Do I need namespaces?
| Your situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Your groups have diverse discussions (news, questions, resources, events) | Yes — categories help members find what they need |
| Your Main Group is an announcement-only channel | Probably not — one type of content doesn’t need categories |
| Small organization with low discussion volume | Not yet — add categories when the feed gets busy |
| Active community with 10+ posts per week | Yes — filtering becomes essential |
Setting up namespaces
Settings → Features → Discussion NamespacesCreate categories
Click + Create Category and enter a name. Create as many as you need (aim for 5-10).
Recommended categories by organization type
Community / general organization
| Category | Use for |
|---|---|
| Announcements | Official news and updates from leadership |
| General | Open conversation, anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere |
| Questions | Help requests, how-to questions |
| Ideas | Suggestions, feedback, proposals |
| Events | Event-related discussion |
Professional association
| Category | Use for |
|---|---|
| Industry News | Relevant articles, trends, regulatory changes |
| Best Practices | Knowledge sharing, professional advice |
| Job Board | Employment opportunities |
| Networking | Introductions, partnership requests |
| Resources | Shared tools, templates, documents |
Youth / scouting organization
| Category | Use for |
|---|---|
| Program | Activities, program updates, curriculum |
| Training | Leader development, certification |
| Events | Event planning and follow-up |
| Resources | Materials, handbooks, templates |
| General | Everything else |
How members use categories
When creating a post
- Go to a group → Discussions → Create Post
- Write the post content
- Select a category from the dropdown (optional — uncategorized posts are allowed)
- Publish
When browsing
- Go to a group → Discussions
- Click the category filter dropdown
- Select a category to see only matching posts
- Clear the filter to see everything
Key details
- Categories are organization-wide — the same set is available in all groups
- Only administrators can create, edit, reorder, or delete categories
- Categorizing posts is optional — members can post without selecting a category
- Editing a category name updates it everywhere — all existing posts with that category
- Deleting a category removes the tag from existing posts but the posts remain
Common scenarios
Nobody uses the categories — posts are all uncategorized
Nobody uses the categories — posts are all uncategorized
Categories are optional by design, so members may skip them. Lead by example — make sure admins always categorize their posts. Consider adding a gentle reminder in the post creation flow. If categories aren’t adding value, you might have too many or they might not match how your community actually discusses.
I want different categories for different groups
I want different categories for different groups
Namespaces are organization-wide — the same categories appear everywhere. This is by design for consistency. If a group doesn’t use certain categories, members simply don’t select them. The filter only shows categories that have posts in the current group.
How many categories should I create?
How many categories should I create?
5-10 for most organizations. Fewer than 5 and categories aren’t adding much. More than 10 and members can’t decide where their post belongs. Think broad themes, not specific topics.
Can I restrict who can post in certain categories?
Can I restrict who can post in certain categories?
Not natively — any member who can post in a group can use any category. To restrict posting, use the group-level “Only admins can post” setting and direct regular member discussion to a different group. For example, “Announcements” category in the Main Group works when only admins can post there.
Related
- Discussions — The discussion feature overview
- Groups — Where discussions live
- Main Group — Org-wide discussions