WordPress Block Editor – Categories List Block
This tutorial is part of our series on How To Use The WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg).
- To learn more about using the WordPress block editor interface, go here: The WordPress Block Editor – Content Area
- To learn more about using blocks, see this tutorial: How To Use WordPress Block Editor Blocks
- For additional information, see this tutorial on How To Use Post Categories In WordPress.
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Categories List Block – Description
The Categories List block organizes and displays your published posts as a list of categories. Use this block to provide your site visitors with a useful way to discover your related posts.
![Sample content with a Categories block.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-001.jpg)
How To Use The Categories List Block
In this section, we’ll cover:
- How to add a Categories List block to your content.
- How to edit and configure your Categories List block and block settings.
- How to remove the Categories List block from your content.
For more details on using blocks (e.g. how to move blocks around your content), see this tutorial: How To Use Blocks.
Adding A Categories List Block
To add a Categories List block to your content:
- Either:
- Click on the ‘Add Block’ tool in the Editing Toolbar section and select a Categories List block (in Most Used or Widgets section), or
- Add the Categories List block in the Content Area.
- Use the tools in the Categories List Block Editor or Block Settings section to edit your category list.
Let’s go through the above steps.
First, create a new post or page or open an existing post or page and either:
Click on the ‘Add Block’ tool and select the Categories List block…
![Add Block Tool - Add Categories block](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-002.gif)
Or, select a Categories List block using the Inserter tool in the Content Area.
![Categories block](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-003.gif)
WordPress now offers two types of Category blocks:
- Categories List Block – This is the block covered in detail in this tutorial (note: the block icon has been updated.Some of the screenshots in this tutorial were created using the previous icon).
- Categories Block – This block is discussed briefly below.
![WordPress - Categories Blocks](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-011.png)
The Categories List block displays a list of categories based on your previously published posts by category. This block is useful for helping users find more of your posts grouped by topics.
![WordPress Blocxk - Categories List Block](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-012.png)
The Categories block, on the other hand, displays the category you have assigned to the current post.
![WordPress Block - Categories Block](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-013.png)
The Categories block also lets you add and format a prefix and a suffix to the category.
![WordPress Categories block - Add a prefix and a suffix to your category.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-014.png)
This can be useful for adding context when inserting a category into your post.
![WordPress Categories block - prefix and suffix options.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-015.gif)
After adding a Categories List block, you can:
- Edit and configure the block settings,
- Save, publish, or update your post or page.
How To Edit A Categories List Block
To edit a Categories List block:
- Click inside the Categories List block to select it.
- Use the Block Editor tools to:
- Reposition the Categories List block in your content using the Drag block tool and Move up and down arrows.
- Change the alignment of the categories list.
- Perform additional tasks using the More Options feature.
- Use the Block Settings to change category settings.
Use the Block Editor to change block alignment.
![Align Categories block.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-004.png)
Use Block Settings to change category settings.
![Categories block settings.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-005.gif)
Remember to update and publish your post or page to save your settings.
How To Remove A Categories List Block
To delete or remove a categories list block:
- Click inside the Categories List block to select it.
- Select the ‘More Options’ tool in the Block Editor.
- Click on ‘Remove Block’.
- The block will be removed from your post or page.
![Removing a Categories block.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-006.gif)
Additionally…
- You can reposition your block using the ‘Move Up’ and ‘Move Down’ arrows or the Drag and Drop handle tool (see this tutorial if you need help with this step: How To Use Blocks).
- You can also convert Categories List blocks into Reusable blocks.
Categories List Block Tools, Options & Settings
The Categories block includes tools, options, and settings for:
- Categories List Block Editor
- Categories List Block Settings
Categories List Block Editor
![Categories block editor.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-007.png)
The Categories block editor includes tools that let you perform the following operations:
- Change block type or style (See ‘Categories Block – Additional Info’ section below.)
- Drag block
- Move block up and down
- Change alignment:
- None – leaves the block alignment as is (Max 650 px wide).
- Wide width – makes the block stick out on either side of regular content (Max 1000 px wide).
- Full width – makes the block stretch over the entire width of the browser window (regular content remains within margins on either side).
- Align left
- Align center
- Align right
![Categories List block - Block alignment options](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-018.png)
- More Options – See How To Use Blocks to learn how to use this section.
Categories List Block Settings
![Categories block settings.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-008.png)
Categories List block settings include:
- Block description area
- Categories Settings
- Display as dropdown – Converts a list of categories into a single-line dropdown menu.
- Show post counts – Displays the number of posts included under each category.
- Show only top level categories – Displays only posts assigned to top-level categories.
- Show empty categories – Displays categories with no posts assigned to them.
- Show hierarchy – Display categories nested in a parent/child hierarchy. Note: This option will be disabled if you enable the “Show only top level categories” option.
![Categories List block - Categories settings](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-016.png)
Also, refer to the following block settings tutorials for the block’s styling elements found in the Styles tab:
![Categories List block - Categories styles](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-017.png)
Categories List Block – Additional Info
The Categories block can be converted into the following block types:
- Columns block
- Group block
- Tag cloud
![Transform Categories block.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-009.png)
Installing plugins or themes on your site may also add new functionality, options, or settings to the Categories List block.
![Sample content with a Categories block.](https://wptrainingmanual.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/elite/tut/wptm-048/WPTM-048-010.png)
Congratulations! Now you know how to use the WordPress content editor’s Categories List block.
- To learn more about using categories, go here: Using WordPress Categories
- For tutorials on how to use other blocks, go here: WordPress Block Editor – How To Use Blocks
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Updated: April 18th, 2023