General
What are categories?
Categories (previously zones) allow you to organize the content on your website by topic. For example, your website might have a 'Politics' category for all content relating to politics. Every content item in Pangea CMS must be assigned to at least one category. Categories work like folders on your computer. Before you can save a content item, you must select the "folder" where it will be stored.
Categories can be used to organize website content in the following ways:
- Create a Content widget that displays the latest content from a particular category.
- Set Regions and Widgets to appear on all content pages from a particular category.
- Enable category archive pages that let users browse all of the content from a particular category.
Are categories the same as zones?
Yes. A category works in the same way as a zone. Category is just the new name for this functionality. We are currently in the process of consistently renaming zones to categories throughout the Pangea CMS user interface.
How can I create a new category?
You can create a new category via Settings > Categories (Zones).
For instructions, refer the following article:
What is a category archive page?
A category archive page is created by default for every category in Pangea CMS, and lets visitors browse all the content from the category. You can customize basic layout options for each individual category archive page.
For instructions, refer to the relevant article below according to the type of category:
What is the difference between a category archive page and a section page?
These pages work as follows:
- Section: A fully customizable page. A section page typically includes a collection of widgets that must be chosen and configured manually. The content items linked on a section page can come from multiple different categories. For information about configuring section pages, refer to the following article:
- Category archive: A page that is generated automatically by Pangea CMS. A category archive lists all the content items that are assigned to one particular category. You can customize some basic layout options for a category archive page. For instructions, refer to the relevant article below according to the type of category:
Where can I see a list of all of the existing website categories?
You can view and manage all of the existing categories for your website via Settings > Categories (Zones).
For instructions, refer the following article:
What do the different category statuses mean?
Every category in Pangea CMS is assigned one of the following statuses:
- Visible on site - enabled: The category is visible on the public website, and new content can be added to the category in Pangea CMS.
- Visible on site - discontinued: The category is visible on the public website, but new content cannot be added to the category in Pangea CMS.
- Visible in CMS only: New content can be added to the category in Pangea CMS, but the category is not visible on the public website.
- Archive: Needs to be assigned when the category is created. All content that is published on your website is added to the category by default. You can specify that an individual category is not included on the archive page by unticking the Show In Archive setting on the Edit Category (Zone) screen.
- Disabled: Needs to be assigned when the category is created. The category is not visible on the public website, and new content cannot be added to the category in Pangea CMS.
What happens when I delete a category?
The following conditions apply when you delete a category in Pangea CMS:
- Content items from the category are not deleted from the public website. However, content items will disappear from widgets that are configured to display content based on category.
- Content items from the category are not deleted from Pangea CMS. However, you cannot save any changes to a content item if it has no assigned category.
- The category archive page is deleted and is no longer available on the public website.
- The category is no longer promoted on the public website, in mobile apps, or in smart TV apps.
You can optionally view and restore deleted categories. For instructions, refer to the following article:
Category types
What is a Content category?
Content categories are designed to contain a mixture of different content types, and are the most common category type in Pangea CMS.
To check the current list of Content categories for your website:
- Go to Settings > Categories (Zones).
- Under Category type, check for categories that list Content.
For detailed information about creating and editing Content categories, refer to the following article:
What is a TV category?
TV categories in Pangea CMS are designed to promote video content. A TV category can contain general video content, or it can be linked to a specific video show and contain only episodes from that show.
To check the current list of TV categories for your website:
- Go to Settings > Categories (Zones).
- Under Category type, check for categories that list TV.
For detailed information about creating and editing TV categories, refer to the following article:
What is a Radio category?
Radio categories in Pangea CMS are designed to promote audio content. A Radio category can contain general audio content, or it can be linked to a specific audio show and contain only episodes from that show.
To check the current list of Radio categories for your website:
- Go to Settings > Categories (Zones).
- Under Category type, check for categories that list Radio.
For detailed information about creating and editing Radio categories, refer to the following article:
Assign content
How can I assign content to a category?
You can assign content to a category via the edit screen for the individual content item. You cannot save or publish a content item if it does not have at least one category.
For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:
A content item can have one primary category and multiple secondary categories. For more information, refer to the following section in this article:
Can one content item have multiple categories?
Yes. One content item can have multiple categories. However, a content item can only have one primary category. If you add multiple categories, you need to select one primary category. The remaining categories are secondary categories.
For more information, refer to the following article:
What is the difference between primary and secondary categories?
Primary and secondary categories affect website organization as follows:
- Both primary and secondary categories affect how the content is distributed. For example, the homepage may contain a widget that displays the latest content from the 'Politics' category. This applies for all content from the Politics category, regardless of whether Politics is the primary or secondary category.
- The primary category also affects the design of each content page. For example, all content items from the 'Politics' category might have the same YMAL (You Might Also Like) widget at the bottom of the page.
For more information, refer to the following article:
Why can't I assign a content item to my chosen category?
Some categories can only include certain content types. For example, your website might have a category that can only include videos. When you choose a category for a content item, Pangea CMS lists only categories that are valid for the content type. For example, if you are editing an article, the Categories drop-down menu lists only categories configured to contain articles.
You can check the valid content types for any category via the Edit Category (Zone) screen for the individual category. For instructions, refer to the relevant article below according to the type of category:
Category distribution
How can I control which categories appear in mobile and smart tv apps?
You can manage the categories that appear in mobile and smart TV apps via Settings > Categories Distribution.
For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:
For detailed information about managing Pangea mobile apps, refer to the following article:
How can I control which categories appear on the RSS feed?
You can manage the categories that appear on the RSS feed via Settings > Categories Distribution.
For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:
Can I distribute a category as a podcast?
Yes. When you create a TV category or a Radio category, you can list the category as a podcast. This means that the category appears on the podcast page for your website.
For instructions, refer to the relevant article below according to the type of category:
The Pangea CMS podcast feed is fully compatible with Google, iTunes and other platforms. This means that after you list the category as a podcast in Pangea CMS, you can also submit the feed to your chosen third-party platforms for podcast distribution.