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OSINT investigation

Wikipedia OSINT investigation: who edits the page, and why

We read the public edit history of the Wikipedia page about your company, a competitor or your category: who edits it, how the accounts are connected, which sources the edits lean on and when they arrive. You get a confidential report in which every finding links to a specific revision or log entry.

Discuss an investigationTiers and pricing

// from €700 · three fixed tiers · 1–3 weeks · public data only · NDA on request

en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Company_N&action=historyen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Log?type=deleteen.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Company_N&action=historyen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Account_E
ArticleTalkReadEditView history
Company N: revision history
5 of 1,284 revisions
  1. Account A−1,284removed the “Awards” section
  2. Account B+312added “criticism” from a blog
  3. Volunteer+18fixed a date
  4. Account C+540“Controversies” section
  5. Bot0citation formatting
Finding

Three accounts created within the last month edit only this page. Their edits land 9–40 minutes apart and back each other up.

Pattern · signs of coordination
Deletion log: your category
related articles
  1. Editor X✕“Company M”: no independent sources
  2. Editor X{{ }}“Company K”: notability tag
  3. Volunteer+64updated figures
  4. Editor Y−420removed a press-release citation
  5. Bot0categorisation
Finding

Two experienced editors patrol your category. Articles built on press releases go to deletion within the first week.

Evidence · deletion logs
Company N: revision history
one paragraph, 6 days
  1. IP address 2+260restored “fraud allegations”
  2. Volunteer−260revert: no source
  3. IP address 1+260the same paragraph
  4. Volunteer−260revert: defamatory
  5. Account D+260first appearance of the paragraph
Finding

An unsourced paragraph was added three times from different addresses, each time in the evening. Three diffs and a timeline: a ready basis for a report to administrators.

Evidence · 3 diffs
Contributions: Account E
3 pages in one category
  1. Competitor Z−95removed a regulator's fine
  2. Company N+180added “quality problems”
  3. Sensor+22copyedit
  4. Sensor market+40link to Competitor Z
  5. Sandbox+310draft
Finding

One account edits three pages in the same category: it softens the competitor's article and adds negatives to yours.

Pattern · conflict of interest

Suspicious edit history. Repeated negative edits, anonymous editors who only edit pages tied to your brand, poorly sourced claims that won't go away.

Pre-publication intel. Before publishing a high-profile page, know who watches related categories and which sources will get challenged on review.

Pre-dispute preparation. A legal or PR team is preparing a complaint to Wikipedia about defamatory content. An evidence-led report supports the case.

Competitor monitoring. Edits to competitor pages, edits in your category and emerging narratives, without getting drawn into any edit war.

15+ yearsof editorial practice on Wikipedia
5,000+pages edited per year
160+Wikipedia language editions
1–3 weeksper investigation

01 What we examine

What we check in the edit history of a Wikipedia page

An edit history is public but not readable: thousands of revisions with no narrative. The investigation turns that log into a picture: who, when, in what sequence and with what aim, where the evidence supports it.

Special:Contributions/Account_A · XToolsRevision history · Company_N · 14.03Special:Log?type=protectComparison · press release ↔ editCompany N · en · de · ukTimeline · 2025–2026
A
Account Aregistered 23 days ago · 41 edits

Edits by topic

94% one page: Company N6% other

Activity over 28 days

Single-purpose account
09:12A removes a section09:21B adds criticism09:49C undoes a revert
3 accounts · one page · up to 40 min between edits
  1. Administrator M semi-protected the page for 1 month
  2. Administrator M reverted 2 sourced edits
  3. Administrator M closed the deletion discussion on Competitor Z's article
  4. Noticeboard: documented paid editing by administrator M on Competitor Z's topic
Documented conflict of interest
Competitor Z press release, 02.03Z is the only certified supplier in the region; its rivals have systemic quality problems.
Edit to “Company N”, 08.03According to industry sources, the company has systemic quality problems, while Z remains the only certified supplier.
Matching phrasing · 6 days after the release
Fact in the articleENDEUA
Founded, 2014✓✓✓
Wrocław plant, 2023✓✓✓
Industry award, 2024✓✓✕
Lawsuit, 2021✕✓✓
Selective translation · 2 facts of 4
Edits track events · 2 spikes

Who edits my Wikipedia page? →Wikimonitoring: alerts on new edits →

02 Stages

How a Wikipedia OSINT investigation works: five stages from brief to report

We do not touch the page during the investigation: no edits, no reverts, no contact with editors. Turnaround is 1–3 weeks depending on tier and how much history the page carries.

