# Default category
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [October 14, 2015, 5:59am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481 "2015-10-14T05:59:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@coderanger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/coderanger)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2015, 5:59am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/1 "2015-10-14T05:59:41Z")
This has been asked a few times before, but is it possible to set it so that new topics actually default to a certain category? I’ve disabled Uncategorized posts, but the user still has to manually select a category and it would be nice to pre-fill that for them.
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### Author:  [@fefrei](https://meta.discourse.org/u/fefrei)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2015, 10:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/2 "2015-10-14T10:39:05Z")
It would be even nicer if I could set an internal category as the default for team members (to prevent accidental leaking of internal posts) _and_ choose a public default category for normal users.
Maybe a site setting for `pick the first category with create permission from this list as the default category for new posts`?
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### Author:  [@Benjol](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Benjol)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2016, 10:29am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/3 "2016-03-09T10:29:27Z")
Has anyone got a handy workaround for this problem?
I would like to make my discourse a bit ‘oniony’: with a ‘staff’ category, then a ‘members’ category, then a ‘public’ category. But I’m wary of not-too-savvy members unthinkingly posting to the public category. If I could at least set them to a default category, that would be helpful.
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### Author:  [@erlend\_sh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/erlend_sh)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2016, 11:11am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/4 "2016-03-09T11:11:41Z")
Possible workaround:
1. Disable setting `allow uncategorized topics`
2. Change the order of your categories so that the default one is at the top.
3. New topics will default to the top-most category.
Would this work for you?
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### Author:  [@Benjol](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Benjol)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/5 "2016-03-09T12:58:09Z")
Sounds good. I’ll think about that.
Just out of curiosity, what do subcategories ‘do’? Inherit the same rights?
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### Author:  [@erlend\_sh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/erlend_sh)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/6 "2016-03-09T13:57:15Z")
Subcategories do not inherit the same rights, you’ll have to configure them separately. They’re very much a category of their own, except they share a “Latest” page with their fellow sub-categories and their parent category.
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### Author:  [@Benjol](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Benjol)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/7 "2016-03-09T13:59:11Z")
ok, thanks. A bit more work for me then 🙂
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### Author:  [@trudat](https://meta.discourse.org/u/trudat)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/8 "2016-06-29T15:37:28Z")
> [@erlend\_sh](#):
>
> Possible workaround:
>
> Disable setting allow uncategorized topics
>
> Change the order of your categories so that the default one is at the top.
> New topics will default to the top-most category.
I tried this and I still get “Pick a category…” in the category dropdown. Do I need to reboot the container or something before the change will take effect.
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### Author:  [@erlend\_sh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/erlend_sh)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/9 "2016-07-01T16:22:59Z")
I just tested this myself and this workaround no longer applies. I’m sure once upon a time we were defaulting to the top-most category when uncategorized was disabled, because it was [a real problem in my community](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-uncategorized-topics-set-to-false-should-nudge-users-to-select-a-category/27730). That was later fixed with the addition of the “Select a category” prompt however.
Having a `default_category` setting that would indeed be nice. It wouldn’t affect order, it would just have that category pre-selected by default.
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### Author:  [@zsero](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zsero)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/10 "2016-11-15T14:06:19Z")
I have a similar problem. I have a very tiny forum, tried to make it as minimal as possible with no categories. The only category is “forum”. Uncategorised is disabled.
All is good, _except_ for the fact that every new user gets that annoying “You must choose a category” warning when they create a topic, asking them to choose the only possible category.
I’d like to ask a feature request: if only one category is possible in the drop-down, please select that one by default.
(A more flexible alternative would be a “default category” options in settings as others have mentioned).
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### Author:  [@zsero](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zsero)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/11 "2016-11-15T14:24:00Z")
OK, I was able to almost solve my problem, by
- allowing uncategorised
- moving everything over to uncategorised
- deleting the old category
- renaming uncategorised
This way the drop down menu doesn’t even display, really nice!
My only problem is how to remove the:
“Topics that don’t need a category, or don’t fit into any other existing category.” text now?
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### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/12 "2016-11-15T14:25:15Z")
> [@zsero](#):
>
> My only problem is how to remove the:
> “Topics that don’t need a category, or don’t fit into any other existing category.” text now?
Admin \> Customize \> Text Content
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### Author:  [@zsero](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zsero)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/13 "2016-11-15T14:27:03Z")
Thanks, I just found it (category.uncategorized\_description).
There is a tiny bug related to it.
1. When I _first_ tried to enter empty string into it, it returned me Error 422 in an error popup.
2. Many times, the same.
3. I set it to “a”
4. Then I set it to empty string, and it worked.
Latest v1.7.0.beta7 +98
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### Author:  [@thaidb](https://meta.discourse.org/u/thaidb)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2017, 4:33am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/14 "2017-04-16T04:33:26Z")
How setup defult category topic posting? and can change flexible way?
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### Author:  [@j127](https://meta.discourse.org/u/j127)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/15 "2018-02-16T00:04:19Z")
I’ve disabled the uncategorized category, but people can still post without setting a category. Is there a way to ensure that every thread has a category?
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/16 "2018-02-16T00:07:57Z")
Only staff can do that. Are you sure you’re not mixing up regular users and staff?
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### Author:  [@j127](https://meta.discourse.org/u/j127)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/17 "2018-02-16T00:33:31Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> Only staff can do that.
Oh, thanks. I didn’t know that regular users see different behavior.
I guess my question is now: how do I prevent staff (including me) from accidentally starting threads without a category?
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/18 "2018-02-16T00:33:51Z")
By .. being awesome? You know, the usual
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### Author:  [@j127](https://meta.discourse.org/u/j127)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/19 "2018-02-16T00:35:04Z")
I don’t know if that will produce the desired result. I’m already accidentally posting threads without categories, and the rest of the staff-level users won’t be able to remember.
Is there a way to do it?
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### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-category/34481/20 "2018-02-16T02:24:23Z")
Hmm… on my sandbox, I have `allow uncategorized topics` unchecked and I can’t post in that category… (as an admin, staff, or regular member)
Did you do a hard refresh to make sure the setting took effect?
I also have `suppress uncategorized badge` unchecked, not sure if that matters, I wouldn’t think it would.
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