{"id":41782,"date":"2021-12-23T09:04:20","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T09:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"\/tutorials\/?p=41782"},"modified":"2024-03-27T09:39:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T09:39:20","slug":"how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/uk\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","title":{"rendered":"How to Edit Categories in WordPress: Everything You Need to Know About Adding and Deleting Categories"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When publishing a WordPress post, one aspect that shouldn&rsquo;t be forgotten is its category. That&rsquo;s because overlooking this component may harm the traffic of your WordPress site and its ranking in search results.<\/p><p>WordPress categories organize or group the content and posts based on a shared topic, project, or characteristics. It&rsquo;s also one of the default WordPress taxonomies.<\/p><p>Additionally, categories help visitors navigate the site to find the content they need and make crawling easier for search engines.<\/p><p>As a beginner, managing a category list can be confusing at first. Hence, this article will show you how to add, edit, and delete categories in WordPress. Additionally, we&rsquo;ve included a few website category best practices as well.<\/p><p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-video-tutorial-on-how-to-create-categories-in-wordpress\">Video Tutorial on How to Create Categories in WordPress<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"How to Create Pages and Categories on WordPress in a Few Simple Steps\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9zPSNm9T_zY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>Looking for a short version of how to create categories in WordPress? Here&rsquo;s a quick video tutorial just for you!<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-add-a-new-category-in-wordpress\">How to Add a New Category in WordPress<\/h2><p>For WordPress website owners, it&rsquo;s important to have a category list to group posts. Not only will it improve the site&rsquo;s structure and ease navigation, but it will also boost the site&rsquo;s <a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/what-is-seo\/\">search engine optimization<\/a> (SEO).<\/p><p>You don&rsquo;t need any technical experience to add a category, and the process is very straightforward. There are two ways to add a category in WordPress &ndash; via the categories panel and the page or post editor.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-through-the-categories-panel-nbsp\">Through the Categories Panel&nbsp;<\/h3><p>Adding a new WordPress category for posts through the Categories screen is a very straightforward process. Here&rsquo;s a three-step guide on how to create post categories:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open your <strong>WordPress admin dashboard<\/strong>, hover over <strong>Posts<\/strong>, and select <strong>Categories<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1350\" height=\"591\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-1.png\" alt=\"WordPress categories for posts\" class=\"wp-image-41797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-1.png 1350w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-1-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-1-1024x448.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-1-150x66.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-1-768x336.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\" id=\"block-bf9606ff-0b24-49ad-8c2d-1b14f001d8dc\">\n<li>Fill in the required fields:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Name <\/strong>&ndash; the title of the WordPress category, for instance, Lifestyle or News.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/what-is-a-wordpress-slug\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Slug<\/a> <\/strong>&ndash; creates the permalink to the <a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/what-is-a-wordpress-slug\/\">WordPress category page<\/a>. If it is left blank, WordPress automatically sets it based on the category name.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Parent Category <\/strong>&ndash; a category that contains subcategories in a hierarchy. For example, News can be a parent category of child categories Local and International News.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Description <\/strong>&ndash; outlines what the category is about. It&rsquo;s hidden by default, but some WordPress themes may display it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/add-new-category.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1179\" height=\"579\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/add-new-category.png\" alt=\"Add a new category page in WordPress\" class=\"wp-image-41795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/add-new-category.png 1179w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/add-new-category-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/add-new-category-1024x503.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/add-new-category-150x74.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/add-new-category-768x377.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1179px) 100vw, 1179px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Click <strong>Add New Category<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><p>Once done, the new category will show up on the list.<\/p><p>To have a post hierarchy in WordPress, it&rsquo;s necessary to create the main post categories &ndash; parent categories &ndash; and subcategories or child categories. Keep in mind that you have to add the parent categories before the subcategories.&nbsp;<\/p><p>For example, add the category <strong>Sports<\/strong> first. Then, create the category <strong>Soccer<\/strong> and set Sports as its parent category. Soccer will automatically turn into a child category.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-through-the-wordpress-editor\">Through the WordPress Editor<\/h3><p>Another way to add a category in WordPress is via the post editor. It&rsquo;s very convenient for when you are writing or editing a new post, and it doesn&rsquo;t have a category yet. In this tutorial, we will be using the <a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/gutenberg-wordpress\">Gutenberg editor<\/a>.<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From the WordPress admin interface, go to <strong>Posts <\/strong>&rarr;<strong> All Posts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1344\" height=\"589\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories.png\" alt=\"All posts option in WordPress\" class=\"wp-image-41794\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories.png 1344w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-1024x449.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-150x66.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-posts-categories-768x337.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1344px) 100vw, 1344px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\">\n<li>Click on the post you want to edit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Press the <strong>Settings <\/strong>button, and select the <strong>Post<\/strong> tab.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-settings.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"497\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-settings.png\" alt=\"Settings button in the WordPress editor\" class=\"wp-image-41798\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-settings.