Growth/Progression System

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The Growth team is exploring a structured progression system designed to guide and motivate newcomers to contribute more constructively and stay engaged on Wikipedia. This project builds on previous work in Positive Reinforcement and aims to make the editing experience more intuitive, rewarding, and satisfying by offering:

  • Clear milestones and levels
  • Suggested next steps
  • Lightweight forms of recognition

The system will appear on the Newcomer Homepage, encouraging contributors to explore, develop editing skills, and build confidence. In Q1, we will focus on testing concepts with newcomers to identify which types of milestones, feedback, and recognition are most motivating.

This work aligns with the longer-term Contributor Strategy and fits within the WMF 2025-2026 Annual Plan's Contributor Experience Objective, specifically the Wiki Experiences 1.1 Key Result:

Wiki Experiences 1.1: Increase the rate at which editors with ≤100 cumulative edits publish constructive edits on mobile web [i] by 4% [ii], as measured by controlled experiments (by the end of Q2).

  • i. "Constructive edits" = edits to pages in any Wikipedia main namespace that are not reverted within 48 hours of being published.
  • ii. T389403#10960480

Current status

  • Next: Gather community feedback and conduct usability testing

User goals

Newcomers often struggle to understand what to do next or how to measure their progress. This project aims to help new contributors:

  • Build editing skills progressively
  • Understand their impact and contributions
  • Stay engaged by recognizing progress
  • Develop confidence through supported learning

The long-term vision includes extending this model beyond newcomers to support more experienced contributors as well.

How it works

The Progression Path include modules with milestone-based tasks. The system is designed to be simple, flexible, and mobile-friendly, offering guidance and recognition without being overwhelming.

Key components under exploration:

  • Homepage: Progress bar, level badge, and active module shown in a section on the Newcomer Homepage
  • Long-task tracking: For more complex milestones, users will see progress indicators (e.g. “12 of 500 edits completed”)
  • Autonomy: In some modules, users can choose between different actions (e.g. add a citation or image or link)
  • Contextual messages: Users receive a brief explanation of why it matters
  • Recognition: Upon completing the beginner level, users could receive a barnstar or some other form of recognition
  • Community Configuration: progression features may become configurable through Community Configuration

Hypotheses

Project-level hypothesis

If newer editors (fewer than 100 edits) are offered a structured progression system with clear milestones, next steps, and lightweight forms of recognition, then they will be more likely to stay engaged and make constructive contributions, because clear guidance and a sense of progress can increase intrinsic motivation and create a more satisfying editing experience.

Q1 Hypothesis (WE1.1.5 – Progression System Design Research)

If we test a progression system via design prototypes with newcomers, then we can identify which types of milestones, guidance, and recognition are perceived as most motivating, and use these insights to finalize a design for future pilot wiki experimentation.

Design Research

Overview

This research was conducted in to better understand how new editors experience their first months on Wikipedia, how they perceive Growth features, and how they respond to the idea of a progression system that could help them learn, stay motivated, and receive recognition for their contributions.

Supporting contributors and understanding their motivations is a key Wikimedia Foundation priority this year. The Growth team is exploring whether a progression system could help newcomers feel successful and engaged through clear milestones, suggested next steps, and lightweight forms of recognition.

The study sought to answer:

  • What are new editors’ early experiences and main challenges?
  • What motivates or discourages them to continue editing?
  • How do they perceive systems of learning and recognition on other online platforms?
  • How do they respond to a prototype progression system for Wikipedia?

Methodology

We interviewed 10 newer editors (6 from English Wikipedia, 4 from French Wikipedia) who had made between 5 and 100 edits. Participants included both editors who primarily used Suggested Edits and those who edited independently. All had experience with progression or leveling systems elsewhere (e.g., Duolingo, Coursera, online games).

While small, the sample provided rich insights. No major differences were observed between the English and French participants.

Key Findings

1. Onboarding and Learning Curve

  • Most newcomers start independently, with little structured onboarding beyond Suggested Edits.
  • Suggested tasks can feel either too simple or too unclear.
  • Policies, formatting, and editing rules are often confusing and not presented in one accessible place.
  • Source editing feels intimidating but is preferred by some for its flexibility.
  • Mentor experiences vary widely: from very helpful to unresponsive.

2. Motivation and Feedback

  • Interest can fade quickly after a revert or negative comment, especially without explanation.
  • Constructive feedback and clear guidance strengthen motivation.
  • Mentorship, when available, helps new editors feel welcomed and supported.

3. Perceptions of a Progression System

  • Editors liked the idea of having direction and learning milestones, but worried about over-gamification.
  • Tasks should feel meaningful, not arbitrary checklists.
  • Many wanted transparency: how validation works, what milestones mean, and how far the system extends.
  • Long milestones (e.g., 500 edits or six months) felt discouraging without context or explanation.

4. Recognition and Rewards

  • Preferences for recognition varied widely: some liked visible achievements or stats, others preferred rare badges or peer acknowledgment.
  • Most valued community-based recognition (thanks, barnstars, quality designations) over automated rewards.
  • Editors emphasized intrinsic motivation (helping others and improving knowledge) over external incentives.

5. Wikipedia’s Identity

  • Many participants expressed pride in Wikipedia’s uniqueness and concern about features that might make it feel like a game.
  • While light gamification could support engagement, most wanted to preserve Wikipedia’s integrity and focus on knowledge-sharing rather than competition.

Recommendations

Improve onboarding and guidance

  • Create clearer, contextual introductions for new editors that explain how editing works and what to expect.
  • Embed examples directly in the editor interface and link to relevant policies.
  • Offer structured but flexible paths that newcomers can revisit later.

Strengthen support and feedback

  • Encourage empathetic, explanatory reverts.
  • Explore draft or sandbox options to reduce data loss and editing stress.
  • Make it easy to contact mentors or peer helpers, and reassign mentors if unresponsive.

Design meaningful milestones

  • Focus on milestones that reflect real contribution (edit impact, article quality, peer recognition).
  • Provide visible progress paths and optional goals that align with editors’ interests.

Keep learning-focused value

  • If implemented, structure progression in small, motivating increments with visible learning value.
  • Avoid locking essential features or mentorship opportunities behind progression stages.

Ensure transparency and community alignment

  • Make systems and rationale clear (e.g., why milestones exist, how reverts work).
  • Prioritize intrinsic motivation and editor autonomy.
  • Allow users to control visibility of badges or achievements.
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