Edit Category Settings Guide

This guide explains how to edit your categories in Bamboo, manage visibility, ordering, and display behavior, and make adjustments safely without breaking your navigation or apps.

1. Accessing Category Settings
2. Editing Category Fields
3. Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
4. Final Takeaway

Accessing Category Settings

1. Go to your Category Tree in Bamboo.
2. Click the edit icon next to the category you want to adjust.

Bamboo Pro Tip:

Always review your category tree first. Know which categories are containers and which directly show videos before editing.

Editing Category Fields

Name (required)

• Backend name of the category.
• Do not change lightly — navigation menus rely on the backend name.

ID (read-only)

• Used for push notifications only if you have apps.
• No editing required for standard management.

Label (optional)

• Frontend name shown to users on the site or apps.
• Use to rename a category without breaking menus.

Bamboo Pro Tip:

If you only want to change what users see, use Label instead of Name.

Description (optional)

• Only shown in series view.
• Other categories will not display it, so it’s generally unnecessary.

Privacy (default: public)

• Public → category and videos show in apps and site
• Private → hidden from front pages, visible only in backend

Package (optional)

• Assign a subscription package to restrict access until payment is made.
• Applies to all videos under the category.

Thumbnail (optional)

• Shown for categories that display subcategories, not for categories that directly show videos.

Thumbnail URL (optional)

• Automatically populated when uploading a thumbnail.
• You can also add a URL for a thumbnail hosted elsewhere.

Poster Image (optional)

• Vertical image for the category
• Used in apps when displaying category details

Cover Image (optional)

• Used on the site in 2-column layouts as a top banner for the page

View Type (default: gallery)

• Determines how videos are displayed in the category
• See our View Type tutorials for detailed instructions

Order By (default: newest)

• Controls the order of videos inside the category

  Options:

  • Newest / Oldest
  • Start date / End date
  • Duration
  • A–Z / Z–A
  • Custom ordering (order asc / order desc) — only available if enabled in your account and assigned to videos

Bamboo Pro Tip:

Use Order By carefully to ensure videos appear in the intended sequence. For custom ordering, assign an order number to each video first.

Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

• Changing Name instead of Label → can break navigation menus
• Assigning videos to private categories without realizing they won’t show in apps
• Incorrect Order By settings → videos display in the wrong sequence
• Uploading unnecessary descriptions or thumbnails for top-level categories → creates extra work with no visible effect

Bamboo Pro Tip:

After editing, always preview your categories in the frontend or app to make sure everything displays as expected.

Final Takeaway

Editing category settings gives you full control over how your content is displayed, monetized, and organized.

Bamboo displays exactly what your settings and category structure dictate — plan carefully, use Label to rename, assign privacy and packages thoughtfully, and your apps and site will behave predictably.