Overview
As part of the Article Guidance work (T396029), this task defines the core, happy-path article creation guidance experience. It takes a user from title entry through topic confirmation, article type selection, ask for sources, and into the Visual Editor. This task is an index of the flow. Each step has its own task with detailed specs.
Flow details
1. Title entry and topic matching - Task (T414902)
Visual reference only; will be updated.
On mobile, the user types an article title. The system queries for possible topic matches and presents a short list of candidates (primary topic plus close alternatives). Selecting a topic confirms the intended subject and moves the user forward.
Follow‑up: zero‑results handling (follow‑up task: “no matches” state), disambiguation “none of the above” behavior (follow‑up task: manual category fallback), and toast/redirect messaging (follow‑up task: transition feedback).
2. Article type selection - Task(T415483)
Visual reference only; will be updated.
If the user could not confirm an exact topic match, they select a type of article from a short, curated list. When an exact topic match is selected, the system should infer the article type automatically (no manual selection needed). The type influences the guidance shown in later
steps.
Follow‑up: unsupported search terms and empty search results (follow‑up task: search empty state).
3. Ask for sources - Task(T415484)
Before writing, the user is asked to provide independent, reliable coverage by pasting one or more URLs. This step covers both source collection and guidance on what qualifies as a good source. The UI should reinforce what qualifies as a good source, and checks may use community‑defined recommended vs discouraged source lists.
Follow‑up: skip behavior and messaging (follow‑up task: “add sources later” flow), detailed validation rules (follow‑up task: source evaluation logic), and guidance text variants (follow‑up task: copy refinements).
4. Notability risk assessment - Task(T415485)
For cases where community identifies high risk of lack of notability, users are shown alternatives defined by the community(e.g. work on related articles, learn about notability, or propose a wikidata item) before proceeding.
5. Community guidance (initial advice and content) - Task(T415486)
Community‑defined messages and starter content are shown to help editors begin. This can include brief advice for the opening section, eligibility reminders, and example structures or section headings relevant to the selected type. This guidance messages are shown before entering visual editor.
6. Visual Editor handoff
After asking for sources and any notability risk assessment, the user enters the Visual Editor. The editor can optionally open with starter content and guidance based on the selected type to reduce the blank‑page effect.
Follow‑up: guidance modal content (follow‑up task: handoff copy), loading state treatment (follow‑up task: VE loading), and injected editor structure/content details (follow‑up task: starter content spec).
7. Post-publishing follow up (T420454)
After publishing, we may show a short “what’s next” message to encourage review and improvement, or suggest creating another article if the submission is substantial. This is not part of the MVP workflow and will be handled in a follow‑up task.