View source for Help:Categories

{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{for|more extensive information for editors|Help:Category}}
{{Reader help}}
'''Categories''' are used in Wikipedia to link articles under a common topic and are found at the bottom of the article page. Clicking the category name displays a list of articles in that category, as well as any sub-categories. Categories allow readers to navigate through Wikipedia and find related articles. 

==Category tree==
All of the categories form a hierarchy, although sub-categories may be a member of more than one category. An example of a small part of this hierarchical structure looks somewhat like this:

{| align = "center"
| 
     [[:Category:Main topic classifications]]
                       ↓
               [[:Category:History]]
                       ↓
        [[:Category:History by location]]
                       ↓
        [[:Category:History by country]]
                       ↓
       [[:Category:History of Australia]]
                       ↓
      [[:Category:History of Australia by location]]
                       ↓
 [[:Category:History of Australia by state or territory]]
                       ↓
       New South Wales, Queensland, etc.

|}

The actual relationship is more complex since a category may appear as a subcategory of several other categories. The actual relationship of part of the category structure looks like this:

<br>
[[File:Category-diagram.png|border|400px|center]]


The uppermost category in the hierarchy is [[:Category:Contents]]. From here all other categories branch out, including those that are used for the maintenance of Wikipedia. 

If an entry in a category is shown in ''italics'' it is a redirect to an article of a different name or a section of an article that contains information about that particular subject.

{{-}}
----
<inputbox>
type=search
width=30
namespaces=Help**,Category**
searchbuttonlabel=Search
bgcolor=#cee0f2
break=no
</inputbox>
----

[[Category:Reader help]]