Until you’re very familiar with WordPress it can be difficult to find where to modify some of the features. It’s easy enough to add a new category for your posts right from the Write Post page. Over there on the right just type a new category in the box under Categories and click Add. Or add several categories at one time by separating them with commas.
The default post category can be changed from “uncategorized” to your choice of category by going to Options/Writing.
Writing options shows the default post category of “uncategorized.”
At the default post category dropdown box, pick one you like and click on Update Options to make it so.
Add a new category by going to Manage/Categories. The trick here is that you can delete the uncategorized category after another category is selected as the default.
Manage categories for WordPress blogs.
You picked the category you want as your default in the Options/Writing screen, or here you can click on add new to add more categories for your blog. Then, in the far right column, delete the uncategorized category.
A warning box pops up to alert you that you’re going to delete a category and that the posts that were assigned to the category to be deleted will now be assigned to the new default category.
Alert box shows you’re about to delete a category.
Click OK to make it so. You’ve gotten rid of the uncategorized category.
It was so easy!
Thank you
omg i had forgotten this ;P havent done this in a long while. thanks..
THANK YOU
Thanks alot you saved my wp site
Hey Guys – you’re welcome!
Sometimes the solution does turn out to be an easy one.
Keep bloggin’!
Thankyou !! This is exactly what I was looking for
THANK YOU!!! Damn work-arounds…
You’re welcome, Cliff!
Thanks for stopping by!
There is no “delete” for my “uncategorized” category and it doesn’t allow to edit it. So I’m stuck with an ugly “uncategorized” empty category in my blog…I have no solution…
Thanks for the tip, Lizzy! This was awesome!
Thank You
u solved my problem
Cody – I’m not sure if you read this post correctly or if you’re having trouble updating these older screen shots with the current (2.9.1) WordPress.
Did you go to Settings/Writing from the Dashboard? In there you will see a line (3rd from the top) that says “Default Post Category” and next to it a spin box where you select the category you want to be your default.
You must create a new post category if you haven’t already in Posts/Categories first, else there will be no other category to select as the default from the Settings/Writing page. Once you have another category besides ‘uncategorized’ then you can get rid of that uncategorized category back at the Posts/Categories page.
Try it again!
Martin and mmm – You’re welcome!
Keep bloggin’ and keep smilin’!
Thank you, thank you, Lizzy!! That’s exactly what I was looking for (and found your post at #1 spot in Google, too
)
Nat
too easy… but difficult to find out
Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Antonio!
Thanks so much. You had the answer I was looking for (which I had been searching for on and off for a couple days now!)
I knew there had to be a way to delete that category, but I just couldn’t figure it out. You made it simple!
Thanks!
Hi Steve,
Sometimes the easiest things aren’t the most obvious! Glad to have helped you!!
Keep bloggin’!
Lizzy,
Thanks for this!
Finally, I got to remove the unwanted Uncategorized on my blog’s navigation.
That’s great, Pat!
Good luck!
Useful, thanks. Important in my theme because the categories are on the main navigation bar.
I know what you mean, Jeremy. Who wants a link called ‘uncategorized’ – especially in their main navigation?
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for this tip on removing the uncategorized category. You are a great help.
Thanks!!! Love these forums!
Thnx Bro
Thank You so much! It was easy to do….because YOU!
Cindy
You’re welcome, Cindy! Sharing is a wonderful thing!
Hello,
thanks for this post about how to remove uncategorized category! First I thought it would not work, but espacially the comment of LizzyFin did the trick!
So, for those guys coming newly to this post and are using a new version of wordpress:
you have to set a default category in the writing settings (settings –> writing) before you can delete uncategorized category!
Hey Andy,
Thanks for the update and good luck!
thanks.
regards
hi guys!
So does this remove the category from showing in the post?
Hey sim!
I don’t think this will work as you might like. Are you asking if the category will no longer show up on a post? The answer is no and you’d have to alter the theme for your site if that’s what you want. It will definitely remove the ‘uncategorized category’ from your list of categories, though.
Thanks for chiming in!
Good luck.
Thanks! Totally worked! As said above, found in Settings>Writing
Great, Elizabeth!
I find it’s easiest to first go to Posts>Categories and create a few categories that you know you want to use. Then update the Writing Settings to use the category you want for the default, instead of the infamous uncategorized category.
also count my thanks in this regard, its was easy but in start not understandable. got it after going through this post.
Glad to be of help, Khalil! Good luck with your article marketing efforts!
Finally, after plenty trial and always fail to delete annoying “uncategorized” category now I got the answer.. THANKS
You’re welcome, Steve!
Thanks a lot, was getting really irritated that I couldn’t get rid of that category, much appreciated.
Dear DCfan,
It can truly be frustrating to find that needle in such a big haystack, right? Glad to be of help!
Good luck.
Keep bloggin’!
guys you can’t delete it now cos wordpress script updated 1000 times.
Not sure what you mean, edgewise. Nothing could be simpler.
Delete ‘uncategorized’ category by going to Posts / Categories. Select one or more categories that you want to delete and use the drop-down menu to choose delete, then hit the Apply button. More simply, just hover over a category that you want gone and hit delete when the link comes up.
WP gives you a chance to change your mind by presenting a window where you must choose OK or Cancel before the category is deleted.
hey axe, i didn’t delete the ‘uncategorized’, i just change the name of it and now its the default category.. simple
Yes, another simple solution is to edit the name of the uncategorized category to something more useful. Good on ya, EdgeWise!
Another option is to use a plugin… Although it’s better to make changes manually rather than use a plugin cause of performance issues…
Hi Matthew,
Yes, I suppose you could use a plugin to manage your categories, but that is kind of like using a jack-hammer when you only need your thumbs.
Perhaps there is a great plugin with other features that would fit the need. Care to share some?
You may want to avoid any categories from appearing on your site, then you will have to remove uncategorized from the code
Not using categories at all is yet another way to get rid of that uncategorized category! It’s not hard to delete, so if your site would be more helpful to visitors by using categories, then delete the ugly one.
Left to handle admin problems on my website( need clean-up), not knowing anything about WordPress, and needing this information (delete categories on the side) for weeks which has been very helpful. (Reading the comments and replies). Thanks.
Glad I checked out the blogs.
That’s great, Passionate!
A lot of helpful blogs can be found with a search, but if you have questions about WordPress, let us know. We’d love to help.
Great start on your blog. Good luck!