as possible. High-quality creative assets can help you be the best creative professional you can possibly be.

Here's another tool to help improve your productivity. Envato Elements offers thousands of high-quality creative assets, such as fonts, stock photos, and more—all for a single flat rate.

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Make Your Own Wiki (Take the Next Step)

Realizing the potential of a wiki for businesses, schools, or personal use is just the beginning. Easily set up your wiki with platforms like MediaWiki , PBworks , or Wikia , or choose WordPress themes from Envato Elements for tailored solutions like corporate intranets or helpdesks.

Enhance your wiki's appeal and functionality using Envato Elements' creative assets . These tools simplify the creation process and add visual flair, making your wiki not only informative but also visually engaging. Embrace the power of a wiki to transform your information management and collaboration efforts.

Editorial Note: This post was originally published in 2014. It has been revised to make it current, accurate, and up to date by our staff—with help from Laura Spencer and Daniel Strongin .

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List of wikis
List of wikis This article contains a list of notable wikis, which are websites that use wiki software, allowing users to collaboratively edit content and view old versions of the content. These websites use several different wiki software packages .
10 Popular Wiki Sites and Wiki Examples Worth Checking Out
There are lots of different types of wiki websites. Here are several examples of wikis that are worth checking out.
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Want to create your own personal wiki? These websites will help you make your own wiki for free (or a small price).
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Learn what a wiki is, how internal and external wikis differ, how you can use them, and if they're right for your business.
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List of Wikipedias/sortable - similar to tables here but in a single table for easier sorting. Meta:Templates for translating language names - mostly deprecated by new features of the software. Multilingual Wikipedia - A content page about the Communication of Wikipedia.
Popular Wiki Sites and Wiki Examples Worth Checking Out
Here are some of the most popular wiki sites and wiki examples worth checking out: Wikipedia: Wikipedia is the most popular wiki site on the internet today. It started as an online encyclopedia and has grown into a massive database of information. Wikipedia is now the go-to reference for many people around the world, and it is translated into ...
Wiki
A wiki (/ ˈwɪki / ⓘ WI-kee) is a form of hypertext publication on the internet which is collaboratively edited and managed by its audience directly through a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages that can either be edited by the public or limited to use within an organization for maintaining its internal knowledge base.
Wiki Sites: What They Are & How to Create One
This blog post will discuss what a wiki is, give some examples of what kinds of information are typically stored in them, and how to create your own.
What Is a Wiki? Definition, Examples, and Benefits
A wiki is a collaborative website that allows users to publish, edit, and organize content. Companies use wiki software to give employees an easy way to find and document information. Read on to learn what a wiki is, understand the different types of wikis, and get examples, benefits, and use cases of a company wiki.
List of wikis
This article contains a list of notable wikis, which are websites that use wiki software, allowing users to collaboratively edit content and view old versions of the content. These websites use several different wiki software packages.
15 Wiki Web Design Templates for Building a Knowledgebase (2024)
15 Wiki Templates for Building a Knowledgebase. Now that you know what to look for in a wiki template, let's take a look at some of the best options available. 1. VSDocs - Online Documentation Template. VSDocs comes with 13 header variations and 40+ HTML files.
What Is a Wiki?
What Is a Wiki? The internet is loaded with informational websites of widely varying quality. Some are filled with carefully curated content, written and edited by people with specialized training or experience. Most sources considered authoritative are run this way, and for good reason --- selecting your content for accuracy goes a long way towards increasing credibility.
5 Internal Wiki Examples (with Templates) Teams Can Use
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A wiki is a type of collaborative website or platform that allows multiple users to create, edit, and organize content collaboratively. The term "wiki" comes from the Hawaiian word "wikiwiki," which means "quick" or "fast.". The defining feature of a wiki is its open and editable nature, enabling users to easily contribute and ...
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A wiki is a form of online hypertext publication that is collaboratively edited and managed by its own audience directly through a web browser. The term "wiki" comes from the Hawaiian word meaning "quick." Most sources credit the use of wikis to Ward Cunningham.
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Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia, created and edited by volunteers around the world. Learn about its history, features, and editions.
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A website (also written as a web site) is one or more web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Websites are typically dedicated to a particular topic or purpose, such as news, education, commerce, entertainment, or social media. Hyperlinking between web pages guides the ...
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Types
Components
Lists
Comparisons
Notable wikis

See also


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Events
Wiki Loves
People ( )

What Is a Wiki? Definition, Examples, and Use Cases

What Is a Wiki?

Examples of Wikis

How Can Wikis Benefit Your Business?

Common Use Cases for Wikis

Disadvantages of Wikis

Is a Wiki the Right Choice for Your Business?

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Wiki Sites: What They Are & How to Create One

What is a wiki?

Internal vs. External Wikis

What can you store in a wiki?

How to create a wiki?

1. Choose what type of wiki you want to create (internal or external).

2. Pick the platform you're going to use.

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What Is a Wiki? Definition, Examples, and Benefits

Wiki definition

Internal wiki vs external wiki

What is a company wiki?

Wiki examples

What are the benefits of a wiki?

Find information easily

Share knowledge quickly

Reduced app overload

Increase employee efficiency

Improve company culture

Top wiki use cases

How to make a wiki

Choose a wiki platform

Set up your wiki

Add and organize content

Customize appearance

Establish processes to keep content fresh

Best wiki software

Key takeaways 🔑🥡🍕

How do wikis facilitate collaboration?

What are the benefits of using a wiki for knowledge management?

External links

Related Research Articles

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15 Wiki Web Design Templates for Building a Knowledgebase (2024)

What to Look for in a Wiki Template

Do I Need Any Special Tools to Launch a Wiki or Knowledgebase?

15 Wiki Templates for Building a Knowledgebase

1. VSDocs - Online Documentation Template

2. Responsive Knowledge Base & FAQ HTML Template

3. Paper - Wiki and Knowledgebase HTML Template

4. Docy - Documentation & Knowledgebase HTML Template

5. Knowledge - Knowledgebase and Wiki Design HTML Template

6. Knowledge Desk - Ultimate Wiki and Knowledgebase Template

7. AmDesk - Helpdesk and Wiki Template

8. Docy - Knowledgebase and Doc Jekyll Template

9. Knowledge Base - Helpdesk, Wiki Theme for WordPress

10. Tessera - Knowledge Base WordPress Theme

11. Knowledgedesk - Knowledge Base WordPress Theme