WordPress Categories: A Guide to Setting Default Categories

WordPress is a widely used content management system that provides website owners immense flexibility and opportunities to manage and customize their online presence. However, many users find it perplexing to understand how to set default categories in WordPress. In this article, we will explore the importance of categories, why it is crucial to set default categories, how to create, select, and manage categories in WordPress.

The Importance of Categories in WordPress

WordPress categories organize website content into different segments. Think of categories as bookshelves where you categorize different books based on their subject matter. A blog post about food can be organized into categories such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, etc. Categories load faster, and search engines can easily crawl and index the content within specific categories, thereby improving the search engine ranking and user navigation experience.

Why It Is Important to Set Up Default Categories?

The default category is the category that WordPress automatically assigns to every post you create. By selecting a default category, you do not need to choose a category every time you add a new post. It saves time and streamlines the content creation process. Therefore, users are encouraged to set up a default category.

How to Create Categories in WordPress

To create a category in WordPress, follow these simple steps:

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
• Click on Posts, then Categories.
• Select the Add New Category option and type in the name of the category.
• You can also add a description and select the parent category if you want it to be a sub-category.
• Click Add New Category to save it.

How to Set Default Category in WordPress

To set a default category in WordPress, follow these steps:

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
• Click on Posts, then Categories.
• Hover your mouse over the category you want to set as your default category.
• Click on Edit, and select the Set as Default Category option.
• Click on Update to save it.

If you want to assign posts, you’ve already created a new default category or have more than one post to assign, select the posts you want to assign, choose bulk actions, click Edit, and choose your new default category.

How to Manage Categories in WordPress

As your website grows, understanding how to manage categories is crucial. Managing categories allows for better organization and efficient content management. Here’s how to manage categories:

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
• Click on Posts, then Categories.
• To edit a category, hover over it and select Edit. You can change the name, slug, or parent category of that category.
• You can delete a category by hovering over it and selecting Delete. You can also delete multiple categories at once using the bulk actions feature.

Conclusion

Setting up default categories is an important aspect of managing and organizing content on your WordPress website. Categories help readers navigate your website and search engine crawlers index your content. With the above steps, you can create and manage categories effectively to ensure your website is user-friendly and discoverable.