{"id":122854,"date":"2025-02-26T10:07:16","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T10:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"\/tutorials\/?p=122854"},"modified":"2026-03-09T19:16:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T19:16:52","slug":"difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/ng\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","title":{"rendered":"WordPress categories vs. tags: What are the differences?"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><p>Suppose you wanted to start a blog and share your passion for food with the world<em>. <\/em>You plan to publish all kinds of content &ndash; recipes, restaurant reviews, and even culinary travel stories.<\/p><p>Now this might just work if you have 10 blog posts. However, as you grow your blog, visitors might struggle to find specific dishes or dietary options.<\/p><p>WordPress categories and tags can help here. As part of WordPress&rsquo;s taxonomy system, they&rsquo;re designed to structure your content. In this article, we&rsquo;ll go over the key differences between categories and tags and show you how to use them effectively.<\/p><p>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-differences-between-categories-vs-tags-a-quick-glance\">What are the differences between categories vs tags: A quick glance<\/h2><p>The main difference between WordPress categories and tags is that categories handle the broad and hierarchical content groupings, while tags group specific topics across different categories. Both <a href=\"\/ng\/tutorials\/wordpress-taxonomy\/\">WordPress taxonomies<\/a> improve navigation and help visitors find what they&rsquo;re looking for.<\/p><p>Think of it in terms of a food blog. Categories, in this context, are the main sections:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Appetizers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Main Courses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Desserts<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>Meanwhile, tags function more like a recipe index that highlights specific ingredients or special features:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>dairy-free<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30-minute meal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>low-carb<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>Let&rsquo;s say we have two recipes:<\/p><p><strong>Grilled Shrimp Skewers<\/strong><\/p><p>Category: Appetizers<\/p><p>Tags: 30-minute meal, low-carb, gluten-free<\/p><p><strong>Baked Salmon with Asparagus<\/strong><\/p><p>Category: Main Courses<\/p><p>Tags: 30-minute meal, low-carb, dairy-free<\/p><p>Here, you can see how both recipes (despite being in different categories) share the same tags: <strong>30-minute meal<\/strong> and <strong>low-carb<\/strong>.<\/p><p>This is one of the key benefits of using tags alongside categories &ndash; they create cross-category connections based on specific attributes. For example, a reader can click the 30-minute meal tag if they&rsquo;re short on time and want to see quick recipes across all categories.<\/p><figure tabindex=\"0\" class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>Aspect<\/td><td>Categories<\/td><td>Tags<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Usage<\/td><td>Categories organize the site&rsquo;s main structure with broad topics. For our recipe blog, that would be something like Appetizers, Main Courses, and Desserts.<\/td><td>Tags connect posts with specific details or keywords, which in the case of the recipe blog, could be gluten-free, quick-meals, vegan, etc.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hierarchy<\/td><td>Hierarchical (can have parent and child structures)<\/td><td>Non-hierarchical (flat, no child tags)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Requirement<\/td><td>WordPress requires at least one category (even if it is Uncategorized).<\/td><td>Optional (can have zero or multiple tags)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>URL structure<\/td><td>Often used to create URL structure (for example, <strong>\/appetizers\/italian\/bruschetta-recipe\/<\/strong>)<\/td><td>Usually not used to structure URLs<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>SEO impact<\/td><td>Contributes to a clear site hierarchy and user navigation<\/td><td>Groups related content and increases the internal linking potential<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure><p>Now, let&rsquo;s delve deeper into both categories and tags to understand them better.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-wordpress-categories\">What are WordPress categories?<\/h2><p>Categories exist to group your content into broader topics, helping readers identify what your website is about and locate specific articles.<\/p><p>A visitor who clicks on the <strong>Recipes<\/strong> category on a food blog expects to see posts about how to cook various dishes, such as <strong>Quick and easy vegetarian fried rice<\/strong> or <strong>Classic 5-minute omelet<\/strong>.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-when-to-use-categories\">When to use categories<\/h3><p>Categories are major content buckets. Each post must belong to at least one category so visitors immediately know which broad topic it falls under.<\/p><p>If you specialize in more than one main subject (for instance, cooking and travel), categories can help differentiate those areas.<\/p><p>For example, a single post about a must-visit pizzeria in Rome might naturally belong to two major subjects &ndash; <strong>Restaurant Reviews<\/strong> and <strong>Travel Guides<\/strong>. Some bloggers decide to pick just one primary category, while others assign both. The better approach is to have just one category since you don&rsquo;t want to confuse the readers and search engines.