13.1 Overview

The Gallery Category section allows the card owner to organize gallery content into named groups before adding images, videos, audio files, documents, or YouTube content.

A Gallery Category is not a media item. It is an organizational label that can be assigned to gallery entries.

Examples include:

Completed Projects
Product Demonstrations
Events
Customer Results
Properties
Training Videos
Certificates
Team Members
Documents
Audio Resources

Gallery Category and Galleries appear as separate sections in the VCard editor. Gallery Category is positioned immediately before Galleries in the editor’s additional settings menu.

13.2 Gallery Categories Versus Galleries

The two sections serve different purposes.

Gallery Category

Creates the organizational name.

Example:

Category: Completed Projects

Gallery

Creates the actual media entry and allows it to be assigned to a category.

Example:

Type: Image
Category: Completed Projects
Media: Office Renovation.jpg

Create the categories first when gallery content should be organized into meaningful groups.

The complete process for uploading and managing gallery media will be covered in the next chapter.

13.3 Why Categories Are Useful

Categories make a large media collection easier to understand and maintain.

Without categories, a gallery may contain unrelated items together, such as:

Company photographs
Training documents
Customer videos
Property images
Audio recordings
Product demonstrations

Categories allow these items to be separated logically.

Example:

Company
Products
Training
Testimonials
Events
Resources

The exact public presentation depends on the selected VCard template, but each gallery entry can retain its category assignment.

13.4 Categories Belong to One VCard

Each Gallery Category is connected to the VCard in which it was created.

For example:

Company VCard
→ Products
→ Events
→ Team

Personal Portfolio VCard
→ Photography
→ Graphic Design
→ Video Work

Creating Products in one VCard does not automatically add that category to another VCard.

This allows each digital card to maintain its own gallery organization.

13.5 Opening the Gallery Category Section

From the dashboard:

  1. Select VCards.
  2. Locate the digital card you want to update.
  3. Select the card name or the Edit icon.
  4. Open the additional VCard editing options.
  5. Select Gallery Category.

On a phone or smaller screen, select the menu icon inside the VCard editor before opening the additional editing options.

Gallery Category and Galleries use separate management screens, allowing categories to be prepared before media is uploaded.

13.6 Understanding the Gallery Category Screen

The Gallery Category screen contains:

Add Category
Category list
Edit action
Delete action

Each saved category appears as a separate record.

The available category operations are:

Create
Edit
Delete

The application contains dedicated routes for opening the category list and creating, editing, updating, and deleting categories.

There is no separate View button because a Gallery Category contains only its category name.

Planning Gallery Categories

13.7 Create Categories Before Adding Media

When the gallery will contain several kinds of content, create the category structure first.

A recommended sequence is:

  1. Determine what media will be displayed.
  2. Group similar media into subjects.
  3. Create one category for each subject.
  4. Open Galleries.
  5. Add each media item.
  6. Assign the appropriate category.

This prevents the user from repeatedly leaving the Gallery form to create missing categories.

13.8 Use Categories Visitors Can Understand

Category names should describe what the visitor will find.

Strong examples:

Residential Properties
Commercial Properties
Customer Testimonials
Product Demonstrations
Training Documents
Community Events
Completed Installations
Before and After

Less effective examples:

Category 1
Other
Miscellaneous
Files
Stuff
New

A category should communicate its purpose without requiring an additional explanation.

13.9 Keep Category Names Concise

Category names can contain up to 255 characters, but they should normally be much shorter.

A concise category is easier to:

  1. Select in the gallery form
  2. Display on mobile devices
  3. Recognize in the dashboard
  4. Use as a public gallery heading or filter
  5. Maintain over time

Recommended:

Financial Literacy Workshops

Unnecessarily long:

Photographs and Other Media From Financial Literacy Workshops Conducted During the Current Academic Year

Place detailed explanations elsewhere in the VCard rather than inside the category name.

13.10 Avoid Overlapping Categories

Each category should have a distinct purpose.

Overlapping example:

Events
Special Events
Event Photographs
Company Events

Clearer structure:

Company Events
Community Events
Training Events

Visitors and account users should be able to determine where each gallery item belongs.

