Coordinate Me – The World’s Largest Wikidata Competition

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The third edition of the international Wikidata competition Coordinate Me 2026 has concluded with remarkable results, setting new records for community engagement and data enrichment on the platform. The circumstances remain unchanged from previous years: the competition was organized by Wikimedia Österreich and ran throughout May 2026 and brought together Wikidata editors from around the globe to improve and create geolocatable content.

Record breaking participation

The 2026 edition proved to be the most successful yet, with participants editing over 1 million items, setting yet another record for the competition after last year’s successful second edition. What makes this achievement particularly noteworthy is that 719 newly registered users joined the platform specifically for this event. This significant influx of newcomers was supported by introductory workshops in multiple languages, four of which were organized by Wikimedia Österreich, ensuring that new editors received proper guidance rather than being left to navigate the complexities of Wikidata alone, thus increasing the likelihood of newcomer retention.

A global effort

The competition received widespread support from Wikimedia affiliates worldwide. The following organizations played crucial roles through translation efforts, community outreach, financial backing, and workshop organization:

The supporting organizations have also been provided shareable promotional materials for affiliates to help spread the word and encourage broader participation.

Honoring the contributions made

The competition attracted impressive contributions from editors across the globe. The winners demonstrated remarkable dedication to improving Wikidata’s geographic coverage:

First place: Dolphyb made significant contributions by adding Igbo-language names for mountains in Germany, helping to diversify linguistic representation on the platform.

Second place: Goutam1962 contributed Hindi descriptions for villages in Poland and streets in Latvia, bridging linguistic gaps across European geographic data.

Third place: Ceaseless Watcher focused on adding Spanish descriptions, enhancing accessibility for Spanish-speaking users worldwide.

The contest fostered quality improvements beyond simple number counts. Participants engaged in various enrichment activities, including, but not limited to:

  • Creating and enhancing data for Stolpersteine, the commemorative brass plaques honoring Nazi victims found throughout Europe
  • Adding official website links to school entries
  • Merging duplicate items, an important quality control measure that helps maintain data integrity

The prizes for the 25 winners were provided by Wikimedia Österreich.

Looking ahead

The success of Coordinate Me 2026 has already sparked enthusiasm for the next edition. The competition is planned to return in May 2027, with organizers actively incorporating valuable community feedback to make future iterations even better. Wikimedia Österreich wants to thank all those that made this year’s competition into the record-breaking event it eventually has become. We are looking forward to next year!

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