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-settings-300x146.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-settings-150x73.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-settings-768x373.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\n<li>Find the <strong>Categories <\/strong>section and click <strong>Add New Category<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-categories.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1345\" height=\"652\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-categories.png\" alt=\"Categories section in the WordPress editor\" class=\"wp-image-41799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-categories.png 1345w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-categories-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-categories-1024x496.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-categories-150x73.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-editor-categories-768x372.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1345px) 100vw, 1345px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\">\n<li>Fill in the <strong>New Category Name<\/strong> and select a <strong>Parent Category<\/strong> if applicable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Press the <strong>Add New Category<\/strong> button and click <strong>Update<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-set-a-default-category-in-wordpress\">Set a Default Category in WordPress<\/h3><p>WordPress will automatically set a default category, <strong>Uncategorized<\/strong>, if you don&rsquo;t assign a category to a blog post or page.<\/p><p>The Uncategorized category can&rsquo;t be deleted if there aren&rsquo;t any other category options, but it can be renamed. However, make sure the site is not live since you will also be changing the slug. This means that the URL of the category page will change as well.<\/p><p>Editing the slug on a live website can lead to <a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/how-to-fix-error-404\">404 errors<\/a>. Visitors won&rsquo;t be able to access your blog posts, and it will be necessary to redirect the old link to the new URL.<\/p><p>Here&rsquo;s how to rename the Uncategorized category in WordPress:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to <strong>Posts <\/strong>&rarr;<strong> Categories<\/strong> from the WordPress admin panel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hover over <strong>Uncategorized <\/strong>and click <strong>Edit<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/edit-category.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"846\" height=\"594\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/edit-category.png\" alt=\"Edit category button in WordPress\" class=\"wp-image-41800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/edit-category.png 846w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/edit-category-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/edit-category-150x105.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/edit-category-768x539.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Change its <strong>Name <\/strong>and <strong>Slug <\/strong>to the category you want to set as default.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Press <strong>Update<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><p>If the website already has categories added, here&rsquo;s how to set one of them as the default category instead:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the WordPress admin panel, hover over <strong>Settings <\/strong>and select <strong>Writing<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/writing-settings.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1345\" height=\"593\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/writing-settings.png\" alt=\"WordPress settings menu, highlighting Writing\" class=\"wp-image-41801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/writing-settings.png 1345w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/writing-settings-300x132.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/writing-settings-1024x451.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/writing-settings-150x66.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/writing-settings-768x339.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1345px) 100vw, 1345px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\">\n<li>Find <strong>Default Post Category<\/strong> and click on the dropdown menu.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-writing-settings.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1284\" height=\"522\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-writing-settings.png\" alt=\"WordPress writing settings for categories\" class=\"wp-image-41802\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-writing-settings.png 1284w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-writing-settings-300x122.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-writing-settings-1024x416.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-writing-settings-150x61.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-writing-settings-768x312.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Pick the category you want to set as default, then press <strong>Update<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><p>Once the new default category is set, the Uncategorized category can be deleted. You can leave it be, although we advise renaming it to make use of the category page.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress\">How to Edit Categories in WordPress<\/h2><p>For users who already have a list of categories, there are times when it&rsquo;s necessary to make a few changes. There&rsquo;s no need to delete a category and create a new one as you can rename it, or change the category slug or the description.&nbsp;<\/p><p>To edit a category in WordPress, use the <strong>Quick Edit<\/strong> or <strong>Edit<\/strong> option.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-through-the-quick-edit-option\">Through the Quick Edit Option<\/h3><p>If you only want to edit the category names and slugs, follow this tutorial:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From the WordPress admin panel, go to <strong>Posts <\/strong>&rarr;<strong> Categories<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hover over the category of your choice, and select <strong>Quick Edit<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/quick-edit-categories.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"846\" height=\"596\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/quick-edit-categories.png\" alt=\"Quick edit button for WordPress categories\" class=\"wp-image-41804\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/quick-edit-categories.png 846w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/quick-edit-categories-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/quick-edit-categories-150x106.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/quick-edit-categories-768x541.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Change its name and slug, then press <strong>Update Category<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/update-category.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"752\" height=\"580\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/update-category.png\" alt=\"Quick edit options on WordPress\" class=\"wp-image-41805\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/update-category.png 752w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/update-category-300x231.