Blog categories do more than group related posts. In SDP Platform, each category can have its own search description, featured image, and post-view template. This lets you improve category SEO and give one section of your blog a distinct article layout without changing every post on the website.
1. Open Blog Categories
Open your website dashboard, go to Blog, then select Categories.
Select an existing category to edit it, or click New Category and enter a name and description.
2. Set the Category Name and URL
Use Name for the label visitors will see, such as “News”, “Tutorials”, or “Case Studies”.
Use URL Slug to control the category path. Keep it short, readable, and relevant to the topic. If the category has a parent, SDP adds the parent path automatically.
3. Add the Description and Meta Description
The Description explains the category to visitors and can be displayed by your category page design.
The Meta Description is the category’s SEO summary. Write a clear sentence that describes what readers will find in the category. It is used as the category listing page’s meta description and is also available to dynamic page metadata.
4. Choose a Featured Image
Use Featured Image to select or upload an image for the category. SDP makes this image available to the category listing page and its page metadata, so your template can use it as a category hero image or social sharing image.
Choose an image that represents the whole topic rather than a single article. A wide image generally works best when the category page uses a hero layout.
5. Set a Parent Category
Use Parent Category when you want a nested structure. For example, “Help” can be the parent of “Content”, “Design”, and “SEO”.
Parent categories help keep large blogs organized and automatically contribute to the child category’s URL path.
6. Set a View Post Template for the Category
In the View Post Template section, click the edit icon and choose a post template. Every post in that category will use the selected layout unless the individual post already has its own template.
This is useful when one section needs a different presentation. For example:
- Tutorial posts can use a layout with a table of contents and step navigation.
- News posts can emphasize the date, author, and featured image.
- Case studies can use a wider hero and results-focused sections.
How template fallback works
| Priority | Template SDP uses |
|---|---|
| 1 | The template selected on the individual post, if one is set. |
| 2 | The category’s View Post Template, if one is set. |
| 3 | The website’s default post-view template. |
To remove a category override, clear its View Post Template. Posts in that category will return to the website default unless they have an individual template.
To give just one post its own layout, follow the individual post instructions in How to Add and Publish a Blog Post on SDP Platform.
7. Review the Category’s Content
The category screen shows linked posts and pages. Use these lists to confirm that content is assigned to the right category before changing the template.
If SDP shows an associated page, that page uses the same category slug and can provide a custom landing experience for the category.
8. Preview Before Publishing
After choosing a template, preview at least one representative post from the category. Check a long title, a featured image, headings, author information, and mobile layout.
Changing a category template changes the presentation of its posts, not their titles or body content.
Recommended Category Checklist
- Use a clear, focused category name.
- Keep the URL slug short and descriptive.
- Write a unique category description and meta description.
- Add a relevant featured image.
- Choose a category post template only when the whole category needs a distinct layout.
- Preview a real post on desktop and mobile.
Next, see How to Add and Publish a Blog Post to assign posts to your category, or How to Choose and Apply a Template to learn more about template types.