investigation · Company Nauto
  1. ✓pages: Company N · uk · en · de3 editions
  2. ✓question: who is behind the negative edits since Marchbrief
  3. ✓related pages: 2 competitors, 1 category articlescope
  4. ●NDA signed before the startconfidential
  1. ✓revision histories3 editions
  2. ✓contributions of every editor of the pagepublic
  3. ✓talk pages and noticeboard archivespublic
  4. ✓protection, deletion and move logspublic
  5. ✓XTools: account statistics and text authorshippublic
1,284revisions97accounts38material changes
editor historycoordinationadministratorsconflict of interestlanguage editionstimeline
  1. →3 accounts edit only this pageuk
  2. →the 2024 award is in en and de, gone from ukuk · en · de
  3. →edit spike 5 days before Series Btimeline
  1. 1“Awards” section removed without discussionEvidence
  2. 2accounts A, B, C act in concertPattern
  3. 3the award in uk was removed by account AEvidence
  4. 4edits linked to Competitor ZInference
  1. ✓report: 5 findings, 23 links to diffs and logsPDF
  2. ✓findings split: evidence · pattern · inferencefor counsel
  3. →recommendation: report to the administrators' noticeboardoption 1
  4. →or do nothing and switch on monitoringoption 2

03 What turns up

Typical findings of a Wikipedia OSINT investigation

These are categories of finding, not client cases. Investigations run under confidentiality and edit histories are public, so describing a case would name the client.

A cluster of anonymous accounts editing one page in a way that consistently favours a single competitor.

coordination

An administrator with a documented paid-editing history acting on a page where they hold a stake.

administrator

Divergence between language editions: recognition present in one, quietly absent in another.

language editions

Negative history softened across several smaller editions at once, where fewer reviewers watch.

smaller editions

A single-purpose account adding unsourced negative claims in the weeks before a funding round or a listing.

before a round

04 What you receive

The OSINT investigation report: evidence, pattern and inference kept apart

A report you can hand to legal, comms or the board without editing it first. Every claim is tied to a public revision, diff or log entry, so anyone can check it.

OSINT report: Company NConfidential

uk · en · de · 1,284 revisions · 01.09.2025–31.03.2026

Summary

Findings

  1. 1

    The “Awards” section was removed without discussion and without an edit summary.

    diff 14.03 09:12 · page log
    Evidence
  2. 2

    Accounts A, B and C act in concert: one page, edits up to 40 minutes apart.

    3 diffs · contributions of 3 accounts
    Pattern
  3. 3

    The 2024 award in the Ukrainian edition was removed by the same account A.

    diff 16.03 · uk / en / de comparison
    Evidence
  4. 4

    The wording of the edits matches Competitor Z's press release.

    press release 02.03 · diff 08.03
    Inference
  5. 5

    Edit spike 5 days before Series B.

    timeline · 11 diffs
    Pattern

Recommendation

→

A report to the administrators' noticeboard with findings 1–3. The no-action option: switch on monitoring and revisit in 30 days.

In the report

  • Edit-history and editor-cluster analysis
  • Source quality and independence review
  • Coordinated-editing detection
  • Timeline of material changes
  • A sanitised conclusion for legal, comms and leadership

Reports are for internal use only. We don't make public statements, file complaints or talk to Wikipedia editors on your behalf. If that is needed, it is a separate engagement with a different policy frame.

05 Method and limits

What we will not do to get an answer

This is intelligence work on a public platform, which makes the boundary worth stating before you ask.

✓We use

  • revision histories
  • user contributions
  • talk pages
  • noticeboard archives
  • public logs
  • XTools

✕Off limits

  • hacking
  • IP tracing
  • non-public access
  • de-anonymising
  • edits during the work
  • contact on your behalf
  1. 01We work only from publicly available data: revision histories, user contributions, talk pages, noticeboard archives, public logs.
  2. 02We do not attempt to de-anonymise editors through hacking, IP tracing or any access Wikipedia does not publish.
  3. 03We do not edit, revert or touch the page during an investigation. The report goes to you; what happens next is your decision.
  4. 04Findings are reported as evidence and probability, not as accusations: behaviour rarely proves intent, and we say which is which.
  5. 05Reporting is confidential by default; we sign an NDA where the situation calls for it.

06 Pricing

Wikipedia OSINT investigation pricing: three fixed tiers

You know the price before we start, not after a call. It depends on how many language editions get the full treatment, not on hours.

