How to Delete the “Uncategorized” Category in WordPress
WordPress assigns all posts to a default category if no other category is selected. By default, this is the “Uncategorized” category. You cannot delete this category until a new default is chosen. Below is a clear step-by-step guide to remove or rename it.
Step 1: Log into WordPress
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Open your web browser and go to your WordPress admin login page (usually yourdomain.com/wp-admin).
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Enter your admin username and password to log in.
Step 2: Create a New Category (if none exists)
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In the left-hand menu of your WordPress dashboard, click on Posts.
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Then click on Categories.
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Create a new category by entering a name such as “General” or “Blog” and click the Add New Category button.
Step 3: Set a New Default Category
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From the dashboard menu, go to Settings and then click on Writing.
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Look for the Default Post Category option.
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Select your newly created category from the dropdown menu.
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Scroll down and click Save Changes.
Step 4: Delete the “Uncategorized” Category
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Go back to the Categories page under the Posts menu.
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Hover your mouse over the “Uncategorized” category.
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Click the Delete option that appears.
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Confirm the deletion when asked.
Step 5: Reassign Any Posts (optional)
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If any posts were previously categorised as “Uncategorized”, they will automatically be reassigned to the new default category.
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For better organisation, manually review and reassign posts if needed by editing them from the All Posts section.
Alternative: Rename the “Uncategorized” Category Instead
If you prefer not to delete it, you can simply rename it:
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Go to Posts, then Categories.
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Click Edit under the “Uncategorized” category.
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Change the name to something more appropriate like “General”.
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Change the slug to match (for example, general).
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Click the Update button to save your changes.
Conclusion
You cannot delete the “Uncategorized” category while it is set as the default. Once you designate another category as the default, you are free to either delete or rename it. Keeping your categories well-labelled enhances SEO and site organisation.
