# Categories Tracking Toggle
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150
**Category:** Theme component
**Tags:** official, categories-tracking
**Created:** [October 26, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150 "2021-10-26T17:12:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/1 "2021-10-26T17:12:58Z")
| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| :discourse2: | **Summary** | **Categories Tracking Toggle** places a toggle button on each category on the categories page. |
| đ | **Repository Link** | [https://github.com/discourse/discourse-categories-tracking-toggle](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-categories-tracking-toggle) |
| đ | **New to Discourse Themes?** | [Beginnerâs guide to using Discourse Themes](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-using-discourse-themes/91966) |
Install this theme component
> [@](#):
>
> :discourse2: As this is an #official theme component maintained by the Discourse team, #Support, #Contribute > Bug, #Contribute > UX, and #Contribute > Feature requests can be made in the respective categories here on Meta, and tagged with the appropriate theme component tag. Click on a link below to get one started. đ
>
> [â **Support**](https://meta.discourse.org/new-topic?category_id=6&tags=categories-tracking "Ask for support on configuring and using Categories Tracking Toggle") [đ **Bug**](https://meta.discourse.org/new-topic?category_id=1&tags=categories-tracking "A bug report means something is broken, preventing normal/typical use of the theme component") [đ **UX**](https://meta.discourse.org/new-topic?category_id=9&tags=categories-tracking "Discussion about the user interface of Categories Tracking Toggle, and how features are presented (including language and UI elements)") [đĄ **Feature**](https://meta.discourse.org/new-topic?category_id=2&tags=categories-tracking "Discussion about how existing Categories Tracking Toggle features can be improved or enhanced, and how proposed new features could work")
> âš Note that it does not work on the âboxâ style category pages, which do not yet support a section for muted categories.
### Features
**Categories Tracking Toggle** places a toggle button on each category on the categories page, which allows users to quickly toggle between âmuteâ and ânormalâ tracking states. It is particularly useful for sites that use the `mute all categories by default` site setting.
### Settings
The component comes with settings to change the tracking levels used, the icons, subcategory behavior, and text shown on hover.
| Name | Description |
| --- | --- |
| tracking level | 0: Muted, 1: Normal, 3: Watching first post, 4: Tracking, 5: Watching |
| tracking icon | [FontAwesome](https://fontawesome.com/v5.15/icons?d=gallery&m=free) icon name⌠|
| mute level | 0: Muted, 1: Normal, 3: Watching first post, 4: Tracking, 5: Watching |
| mute icon | |
| include subcategories | When disabled, only the parent category will have its tracking state changed |
| Theme Translation | Default |
| --- | --- |
| custom\_toggle.toggle\_tracking | Currently muted, select to track |
| custom\_toggle.toggle\_mute | Currently tracking, select to mute |
> :discourse2: **Hosted by us?** Theme components are available to use on our Standard, Business, and Enterprise plans.
> Last edited by @JammyDodger 2024-06-11T08:49:03Z
>
> > **Check document**
> >
> > Perform check on document:
---
### Author:  [@jrgong](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jrgong)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/2 "2021-10-26T17:46:25Z")
Awesome!
Is it also gonna work on latest stable or on test-passed only?
We had some requests from long time members how to mute certain categories which are for example made for beginners. They werenât aware of the bell feature.
---
### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/3 "2021-10-26T18:23:32Z")
> [@jrgong](#):
>
> Is it also gonna work on latest stable or on test-passed only?
I havenât tested it on stable, but Iâm not aware of anything that would prevent it from working there.
---
### Author:  [@tpetrov](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tpetrov)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/4 "2021-10-27T14:52:54Z")
Thanks for the component, @awesomerobot
If I select 5 under _mute level_ and change the mute icon to a relevant one will that work to toggle between normal and watched?
---
### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/5 "2021-10-27T15:49:06Z")
Yes, that should work! let me know if you run into any issues.
