One library, a section per category Free

The most common downloads page we see is built from stacked libraries: a heading, a library scoped to Drawings; a heading, a library scoped to Datasheets; a heading, a library scoped to Manuals — six or seven of them down one page. It reads well. It also means six search boxes that each search a sixth of the documents, six sets of filters, and six copies of the library’s scripts on one page.

Group by category gives you that page from one library. Each category becomes a titled section with its document count; one search box and one set of filters cover all of them; a section whose documents are all filtered out disappears until they come back.

Free — included in every FileDeck install.

Turn it on

Per library, on the shortcode:

[filedeck group_by="category"]

On the Elementor widget: Group by category. Site-wide, as the default for every library: Documents → Settings → Display → Group by.

It works with the table, grid and gallery layouts. The folders layout already groups by category (as collapsible folders with sub-folders), so the option does nothing there.

How sections are ordered

The same rule as folders: categories with a Folder order number come first, lowest number first; categories without one follow alphabetically; documents with no category go last, under Other. Set the Folder order on Documents → Document Categories → edit a category.

Only categories that hold a document render. An empty category is not an empty section.

Documents in more than one category

A document filed under two categories appears in both sections — the same way it appears in both folders in the folders layout. Searching, sorting, selecting for a zip download and every other control treat it as one document.

What it replaces, and what it does not

If you had scoped several libraries to categories for the sake of the headings, one grouped library replaces them. If you scoped them to choose which categories to show — three of your ten — combine both:

[filedeck group_by="category" category="drawings,datasheets,manuals"]

Sub-categories are flattened into their own sections, each with its own heading; if you want the hierarchy visible, the folders layout is the one that shows it.

Grouped libraries render every document at once, like folders, so they do not paginate and do not switch to server mode. For libraries in the thousands of documents, group the page by hand with scoped libraries, or use folders.

FAQ

Can I change the heading level?

The section headings are <h3> elements with the class fdk-group-title. Style them with CSS scoped to .filedeck, or restyle the count pill via .fdk-group-count.

Do the sort headings work per section?

Yes. Each section’s table sorts on its own, as each folder’s does.

Does the year filter, or the date-added filter, work with groups?

Yes. Every filter applies across all sections, and a section with nothing left hides.