# Type Before Selecting Category

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/type-before-selecting-category/169069>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [November 3, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/type-before-selecting-category/169069 "2020-11-03T00:11:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CaptainZac](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/captainzac/32/195184_2.png) [@CaptainZac](https://meta.discourse.org/u/CaptainZac)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/type-before-selecting-category/169069/1 "2020-11-03T00:11:37Z")

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For my users, when they start typing, it shows up like below. On this, you do not have to select a category before starting to tight. I want them to be able to have to select a category, but also want them to be able to start typing before they select that category. Can you help me? Thanks

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/6/d/6dc0989ed7d67df3e16d68c224b84d16168abd85.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![simon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/simon/32/339122_2.png) [@simon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/simon)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/type-before-selecting-category/169069/2 "2020-11-03T00:41:30Z")

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The reason your users are having to select a category before entering text into the composer is because the `allow uncategorized topics` setting is disabled on your site. On the Discourse Meta forum, uncategorized topics are allowed, so users can enter text into the composer without first selecting a category.

A recent change to Discourse allows users to enter text into the composer when `allow uncategorized topics` is disabled. This will only work for sites that have not created any category Topic Templates. If any of a site’s categories have Topic Templates, the composer will be disabled until a category is selected.