Wikipedia:Processing drafts with duplicate titles

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This page consists of suggestions on how to process drafts with duplicate titles. Such drafts are placed in Category:AfC submissions with the same name as existing articles and they can be dealt with using the recommendations on this page.

On October 14, 2018, Articles for creation reviewer Robert McClenon made a suggestion to "edit the draft, and replace it with a redirect to the article." Fellow reviewer Kvng, three days later, stated that "I don't think this is a good thing to do because when the author goes to check the status of their draft upon receiving decline notification on their user talk page, they will be WP:ASTONISHED when they are quietly redirected to the mainspace article. I think leaving the draft in declined state makes it more clear to everyone what has happened."

Suggestions for processing drafts with duplicate titles

Draft is same as article with same author (article okay)

The draft is the same, or almost the same as, the article, and both are by the same editor, and the article deserves to stay in article space. Decline the draft, saying that the article exists. By default, the AFCH tool will inform the author. Edit the draft, and replace it with a redirect to the article.

Draft is same as article with same author (neither any good)

This is relatively rare but can happen.

• If the draft is speedyable (probably G11 or G12), speedy them both.
• If the article is speedyable (probably A7), speedy it, and decline or reject the draft on notability grounds.
• If the article needs a deletion discussion, nominate it for AFD, and decline the draft but leave it standing. Deletion of the article will be a side-door draftification.

Draft different and better than article

Also a possibility is a good draft and a lousy article. I've never seen this happen though. ~Kvng (talk) 19:14, 13 September 2018 (UTC)

If it's a good draft and a lousy article, nominate the article for deletion, or speedy it. Comment on the draft that it is waiting for the AFD on the lousy article. Robert McClenon (talk) 00:17, 16 September 2018 (UTC)

Article name is already used for a different subject

This happens frequently with biographies of people who share a name.

• Disambiguate the draft
• If you choose to also accept the draft, determine whether the subject or a new disambiguation page should replace the current article as the primary topic and, if so, propose reorganization. Otherwise add hatnotes or disambiguation page entries.

Article name is a disambiguation page

Disambiguate the draft.

• If it is not ready for acceptance, decline it as appropriate. This will take it out of the category of matches.
• If the draft is ready for acceptance, accept it. Update the parent disambiguation page to include the new article.

Article name is a redirect for a section on the draft topic

• If the draft does not merit a stand-alone article, decline it with 'mergeto' and suggest adding any new information to the main article.
• If the draft now does merit a stand-alone article, request a technical deletion of the redirect by placing {{Db-g6|rationale=Make way to accept Draft:Example}} on the page that's in the way. Once deleted, the draft can be accepted.

Draft and article are different (but with same name)

Disambiguate the draft by moving it to a new title in draft space. Then optionally either accept it (with the new name) or decline it. If accepted, add a hatnote to the original and the new article as appropriate.

Draft is same topic as article but different text and different authors

• Decline draft with 'exists'. By default, the AFCH tool with inform the author. Consider also informing editors of the article by leaving a note and link to the draft in a new section on the article's talk page.

Please consider incorporating any useful material from Draft:Example into this article. The submission is eligible for deletion in 6 months.