# Replacing Uncategorized category
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/replacing-uncategorized-category/377353
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [August 5, 2025, 1:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replacing-uncategorized-category/377353 "2025-08-05T13:15:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2025, 1:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replacing-uncategorized-category/377353/1 "2025-08-05T13:15:59Z")
I have been using the Uncategorized category with a different name for years. We called it `Share`.
Now I want to replace it with a default category so we can put subcategories in it and unclutter the top-level category space a bit.
So I tried to change the Uncategorized category name (`Misc`), and removed the permalink trying to send old links there, so I can create a new `Share` category and move everything from the new `Misc`to the new `Share`, including other categories.
But When I try to create a new category `Share` I receive `An error occurred: Category Name has already been taken`.
So I guess there is somewhere a name block on that word, which I’d like to ‘free’ so I can use it as intended. Do you know where to act?
* * *
In the console:
```plaintext
Category.where(name:'Share')
```
gives the category with slug `misc`.
But I’m a bit worried about altering the name in the database directly.
`Category.where(user_id:-1)`
gives Staff and Share. I could try and rename : `Category.where(name:’Share’).update(name: ‘Misc’, name_lower:’misc’)`(or something like this). Is it safe? Are there other places where I should take care of renaming?
---
### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2025, 1:37pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replacing-uncategorized-category/377353/2 "2025-08-05T13:37:51Z")
> [@hellekin](#):
>
> So I guess there is somewhere a name block on that word, which I’d like to ‘free’ so I can use it as intended. Do you know where to act?
I’d try to change `uncategorized_category_name` at `/admin/customize/site_texts`
---
### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2025, 1:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replacing-uncategorized-category/377353/3 "2025-08-05T13:38:46Z")
Yep, I made a backup, then renamed (`name` and `name_lower`) then I could rename the category.
> [@Moin](#):
>
> I’d try to change `uncategorized_category_name` at `/admin/customize/site_texts`
I did that at first, but it was not sufficient.
Now I have both `Misc` and the new `Share`. I still have a backup if I need to roll back.
---
### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2025, 1:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replacing-uncategorized-category/377353/4 "2025-08-05T13:41:23Z")
> [@hellekin](#):
>
> I did that at first, but it was not sufficient.
Interesting after I changed that and edited the slug at the category edit page I was able to create a new category with the name.
---
### Author:  [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2025, 7:13pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/replacing-uncategorized-category/377353/5 "2025-08-05T19:13:25Z")
Did you rename your category before?
It might be related to a refresh bug in the categories lists… I’ve been moving things around lately and found that moving a subcategory to another category would not be taken into account in the drop-down menus without a reload (same for groups and security settings for example).