> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dishink.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Categories

> Create, rename, reorder, and delete menu categories in DishInk.

Categories are the top-level groups that organize your menu items. Everything on your menu belongs to a category — Starters, Mains, Drinks, Desserts, and so on.

## Adding a category

1. Go to **Front Operations → Manage Menu**
2. Click **New Category** below the search bar
3. Type the category name (e.g. "Starters") and press **Enter** or click **Add**

<Note>
  Categories are added to the bottom of your menu by default. Drag or use the arrow buttons to reorder them after adding.
</Note>

## Renaming a category

There are two ways to rename:

* **Double-click** the category name inline to enter edit mode directly
* Click the **Rename** (pencil) button on the right side of the category row

Type the new name and press **Enter** or click the tick button to save. Press **Escape** to cancel.

## Reordering categories

The order categories appear here is exactly the order customers see on your menu page.

**Drag to reorder** — grab the grip handle (⠿) on the left of any category row and drag it up or down.

**Arrow buttons** — use the ↑ and ↓ arrows next to the grip handle to move a category one step at a time.

<Note>
  Reordering is disabled while search is active. Clear the search field first.
</Note>

## Featuring a category

Up to **4 categories** can be marked as featured. Featured categories appear as top picks on your public menu page.

Click the **⭐ Feature** button on the category row to toggle featured status. The star fills yellow when active.

Once 4 categories are featured, the Feature button is disabled on all others until you unfeature one.

## Deleting a category

Click the **Delete** (trash) button on the category row. You will be asked to confirm.

<Warning>
  Deleting a category also permanently deletes all menu items inside it. This cannot be undone.
</Warning>

## Expand and collapse

Use **Expand all** and **Collapse all** in the top-right of the category list to open or close all categories at once. Click any category row to toggle it individually.

## Tips & best practices

<Tip>
  Keep category names short — they appear as tabs or section headers on your menu page. "Starters" works better than "Starter Dishes & Appetizers".
</Tip>

<Tip>
  Feature your most profitable or popular categories. Featured categories get prominent placement on the menu page and are the first thing customers see.
</Tip>

## Common mistakes

<Warning>
  Do not delete a category to "clear" it. Remove the items individually first, or move them to another category, then delete the empty category.
</Warning>

## Related pages

* [Menu Items](/menu/menu-items)
* [Pricing](/menu/pricing)
* [Availability](/menu/availability)