# (Obsolete) Set category tracking level defaults historically

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/obsolete-set-category-tracking-level-defaults-historically/53165
**Category:** Self-Hosting
**Tags:** how-to
**Created:** [November 21, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/obsolete-set-category-tracking-level-defaults-historically/53165 "2016-11-21T00:45:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 11

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Mittineague](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mittineague/32/114259_2.png) [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/obsolete-set-category-tracking-level-defaults-historically/53165/11 "2016-12-03T19:52:12Z")

</div>

> [@alehandrof](#):
>
> It just seems like it should be less painful than that.

It is.

If you want to set the tracking level for a category for all members, that is what the first post in this topic details how to do.

_except_

you will want to not use

```plaintext
WHERE cu.user_id IS NULL

```

_but this instead_

```plaintext
WHERE cu.user_id IS NOT NULL

```

and instead of “4” (watching\_first\_post) use “1” (regular)

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_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/obsolete-set-category-tracking-level-defaults-historically/53165)._