Commons:Meta categories

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Meta categories are a specific type of category. They are useful tools for both finding and organizing media on Wikimedia Commons.

Definition

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This section details what a meta category is.

Identifying

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Users can identify meta categories by their name, content, and place in the category hierarchy. Some categories which look like meta categories are not, and there can be meta categories

What meta categories are not

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There are several types of categories that may seem like meta categories but are actually not. This is important, as mixing meta and non-meta categories together can create inconsistencies in the category hierarchy.

Usage

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Browsing

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Meta categories can help users find files they are searching for in several ways.

Organizing

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When organizing files and category trees, there are cases when meta categories may or may not be useful. Meta categories have specific requirements on where they should be categorized, which categories belong under them, and what sort keys are appropriate to use for each.

Creation and maintenance

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Meta categories should be created and maintained in a consistent manner. There are several templates that can be helpful in identifying, categorizing, and maintaining these categories correctly.

Naming

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Meta categories should be named in a particular format.

Useful templates

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Several templates can be used on meta categories:

See also

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