 | This help page is a how-to guide. It explains concepts or processes used by the Wikipedia community. It is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, and may reflect varying levels of consensus. |
 | This page is not considered a Wikipedia guideline on Wikipedia, but MOS:PLOT and MOS:FAIR USE are. Whenever possible, the guidelines should be followed. But most importantly, the point is that plot summaries shouldn't swamp an article. This is policy. |
As explained in Wikipedia:Plot-only description of fictional works, an encyclopedia article about a work of fiction frequently includes a concise summary of the plot. The description should be thorough enough for the reader to get a sense of what happens and to fully understand the impact of the work and the context of the commentary about it. On the other hand, however, the plot summary must be concise because Wikipedia's coverage of works of fiction should be about more than just the plot. Plot summaries that are too long and too detailed can also be hard to read and are just as unhelpful as those that are too short. Finding the right balance requires careful editorial discretion and discussion.