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-create-and-assign-wordpress-categories\">How to create and assign WordPress categories<\/h3><p>Go to <strong>Dashboard<\/strong> &rarr; <strong>Posts<\/strong> &rarr; <strong>Categories<\/strong>.<\/p><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69d26d3f9fcd6\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1090\" height=\"628\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image7.png\/public\" alt=\"WordPress dashboard sidebar showing the posts menu\n\" class=\"wp-image-122857\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image7.png\/w=1090,fit=scale-down 1090w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image7.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image7.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image7.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image7.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1090px) 100vw, 1090px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p>You&rsquo;ll see an area to add new categories on the left and a list of existing ones on the right. You can also <a href=\"\/ng\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress\">edit WordPress categories<\/a> here.<\/p><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69d26d3fa031e\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1015\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image1.png\/public\" alt=\"Add new category page with the name, slug, parent category, and description input fields\n\" class=\"wp-image-122858\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image1.png\/w=1600,fit=scale-down 1600w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image1.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image1.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image1.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image1.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image1.png\/w=1536,fit=scale-down 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p>Enter the category <strong>Name<\/strong> (for example, <strong>Recipes<\/strong> or <strong>Restaurant Reviews<\/strong>). The <strong>Slug<\/strong> can remain empty unless you want a custom URL path.<\/p><p>If you&rsquo;re making a subcategory, add the <strong>Parent Category <\/strong>from the drop-down menu. For instance, you can create <strong>Italian<\/strong> as a subcategory of <strong>Recipes<\/strong>.<\/p><p>You can also add a <strong>Description<\/strong> for the category, as some themes display them on the archive pages.<\/p><p>Once finished, click <strong>Add New Category<\/strong>. The new category should appear on the right side.<\/p><p>To assign a category while writing a post, go to <strong>Categories<\/strong> in the right panel of the block editor. In the classic editor, categories are at the bottom of the page.<\/p><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69d26d3fa0899\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"998\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image4.png\/public\" alt=\"WordPress new post page with the categories listed on the right\n\" class=\"wp-image-122859\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image4.png\/w=1600,fit=scale-down 1600w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image4.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image4.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image4.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image4.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image4.png\/w=1536,fit=scale-down 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p>Check the box next to the relevant category and <strong>Publish<\/strong> your changes.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-best-practices-for-using-categories-on-your-wordpress-site\">Best practices for using categories on your WordPress site<\/h3><p>Organizing content with categories is easy with these best practices:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use a single category per post<\/strong>. While WordPress allows you to assign as many categories as required, it&rsquo;s best to stick to just one category per post to avoid confusing the readers. Also, if your post seems to fit into multiple categories, you may have created overlapping categories. Which brings us to our next point.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Choose meaningful category names. <\/strong>A category should be <em>broad enough<\/em> to group multiple posts but <em>not so broad that it becomes vague<\/em>. If a category can only have a few posts, it might be too specific to be useful. But if way too many of your blog posts can fit in the category, it&rsquo;s too broad.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use subcategories sparingly<\/strong>. Subcategories help refine broad subjects, but multiple nested levels can appear complicated. Stick to one or two levels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Conduct periodic reviews<\/strong>. As your website grows, revisit your category list and see if any should be merged, renamed, or deleted to keep the structure efficient.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-wordpress-tags\">What are WordPress tags?<\/h2><p><a href=\"\/ng\/tutorials\/wordpress-tags\">WordPress tags<\/a> work like labels &ndash; unlike categories, they&rsquo;re not hierarchical.<\/p><p>If you have a blog post titled <strong>Quick and easy vegetarian fried rice<\/strong> filed under the <strong>Recipes<\/strong> category, you can add relevant tags like <strong>vegetarian<\/strong> and <strong>15-minute<\/strong>. This helps readers instantly find recipes that match their dietary needs or time constraints.