There is no doubt that WordPress is one of the most accessible applications and sites to use. Currently, there are millions of accounts that are powered by WP; some are personal pages, while others are business websites. One of the key features that make WordPress such an ideal solution for website creation is the customization features it offers both to free users and for those with a premium subscription.
WordPress categories are one of the taxonomies that users either love or hate. What this does is allows bloggers or site owners to group posts in a blog. Taxonomies put are the schematic classification of things. Those who are already familiar with categories know that it is possible to create as many taxonomies as you wish, provided it is done through the use of plugins or custom coding. Though defaults exist, they are generally for tags and categories.
In essence, categories make the content look more organized. But not every created category ends up being useful. For the most part, many users get a little overzealous in making them and as a result, wind up with a category or categories that are best to be deleted. The question now is how to delete a category but not the post that can be found within that content. Is it even possible? The answer is YES! And here is how you can do it.
Default Category
Although there is a delete option under Posts and Categories, going through this route may not be what you want to do. Before you press on that “delete” button, you should know what it entails first. For WP to function correctly, at least one category must be available. And by default, this is the “uncategorized” category. This particular category can never be deleted but can be renamed with ease. Any published post with no specified category will end up in this default one.
The set “default” category can be changed simply by creating a new one and then setting it up as your default. So instead of posts automatically showing up in the uncategorized category, you can choose to have to save under “random musings” or “general posts” basically any name you wish. With that said, now to move onto deleting a category.
Whenever you delete any category on WordPress.com or the WordPress software, posts from the deleted category will then automatically appear in the default category. Therefore, deleting a category does not also delete the posts that are under it.
Bulk Edit Feature
A unique tool, the Bulk Edit feature, lets users delete categories in a somewhat careful manner. Here is how it works, the plugin allows for the individual editing and transfer of posts from a category they wish to delete on to another they would want to keep.
Once posts are selected and then transferred onto an appropriate category, you can then click on Posts followed by Categories. In the panel, look for the category you are looking to delete. Select Delete.
Bear in mind that the action is final. While it is possible to add the category again on a later date, it will include the number 2 in its category name. The best workaround for this is to revise the WP database.
Deleting Posts And Not Just Categories
What if you used to blog a lot about loans and credit ratings during the time you were in the process of buying a new home, what used to be of great value then has gone untouched for the last 4 years or so. The comments section of these posts is now littered with bots and spam from the keyword usage — as a result, you would want to have them all deleted.
As mentioned previously, categories can be deleted by the posts underneath. It will be moved automatically to the set default category. If you want them forever gone, here is what can be done about it.
- Using the Bulk Edit Feature once again, go to the management panel and select Posts.
- Use a specific category you are planning on deleting. Now begin by filtering the posts.
- Make sure that the posts that the filter brings up are the ones you are interested in deleting.
- Once you have made the proper verification, initiate the “Select All” options by ticking on the box that can be found next to the “Title.”
- The drop-down of the Bulk Edit will reveal the option “Move to Trash.”
- Select “Apply” so that all the chosen posts will be transported to the Trash.
Be reminded that WordPress will hold the deleted items in the Trash only temporarily. This allows you to recover them should you change your mind. If the posts you want to delete do not happen to belong in the same category, then you need to go individually through the posts and move them manually to the Trash bin by utilizing the option found under the Post Management sidebar or the Edit panel of each post.
Those who are using WordPress on a self-hosted site can still utilize the WordPress plugin for Bulk Delete. It should be noted that content can be deleted in a multitude of ways with the aid of this plugin as well as by removing all posts and page revisions. The best thing about deleting using the trash function is the ability to reverse the action since the plugin doesn’t allow for second chances.
In Conclusion
For some, categorizing content may seem trivial. It is, however, vital for a website since it not only boosts SEO, instead it optimizes the entire site’s usability. Planning categories beforehand to avoid having to change them all the time is essential, even if you have thousands of articles on your website, it is best to keep categories at a minimum. Experts agree that keeping them at 10 is a safe enough number.
Don’t forget that once you have carefully selected your categories, you should display them as a widget or on the navigational menu where readers can easily see them.