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/update-category-150x116.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-through-the-edit-option\">Through the Edit Option<\/h3><p>Here are the steps for users who need to edit the parent categories and descriptions as well:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Posts <\/strong>&rarr;<strong> Categories <\/strong>on the WordPress admin sidebar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hover over the category you need to configure and select <strong>Edit <\/strong>to be directed to its page.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/edit-categories.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"846\" height=\"596\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/edit-categories.png\" alt=\"WordPress categories, highlighting the Edit button\" class=\"wp-image-41806\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/edit-categories.png 846w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/edit-categories-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/edit-categories-150x106.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/edit-categories-768x541.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Change or add the details &ndash; <strong>Name<\/strong>, <strong>Slug<\/strong>, <strong>Parent Category<\/strong>, <strong>Description<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-edit-category-section.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1202\" height=\"607\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/wordpress-edit-category-section.png\" alt=\"WordPress edit category section\" class=\"wp-image-41807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-edit-category-section.png 1202w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-edit-category-section-300x151.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-edit-category-section-1024x517.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-edit-category-section-150x76.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/wordpress-edit-category-section-768x388.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1202px) 100vw, 1202px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\n<li>Press <strong>Update <\/strong>to save the changes.<\/li>\n<\/ol><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-delete-wordpress-categories\">How to Delete WordPress Categories<\/h2><p>When managing categories in WordPress, you may need to delete one that is not in use. The process of deleting categories is very simple. It&rsquo;s possible to remove a single category or several at once.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-delete-a-specific-category\">Delete a Specific Category<\/h3><p>To delete a single category, follow the tutorial below:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access the WordPress dashboard and navigate to <strong>Posts <\/strong>&rarr;<strong> Categories<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hover over a category and click the <strong>Delete <\/strong>button when it appears.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/delete-category.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"849\" height=\"596\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/delete-category.png\" alt=\"Delete category button\" class=\"wp-image-41809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/delete-category.png 849w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/delete-category-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/delete-category-150x105.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/delete-category-768x539.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-delete-in-bulk\">Delete in Bulk<\/h3><p>If you want to delete categories in bulk, here&rsquo;s how:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From the WordPress dashboard, go to <strong>Posts <\/strong>&rarr;<strong> Categories<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tick the boxes beside the categories you wish to remove.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the <strong>Bulk Action<\/strong> dropdown menu and select <strong>Delete<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/delete-in-bulk.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"594\" src=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/delete-in-bulk.png\" alt=\"WordPress bulk actions, highlighting the Delete button\" class=\"wp-image-41810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/delete-in-bulk.png 850w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/delete-in-bulk-300x210.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/delete-in-bulk-150x105.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2021\/12\/delete-in-bulk-768x537.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\n<li>Press <strong>Apply<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-wordpress-categories-best-practices\">WordPress Categories Best Practices<\/h2><p>Using categories properly helps <a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wordpress-seo-tips\">boost the WordPress pages rankings<\/a> on search engine result pages (SERPs). Since categories help give structure to your site, search engine crawlers will be able to view them to easily move from one page to another and figure out what the site&rsquo;s about.<\/p><p>Here are some best courses of action you can follow:&nbsp;<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-create-a-website-structure-and-category-strategy\">1. Create a Website Structure and Category Strategy<\/h3><p>Before you start adding all categories that come to mind, make sure that the website structure is ready. A blueprint will help decide on the number of categories needed and if subcategories are required. Plus, it will prevent content duplication.<\/p><p>Try to keep the structure simple, as it&rsquo;ll make it easier to come up with a category strategy or hierarchy.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-use-the-right-keywords-and-avoid-unnecessary-categories\">2. Use the Right Keywords and Avoid Unnecessary Categories<\/h3><p>Search engines can also rank WordPress category pages. Make sure to include keywords related to the content and website niche on them. Avoid using unrelated, unnecessary, or inappropriate categories to reduce the risk of getting penalized.&nbsp;<\/p><p>To do that successfully, conduct keyword research and take note of the categories competitors use.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-fill-in-the-category-descriptions\">3. Fill In the Category Descriptions<\/h3><p>Don&rsquo;t leave the description field blank when adding new categories. A high-quality category description will help the category page&rsquo;s SEO. Explain what the category is about or what it represents and insert relevant keywords.&nbsp;<\/p><p>If you have published several posts under one category, the category archive has the potential to rank well on SERPs as well. Category archives can also act as landing pages as they guide visitors and search engine crawlers through the site.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-remove-the-category-term-from-the-post-url\">4. Remove the \/category\/ Term From the Post URL<\/h3><p>The link structure of a post belonging to a WordPress category usually looks like this:<\/p><p><strong>www.yoursite.com\/category\/postname<\/strong><\/p><p>For SEO purposes, implement cleaner and shorter permalinks. Omit <strong>\/category\/<\/strong> from the URL and use only <strong>\/postname<\/strong> as the WordPress slug. The post will still belong to the category despite it not showing up on its permalink.