How to Create a Knowledge Base Category

Categories help organise your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base articles into clear sections.

For example, you might create categories for Getting Started, Installation, Account and Licence, Features and Troubleshooting. Visitors can then browse the section that best matches what they need help with.

Open the Categories screen

To create a category:

1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Open Knowledge Base > Categories.
3. Use the form on the left-hand side of the page to enter the category details.
4. Select Add New Category.

The new category will appear in the category list and can then be assigned to knowledge base articles.

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base categories are separate from the categories used by normal WordPress blog posts.

Enter the category name

The category name is the main title visitors will see.

Examples include:

• Getting Started
• Installation
• Licence and Subscription
• Using the Plugin
• Customisation
• Troubleshooting
• Frequently Asked Questions

Keep category names short and clear.

A visitor should be able to understand what information is inside the category without needing to read its description.

Avoid vague names such as General, Other or Information unless their purpose is obvious on your website.

Choose a category slug

The slug is the part of the URL used for the category.

For example, a category called Getting Started may use:

getting-started

The finished category URL may look similar to:

example.com/kb-category/getting-started/

WordPress can create the slug automatically from the category name, so you can usually leave this field empty.

When entering a slug manually:

• Use lowercase letters
• Separate words with hyphens
• Avoid spaces
• Avoid special characters
• Keep it short

A category called Licence and Subscription could use:

licence-subscription

Try not to change the slug after the category has been published and shared. Changing it will also change the category URL.

Add a category description

The description briefly explains what visitors will find inside the category.

For example:

Find out how to install SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base, activate your licence and complete the first-time setup.

A useful description should be one or two short sentences.

Category descriptions can appear on category cards and category pages, depending on your knowledge base settings.

They also help search engines understand the subject covered by the category.

Select a parent category

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base supports parent and child categories.

A parent category is a main section, while child categories can be used to divide it into smaller topics.

For example:

• Getting Started
  • Installation
  • Activation
  • First-Time Setup

To create a child category:

1. Enter the new category name.
2. Open the Parent Category dropdown.
3. Select the category it should appear beneath.
4. Add the new category.

Leave the parent option set to None when creating a main category.

You do not need child categories for a small knowledge base. They are most useful when one section contains a large number of articles.

Add a Bootstrap icon

Each category can display an icon.

To use a Bootstrap icon, enter its icon class in the category icon field.

Examples include:

bi-book

bi-gear

bi-download

bi-key

bi-question-circle

bi-tools

The icon helps visitors recognise each section and can make the knowledge base homepage easier to scan.

Enter the complete icon class, including the bi- prefix.

If the icon does not appear, check that the class has been entered correctly.

Add a custom category image

You can use an uploaded image instead of a Bootstrap icon.

To add one:

1. Select the category image option.
2. Choose an existing image from the WordPress Media Library or upload a new one.
3. Select the image.
4. Save or update the category.

When a custom image is selected, it takes priority over the Bootstrap icon.

Use an image with a simple shape and a clear background. Detailed photographs may be difficult to recognise when displayed at a smaller size.

Using images with a consistent style will make the category grid look more professional.

Add the category

Once the details have been entered, select Add New Category.

The category will appear in the list on the right-hand side of the screen.

You can now:

• Assign articles to it
• Edit its name or description
• Change its icon or image
• Set it as the parent of another category
• Open its public category page

The category may not appear on the public knowledge base homepage until at least one published article has been assigned to it.

Assign an article to the category

To place an article inside your new category:

1. Open Knowledge Base > All Articles.
2. Select an existing article or create a new one.
3. Find the Knowledge Base Categories section in the article editor.
4. Select the category.
5. Update or publish the article.

The article should then appear on the category page.

If the article is assigned to more than one category, it may appear in each selected category.

For the clearest structure, use the category that most closely matches the article’s main subject.

Edit an existing category

To change a category:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Categories.
2. Find the category in the list.
3. Select its name or the Edit option.
4. Change the required fields.
5. Select Update.

