Wikipedia:Categorization dos and don'ts

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This is an information page.

It is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, but rather intends to describe some aspect(s) of Wikipedia:Categorization. It may reflect varying levels of consensus and vetting.

Categories are a vital tool for navigating Wikipedia.

When categorizing pages:

DO:
File:Green check.png Use the most specific categories possible.
File:Green check.png Categorize based on defining characteristics.
File:Green check.png Add pages to multiple categories in overlapping trees.
File:Green check.png Provide sort keys or a {{DEFAULTSORT:}} key.
File:Green check.png Add cleanup templates where needed.

DON'T:
File:Red x.svg Don't add pages to non-existent categories.
File:Red x.svg Don't categorize based on trivial characteristics.
File:Red x.svg Don't add pages to non-neutral or unverifiable categories.
File:Red x.svg Don't categorize fictional subjects together with real ones.
File:Red x.svg Don't apply maintenance categories directly: use templates.

v t e Wikipedia dos and don'ts
Encyclopedia content	Accessibility Biographies Biographies (living) Categorization Disambiguation Images Leads Links Lists References Tables Titles (of articles)
Collaboration	Consensus Talk
Simple rule set - Simple style manual - Style tips - Wikitext cheatsheet

See also