Confused using categories

Product Support

AI-generated summary

In a Support discussion titled “Confused using categories,” testingsoftware reports confusion after migrating from vBulletin to Discourse: category descriptions appear as topics, which they find unnecessary for subcategories. awlogan claims they deleted one successfully, but codinghorror clarifies that category description topics cannot be deleted — awlogan later admits this caused a restoration by support. schungx offers a workaround: edit the topic to be unlisted, closed, and unpinned, making it invisible to users. testingsoftware confirms this works and suggests improvements: either allow deletion if no description is needed, or remove the delete option entirely to avoid misleading prompts. codinghorror notes the earlier deletion was due to a bug involving conversion to a PM. The thread highlights a UX gap in Discourse’s category management and offers a practical workaround while awaiting potential fixes.

1

Hi all,

We have migrated a forum from vBuletin to Discourse. Our forum has many categories with subcategories.
The main categories themselves have some description but the subcategories don’t need any description as the title is self explanatory. Lets say, category: CHAIRS - description: let discuss what type of joins you use to build your chairs.- subcategory: armchair - subcategory: reclining chairs, etc.

Since in Discourse the Description of the category is actually a topic, I found myself having to fill a topic that is not required and stays floating around inside that category.
Is there a way of getting rid of this? of not having a “about the xxx category” topic?

Thanks.

2

You can delete them, I found this out by accidentally deleting one of mine. I use them to list what it’s about and sometimes who the moderator / owner is, but it doesn’t seem to be required.

3

Thanks, @awlogan I just tried this, and even though it asks me to confirm if I want to delete the post, it does nothing after and does not delete it . I also tried changing ownership from System to the Admin but still the same.
I also trying creating a new category with the same result.

I was using IE in this case. Must will try tomorrow with other computer browser just in case.

4

Incorrect, you cannot delete the category description topics.

5

Well I did something because Josh had to restore it :slight_smile: My hosted instance one of the categories did not have the description, when I messaged support Josh was able to get it back, here is the note he sent me:

OK, topic restored.

For future reference, no console access is needed. To view deleted topics,
simply append ?status=deleted to the URL. For example, [category deleted] allowed me to see
the about this category topic and restore it.

6

Well when you create a category you automatically get one topic anyway. Just do the following

  1. Delete all content, or just copy the category name. “armchair” → “the complete anatomy of an armchair”

  2. Close it

  3. Unpin it

  4. Make it unlisted

  5. You may archive it but it doesn’t do anything

  6. Bob’s your uncle

None of your users will see such a topic.

7

Yes, that was a bug. I think the category definition was converted to a PM and then deleted.

8

Thanks @schungx

This worked and users cannot see that topic. This is quicker than thinking some text to put in each of them!

I still think that it should:

  • allow deletion if description not added when creating category or simply Admin wants to delete it.

  • if it cannot be deleted it should not give option to delete and it should not ask “Are you sure you want to delete that post?”