An edit summary is a brief explanation of an edit to a page. When you edit a page there is a small text entry field, labelled Edit summary, located under the main edit box and above the Save page button. Edit summaries are displayed in lists of changes (such as page histories and watchlists), and at the top of different pages.
When you make an edit, major or minor, always put at least a single word summary in the Summary text box. This allows others who have selected that page for their watchlist to know, at a glance, what has been changed.
If you are making minor changes such as spelling corrections, formatting, and minor rearrangement of text, check the This is a minor edit box.
Marking a significant change as a minor edit is considered bad behaviour, and even more so if it involves the deletion of some text. If you have accidentally marked an edit as minor, a best practice is to edit the page again, mark it major (or, rather, ensure that the check-box for This is a minor edit is not checked), and, in the summary, state that the previous change was a major one.
All editors are encouraged to be bold, but there are several things that you can do to ensure that major edits are performed smoothly.
- Before engaging in a major edit, consider discussing proposed changes on the article discussion/talk page.
- Additionally, making major changes on a subject outside of one's expertise area should also first be discussed.
- Once the edit has been completed, make sure you include a summary of the edit stating that you made a major change.