How to

A how to is a set of instructions needed to complete a task or build something.

A how to 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. 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 how-tos for a list of Wikipedia how-tos.

See [procedural knowledge]? for a discussion of what sort of knowledge is imparted, and how far it can be imparted, in "how-to" type documents.