HOWTO: Simulate a Hierarchy in Wikipedia Using Linked Pages

Problem

Wikipedia and other MediaWiki-based wikis do not have a true folder or hierarchical page structure. All pages exist in a flat namespace.

Goal

Create a logical hierarchy using normal pages that contain structured lists of links. This approach makes the wiki feel hierarchical without changing its underlying technical structure.

Step 1: Create a “Parent” Page

Create a main page that serves as a directory or table of contents for a topic.

Example:

Page title: Developers

Page content

= Developers =
This page contains all general developer-related information, guidelines, and processes.

== Developer Teams ==
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamBornemann]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamOdoo]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamNordex]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamMercedes]]
== General Documentation ==
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/Onboarding]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/CodeStandards]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/DevTools]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/BestPractices]][[HF_ALL|← Back to HF_ALL]]

Step 2: Create the Linked Pages

Click a red link (for example HF_ALL/Developers/TeamBornemann) to create that subpage.

Example:

Page title: Developers/TeamBornemann

Page content

= Team Bornemann =
Documentation related to Project Team Bornemann.
[[Developers|← Back to Developers]]

Use the format:

[[ParentPageName|← Back to Parent Page]]

Step 3: (Optional) Add More Levels

You can continue nesting pages by creating deeper paths.

Example:

Page title: Developers/TeamBornemann/Planning

Page content

= Team Bornemann – Planning =
Details of the planning phase.
[[Developers/TeamBornemann|← Back to Team Bornemann]]

Step 4: (Optional) Create an Overview or “Tree”

You can manually show the hierarchy using nested bullet lists.

= Developers =

== Teams ==
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamBornemann]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamOdoo]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamNordex]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/TeamMercedes]]
== Documentation ==
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/Onboarding]]* [[HF_ALL/Developers/CodeStandards]]** [[HF_ALL/Developers/CodeStandards/Python]]** [[HF_ALL/Developers/CodeStandards/JavaScript]]
* [[HF_ALL/Developers/DevTools]]** [[HF_ALL/Developers/DevTools/Git]]** [[HF_ALL/Developers/DevTools/VSCode]]

This visually represents a hierarchy even though the wiki itself is flat.

Tips

Use consistent page names with slashes (e.g., Developers/TeamBornemann/Planning).
Add a "Back to parent" link on each subpage.
Consider creating a template to simplify “Back” links, e.g.:
Maintain a single “index” page (e.g., HF_ALL/Developers) that defines the hierarchy.
Store only internal documentation—avoid client-confidential content.

Summary

To create a clean, structured hierarchy in MediaWiki under HF_ALL:

Create a department index page (e.g., HF_ALL/Developers)
Add subpages using /
Add back-links on each subpage
Build a tree-like structure using bullet lists
Maintain consistent naming across all pages

This creates a predictable, professional, and easy-to-navigate documentation system for all teams.

{HF_ALL|Developers/TeamBornemann}}

To create a clean, structured hierarchy in MediaWiki under HF_ALL:

Create a department index page (e.g., HF_ALL/Developers)
Add subpages using /
Include back-links on every subpage
Build a tree-like structure using bullet lists
Keep only general internal documentation (no client-confidential info)

This creates a predictable, professional, and easy-to-navigate documentation system for all teams.