Categories are broad groupings that organize your content by theme, genre, or topic, like "Fitness," "Cooking," or "Documentaries."
ℹ️ INFO: For content to appear in your catalog, it needs to be assigned to at least one category. Without one, it stays hidden from viewers, but it can still be accessed directly via a link or included in a collection.
Key Points
All content must be assigned to at least one category to appear in your Catalog
Categories appear on the catalog page as browsable sections
You can customize category thumbnails and descriptions
Categories can be ordered and arranged to prioritize certain content
Categories work across all platforms: web, mobile apps, and TV apps
Categories vs. Collections
Many creators confuse categories and collections, but they serve different purposes.
🔗 Learn more about Collections
Categories | Collections |
Broad themes for organizing all content | Playlists or series grouped for sequential viewing |
Act like genres (e.g., "Yoga," "Documentaries") | Act like a TV series or courses (e.g., "30-Day Challenge") |
Organize your entire catalog | Used to group related videos meant to be watched together |
Required for content to appear in the Catalog | Must be assigned to categories to appear in the Catalog |
ℹ️ INFO: Think of categories as genres (action, comedy), and collections as TV series or movie sequels.
Creating a Category
Navigate to Content > Categories
Click Add New
💡 TIP: Each category gets its own dedicated page on your site, accessible at .../category/url-slug.
About
Fill in the details for your new category:
Category Title: give your category a clear, descriptive name
Category Position: sets the order in which it appears in your catalog (lower numbers appear higher; position 1 is at the top)
Category Description: a short summary that appears on your category's page for viewers to read
ℹ️ INFO: The position of other categories will automatically adjust when you set a new one. Lower numbers appear higher in the Catalog (position 1 is at the top).
Image
Upload a thumbnail image for your category (recommended size: 1480x840px).
💡 TIP: Choose a visually distinct image that clearly represents the category's theme.
Manage Content
Add and organize the content that belongs to this category. New content is added to the top of the list by default.
Use the Sort By dropdown to control the order:
Manual: drag and drop content into your preferred order
Published Date: Newest First (Default)
Published Date: Oldest First
Alphabetical: A > Z
Popular: Last 7 Days
Popular: Last 30 Days
💡 TIP: You can also click Randomize Content to shuffle the order, or Add Content to add items to the category.
SEO
Customize how your category page appears in search results:
Title: the page title shown in search engines
URL: customize the slug for this category's page (
/category/url-slug)Meta Description: a short summary that appears under your title in search results
Assigning Categories to Your Content
There are a few ways to assign categories to your content, whether you're working with a single item or multiple at once.
From the Content's Settings
This is the most straightforward way to assign a category to a single video or collection.
Navigate to Content > Videos, Collections, or Live Streaming
Click on the video or collection you want to edit
Scroll down to the Organize card
Select one or more categories, or click + Add New Category to create one
Click Save Changes
📝 NOTE: A category won't appear in your catalog until it has at least one published piece of content assigned to it.
From the Category Editor
Use this method to add content of different types to a specific category all at once.
Navigate to Content > Categories
Click on the category you want to add content to
Under the Manage Content card, click Add Content
Select the content items you want to add
Click Add
Click Save Changes
💡 TIP: To remove content from a category, use the Remove from Category option in the category editor, or edit the individual content and deselect the category.
Bulk Assignment from Content Lists
This is the fastest way to organize multiple items at once.
Navigate to Content > Videos (or Collections, Live Streaming)
Tick the checkboxes for the items you want to select
Click Add Categories
Select the categories you want to assign
Click Save Categories
Viewer Experience with Categories
Categories create the primary navigation structure for your viewers across all platforms.
On the Website
Categories appear as horizontal rows (by default) on the Catalog page
Each category has its own dedicated page accessible via a direct URL
Category descriptions appear on individual category pages
Featured Categories can display as a prominent banner at the top of the catalog
Categories automatically appear as one of the default filters in the Catalog
You can also display categories in a vertical thumbnail view
On Mobile Apps
Categories appear as scrollable sections on the app catalog
Category thumbnails help viewers quickly identify content themes
Viewers can tap a category name to see all content within that category
On TV Apps
Categories create the main navigation structure
Viewers can browse through categories using remote controls
Featured categories may have special visual treatment depending on the platform
💡 TIP: Viewers can also search for content across all categories using the search function available on all platforms.
Best Practices
Keep it simple: limit the number of categories to avoid overwhelming viewers
Be consistent: use a consistent naming style across all categories
Think like your viewers: organize categories based on how your audience searches for content
Highlight popular content: place popular categories higher in the order
Update regularly: review and refine your category structure as your content library grows
Use clear thumbnails: choose visually distinct images for each category
Consider a featured category: use the Featured Category option to highlight special or seasonal content
FAQs
Can content belong to multiple categories?
Can content belong to multiple categories?
Yes. Videos, collections, and live events can all be assigned to multiple categories at the same time.
Do categories appear the same way across all platforms?
Do categories appear the same way across all platforms?
There may be slight differences across web, mobile, and TV apps. For example, Featured Category images and videos are not available on mobile, and they only appear on the web and TV apps.
Can I create subcategories in Uscreen?
Can I create subcategories in Uscreen?
No, Uscreen doesn't support subcategories. Instead, use a combination of categories and collections to create a structured content experience.
How many categories should I have?
How many categories should I have?
There's no strict limit, but keeping your structure simple and intuitive works best. Most successful Uscreen sites have between 5 and 15 main categories.
What happens to my content if I delete a category?
What happens to my content if I delete a category?
The content stays in your store but will need to be assigned to at least one other category to appear in your catalog.