Wikipedia:Proposed deletion

This page documents an English Wikipedia policy. It describes a widely accepted standard that editors should normally follow, though exceptions may apply. Changes made to it should reflect consensus.

Shortcuts WP:PROD WP:PRD WP:PROPOSED

This page in a nutshell: As a shortcut to the normal deletion discussion process, an article or file can be proposed for uncontroversial deletion, but only once. If no one contests the proposed deletion within seven days, an administrator may delete the page.

Proposed deletion (PROD) is a way to suggest an article or file for uncontroversial deletion. It is an easier method of removing articles or files than the articles for deletion (AfD) or files for discussion (FfD) processes, and is meant for uncomplicated deletion proposals that do not meet the strict criteria for speedy deletion.

PROD must only be used if no opposition to the deletion is expected. It must never be used simultaneously with a deletion discussion (AfD or FfD), and it may only be placed on a page a single time. Any editor (including the article's creator or the file's uploader) may object to the deletion by simply removing the tag; this action permanently cancels the proposed deletion via PROD.

A nominated page is marked for at least seven days. If nobody has objected during this time the page is considered by an uninvolved administrator who reviews the page and either deletes it or removes the PROD tag. Any objection kills the PROD procedure, and anyone may object as long as the PROD tag is present. Even after the page has been deleted, anyone may have a PRODed article or file restored through a request for undeletion.

PROD is one-shot only: It must not be used for pages PRODed before or previously discussed at AfD or FfD. A special case is for biographies of living people (BLPPROD): an article that has had the BLPPROD-tag removed still can be PRODed via the process described here.

PROD is only applicable to main namespace pages (excluding redirects), and files not on Commons. Proposed deletion cannot be used with redirects, user pages, drafts, templates, categories, or pages in any other namespace.

There are three steps to the PROD process:

1. To nominate a page, place the {{subst:Proposed deletion|reason=reason for proposed deletion}} tag at the top of the page. This is automatically converted to {{proposed deletion/dated}} which lists the page in Category:Proposed deletion. You should notify the article's creator or other significant contributors by adding the {{subst:Proposed deletion notify|Name of page}} tag or other appropriate text to contributor talk pages.
2. If anybody objects to the deletion (usually by removing the {{proposed deletion/dated}} tag—see full instructions below), the proposal is aborted and may not be re-proposed.
3. The page is first checked and then deleted by an administrator seven days after nomination (or any time after seven days that an administrator reviews the page). If the reviewing administrator does not agree with the deletion, they may remove the PROD tag instead of deleting the page. The page may be undeleted upon request.