There are four chief processes under which articles in the mainspace are deleted:

• 1. Speedy deletion
• 2. Proposed deletion (prod)
• 3. Proposed deletion of articles on living persons (sticky prod); and
• 4. Articles for deletion (AfD).

To learn about typical reasons articles are deleted, see Wikipedia:Why was the page I created deleted? To find out why the particular article you posted was deleted, go to the deletion log and type into the search field marked "Title" the exact name of the article, mindful of the original capitalization, spelling and spacing. The deletion log entry will show when the article was deleted, by which administrator, and typically contain a deletion summary listing the reason for deletion. If you wish to contest this deletion, please contact the administrator first on their talk page and, depending on the circumstances, politely explain why you think the article should be restored, or why a copy should be provided to you so you can address the reason for deletion before reposting the article. If after that the article remains deleted and you still wish to contest it, you have the option of listing the article at Wikipedia:Deletion review, but articles are normally only restored if the deletion was clearly improper.