---
### Author:  [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2021, 9:09pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/6 "2021-10-27T21:09:53Z")
Layout is a bit off and the bell is at wrong place:
- iPad and DiscourseHub
- Air theme
---
### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2021, 9:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/7 "2021-10-27T21:14:28Z")
Yes, this is somewhat expected. This component basically adds the functionality, but may need additional CSS to fit into the layout properly with other themes and components.
---
### Author:  [@Jagster](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jagster)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/8 "2021-10-27T21:23:26Z")
Good to know. Basically it is not ready-to-use component.
You know better how things are under Discourse - do I have to tune up every theme or is just common adjustment enough?
---
### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2021, 8:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/9 "2021-10-29T20:24:22Z")
Itâs highly dependent on the theme, so I canât really say for sure!
The component works with the default unthemed category page styles by default, so I guess themes that have changed positioning on the categories page could need some adjustment.
---
### Author:  [@Jonathan5](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jonathan5)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2021, 9:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/10 "2021-10-29T21:19:00Z")
This sounds good, though I canât see it in the preview.
Are there plans to allow all five watching/tracking levels to be chosen via the categories page? That would implement the idea proposed by @alehandrof here:
> [@Make watching a category more prominent for users](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-watching-a-category-more-prominent-for-users/205956):
>
> Iâm interested in making watching categories a more prominent option for users. I realize I can style the notification button on a category, but it would remain just a small, somewhat obscure icon. I havenât been able to figure out how to make a more obvious target. Is it possible to add a notification button for each category on the /categories page? That would also serve as an overview of what the user is tracking. Finally, is it possible to make a user watch the first post of a categâŚ
> [@Make watching a category more prominent for users](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-watching-a-category-more-prominent-for-users/205956/8):
>
> Looking at this again⌠âPreferences - categoriesâ has this overview, but lets you add categories to the five possible notification statuses. Essentially what we are thinking of would be the same thing, but the other way round, letting you add notification statuses to the list of categories. I think that might be more intuitive,
---
### Author:  [@alehandrof](https://meta.discourse.org/u/alehandrof)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2021, 8:52am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/11 "2021-11-01T08:52:45Z")
@Jonathan5: To see the theme in preview you have to navigate to `yoursite.com/categories?preview_theme_id=xx` (whatever `xx` is for you â I think it changes).
@awesomerobot: On my site, the bell overlaps the âunreadâ indicator:
Is there any chance to support other states, apart from just toggling on/off?
Also, when I press on mute right now, the category disappears with no indication of how to get it back from the same page. That doesnât like ideal UX.
Edit #1: Regarding my last point: the categories only disappear if the user had no muted categories when the page first loaded. If the user did, thereâs a âMuted categoriesâ section at the bottom of the page, listing all muted categories. But if the user did not, that section is not available and any newly muted categories just disappear.
Edit #2: It looks like trying to switch between normal/watching (as opposed to the default mute/normal) doesnât work. The component still mutes categories.
---
### Author:  [@hoangphuctran93](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hoangphuctran93)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/12 "2023-02-09T15:53:35Z")
I recently used your theme along with âModern Category + Group boxesâ theme the toggle was gone. Can you check and adjust accordingly?
---
### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/13 "2023-02-09T18:58:23Z")
âModern Category + Group boxesâ uses a box style categories page layout, which is incompatible with this component
> [@awesomerobot](#):
>
> Note that it does not work on the âboxâ style category pages, which do not yet support a section for muted categories.
---
### Author:  [@Sahnvour](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sahnvour)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/14 "2024-02-04T20:58:09Z")
Hello, this component looks really cool but it has a few issues unfortunately (3.2.0.beta4-dev).
Sometimes the icon will overlap the following category, if its height is small.
It will also render on top of the âx unreadâ, ây newâ text notifying of new posts or subjects.
Image upload is not working so I canât give screenshots, sorry.
---
### Author:  [@jrgong](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jrgong)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2025, 1:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/categories-tracking-toggle/207150/15 "2025-02-18T13:11:51Z")
Is that expected behavior that the buttons are not displayed on mobile view?