How many language editions to examine?
→ Starter→ Advanced→ Advanced→ Enterprise→ Enterprise

Starter

€700one-time

1 language edition

Editor profiles, a conflict-of-interest check, a coordinated-editing screen and a written report with the evidence behind each finding.

Choose Starter
Most common

Advanced

€1,000one-time

up to 3 language editions

Everything in Starter, plus a timeline of material changes, sockpuppet-network analysis and flagged critical risks with what each one exposes you to.

Choose Advanced

Enterprise

€2,200one-time

up to 5 language editions

A full audit, administrator-action analysis, NDA as standard, white-label reporting for legal or board circulation, and alerts on the pages examined after the report.

Choose Enterprise

What every investigation covers

  • Editor history and behaviourEditing rhythm, topic range and account age.
  • Coordinated-editing screenShared appearances, edits in sequence, shared phrasing, read from public logs.
  • Conflict-of-interest checkEdits that track a competitor's messaging, and undisclosed paid editing.
  • Source quality and independenceEvery source the page stands on.
  • Timeline of material changesEdits against external events. A full reconstruction and sockpuppet networks in Advanced and Enterprise.
  • Written, evidence-led reportEvery claim tied to a revision, diff or log entry.
  • Evidence, pattern and inference apartNothing reads as more certain than it is.
  • A recommendation on the next stepIncluding the option of doing nothing.
  • Confidential by defaultNDA standard on Enterprise, on request at any tier.

What sits outside the fee

  • Acting on the findingsEditing, disputes, escalation: quoted after you decide.
  • Ongoing monitoring of the pagesThat is the Wikimonitoring service.
  • OSINT beyond WikipediaScoped separately, added to any tier.
  • Legal adviceWe supply the evidence; your counsel decides.

Prices include taxes. Turnaround is typically 1–3 weeks depending on tier and how much history the page carries.

Wikimonitoring: ongoing watch over the page →AI Reputation Stack: from findings to defence →All prices →

07 Questions

Questions about a Wikipedia OSINT investigation

What does a Wikipedia OSINT investigation cover?

The public edit history around your brand, competitors or category: editor-cluster mapping, source quality and independence, coordinated-editing patterns and a timeline of significant changes. The deliverable is a sanitised, evidence-led report for legal, comms or leadership review.

What does the final report contain?

Edit-history and editor-cluster analysis, a source review, any coordinated editing found, a timeline of changes and a conclusion in which evidence, pattern and inference are kept apart. Plus a recommendation on the next step.

Is the investigation confidential?

Yes. Reports are confidential and for internal use only. An NDA is standard on Enterprise and available on request at any tier.

Do you interact with Wikipedia editors on our behalf?

No. We do not make public statements, file complaints or contact editors on behalf of clients. If that is needed, it is a separate engagement with a different policy frame.

Can you find out who is editing a Wikipedia page?

We identify editing accounts, IP ranges, contribution patterns and cross-page behaviour from public Wikipedia data and XTools. We cannot unmask anonymous editors beyond what Wikipedia's public record shows, and we do not try.

How long does a Wikipedia OSINT investigation take?

Typically 1–3 weeks, depending on the number of pages and language editions, the depth of the edit history and how many sources need checking. We confirm timeline and scope in the brief.

How much does a Wikipedia OSINT investigation cost?

Three fixed tiers: Starter €700 (one language edition), Advanced €1,000 (up to three editions, timeline and sockpuppet analysis) and Enterprise €2,200 (up to five editions, administrator analysis, NDA, white-label reporting). Acting on the findings is quoted separately after you decide. Pricing →

Will the editors know they are being investigated?

No. We only read public logs: we edit nothing, post nothing on talk pages and contact no editors. The investigation leaves no trace on Wikipedia.

What do we do with the findings after the report?

It depends on the findings: fix the article (Wikipedia editing), bring back what was deleted (page recovery) or watch for new edits (Wikimonitoring). These are separate services, and none of them is required.

Describe what is happening around the page: we come back with scope, timeline and an NDA

Tell us what's happening and what you'd like to know.

  1. 1
    Links to the pagesYour article, competitor or category pages, every language edition.
  2. 2
    What raised the alarmEdits, accounts, maintenance tags or a deletion nomination.
  3. 3
    What you want to knowWho is behind the edits, whether it is coordinated, what to do next.
  4. 4
    NDAIf you need one before the start, we sign it before the brief.

or write to: team@wikibusines.com · Telegram

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