CAZypedia needs your help!
We have many unassigned pages in need of Authors and Responsible Curators. See a page that's out-of-date and just needs a touch-up? - You are also welcome to become a CAZypedian. Here's how.
Scientists at all career stages, including students, are welcome to contribute.
Learn more about CAZypedia's misson here and in this article.
Totally new to the CAZy classification? Read this first.

Help:Getting Started Guide

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This page provides a step-by-step guide for getting yourself up and running as a CAZypedia Responsible Curator or Author. If you have already established yourself on CAZypedia and are looking for specific help on editing/authoring pages see Help:Editing instead.

Getting ready

  • If you haven't already done so, open this page in the Mozilla FireFox browser.
    • If you don't have FireFox, you can get it here.
    • (Yes, you can work on CAZypedia in Microsoft Internet Explorer, but it is very inferior, especially when editing CAZypedia pages. Please use FireFox.)
  • In FireFox, right-click on this link and select "Open Link in New Tab": Special:Userlogin
    • Opening pages on multiple tabs allows you to quickly jump back-and-forth to read these instructions while you do other stuff.


Create a new user account

  • Click on the new tab in your browser ("Log in / create account - CAZypedia").
  • Click on "Create an account."
  • Use your real first and last names as your username. Also, make sure to re-enter your real name in that field.
    • Failure to follow these guidelines will result in your account being blocked. If you make an error and/or the account you created has been blocked, please contact the Primary Curator.
  • Enter your current E-mail address.
  • Pick a strong password.
  • Type the two words shown in the red captcha box above. (Click on the (?) button in the red box if you need help with the captcha).
  • Click the "Create account" button.

Set your account preferences

  • If you are not logged in, click the "Log in" link at the top right of the page and do so.
  • Click on "My preferences" at the top right of the page.
  • Check that your "Real Name" and "E-mail Address" are correct (under the "User profile" tab).
  • Check all of the boxes in the "E-mail" options box.
  • Click "Save".


Make a biography for yourself on your userpage

  • If you are not logged in, click the "Log in" link at the top right of the page and do so.
  • Click on your username at the top of the page. A box will open for you start editing the page.
  • When you've got some text in place, click the "Save Page" button at the bottom. It's OK to start with a few words (like your name) just to test it out.
  • Not happy? Just click the "Edit" tab at the top of the page and change it! (Again and again and again...)
  • Important: Your userpage page is the place where the Board of Curators would like you to demonstrate that you are credible expert in the field. Please make sure that your bio page is professional; it will be linked from whichever pages your are associated with, and all your edits in CAZypedia will be automatically logged in the history with links to your userpage.

A little handy tip: You can always have more than one browser window/tab open at a time to look at examples in CAZypedia while you edit another page. You can even open two pages for editing (or "view source") at the same time, so you can copy & paste wiki-text from one to the other. This is a great way to get going quickly on the way to making nice-looking CAZypedia pages.

Start curating or authoring your page!

For Responsible Curators

When you are ready to create the entry for which you are responsible please follow these simple steps:

  • If, for example, you are in charge of family GH213, type Glycoside Hydrolase Family 213 into the search box on the left side of the page. Make sure your spelling is accurate.
  • CAZYpedia will say "There is no page titled Glycoside Hydrolase Family 213. You can create this page."
  • Click the "create this page" link and an empty template will automatically load.
  • Go through the template and delete all the text as instructed in the template.
  • Change the Responsible Curator and Author(s) in the header to the appropriate people (of which you should be one...).
  • Click the "Save page" button.
  • Important: Click the "Watch" tab at the top of the page.
  • Finally...your authors and/or yourself should open the page for editing (click the tab at the top of the page) and start producing content!

Make sure to read Help:Editing and Help:References carefully for information on how to make pages and insert literature references. Both links are always one click away through the Help! link in the left Navigation box. Help:Editing is always available at the bottom of the editing window when it's open.

For Authors

If you have been invited by a Responsible Curator to act as an Author on a CAZypedia entry, your assigned page should already be in place.

  • If, for example, you are an Author of the family GH213 entry, type Glycoside Hydrolase Family 213 into the search box on the left side of the page.
    • If CAZypedia says "There is no page titled Glycoside Hydrolase Family 213. You can create this page.", DO NOT CLICK THE LINK. Instead, check your spelling. If you still can't find the page, immediately contact the page's Responsible Curator, i.e. the person who invited to to contribute.
  • Click the "Watch" tab at the top of the page (Important!).
  • Click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the page and get to work!

Make sure to read Help:Editing and Help:References carefully for information on how to make pages and insert literature references. Both links are always one click away through the Help! link in the left Navigation box. Help:Editing is always available at the bottom of the editing window when it's open.

* A little handy tip (redux)

You can always have more than one browser window/tab open at a time to look at examples in CAZypedia while you edit another page. You can even open two pages for editing (or "view source") at the same time, so you can copy & paste wiki-text from one to the other. This is a great way to get going quickly on the way to making nice-looking CAZypedia pages.