# Categorie, Groep, Tag Beschrijvingen als Onderwerpen
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [2 maart 2024 om 13:59 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605 "2024-03-02T13:59:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 13:59 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/1 "2024-03-02T13:59:29Z")
Category descriptions are topics. Group and Tag descriptions are not.
This #Contribute > Feature wants to achieve two things:
1. Make Category, Group, and Tag descriptions _topics_, so that all composer features can be used when describing one of these entry points to the community and conversation.
2. Use the specificity of this _description topic_ pattern to enable #Customization > Theme component _views_ of Categories, Groups, and Tags descriptions where they can appear, e.g., above the topic list (and be minimized).
## Category description
The category description _is_ a topic. But we lack the capacity to _display_ the first post of this description topic _on the category page itself_. When we link to #feature::category we are another click away from its description: [About the Feature category](https://meta.discourse.org/t/about-the-feature-category/11).
With the category description at hand, the topic list view can be a lot more welcoming and useful to browse according to an up-to-date, full description of the category.
It could be useful as well to enable the category description (or part of it) to be visible to people with no access, e.g., when they are curious about a category but do not know whether they should join it or not. Group descriptions may be used instead at this point, especially for the “Join/Request” membership groups. In this case, it would be useful to be able to link `#some-group-accessible-category` to popup the (public part of) category description, or group description, instead of no link, where a member would reach the category itself. (That is a feature in itself.)
## Group description
Currently the group description is what comes closest to a category description, and is useful as such, to inform readers about the group’s specificity (e.g., gives access to this and that categories — see the last paragraph in the previous section) and give access to other parts of the forum (including topics, categories, tags, or other groups).
## Tag description
Currently, tag descriptions do not support Markdown, hence they cannot be used to link to an explanation topic, categories, nor groups. If they had a topic attached, instead, tag descriptions could be quoted into documentation topics, and so on.
* * *
What do you think? Am I missing some existing #Customization > Theme component that can do it?
> [@Moin](#):
>
> I think that is possible with [Category Previews](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-previews/155296)
* * *
This is a follow-up to [Workspace Views](https://meta.discourse.org/t/workspace-views/95630/4).
---
### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 14:21 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/2 "2024-03-02T14:21:05Z")
> [@hellekin](#):
>
> When we link to #feature::category we are another click away from its description: (here should be a link to the pinned topic, #feature::category category description, but I can’t find it)
It depends on how you link to the category. When you use the link to the category the description is shown.
> **[Bug](https://meta.discourse.org/c/contribute/bug/1)**
>
> A bug report means something is broken, preventing normal/typical use of Discourse. Do be sure to search prior to submitting bugs. Include repro steps, and only describe one bug per topic please. If your topic is about an official plugin, include the plugin tag.
Maybe you could also use something like [Category Banners](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-banners/86241).
> [@hellekin](#):
>
> It could be useful as well to enable the category description (or part of it) to be visible to people with no access
I think that is possible with [Category Previews](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-previews/155296)
---
### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 14:34 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/3 "2024-03-02T14:34:13Z")
> [@Moin](#):
>
> It depends on how you link to the category. When you use the link to the category the description is shown.
This is not what I meant. When you use #Contribute > Feature in a sentence, it links to the category’s topic list. It could link to the category description topic instead, or the topic list could have it embedded.
> [@Moin](#):
>
> I think that is possible with [Category Previews](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-previews/155296)
Thank you for this pointer. I didn’t know about it!
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 14:46 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/4 "2024-03-02T14:46:50Z")
> [@hellekin](#):
>
> It could link to the category description topic instead
But then something like “Have a look at the #Customization > Theme component category” wouldn’t work. Usually the category description shows as a pinned topic at the top. So when you click #Contribute > Feature you will esaily find it.
Maybe you unpinned the description (manually or because `Automatically unpin topics when I reach the bottom.` in your profile settings is active).
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### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 15:16 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/5 "2024-03-02T15:16:23Z")
Indeed, when a pinned topic is unpinned, there’s no easy way to find it back.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 15:24 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/6 "2024-03-02T15:24:24Z")
You can use search: `#category in:pinned`
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### Author:  [@renato](https://meta.discourse.org/u/renato)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 15:49 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/7 "2024-03-02T15:49:46Z")
> [@hellekin](#):
>
> or the topic list could have it embedded.
We have a theme component aimed at solving this:
> [@Category Banners](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-banners/86241):
>
> discourse2Summary Category Banners uses existing category details to create banners for your category pages (for tags check out [Discourse Tag Banners](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-tag-banners/124240)).eyeglassesPreview [Preview on Discourse Theme Creator](https://discourse.theme-creator.io/theme/Discourse/category-banners)hammer_and_wrenchRepository Link [https://github.com/discourse/discourse-category-banners](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-category-banners)open_bookNew to Discourse Themes? [Beginner’s guide to using Discourse Themes](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-using-discourse-themes/91966) Install this theme component Features Category Banners uses existing category details to cr…
We have just enabled it here on Meta, so you can check how it looks like when you visit a category like #Contribute > Feature or #Contribute > UX.
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### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 15:52 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/8 "2024-03-02T15:52:32Z")
Yes but no: I want the _category description_ in place of the category banner. Why use two different things?
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### Author:  [@renato](https://meta.discourse.org/u/renato)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 15:54 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/10 "2024-03-02T15:54:26Z")
It’s the same thing, it’s using the description from the category topic, and showing it as a banner. See:
> [@About the Feature category](https://meta.discourse.org/t/about-the-feature-category/11):
>
> Discussion about existing Discourse features, how they can be improved or enhanced, and how proposed new features could work.
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### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 16:27 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/12 "2024-03-02T16:27:09Z")
> [@renato](#):
>
> It’s the same thing, it’s using the description from the category topic, and showing it as a banner.
Not it’s not! This theme component is not using _the whole first post of category description as a cooked post_.
> [@Use all paragraphs of the category description in the banner](https://meta.discourse.org/t/use-all-paragraphs-of-the-category-description-in-the-banner/298497/1):
>
> Is it normal that it takes only the first paragraph? Could it take all paragraphs?
> [@Category Banners](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-banners/86241/15):
>
> Yes, that’s expected. I pulled the existing concept of “Category description” from Discourse, which by default only takes the first paragraph of that post (I believe this same text is used on the /categories page). I’m not sure if there’s an easy way to take the full text of the category introduction post for this.
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### Author:  [@renato](https://meta.discourse.org/u/renato)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 16:31 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/13 "2024-03-02T16:31:09Z")
OK, I see what you mean, but it’s by design. It’s the same description that is shown via both the category Oneboxes and the pinned category topic in the topic list, so it’s consistent across all places.
Maybe an iterative improvement to it would be having a link to the original topic if the first paragraph is not the entire cooked post.
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### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 16:38 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/14 "2024-03-02T16:38:22Z")
It could work a bit like the quote: expanding upon clicking , so that the first paragraph would always be there as a reminder, and useful category links would be available right away on demand.
Once the category description is unpinned, and there are lots of topics, it’s hard to find if you don’t know the `in:pinned` search option.
I have another similar idea for Topics: the first post could be accessible from anywhere in the topic, which would make it more potent as a consolidation tool (and to comment on published pages)… But I’m getting ahead of myself.
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [2 maart 2024 om 17:32 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/category-group-tag-descriptions-as-topics/297605/16 "2024-03-02T17:32:00Z")
If it works better for you, you can change the default of the unpinning behaviour with `automatically unpin topics` or `default topics automatic unpin`.