This is an explanatory essay about the Wikipedia:Consensus page. This page provides additional information about concepts in the page(s) it supplements. This page is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. |
This page in a nutshell: Consensus is assumed when there's no evidence of disagreement. |
He who is silent is taken to agree.
— Latin proverb
Consensus can be presumed until disagreement becomes evident. That is typically through reverting, editing, or stating disagreement on a relevant talk page. You find out whether your edit has consensus when it sticks, is built upon by others, and most importantly when it is used or referred to by others.
Most of the time, you will find that it's fine to assume consensus, even if just for now, as it's more important to keep editing and cooperating smoothly in good faith as much as possible.
A corollary is that if you disagree, the onus is on you to say so.