Manage Categories
Why categories matter
Section titled “Why categories matter”As your site grows, finding and organizing content becomes harder. Categories give you a consistent way to classify pages, blocks, and media so you can filter, list, and navigate content by topic. They also power dynamic listings, such as showing all “News” items or all pages about a specific product line.
Categories versus tags
Section titled “Categories versus tags”Before you start, understand the difference between categories and tags.
| Aspect | Categories | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Hierarchical (parent-child) | Flat list |
| Management | Defined by administrators | Often created by content authors |
| Purpose | Formal classification for site structure | Informal labeling for search and discovery |
| Typical use | Drive navigation, listings, and filtering | Help visitors find related content |
| Scope | Site-wide, controlled vocabulary | Flexible, can vary by author |
Use categories when you need consistent, administrator-controlled classification. Use tags when you want flexible, author-driven labeling.
Create categories (administrators)
Section titled “Create categories (administrators)”Categories are managed in the admin interface. Only administrators can create, edit, or delete category definitions.
- Open the Admin section of the CMS.
- Navigate to Categories or Content Categories.
- Click Add Category to create a new top-level category, or select an existing category and click Add Child to create a subcategory.
- Enter a Name for the category (such as “Products” or “News”).
- Optionally add a Description to help content authors understand when to use this category.
- Click Save.
- Verify the category appears in the category tree.
Organize categories hierarchically
Section titled “Organize categories hierarchically”You can nest categories to create a structured taxonomy.
- Top-level: Products, News, Resources
- Second-level (under Products): Software, Hardware, Services
- Third-level (under Software): CMS, Commerce, Analytics
Keep the hierarchy shallow (two to three levels) so content authors can find and assign categories quickly.
Assign categories to content
Section titled “Assign categories to content”Content authors assign categories when editing pages or blocks.
- Open the page or block you want to categorize.
- Open the Categories or Classification tab in the properties panel.
- Select one or more categories from the available list.
- Click Save or Publish.
- Verify the categories appear in the page properties.
You can assign a page to multiple categories. For example, a product announcement might belong to both “Products” and “News.”
Filter content by category
Section titled “Filter content by category”Categories power filtering in the CMS editor and on the live site.
In the CMS editor
Section titled “In the CMS editor”- Open a listing view such as All Pages or Recently Changed.
- Use the Category filter to narrow results to a specific category.
- Select one or more categories.
- The list updates to show only content assigned to those categories.
On the live site
Section titled “On the live site”Developers can build dynamic listing pages that filter by category. A “News” landing page, for example, can automatically list all pages assigned to the “News” category, sorted by date.
Edit and delete categories (administrators)
Section titled “Edit and delete categories (administrators)”- Open Admin > Categories.
- Select the category you want to modify.
- To rename, update the Name field and click Save.
- To delete, click Delete. The CMS warns you if content is assigned to this category.
- Deleting a category does not delete the content assigned to it. The content simply loses that category assignment.
Best practices
Section titled “Best practices”- Plan categories before creating content. Changing category structures later is disruptive.
- Keep category names short and clear. “Blog” is better than “Company Blog Posts and Articles.”
- Avoid overlapping categories. If “Product News” and “Company News” overlap frequently, consider a single “News” category with subcategories.
- Review unused categories. Periodically check for categories with zero assigned content and remove them.
1. A content team wants authors to freely label blog posts with descriptive terms that vary by author preference, without requiring admin approval. Should they use categories or tags?
Tags are flat, flexible, and typically created by content authors without administrator involvement. Categories are structured, administrator-controlled classifications. For informal, author-driven labeling, tags are the right choice.
Tags are flat, flexible, and typically created by content authors without administrator involvement. Categories are structured, administrator-controlled classifications. For informal, author-driven labeling, tags are the right choice.
Review this topic →2. An administrator deletes the 'Events' category. Twenty pages were assigned to it. What happens to those pages?
Deleting a category removes the classification from assigned content. The pages themselves remain published and intact; they simply no longer carry that category label.
Deleting a category removes the classification from assigned content. The pages themselves remain published and intact; they simply no longer carry that category label.
Review this topic →