In WordPress, every piece of content is categorized to ensure easy access for visitors. However, you may find yourself stuck with a category that you no longer want or need. So what do you do? Remove the default category!

The default category is created by WordPress as you set up your blog or site. It is set as the default category, meaning most of your posts will be assigned to it, even if it doesn’t fit your content’s purpose. This category is typically named “Uncategorized,” and every new post will fall under it. Nonetheless, leaving any posts under this category is strongly discouraged. Rather, you should assign them to more relevant categories.

The first and most important step to removing the default category is to create a new one to assign posts to. Log in to your WordPress account and go to Posts -> Categories. Click the +Add New Category button to add a new category. This will serve as the replacement for the default category.

Once you have created the new category, you need to assign all the uncategorized posts to the new category.

To assign posts to the new category, select all the posts associated with the category you wish to delete. You can do this by clicking on “All Posts” and then “Uncategorized.” Then, click on the “Bulk Actions” drop-down menu and choose Edit. Click “Apply.” This will open a new screen where you can choose the new category to which you want to reassign the selected posts. In the “Categories” option, make sure to select the new category and then click on “Update” to save your changes.

After assigning all posts to the new category, you can proceed with deleting the default category. Go to Posts -> Categories and hover over the “Uncategorized” category, and you will see an option to delete. Click on it, and WordPress will prompt you to confirm the deletion of the default category. Make sure to select the “Delete all posts under this category” option and click on the “Confirm Delete” button. This will permanently delete the default category from your website.

After deleting the default category, you need to set the new one as your default. To do that, go to Settings -> Writing. Look for “Default Post Category” and choose the new category you just created from the drop-down menu. Make sure to click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page. This will make the new category the default and ensure that any new posts you create are assigned to it automatically.

Removing the default category is a straightforward process that can be completed in a few steps. However, before proceeding, ensure that you consider the things we highlighted earlier. Ultimately, the primary objective is to keep your site organized, so visitors can navigate easily. Removing the default category can help achieve this goal.