Contributors/Account Creation Experiments

Account creation is the first step toward participation on Wikimedia projects, yet current registration flows create unnecessary friction, particularly on mobile. Many good faith contributors abandon the process due to poor discoverability, outdated form design, or technical barriers such as IP blocks.

This project focuses on running small, measurable experiments to make account creation clearer, easier, and more discoverable, especially for mobile readers and temporary account holders. The goal is to increase successful registrations without harming downstream outcomes such as constructive editing and retention.

• January 2026 Early planning, research, and design.
• March 2026 Release first version tests for Focus Areas 1, 2, & 3
• Next - Improve the Account Creation Experience, v2

• Account registrations have declined significantly since 2019,^[1] contributing to fewer new active editors.
• On mobile, the option to create an account is difficult to find and confusing.
• The current wiki account creation form performs below industry benchmarks.
• We do little to convert successful newcomers using temp accounts to regular accounts.
• Many good faith users encounter IP blocks during registration, with limited clarity or resolution paths.

Improving account creation strengthens the contributor pipeline. More successful registrations will:

• Increase participation from mobile users, the fastest-growing segment of readers.
• Generate a healthier flow of new editors who are more likely to return and remain engaged.

This work is an early step in a longer-term effort to improve the newcomer experience and support a sustainable, multi-generational editing community.

The current account creation process creates major barriers for prospective contributors: poor mobile discoverability, IP blocks without clear resolution paths, a confusing, outdated account creation form, and minimal interventions aimed at converting readers or temporary account holders into active contributors. Addressing these issues will increase activation, boost long-term participation, and strengthen the foundation of a sustainable contributor pipeline.

This work sits under the WMF FY25-26 Annual Plan Wiki Experiences 1 Objective:

• Contributions increase because volunteers are offered compelling opportunities and understand their impact.

Account Creation experiments are tracked under Wiki Experiences 1.8 Key Result:

• By the end of Q4, achieve a 5 percent relative increase in the mobile web account creation completion rate, supported by at least three controlled experiments that each deliver a minimum 2 percent relative improvement within their target audience.

At the experiment level:

• Each successful experiment shows at least a 2 percent relative increase in account creation for its defined audience.
• Guardrail metrics such as constructive activation and retention are monitored to ensure no harmful downstream effects.

We are currently investigating ideas in four main areas, in consultation with other teams and the community.

Experiments that focus on simplifying and modernizing the core account creation flow, with an emphasis on mobile usability and clarity. Explore ways to reduce cognitive load by streamlining the interface, removing or consolidating legacy warnings, and clearly explaining the benefits of creating an account in newcomer friendly language.

This test focuses on improving the usability of the mobile web account creation form by reducing visual clutter and cognitive load. On smaller devices, the current form is difficult to scan and navigate, with excessive helper text and redundant elements competing for limited screen space, especially when the keyboard is open. To address this, the test introduces a simplified form layout that removes unnecessary elements, streamlines helper text, and improves the overall information hierarchy in line with Codex design guidelines.

• 
  Current form
• 
  Proposed V1 simplifications

Starting 26 March 2026 this new interface is tested at the following wikis: English Wikipedia.

This test focuses on reducing friction during account creation by making the username policy easier to understand and improving key form interactions. It introduces a concise, accessible summary of the username policy so newcomers are not immediately faced with a lengthy and complex document. (T419395) In addition, it includes targeted usability improvements to the form, such as a standard “reveal password” option (T419413) and real-time username validation to provide immediate feedback. (T419401)

• 
  A quick overview of the username policy

This test will explore more ambitious improvements to the account creation experience, building on insights from earlier iterations. While previous tests focused on incremental changes to enable faster learning and iteration, this phase will expand the scope to include more forward-looking concepts. The goal is to identify ideas that meaningfully improve the experience while also evaluating practical paths to implementation within current technical and design constraints.

This work is still in the planning phase, and designs will be shared once a proposal is ready for review and discussion.

When mobile users start an edit while logged out, they encounter a jarring warning message with editing as a temporary account being the main Call to Action. This interface can feel abrupt and discouraging, and it frames temp account editing as the primary path rather than encouraging users to create an account.

• 
  Current warning
• 
  Proposed design

Starting 16 March 2026 this new interface is tested at the following wikis: Arabic Wikipedia, French Wikipedia, Spanish Wikipedia, German Wikipedia, Russian Wikipedia, Chinese Wikipedia, Italian Wikipedia, Portuguese Wikipedia, Persian Wikipedia, Polish Wikipedia.

Experiments that address the limited visibility of account creation for logged out traffic on mobile web. Explore clearer and more intuitive entry points to account creation, ensuring users can easily distinguish between logging in and registering.

• 
  Current header on mobile web (for logged out traffic)
• 
  Proposed header on mobile web (for logged out traffic)
• 
  Proposed header on mobile web with menu expanded

Experiments that explore how and when temporary account holders are most motivated to create a full account. Experiments may test targeted prompts or notifications shown at high intent moments, supported by lightweight research such as surveys to better understand Temporary Account holder motivations and barriers. The emphasis is on clearly communicating how a permanent account unlocks features like mentorship, Suggested Edits, and community recognition.

• Example work: Explore opportunities to guide Temporary Account users toward full account creation (T416418)

Experiments that explore whether exposing Reading Lists to logged out readers can create meaningful opportunities for deeper engagement and encourage account creation. The goal is to help readers understand how creating an account enhances their reading experience, while providing a natural and low pressure pathway toward registration.

• Example work: [Mobile Reading List] A way for users to save articles (T409861)