Organize with categories and tags Free & Pro

FileDeck documents can be organized with hierarchical categories and flat tags. Categories are the backbone of your library — they drive the folders layout, the category filter, and library scoping — while tags are lightweight labels for cross-cutting traits with their own filter.

Categories vs tags: which should you use?

Categories are hierarchical: a category can have child categories, so you can model structures like Policies → HR → Leave. Use them for your primary structure. They power three things:

• The folders layout, which renders each category as a collapsible folder — see folder layout.
• The category filter in the library — where visitors can tick more than one at a time.
• Scoping — a block or shortcode can show a single category.

Tags are flat, with no hierarchy. Use them for traits that cut across your structure, such as language, year, or audience. Tags feed the tags column and get their own filter.

How to create categories and tags

1. Go to Documents → Document Categories (or Documents → Document Tags).
2. Enter a name. For a category, optionally choose a parent to nest it.
3. Click the add button.

You can also create both on the fly from the sidebar of the document edit screen while adding a document.

How to assign them to a document

1. Go to Documents → All Documents and open the document (or start a new one under Add New).
2. In the sidebar, check the categories that apply and type tags into the tags box.
3. Click Update.

Category-level settings

The category edit screen carries FileDeck fields alongside the standard name, slug, parent, and description:

• Folder order — a number that sets where the category’s folder appears in the folder layout; numbered folders come first, the rest stay alphabetical. See folder layout.
• Folder icon — picks the icon shown on the category’s folder. See file-type and folder icons.
• Restrict to roles (FileDeck) — checkboxes that limit the category’s documents to chosen WordPress roles; leave all unchecked for public access. See restrict documents by role.
• Password protect (FileDeck) — sets a password that covers every document in the category. See password protection.
• Default review cycle — applies a review schedule to everything in the category. See review cycles.

Scope a library to one category

To show only part of your library on a page:

• Block: add the Document Library block and pick a category in the block’s settings — the live preview updates immediately. See the FileDeck block.

• Shortcode: pass the category slug in the category attribute:

  [filedeck layout="folders" category="policies"]

Block attributes map 1:1 to the shortcode, so anything you can set in one works in the other — see the shortcode reference.

FAQ

Should I use categories or tags?

Use categories for your main structure — they become folders and can scope libraries — and tags for cross-cutting labels like language or year.

Can categories be nested?

Yes. Categories are hierarchical, and the folders layout renders them as collapsible folders.

How do visitors filter by category or tag?

Libraries include multi-select filters for both, alongside instant search and sortable columns — see search, sort, and filter.