# How do I enforce categories? So I can use Discourse better as a private self organisation tool
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [5월 5, 2018, 8:20오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846 "2018-05-05T20:20:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@kgreed](https://meta.discourse.org/u/kgreed)
#### Post date: [5월 7, 2018, 3:53오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846/22 "2018-05-07T03:53:19Z")
All I do if I forget is to change the category to one in my private group.
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [5월 7, 2018, 3:53오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846/23 "2018-05-07T03:53:32Z")
If you have trouble training yourself to not make mistakes with
“my private posts as topics in my private category”
try changing your workflow to
“my private posts as posts in my (private) personal message”. When you’re ready to make them public, select and move.
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### Author:  [@kgreed](https://meta.discourse.org/u/kgreed)
#### Post date: [5월 7, 2018, 4:00오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846/24 "2018-05-07T04:00:30Z")
Where in the help can I learn how to set this up?
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [5월 7, 2018, 4:08오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846/25 "2018-05-07T04:08:55Z")
If you go to your own profile page, click “new message”, add yourself as the “Add a user” and give it a title, you will in effect have your own private topic.
Then later as Admin you can use the wrench menu to select posts and “move” them to a category as a topic. You will still need to remember to give it a category, but I think the chances of making a mistake would be less because you would need to consciously go into your “private topic” and you would be thinking “this is private, I’m now making it public”.
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### Author:  [@kgreed](https://meta.discourse.org/u/kgreed)
#### Post date: [5월 7, 2018, 4:15오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846/26 "2018-05-07T04:15:58Z")
Thank you for your thoughts however I want a solution that enables me to protect myself whilst posting as admin.
It is simple enough to protect myself if I am not admin because I choose a private topic.
I want a solution whereby
1. I login with admin
2. I click New Topic
3. I enter some data and then click Create Topic
4. If I have forgotten to set the category then Discourse warns me that I am about to create a public post.
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [5월 7, 2018, 4:59오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846/27 "2018-05-07T04:59:13Z")
I liked your post before you edited it because you posted:
> [@kgreed](#):
>
> It is simple enough to protect myself if I am not admin because I choose a private topic.
which is a workable approach.
However, your edit suggests that what you are wanting is either a type of confirm message box every time you create a topic, or the code to be able to somehow know your intentions and interrupt the process when it detects that you are about to make a mistake.
The first would get old fast, the second is not possible.
I think the best you could do is have a plugin that sets a personal default category for you when you don’t explicitly assign a category.
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### Author:  [@kgreed](https://meta.discourse.org/u/kgreed)
#### Post date: [5월 7, 2018, 5:07오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846/28 "2018-05-07T05:07:21Z")
> your edit suggests that what you are wanting is either a type of confirm message box every time you create a topic
I edited the previous post again to show that the warning message should only come up if the category has not been set.
> or the code to be able to somehow know your intentions and interrupt the process when it detects that you are about to make a mistake
I am just asking for a normal validation there is no magic about this usually.
> I think the best you could do is have a plugin that sets a personal default category for you when you don’t explicitly assign a category
Thanks, I will put that idea on my Things To Investigate list.
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [10월 16, 2020, 11:58오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-enforce-categories-so-i-can-use-discourse-better-as-a-private-self-organisation-tool/86846/29 "2020-10-16T11:58:42Z")
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