As your website develops, you might find that you need to remove a category that is no longer applicable or out of date. On WordPress websites, categories are vital for organising content. They facilitate site navigation for visitors and offer an organised approach to group relevant posts.
This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to remove one from WordPress, keeping your website’s organisation neat and effective.
Login to the Dashboard
To delete a category in WordPress, you need to log in to your website’s admin area. This area is commonly referred to as the WordPress Dashboard. To access it, open your preferred web browser and enter the URL of your WordPress site, followed by /wp-admin.
Navigating to the Categories Page
In the WordPress Dashboard, the management functionality is conveniently located in the “Posts” section. Navigate to Posts > Categories in the WordPress dashboard.
Deleting the Category
Deleting one in WordPress is a straightforward process that can be easily accomplished in a few simple steps. When you want to remove a category from your WordPress site, you can follow these instructions:
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Locate the category that you wish to delete from the list. To do this, you can either scroll through or use the search functionality if you have a large number of categories.
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Once you have found the category you want to delete, hover your cursor over the category name. As you do this, a set of options will appear beneath the category name.
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Among the options that appear, you should see a Delete link or button. Once clicked, a confirmation dialog box may appear, asking you to confirm the deletion.
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Take a moment to review the confirmation dialog box and make sure that you have selected the correct one for deletion. This step is important because deleting a category will also remove it from any posts or articles assigned to that category.
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If you are certain that you want to proceed with the deletion, click on the confirmation button. WordPress will then delete it and remove it from your site.
When you decide to delete a category, it’s essential to note that this action does not eliminate any existing posts or articles themselves. Instead, the deletion process exclusively focuses on removing the category from your site’s organizational structure.
By deleting a category, you are essentially eliminating its presence within your website’s taxonomy or hierarchy. However, the content that was originally assigned to the deleted category will not be lost or deleted. Instead, it will automatically be reassigned to the default category or another appropriate category that you have specified.
This means that while the category itself will no longer be visible or accessible, the posts or articles that were previously associated with it will retain their existence on your website. They will remain accessible to your audience, maintaining their original content, text, media, and any accompanying elements.
By reassigning the posts or articles to another relevant category, you ensure that they remain organized and easily discoverable within your site’s structure. This reassignment helps maintain a coherent and intuitive browsing experience for your users, as they can still access the content they are interested in without disruption.
Can You Un-delete (Restore) a Category?
There’s no way to recover or undelete a category after you’ve deleted it from WordPress. If you unintentionally deleted it, I advise creating a new one with the same name so you may add any entries that were mistakenly sent to the Uncategorized category if you haven’t yet renamed it.
Handling Posts in the Deleted Category
You must make a decision on what to do with the posts that were previously categorised after removing a category. WordPress gives you two choices:
- Either remove the category and transfer the content to the default category.
- Pick another category that already exists to put those posts in.
Choosing the best solution depends on your preferences and how your information is organised. Even after deleting a category, there may still be references to it on your website. These references can include navigation menus, widgets, or internal links. It’s crucial to remove these references to ensure a seamless user experience.
Conclusion
Deleting a category in WordPress is a simple task that can significantly enhance the organization and usability of your website. By following this step-by-step guide, you can efficiently remove unnecessary categories, declutter your site’s taxonomy, and streamline the browsing experience for your visitors.
Remember to consider the posts previously assigned to the deleted category and handle them appropriately.
Furthermore, to avoid broken links or confused navigation, update any references to the removed category across your site. With these steps, you can keep your WordPress site well-structured, easy to browse, and displaying your material in the best light possible.
