# How to manage categories in WordPress

> This guide shows you how to create, edit, and delete categories in your WordPress dashboard.

Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/wp-using/how-to-manage-categories-in-wordpress
Updated: 2026-06-09

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Categories help you organise your WordPress posts into groups, making it easier for visitors to browse related content.

## Creating a new category

1. In the WordPress dashboard, click **Posts** in the left sidebar to expand the menu.

   ![Posts menu expanded](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/58/25/582560f20a4fa587e95cab45d9721c2d6009c545.png)

2. Click **Categories**.

   ![Categories menu item](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/a2/6e/a26ee3befba647b5c1aee2266197e3e60e7fa92b.png)

3. Enter a **Name** for your new category.

   ![Category name field](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/4c/a8/4ca888a0be5062284faa74595e77badd97b09b63.png)

4. Enter a **Slug** - this is the URL-friendly version of the name (for example, "web-hosting" rather than "Web Hosting").

   ![Category slug field](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/ab/b0/abb056ec641bbbe52c7071e0d18f0a0caa6ccad6.png)

5. Optionally, select a **Parent** category if you want this to be a sub-category of an existing one.

   ![Parent category dropdown](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/e7/08/e70844853314254a22425486dd5f5bf8d235d105.png)

6. Optionally, enter a **Description**, then click **Add New Category**.

   ![Description field and Add New Category button](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/9f/bc/9fbcbcd9e919ae8d692ab27bb18a19d40016d840.png)

## Editing a category

You can quickly update a category without opening its full edit screen.

1. In the category list, hover over the category you want to change and click **Quick Edit**.

   ![Quick edit option](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/de/ae/deaea9c04c9c8c6fdeeb82f850d257300fcef2dc.png)

2. Make your changes, then click **Update Category**. Click **Cancel** to discard any changes.

   ![Quick edit fields](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/23/d2/23d21731bc5a863a0452f3c7cf2b5f133bf3f029.png)

## Deleting a category

:::warning
Deleting a category does not delete the posts assigned to it. Those posts will be moved to the default category instead.
:::

1. Hover over the category in the list and click **Delete**.

   ![Delete link](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/d0/37/d0370bdca083d77094ebe6d3ee1e4079bfda5987.png)

2. Click **OK** to confirm the deletion.

   ![Confirmation dialog](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/4b/ef/4befba3d23b91184eb86ad72b346b92a382fd444.png)

   ![Categories screen after deletion](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/e6/3e/e63ee6a914380f507f9fd63079f705d022337045.png)


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_Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/wp-using/how-to-manage-categories-in-wordpress · © Kualo Ltd._