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Note that some people feel how-to articles belong on Wikibooks, and such pages may end up on Wikipedia:Articles for deletion.
A HowTo is a simple set of instructions needed to complete a task or build something. Ideally, Wikipedia articles should not be mere sets of instructions, but additionally provide historical context and further information.
A how-to on Wikipedia should include:
- A brief overview of the project being built or end result of the instructions.
- A list of materials, tools or prerequisites (if needed).
- Time needed.
- Appropriate safety warnings (if needed).
- Instructions for the project.
- What to do after the project is finished (cleanup).
- How to use the result or object constructed.
A how-to will almost always contain some degree of personal opinion in the form of helpful suggestions. This is acceptable within reasonable bounds. In the context of an encyclopedia, however, it is best if you try to fairly represent any reasonable disagreements that exist about how to do the task, in light of our neutral point of view policy. For example, there are various methods of long division; on how to do long division, it would be an excellent idea to include these different methods.
See: Wikipedia's HOWTOs Index for a list of Wikipedia how-tos.