What is a Category?
A category is a label for organizing campaigns (and related pickers)—for example Youth, Kids, or All Church. Campaign-linked communications usually follow the campaign’s category; standalone communications and templates can have their own. Full guide: Categories.
Uncategorized is the system default when nothing more specific is set. It appears in pickers but is hidden from the Categories panel list—you cannot create or rename a category to “Uncategorized.”
Plan: Categories and filters are on Essentials and Plus. Optional category access limits (who sees which categories) also work on both plans.
Roles: Create/rename/delete: Owners, Admins, and Managers. Editors can open Categories (view) and assign allowed categories on content they edit. Viewers use a reduced sidebar and don’t open the Categories panel. See User Permissions and Roles.
Why Do Categories Matter for Church Communications?
Categories help you:
- Filter Calendar, Campaigns list, and Timeline
- Group work by ministry or event type
- Limit visibility for Managers/Editors/Viewers via Admin Console category access
Without them, large calendars get harder to scan and scope.
How Do Categories Work in Communicate?
Panel: Sidebar Categories → New → Category name → Add. List is alphabetical (no manual reorder).
Edit / delete: Row ⋮ → Edit (Save / Close) or Delete (confirm). Deleted category’s campaigns move to Uncategorized (cannot undo).
Use: Set category on create/edit for campaigns, standalones, and templates. Filter by category on Calendar, Campaigns, and Timeline. Category-limited users only see allowed categories and matching content.
Category access: In Admin Console → Team, assign optional Categories for Managers, Editors, and Viewers. Leave empty for full access. Owners/Admins are never category-limited.
When Should You Use Categories?
Organize by ministry, event type, or audience—e.g. Worship, Youth, Outreach, Holidays. A short, consistent list (often around 5–10) usually beats dozens of one-off labels.
Related Terms
- Campaign · Communication · Template
- Calendar · Timeline
- User Permissions and Roles — category access
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many categories should I create?
A: Enough to filter usefully—often about 5–10 major areas. Too many becomes noise.
Q: Can I rename a category?
A: Yes—⋮ → Edit → Save (if you can manage categories).
Q: What happens if I delete a category?
A: Campaigns using it move to Uncategorized. Deletion can’t be undone.
Q: Can I reorder categories?
A: No. The panel lists them alphabetically by name.
Q: Do I have to pick a category?
A: Content can stay Uncategorized, but assigning categories makes filtering and access limits more useful.
Q: Can one campaign have multiple categories?
A: No—one category per campaign (and per standalone/template). Choose the primary grouping that matches how you filter.