# Plugin suggestion - Set "watching" as default for a specific category on user signup
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-suggestion-set-watching-as-default-for-a-specific-category-on-user-signup/31024
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [13. Juli 2015 um 17:58 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-suggestion-set-watching-as-default-for-a-specific-category-on-user-signup/31024 "2015-07-13T17:58:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@adierteschik](https://meta.discourse.org/u/adierteschik)
#### Post date: [13. Juli 2015 um 17:58 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-suggestion-set-watching-as-default-for-a-specific-category-on-user-signup/31024/1 "2015-07-13T17:58:16Z")
Hey,
I’m looking for a way to add every new user as a “watcher” in an updates category automatically as he/she signs up for our discourse instance.
All I could find were instructions on how to run a specific piece of code to change it for existing users in the database: [Setting defaults to enable mailing list mode-Temporary Solution](https://meta.discourse.org/t/setting-defaults-to-enable-mailing-list-mode-temporary-solution/25645)
So, I’m thinking of writing one myself.. Is anyone else working on something similar? Any tips/how2s/things I should know?
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [13. Juli 2015 um 21:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-suggestion-set-watching-as-default-for-a-specific-category-on-user-signup/31024/2 "2015-07-13T21:00:48Z")
This is already planned as a feature for 1.4.
Allow you to set default watching / tracking etc for all users.
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### Author:  [@erlend\_sh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/erlend_sh)
#### Post date: [14. Juli 2015 um 10:16 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-suggestion-set-watching-as-default-for-a-specific-category-on-user-signup/31024/3 "2015-07-14T10:16:12Z")
Can this be set recursively for a category?
What about when you’re setting up a new category? Can you set a default watching/tracking status then?
(If that’s the case then you can basically do it recursively as well, with a workaround: by creating a new category, set default to Watch, and then migrate an old category into that one).
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [15. November 2015 um 18:42 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-suggestion-set-watching-as-default-for-a-specific-category-on-user-signup/31024/4 "2015-11-15T18:42:52Z")
The OPs’ questions is solved for all new users [in this commit](https://meta.discourse.org/t/default-email-settings-for-a-new-user/14980/43).
So, we’re 1/2 way there, IMO.
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### Author:  [@watchmanmonitor](https://meta.discourse.org/u/watchmanmonitor)
#### Post date: [18. November 2015 um 20:29 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-suggestion-set-watching-as-default-for-a-specific-category-on-user-signup/31024/5 "2015-11-18T20:29:52Z")
Nope @erlend_sh sure can’t do recursive yet.. and wow would Iike to see that.. [here’s a thread on the matter.](https://meta.discourse.org/t/make-members-of-a-group-watch-a-category-by-default/22127)
One more note for the OP
@adierteschik - it’s OK to have everyone in a discourse watch a given category.. they’ll only get emails (or see it at all) if they are in a group that gives them permission to access it.
With that, I think this topic can be closed.
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### Author:  [@chapoi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chapoi)
#### Post date: [4. Dezember 2025 um 11:36 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-suggestion-set-watching-as-default-for-a-specific-category-on-user-signup/31024/6 "2025-12-04T11:36:49Z")