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Course → Module 5: Wikipedia and Wikidata: The Entity Registry
Session 3 of 7

Creating a Wikidata Entry

Session 5.3 · ~5 min read

Creating a Wikidata item is more straightforward than creating a Wikipedia article, but it still requires meeting certain standards. Wikidata has its own notability criteria, a clear creation process, and expectations for sourcing. This session walks through the entire workflow from account creation to a published, well-sourced entity item.

Wikidata Notability Requirements

Wikidata's notability standard is simpler than Wikipedia's. An item can be created if it meets at least one of these criteria:

  1. It has a corresponding article on any language edition of Wikipedia (or other Wikimedia project).
  2. It is a clearly identifiable conceptual or material entity that can be described using serious and publicly available references.
  3. It fulfills a structural need in Wikidata (for example, as a value for a property on another item).

For a business, criterion 2 is the most relevant. If your business is registered, has a website, appears in government registries, and has been mentioned in published sources, it meets Wikidata's notability threshold. You do not need newspaper coverage or awards. You need evidence that the entity exists and can be described with verifiable facts.

Wikidata notability is not the same as Wikipedia notability. Wikidata requires a clearly identifiable entity with publicly available references. Most registered businesses meet this standard. Do not confuse Wikidata's lower bar with Wikipedia's much stricter requirements.

The Creation Workflow

flowchart TD A["Create Wikidata
Account"] --> B["Wait 4+ Days
(Autoconfirmed)"] B --> C["Search Wikidata
for Existing Item"] C --> D{"Item exists?"} D -->|Yes| E["Edit Existing Item
(Add/Correct Data)"] D -->|No| F["Create New Item"] F --> G["Set Label, Description,
Aliases (EN + ID)"] G --> H["Add P31: instance of"] H --> I["Add Core Properties
(See Table)"] I --> J["Add References
for Each Statement"] J --> K["Review and
Publish"] K --> L["Monitor for
Editor Feedback"] style A fill:#222221,stroke:#c8a882,color:#ede9e3 style B fill:#222221,stroke:#8a8478,color:#ede9e3 style F fill:#222221,stroke:#6b8f71,color:#ede9e3 style G fill:#222221,stroke:#c8a882,color:#ede9e3 style J fill:#222221,stroke:#c47a5a,color:#ede9e3 style K fill:#222221,stroke:#6b8f71,color:#ede9e3

Step 1: Create an Account and Wait

Create an account at wikidata.org. New accounts cannot create items immediately. You need to become "autoconfirmed," which requires your account to be at least four days old and have made at least 50 edits. Spend those initial days making small, constructive edits to existing items (adding references, fixing typos, adding missing properties). This also builds your editor reputation.

Step 2: Search Before Creating

Before creating a new item, search Wikidata thoroughly. Use multiple name variations, abbreviations, and translations. If your entity already exists (even as a stub), edit the existing item rather than creating a duplicate. Duplicate items are merged or deleted by editors.

Step 3: Create the Item

Click "Create a new Item" on Wikidata. You will be prompted for:

Set these in English first, then add labels and descriptions in other relevant languages (Indonesian, for example).

Step 4: Add the Minimum Viable Properties

The following table shows the minimum properties you should add for a credible business item. Add them in order of priority.

Priority Property ID What to Enter Reference Source
1 instance of P31 company (Q783794) or business (Q4830453) Government business registry
2 official website P856 Your primary domain URL The website itself
3 country P17 Country item (e.g., Indonesia Q252) Business registry, website
4 inception P571 Founding date Business registry, about page
5 headquarters location P159 City/district item Website contact page, registry
6 industry P452 Relevant industry item Business registry, website
7 founded by P112 Founder's Wikidata item (create if needed) Business registry, press
8 legal form P1454 Relevant legal form item (e.g., PT = limited liability company) Business registry

Step 5: Add References

Every statement needs at least one reference. Wikidata references follow a specific structure:

Acceptable reference sources include: government business registries, news articles, official company documents, published directories, and institutional databases. Your own website can serve as a reference for some properties (official website, headquarters), but third-party sources carry more weight.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake Why It Happens What Happens Next
No references on statements Perceived as unnecessary Statements flagged for deletion, item may be nominated for deletion
Promotional description Treating Wikidata like marketing Description rewritten or item flagged
Creating duplicate items Insufficient search before creating Items merged, your edits may be lost
Adding unverifiable claims Wanting a complete profile quickly Statements removed, editor trust reduced
Bulk-adding properties without sources Impatience Account flagged for spam-like behavior

After Creation: The First 30 Days

New items receive higher scrutiny from Wikidata's editor community. During the first month after creating your item:

A well-sourced, accurately described item will survive editorial review. A promotional, poorly sourced item will not.

Further Reading

Assignment

  1. Create a Wikidata account if you do not have one. Begin making constructive edits to existing items to reach autoconfirmed status.
  2. Prepare your item data using the minimum viable properties table. For each property, write the exact value and identify a published reference source.
  3. Search Wikidata to find the Q-numbers for all items you will link to (country, city, industry, legal form, etc.).
  4. Once autoconfirmed, create your item following the workflow. Add properties one at a time, each with references.
  5. Record your item's Q-number. You will need it for future sessions on external identifiers and entity linking.