# How to tell if a category is a private category **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature\ **Created:** [2014年一月24日 21:53 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-tell-if-a-category-is-a-private-category/12182 "2014-01-24T21:53:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shivermetimbers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@shivermetimbers](https://meta.discourse.org/u/shivermetimbers)\ **Post date:** [2014年一月24日 21:53 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-tell-if-a-category-is-a-private-category/12182/1 "2014-01-24T21:53:16Z")
Has there been any thought towards marking a private category differently than a public category? Since we’re trying to use Discourse at the company-level for both internal discussions between employees and external discussions between users and employees, we’d like a way to differentiate public categories from private categories. When you have a large # of categories, this can be useful to quickly identify what’s public and what’s not. Can also help to ensure that an employee does not accidentally post something in a public category that was meant to be part of a private category. It obviously can’t stop this from happening, but could help to prevent it. ---
**Author:** ![supermathie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/supermathie/32/507518_2.png) [@supermathie](https://meta.discourse.org/u/supermathie)\ **Post date:** [2014年一月24日 22:03 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-tell-if-a-category-is-a-private-category/12182/2 "2014-01-24T22:03:08Z")
A few simple examples of custom CSS rules to style the private category tag differently: > 🔒 feature or topic backgrounds, say purple/orange/red, would be great. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [2014年一月25日 01:24 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-tell-if-a-category-is-a-private-category/12182/3 "2014-01-25T01:24:29Z")
I think we should have the group icon on the private category badges. Same as the glyph that appears next to the posts once you’re in the topic. What are private categories, after all, except categories restricted to certain groups of people. (We also need reminders in the UI not to have GIANT HUMONGOUS LONG CATEGORY NAMES.) ---
**Author:** ![riking](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/riking/32/170938_2.png) [@riking](https://meta.discourse.org/u/riking)\ **Post date:** [2014年一月25日 02:31 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-tell-if-a-category-is-a-private-category/12182/4 "2014-01-25T02:31:37Z")
> [@codinghorror](#): > > Same as the glyph that appears next to the posts once you’re in the topic. For reference, that image is this: ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/2X/6/6f7b29d3d1cc52ed7815112bccc595f1c74ccdc0.png) ---
**Author:** ![shivermetimbers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@shivermetimbers](https://meta.discourse.org/u/shivermetimbers)\ **Post date:** [2014年一月25日 02:36 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-tell-if-a-category-is-a-private-category/12182/5 "2014-01-25T02:36:06Z")
@codinghorror when do you guys think you’ll be able to queue this up? ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [2014年七月24日 21:38 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-tell-if-a-category-is-a-private-category/12182/6 "2014-07-24T21:38:09Z")
Categories with group permissions have the group glyph now. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [2014年七月24日 21:38 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-tell-if-a-category-is-a-private-category/12182/7 "2014-07-24T21:38:12Z")