Categories provide a helpful way to group related posts together. Depending on the theme and widgets you have activated, categories can be used in the following places:
Adding a new category through the Site Settings section of your account allows you to include a category description and select the option to nest a new category below a Top level Category.
Selecting a parent category will insert the new category under the Top level category.
All posts must be assigned a category. By default, the category is Uncategorized. You can change the default category through Settings → Writing → Categories.
Changing the default Category.
While it is not possible to delete the “Uncategorized” Category, you can rename it to whatever you want.
Categories can only be added to Posts, but not Pages. If you want to nest pages under other pages, use Page Attributes → Parent Page in Post Settings for that page. We have more details on Page Attributes here.
Go to My Sites → Posts
Click on the post you want to assign to a category.
Under Post Settings on the right, expand the Category option.
Click the checkbox next to the category you want the post to be assigned to and publish your changes
You can select multiple categories for a single post to show in. You should not add more than five to 15 categories and tags to a post.
You can remove a post from a category by unchecking the box next to the category name.
New Category from Within A Post
It is possible to quickly add a new category through the post’s Document Settings by clicking on Add New Category.
You will be able to give the category a name, and select a parent category.
If you want to add a description to the Category you will want to go to Settings → Writing → Categories and edit the new category.
If you have added a Category Page to your site’s menu but do not see any posts on the Category Page, or a message that says the content can’t be found, this means no posts have been assigned to that category. Once you add posts to the category they will automatically show on the Category Page.
Your posts will appear in the topics listings of any tags or categories you use. Therefore, assigning tags and categories to your post increases the chance that other WordPress.com users will see your content.
However, you don’t want irrelevant content showing up on the topics listings or search, and neither do we. That’s why we limit the number of tags and categories that can be used on a public topic listing. Five to 15 tags (or categories, or a combination of the two) is a good number to add to each of your posts. The more categories you use, the less likely it is that your post will be selected for inclusion in the topics listings. Learn more about Topics here.
You can also edit your categories in bulk by going to My Site(s)→Posts→Categories.
To bulk delete any categories, check all categories you want deleted, and in the “Bulk Actions” dropdown above the list, select “Delete”, then click the “Apply” button.
You can find the category ID for a category by going to My Site(s)→Posts→Categories.
Scroll over the category that you need a category ID number for, and click the Edit link that appears under the category. You will be taken to the Edit Categories page:
The Category ID for the category is visible in the page URL for the Edit Categories page for the category, after tag-ID in the URL:
If you have added a Category Page to your Menu, and you see a not found, or nothing found, page when you view it, this means there are no posts assigned to that category.
Once you add a post to that category it will automatically show on your Category Page.
We're always looking to improve our documentation. If this page didn't answer your question or left you wanting more, let us know! We love hearing your feedback. For support, please use the forums or contact support form. Thanks!