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-when-to-use-tags\">When to use tags?<\/h3><p>Tags highlight specific details that appear across multiple posts.<\/p><p>Unlike categories, which define what the post is about, tags surface recurring themes, features, or keywords that help users find related content.<\/p><p>For example, if you frequently write about vegetarian dishes, <strong>vegetarian<\/strong> makes a good tag because it can apply to multiple posts<em>.<\/em><\/p><p>If a detail is unique to one post, it doesn&rsquo;t need a tag. If most of your posts share the same tag, it makes more sense to create a category instead.<\/p><p>Remember: tags should add value by connecting related content, not clutter your site with unnecessary labels.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-create-and-assign-wordpress-tags\">How to create and assign WordPress tags<\/h3><p>While you can create tags on the fly while you&rsquo;re on a post, you need to know where tags are stored so you can create\/edit them in a single place. This helps when you have too many tags, and you want to edit or delete them in bulk.<\/p><p>Go to <strong>Dashboard<\/strong> &rarr; <strong>Posts<\/strong> &rarr; <strong>Tags<\/strong>.<\/p><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69d26d3fa108a\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"681\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image3.png\/public\" alt=\"WordPress dashboard showing tags option under the posts menu\n\" class=\"wp-image-122860\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image3.png\/w=1600,fit=scale-down 1600w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image3.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image3.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image3.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image3.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image3.png\/w=1536,fit=scale-down 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p>You&rsquo;ll see a field to add new tags on the left and a list of existing tags on the right.<\/p><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69d26d3fa160d\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"799\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image5.png\/public\" alt=\"Add new tag page with the name, slug, and description input boxes\n\" class=\"wp-image-122861\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image5.png\/w=1600,fit=scale-down 1600w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image5.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image5.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image5.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image5.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image5.png\/w=1536,fit=scale-down 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><p>Similar to managing a category, you can enter the tag name. Then, adjust the slug and provide a description if needed.<\/p><p>Click <strong>Add New Tag<\/strong>, and it should now appear on the right side.<\/p><p>To add a tag when writing a post, navigate to <strong>Tags<\/strong> in the block editor&rsquo;s right panel and select the tags you want to assign.<\/p><figure data-wp-context='{\"imageId\":\"69d26d3fa1d00\"}' data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"728\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image2.png\/public\" alt=\"New posts page showing the tags input on the right sidebar\n\" class=\"wp-image-122862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image2.png\/w=1600,fit=scale-down 1600w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image2.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image2.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image2.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image2.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/image2.png\/w=1536,fit=scale-down 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\">\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-best-practices-for-using-tags-on-your-wordpress-site\">Best practices for using tags on your WordPress site<\/h3><p>Here are some simple tips to keep your tags meaningful:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Aim for two to five relevant tags per post<\/strong>. Adding a long list of tags to every post is counterproductive. It can clutter your tag archives and undermine user experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use consistent spelling<\/strong>. If you decide on <strong>gluten-free<\/strong> as a tag, avoid using variations like <strong>gluten free<\/strong> or <strong>glutenfree<\/strong>. Consistency helps both search engines and readers navigate your content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Don&rsquo;t duplicate categories<\/strong>. If <strong>Recipes<\/strong> is a category, using <strong>recipes<\/strong> as a tag is redundant. Stick to distinct and specific terms for tags.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create tags for recurrent details<\/strong>. A detail that appears in multiple posts might deserve its own tag so readers can easily find similar content. For a food blog, tags like <strong>dairy-free<\/strong>, <strong>stir-fry<\/strong>, or <strong>dessert<\/strong> can be handy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid single-use tags<\/strong>. Tagging one post as <strong>a delicious<\/strong> <strong>dish<\/strong> and never using it on other posts defeats the purpose of a tag, which is to connect related content.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-categories-and-tags-affect-seo\">How categories and tags affect SEO<\/h2><p>Using categories and tags effectively helps both users and search engines understand your content.