Editing Help:Editing (section)

==== Major edits ====
{{further|Wikipedia:Editing policy#Talking and editing}}
All editors are encouraged to [[Wikipedia:Be bold|be bold]] when improving articles, but there are several things that a user can do to ensure that potentially disruptive edits are performed smoothly. Before engaging in a major edit, a user should consider discussing proposed changes on the article discussion/talk page. During the edit, if doing so over an extended period, the {{tlx|in use}} tag can reduce the likelihood of an [[Help:Edit conflict|edit conflict]]. Once the edit has been completed, the inclusion of an [[Help:Edit summary|edit summary]] will assist in documenting the changes. These steps will help all to ensure that major edits are well received by the Wikipedia community.

A major edit should be reviewed to confirm that it is consensual to all concerned editors. Therefore, any change that affects the ''meaning'' of an article is major (not minor), even if the edit is a single word.

There are no necessary terms to which you have to agree when doing major edits, but the preceding recommendations have become best practice. If you do it your own way, the likelihood of your edits being re-edited may be higher.

When making particularly large or complex changes, you may want to copy the article to [[Special:MyPage/sandbox|your sandbox]] so you can make changes without being interrupted by other editors. It is also a good idea to publish changes frequently, so that a browser crash or electrical failure will not result in the loss of all your work.