Wikipedia worklists: Tools, workflows, and community systems that keep Wikipedia running

When you think of Wikipedia, you probably picture articles—thousands of them, updated in real time. But behind every edit, there’s a system keeping things organized. Wikipedia worklists, structured lists used by volunteers to track tasks, prioritize edits, and manage community workflows. Also known as edit queues, they’re how volunteers stay focused amid millions of changes every day. These aren’t fancy apps or automated bots—they’re simple, shared lists, often maintained in wiki markup, that help editors tackle everything from fixing broken links to reviewing new article creations. Without them, Wikipedia would be chaos.

Worklists connect directly to other key systems on Wikipedia. For example, edit filters, automated tools that flag suspicious edits before they go live often feed into worklists so human reviewers can check flagged changes. Similarly, Huggle, a fast browser tool used to revert vandalism in seconds, relies on worklists to prioritize the most damaging edits. And when news breaks, editors use worklists to track which articles need updates—like during film releases or political events—so nothing gets missed. Even the Signpost, Wikipedia’s volunteer-run news digest, pulls from worklists to report on what’s moving across the site. These aren’t just checklists—they’re the nervous system of the community.

What you’ll find below is a collection of posts that show how worklists operate in real life. From how editors use pending changes to protect breaking news stories, to how community organizers deploy tools to run edit-a-thons, to how volunteers manage high-risk articles with strict review rules—every piece ties back to how tasks are tracked, assigned, and completed. You won’t find fluff here. Just clear examples of how thousands of volunteers stay coordinated, keep content accurate, and keep Wikipedia alive without a single paid staff member.