# Text color field for categories missing after update
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090
**Category:** Bug
**Created:** [April 23, 2025, 3:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090 "2025-04-23T03:49:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@AstonJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/AstonJ)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2025, 3:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/1 "2025-04-23T03:49:10Z")
When you edit a category the field for text color is missing (there’s usually one for color and one for text\_color).
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2025, 5:27am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/2 "2025-04-23T05:27:52Z")
@hugh / @lindsey could this be due to the refactor around allowing category icons?
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2025, 9:46am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/4 "2025-04-23T09:46:51Z")
It was removed in this PR
[https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/32015](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/32015)
> [@How to choose the category text color?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-choose-the-category-text-color/362654/3):
>
> The feature to choose the text color has been removed. Now Discourse automatically selects the color with better contrast. But I had the same problem you have, and Meta has (for example, in the category banners of #Support > WordPress, #Theme component and #Site feedback > Forum summaries ): on existing categories, this did not work. My texts were all white - even the ones on yellow. I saved the category settings again, and that fixed it. But it was quite annoying to check all categories and re-sa…
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### Author:  [@patrickemin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/patrickemin)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2025, 2:22pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/5 "2025-04-23T14:22:07Z")
Can we consider restoring this setting, as the automatic functionality does not seem to be fulfilling its purpose?
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### Author:  [@lindsey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lindsey)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/7 "2025-04-23T19:08:31Z")
Hey folks, I’ve asked the engineer who worked on this feature to take a look to see if we can fix the issues with the automated text color so you don’t have to resave categories. We’ll be in touch with an update once we know more.
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### Author:  [@AstonJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/AstonJ)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2025, 7:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/8 "2025-04-23T19:21:48Z")
Thanks Lindsey. Can you also ensure we have the option to specify text colour ourselves please? We make extensive use of this on a number of forums, eg:
And:
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### Author:  [@AstonJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/AstonJ)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2025, 2:21am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/9 "2025-05-07T02:21:15Z")
> [@lindsey](#):
>
> We’ll be in touch with an update once we know more.
Just wondering if you’ve heard back or had a chance to look into this Lindsey?
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### Author:  [@patrickemin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/patrickemin)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2025, 5:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/11 "2025-05-15T17:52:01Z")
Hi, it’s getting worse, I created a subcategory which has automatically taken the wrong color, black instead or white and no way to change it…
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### Author:  [@lindsey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lindsey)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/13 "2025-05-16T14:20:06Z")
Hey folks, thanks for your patience while we were working on this internally.
We are investigating improvements to the automatic text color system to ensure appropriate color contrast based on the selected category color. Because appropriate contrast is important but might be challenging for some admins to implement themselves, we believe this automated system will be helpful for most communities.
With that said, we understand that some communities may want more direct control over this. Here is a CSS snippet that you can use to customize the text color:
```plaintext
.category-list tr[data-category-id="1"] .badge-category__name {
color: #000000;
}
```
(Note that you’ll need to add the right category ID and desired color code.)
We’ll consider returning category text color control to the UI based on user feedback, but this should give you a workaround for now.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2025, 2:40pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/14 "2025-05-16T14:40:28Z")
Are there also plans to
> [@lindsey](#):
>
> fix the issues with the automated text color so you don’t have to resave categories
?
The banner of #Support > WordPress and some other categories are still very difficult to read
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### Author:  [@davidb](https://meta.discourse.org/u/davidb)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/17 "2025-05-16T15:10:06Z")
We will have a look into this. I saved this category again a few moments ago and the color is updated from white to black correctly. These shouldn’t need manually resaved though so I will investigate to see what is happening there.
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### Author:  [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/18 "2025-05-16T16:04:53Z")
> [@lindsey](#):
>
> Because appropriate contrast is important but might be challenging for some admins to implement themselves, we believe this automated system will be helpful for most communities.
>
> With that said, we understand that some communities may want more direct control over this. Here is a CSS snippet that you can use to customize the text color:
yea this is the way - make communities generally _easier_ to setup for less experienced admins, and then those who want more complex features, including admin controls, can add them with customizations.
and as logical as it sounds, admittedly i’m still trying to change my own discourse admin/power-user mindset to this. 🙃
I suppose a theme component could add back the category text customizing features. 🤔
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### Author:  [@AstonJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/AstonJ)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/20 "2025-05-16T20:26:18Z")
> [@lindsey](#):
>
> We’ll consider returning category text color control to the UI based on user feedback
> [@davidb](#):
>
> We will have a look into this.
Thanks both. A good fix could simply be to revert back to what it was like and then simply pre-fill the field with what Discourse recommends. This retains flexibility while at the same time guides rookie admins.
> [@Lilly](#):
>
> yea this is the way - make communities generally _easier_ to setup for less experienced admins, and then those who want more complex features, including admin controls, can add them with customizations.
Hopefully my suggestion above would keep everyone happy - let Discourse suggest what it thinks is right but let Admins override easily.
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### Author:  [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [May 17, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/21 "2025-05-17T13:39:30Z")
what about having an “Advanced Settings” button that then allows more granular settings to admins if they want them? 🤔
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### Author:  [@lindsey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lindsey)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2025, 2:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/23 "2025-06-02T14:16:24Z")
Hey folks — we’ve restored the text color field in category editing. This will autopopulate with an accessible option based on the selected category color, but can then be customized to a different option if desired.
Please give it a look once you’ve updated your sites and let us know if you see any issues.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/24 "2025-06-02T14:27:11Z")
I know I’m repeating myself, but what about the fix for the existing categories? Do I have to check the settings for the existing categories myself? So far, I still see categories with hard-to-read banners, although I know for sure that the contrast was set correctly before white became the default text color. For example, #Customization > Theme component
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### Author:  [@lindsey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lindsey)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/25 "2025-06-02T14:32:58Z")
> [@Moin](#):
>
> Do I have to check the settings for the existing categories myself?
Sorry you’ve had to repeat yourself, let me ask the team again and we will get back to you.
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### Author:  [@patrickemin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/patrickemin)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2025, 10:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/27 "2025-06-02T22:29:38Z")
> [@lindsey](#):
>
> Hey folks — we’ve restored the text color field in category editing.
Yes ! Good job ! 😀
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### Author:  [@AstonJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/AstonJ)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2025, 11:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/28 "2025-06-02T23:08:07Z")
Thanks Lindsey ❤
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### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2025, 6:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/text-color-field-for-categories-missing-after-update/363090/29 "2025-06-03T06:15:19Z")
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