# Structure and Functionality for Public and Private Forums **URL:** \ **Category:** Product Support\ **Created:** [20.Март.2017 17:55:41 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/structure-and-functionality-for-public-and-private-forums/59566 "2017-03-20T17:55:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 7
**Author:** ![jomaxro](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jomaxro/32/126216_2.png) [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)\ **Post date:** [20.Март.2017 20:10:33 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/structure-and-functionality-for-public-and-private-forums/59566/7 "2017-03-20T20:10:33Z")
> [@scombs](#): > > If I recall correctly, the category/subcategory permissions are completely independent. You have to set permissions for each separately. This is correct - there is no inheritance of category permissions. However, if a user cannot see the parent category, they cannot see any sub-categories due to the way the UI works. Showing a sub-category when the user can’t see the parent would cause all sorts of issues. I’m trying to find where @codinghorror previously clarified this… * * * Edit: So I couldn’t find a post by a Discourse dev in my quick searching, but I just tested this on my site and can confirm what I said above. Two categories: `Testing`, and `Testing Sub`. `Testing Sub` has `Testing` as it’s parent category. `Testing` has the following security `Admin`: Create, Reply, See `Testing Sub` has the following security `Admin`: Create, Reply, See; `everyone`: Create, Reply, See With those settings, I can confirm that non-admin users are _not_ able to see either of those two categories. Keep in mind that the critical setting here is `see`. If the Testing category had `everyone`: See, then Testing Sub would also be visible, even though everyone cannot post in Testing. --- _[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/structure-and-functionality-for-public-and-private-forums/59566)._