[[File:Wikipedia layout sample medium.png|frameless|border|right|300px|alt=An article with a table of contents block and an image near the start, then several sections]]
StartAn article should start with a simple summary of the topic, then lead the reader into more detail, breaking up the text into manageable sections with logical headings.
===LeadsThe lead===
The lead section is the very first part of an article, appearing before anythe table of contents and any headings. The first sentence of the lead should contain a concise definition and establish notability of the topic. The rest of the lead should introduce the article's context and summarise its key points.
The lead section should be 1-4one to four paragraphs long and be able to stand alone as a concise overview of the article. The emphasis given to material in the lead should roughly reflect its importance to the topic. Statements should be carefully sourced if covering material not sourced elsewhere in the article, and should be written in a clear, accessible style to inspire a reading of the full article. The rest of the article's prose will give detail for readers who want more information.
===Sections and headings===
Articles are organised into sections and subsections, each of which has a short heading that will automatically appear in the table of contents. In general, sections 1-4that are one to four paragraphs long are the most readable.
Headings should omit the word "the" and the title of the article. OnlyTypically, only the first word in a heading should be capitalised ([[sentence case]]).
Heading 1 is the article's title and is automatically generated. The section headings within the article start at the second level (<nowiki>==Heading 2==</nowiki>), with subsections at the third level (<nowiki>===Heading 3===</nowiki>), and so on. Sections should be consecutive, such that they do not skip levels from sections to sub-subsections (i.e. do not put a fourth-level subsection heading immediately after a second-level heading).
