Wikipedia:No blank pages
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This page is considered a guideline on Wikipedia. It is generally accepted among editors and is considered a standard that all users should follow. However, it is not set in stone and should be treated with common sense and the occasional exception. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page. |
Early in Wikipedia's history, it was common to leave pages blank if the title was valid, but the contents were vandalism or nonsense. Eventually it was decided that Wikipedia should not have blank pages. Blank pages appear as blue links and thus make the creation of an actual article less likely. They also mislead readers into thinking an article exists, disappointing them when they find a blank page.
Blank pages also interfere with Wikipedia's utility pages. All blank pages appear on Special:Shortpages and Special:Deadendpages, unnecessarily increasing the length of these lists. Having a page blank rather than deleted also prevents it from appearing on Special:Wantedpages, where an editor might act on it to create a needed article.
Rather than blanking a page, use the speedy deletion process.
