Help:Edit summary
An edit summary is the short note you write in the Summary box when you save a change. It appears in the page history, in Recent changes and on watchlists, so other editors can see what you did without opening the diff. Section 6.1.2 of the Terms of Use asks for a summary with every change.
Writing a summary
[edit source]Say what you changed, briefly, as an editor would:
Cite Service Source p. 3-12 for PSU rating; add infobox photoRemove uncited service interval; convert port list to table
When you change a figure, give the source and the old value in the summary. The page itself should not describe its own edit history.
Long, formal summaries such as "comprehensive cleanup to improve clarity and flow" say nothing useful. Name the change.
Section edits
[edit source]When you edit a single section, the summary starts with the section name, as /* Section name */. Add your note after it.
Minor edits
[edit source]Logged-in users can tick "This is a minor edit" for changes that do not affect meaning, such as spelling, formatting or a broken link. Do not mark a change to a figure, a citation or a safety statement as minor.
Undoing an edit
[edit source]When you undo an edit, MediaWiki fills in the summary for you. Add the reason. See Help:Page history.