Editing Incubator escapee wiki:Categorization (section)

{{Short description|Wikipedia editing guideline}}
<noinclude>{{pp-semi-indef}}{{pp-move-indef}}</noinclude>
{{Hatnote|"WP:CATEGORY" and "WP:CAT" redirect here. You may be looking for [[Wikipedia:Contents/Categories]] (a list of top-level categories), [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Cats|WikiProject Cats]], [[Wikipedia:HotCat]], [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Categories|WikiProject Categories]], or even [[Wikipedia:WikiCat]]. For the category system itself, see [[:Category:Contents]].}}
{{Redirect|WP:CG|the internal project on computer-generated imagery|Wikipedia:WikiProject Computer graphics}}
{{Subcat guideline|editing guideline|Categorization|WP:CAT|WP:CATEGORY|WP:MOSCAT}}
{{Guideline list}}
{{For|information on the mechanics of the function, category syntax, etc.|Help:Category}}
{{For|quick answers|Wikipedia:FAQ/Categorization}}

This page contains [[Wikipedia:Policies and guidelines |guidance]] on the proper use of the '''categorization''' function in Wikipedia. The '''central goal''' of the category system is to provide [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Linking|navigational links]] to pages in Wikipedia within a [[#Category tree organization|tree-like hierarchy]] of ''categories''. Using essential, ''[[WP:DEFINING|defining]]'' characteristics of a topic, readers can browse and quickly find sets of pages on topics that are defined by those characteristics.

For proposals to delete, merge, or rename categories, follow the instructions at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion|Categories for discussion]]. Please use it before undertaking any complicated re-categorization of existing categories or mass creation of new categories.