You can change:

• Category name
• Slug
• Parent category
• Description
• Bootstrap icon
• Custom image

Remember that changing the slug will change the public URL.

After updating a category, open its public page and check that the changes appear correctly.

Quick Edit

WordPress may provide a Quick Edit option for basic category changes.

This can be useful for changing the name or slug without opening the full editing screen.

Use the normal Edit screen when you need to change the description, parent category, icon or custom image.

Delete a category

To delete a category:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Categories.
2. Find the category in the list.
3. Select Delete.
4. Confirm the action if asked.

Deleting a category does not normally delete the articles assigned to it.

However, those articles will no longer appear inside the deleted category. You should assign them to another suitable category before deleting it.

Check the public knowledge base afterwards to make sure the remaining articles are still easy to find.

Plan your categories before adding too many

It is easier to manage a knowledge base when the categories are planned around the questions visitors actually ask.

A simple WordPress knowledge base might begin with:

Getting Started

Installation, activation and first-time setup instructions.

Using the Plugin

Guides covering the main plugin features and everyday tasks.

Customisation

Instructions for changing colours, layouts, icons and content.

Licence and Subscription

Product keys, subscription information and licence troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting

Solutions for errors and features that are not working as expected.

You can create more categories later as the number of articles grows.

How many categories should you create?

There is no fixed limit, but avoid creating a separate category for every article.

A category should normally contain several articles covering the same general topic.

Too many categories can make the homepage harder to browse, especially when many of them contain only one article.

For a new knowledge base, four to eight main categories will usually provide a good starting point.

Keep category names consistent

Try to use the same style across all category names.

For example, you could use short topic names:

• Installation
• Activation
• Customisation
• Troubleshooting

Or you could use action-based names:

• Getting Started
• Managing Your Licence
• Customising Your Knowledge Base
• Fixing Common Problems

Both approaches can work, but mixing several different styles may make the category grid feel less organised.

Add useful descriptions

Avoid repeating the category name without explaining anything further.

For example, this description is not very useful:

Articles about installation.

A clearer description would be:

Learn how to download, install and update SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base on your WordPress website.

The description should help visitors decide whether they have opened the right section.

Use categories to improve search and recommendations

Categories do more than organise the homepage.

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can use them when displaying:

• Related Articles
• Recommended Articles
• Breadcrumbs
• Category pages
• Structured data
• Article navigation

Assigning articles carefully helps these features show more relevant content.

For example, an activation article assigned to the Licence and Subscription category is more likely to be recommended alongside other licence guides.

The category does not appear on the homepage

If a category is missing from the public knowledge base, check that:

• The category has been created
• At least one published article is assigned to it
• The Categories section is enabled in the homepage settings
• The article is not marked as unlisted
• The category is not only being used as a child category
• The website cache has been cleared

The knowledge base homepage mainly displays top-level categories. Child categories are normally accessed through their parent structure or article navigation.

The category page is empty

If the category page opens but does not list any articles, check that:

• The articles are published
• They are assigned to the correct category
• They are not in Draft or Trash
• They are not marked as unlisted
• The correct category was selected in the article editor

Update one of the articles and check the category page again.

The category returns a 404 error

If the category page shows a page not found error:

1. Open Settings > Permalinks.
2. Select Save Changes without changing the settings.
3. Clear the website cache.
4. Open the category again.

Also check that another WordPress page is not using the same URL as the knowledge base category base.

The category URL settings can be reviewed under Knowledge Base > Settings > Advanced.

The category icon is missing

If the Bootstrap icon does not appear:

• Check that the icon class begins with bi-
• Check for spelling mistakes
• Remove any extra spaces
• Make sure the browser can load Bootstrap Icons
• Clear the website cache

You can also upload a custom category image instead.

Category checklist

Before moving on, check that:

• The category name is clear
• The slug is short and readable
• A useful description has been added
• The correct parent category is selected
• An icon or custom image has been chosen
• At least one article is assigned
• The category appears on the public knowledge base
• The category page opens correctly
• The layout works on desktop and mobile

Your category is now ready to hold knowledge base articles.