Categories in WordPress are a hierarchical taxonomy used to organize and group content, primarily posts. They provide a broad classification system that helps visitors navigate and find related content on your site. Key aspects of categories include:

Hierarchical Structure: Categories can have parent-child relationships, allowing for more specific sub-categories.

Default Taxonomy: Categories are a default taxonomy in WordPress, available for use without any additional setup.

Archive Pages: WordPress automatically generates archive pages for each category, displaying all posts within that category.

Widget Support: Many themes include category widgets for easy navigation in sidebars or footers.

SEO Value: Well-structured categories can improve your site’s SEO by creating logical content groupings.

To add a new category:

  1. Go to Posts > Categories in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Enter the category name and optional description.
  3. Choose a parent category if applicable.
  4. Click “Add New Category”.

To assign a category to a post:

  1. While editing a post, locate the “Categories” section in the sidebar.
  2. Check the box next to the desired category or categories.
  3. If needed, you can add a new category directly from the post editor.

Best practices for using categories:

  • Keep your category structure simple and intuitive.
  • Use broad topics for main categories and more specific topics for subcategories.
  • Aim for a balanced distribution of posts across categories.

Regularly review and update your category structure as your content grows.