<\/p><p>Here are some ways WordPress categories and tags help:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Clear site architecture<\/strong>. Categories define broad subjects, while tags connect related topics, showing the depth of your site and giving your site a well-defined structure that users, as well as search engines, follow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Better user engagement<\/strong>. When visitors can quickly find relevant content using categories and tags, they&rsquo;re more likely to browse around your site. Lower bounce rates and longer session times can signal to Google that your content is valuable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stronger internal linking<\/strong>. Linking to category or tag archive pages within articles helps users discover related content and guides search engine crawlers deeper into your site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Organized archive pages<\/strong>. Every category and tag generates an archive page listing relevant posts. Keeping these pages well-structured ensures they remain useful rather than cluttered with loosely related content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Passes <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/link-juice\"><strong>link juice<\/strong><\/a>. Search engines crawl your site by following links and passing ranking power to key pages. To get the most out of this, avoid creating unnecessary or overlapping categories and tags and ensure each one has a clear purpose.<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2><p>Creating a well-organized WordPress site makes your content easy to navigate, engaging, and accessible for your readers.<\/p><p>This is where categories and tags can help. You can use categories to structure broad topics into a clear hierarchy and tags to highlight specific details in your posts.<\/p><p>When used strategically, categories and tags make your site user-friendly and help you rank higher on search engines.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-difference-between-categories-and-tags-faq\">Difference between categories and tags FAQ<\/h2><div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1739880077096\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is the purpose of tags in WordPress?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Tags help identify shared features among different posts. For example, on a food blog, only plant-based recipes should be tagged <strong>vegan<\/strong>. This way, users looking for vegan options can easily find them.&nbsp;<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1739880081874\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">How do you use tags and categories in WordPress?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>Categories let you group posts into broad subjects<\/strong>, making readers aware of your website&rsquo;s main focuses. Tags, on the other hand, allow you to add markers that <strong>highlight common aspects of a post<\/strong> compared to other posts on your website.&nbsp;<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1739880090559\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">Why is organizing posts using categories and tags important and useful?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A well-structured site improves user experience by allowing seamless navigation. It also benefits SEO by helping search engines interpret your content&rsquo;s relevance, making it easier to index and rank your pages effectively.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Suppose you wanted to start a blog and share your passion for food with the world. You plan to publish all kinds of content &ndash; recipes, restaurant reviews, and even culinary travel stories. Now this might just work if you have 10 blog posts. However, as you grow your blog, visitors might struggle to find [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"\/ng\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":529,"featured_media":143474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"What is the difference between WordPress categories and tags?","rank_math_description":"WordPress categories separate a topic in a hierarchical way, whereas tags group posts with similar topics. Read this article to learn more.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"what is the difference between categories and tags in wordpress?","footnotes":""},"categories":[22637],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wordpress"],"hreflangs":[{"locale":"en-US","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","default":0},{"locale":"en-UK","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","default":0},{"locale":"en-MY","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/my\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","default":0},{"locale":"en-PH","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ph\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","default":0},{"locale":"en-IN","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","default":0},{"locale":"en-CA","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","default":0},{"locale":"en-AU","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/au\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","default":0},{"locale":"en-NG","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/difference-between-wordpress-categories-and-tags","default":0}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/529"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122854"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143473,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122854\/revisions\/143473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}