<\/p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"\/uk\/wordpress-hosting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-1024x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-111781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-1024x300.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-300x88.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-150x44.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-768x225.png 768w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner-1536x450.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2><p>The WordPress category is a predefined taxonomy element that helps sort posts into groups, usually according to the topic or type of content. Hence, it is important to make sure that all posts belong to categories when managing a WordPress website.<\/p><p>Categories define the content hierarchy and assist visitors in navigating through the articles. They also help search engines figure out what the website is about during the crawling process.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Handling categories doesn&rsquo;t require much technical knowledge. Simply follow the tutorials above to:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add a new category in WordPress via the Categories page or the Gutenberg editor.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Edit a category through the Quick Edit or Edit options.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delete categories in WordPress.<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>Since WordPress categories are an essential part of site navigation and SEO, make sure to implement the best practices we listed as well. If you have any questions or comments, leave them in the section below.<\/p><p>\n\n\n<div class=\"protip\">\n                    <h4 class=\"title\">Learn What Else You Can Do With WordPress<\/h4>\n                    <p><a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/how-to-secure-wordpress\">Guide to WordPress Security<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/change-wordpress-username\/\">How to Change Username in WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/how-to-install-wordpress\">How to Install WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wordpress-widgets\">Guide to WordPress Widgets<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wordpress-menu-icons\">2 Methods to WordPress Menu Icons<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/how-to-add-wordpress-related-posts\">How to Add WordPress Related Posts<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wordpress\/how-to-login-to-wordpress-dashboard\">How to Log in to WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/wordpress-smtp\">How to Use SMTP in WordPress to Send Emails<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/how-to-make-a-wordpress-site-live\">How to Make a WordPress Site Live<\/a><\/p>\n                <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress-faq\">How to Edit Categories in WordPress FAQ<\/h2><p>Here are some frequently asked questions about how to edit categories in WordPress.<\/p><div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1676957695085\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">How Do I Manage Categories in WordPress?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">After logging in, navigate over to <strong>Posts &rarr; Categories<\/strong> located on the left side of the dashboard. There, you will see default categories as well as any other custom ones. Manage the categories name, description, and slug there.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1676957826175\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">How Do I Add WordPress Categories to My Main Menu?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Access your WordPress Dashboard and head to <strong>Appearance &rarr; Menus<\/strong>. On the left side of the page, click the<strong> Categories <\/strong>tab and check off the category to included in your menu. Make sure to click <strong>Add to Menu <\/strong>after adding categories so they are visible in the menu section.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1676957981412\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">What Is the Difference Between a Tag and a Category in WordPress?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Tags and categories both provide a way to organize content within WordPress, but they have different functions. Categories are intended for broad grouping of posts, while tags are meant to refine the categorization further by providing more detail about a particular post or page.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When publishing a WordPress post, one aspect that shouldn&rsquo;t be forgotten is its category. That&rsquo;s because overlooking this component may harm the traffic of your WordPress site and its ranking in search results. WordPress categories organize or group the content and posts based on a shared topic, project, or characteristics. It&rsquo;s also one of the [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"\/uk\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"How to Edit Categories in WordPress \u2013 Hostinger","rank_math_description":"WordPress categories help visitors navigate the site and make crawling easier. Find out how to add and edit categories in WordPress.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"how to edit categories in wordpress","footnotes":""},"categories":[22638,22633],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content-creation","category-wordpress"],"hreflangs":[{"locale":"en-US","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"es-ES","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/es\/tutoriales\/categorias-en-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-UK","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-MY","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/my\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-PH","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ph\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"es-MX","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/mx\/tutoriales\/categorias-en-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"es-CO","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/co\/tutoriales\/categorias-en-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"es-AR","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ar\/tutoriales\/categorias-en-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-IN","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/in\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-CA","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ca\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-AU","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/au\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","default":0},{"locale":"en-NG","link":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/ng\/tutorials\/how-to-edit-categories-in-wordpress","default":0}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41782"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41782\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105547,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41782\/revisions\/105547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/uk\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}