13.11 Use Consistent Naming

Choose one naming style and use it throughout the card.

For example, use plural category names:

Projects
Products
Events
Certificates

Or use descriptive phrases:

Completed Projects
Featured Products
Upcoming Events
Professional Certificates

Avoid mixing inconsistent formats such as:

Our Projects
Product
event photos
CERTIFICATES

Consistent capitalization improves the professional appearance of the gallery.

Adding a Gallery Category

13.12 Opening the Add Category Form

Select Add Category.

The Add Category window opens with one required field:

Category

The form also contains:

Save
Discard

The selected VCard is associated with the category automatically.

13.13 Entering the Category Name

Enter the desired name in the Category field.

Example:

Completed Projects

The category name is required and must contain text.

Do not leave the field blank or enter only spaces.

13.14 Category Name Length

The category name can contain a maximum of:

255 characters

A shorter name is recommended for easier display and selection.

For most categories, two to five words are sufficient.

Examples:

Project Gallery
Student Workshops
Product Videos
Company Documents
Customer Reviews

13.15 Duplicate Category Names

The same category name cannot be created more than once inside the same VCard.

For example, one card cannot contain two separate categories both named:

Products

When a category with that exact name already exists, the system will reject the duplicate.

Instead, use distinct names such as:

Featured Products
New Products
Product Demonstrations
Product Documents

13.16 Reusing a Category Name on Another VCard

Category-name uniqueness is applied within each individual VCard.

This means separate VCards can use the same category name.

Example:

Company VCard → Events
Employee VCard → Events
Event VCard → Events

Each category remains attached to its own card.

13.17 Saving the Category

After entering the category name, select Save.

When the category is accepted:

  1. A success message appears.
  2. The Add Category window closes.
  3. The category list refreshes.
  4. The new category appears on the screen.
  5. The category becomes available in the Galleries category selector.

The category is then ready to be assigned to gallery media.

13.18 Using Discard

Select Discard to close the Add Category window without saving.

Discard does not affect previously created categories.

Any unsaved category name will need to be entered again when the form is reopened.

Creating an Effective Category Structure

13.19 Professional Portfolio Categories

A consultant, executive, freelancer, or professional may use:

Completed Projects
Case Studies
Presentations
Media Appearances
Awards
Certifications
Professional Events

13.20 Photography Categories

A photographer may use:

Portraits
Weddings
Corporate Events
Product Photography
Real Estate
Community Events
Behind the Scenes

13.21 Real Estate Categories

A real estate professional may use:

Residential Properties
Commercial Properties
New Listings
Sold Properties
Rental Properties
Virtual Tours
Neighborhoods

Gallery entries within these categories may include images, videos, documents, or YouTube tours.

13.22 Education Categories

An educator, school, or training provider may use:

Student Activities
Teacher Training
Course Materials
Workshop Videos
Certificates
Program Events
Learning Resources

Documents and videos can be grouped separately or placed together according to subject.

13.23 Product and Retail Categories

A product-oriented VCard may use:

Featured Products
Product Demonstrations
Installation Videos
Instruction Manuals
Customer Results
Product Certificates
Promotional Media

Products listed in the VCard’s Products section are separate from gallery media. Gallery categories can be used to provide additional visual or downloadable product information.

13.24 Service-Business Categories

A service provider may use:

Before and After
Completed Work
Customer Testimonials
Service Demonstrations
Equipment
Team Members
Licenses and Certifications

Use categories that provide evidence of the service quality and process.

13.25 Event Categories

An event organizer may use:

Upcoming Events
Past Events
Speakers
Venues
Sponsors
Event Highlights
Promotional Videos
Event Documents

Remove or rename categories when the event structure changes.

13.26 Mixed-Media Categories

A category can be used for more than one media type.

For example, the category:

Annual Conference

may contain:

Event photographs
YouTube presentations
Uploaded video
Speaker audio
Conference PDF
Schedule document

The category identifies the subject, while the Gallery Type identifies the format.

Editing Categories

13.27 Opening the Edit Category Form

Select the Edit icon beside the category you want to change.

The Edit Category window opens with the current name.

The form contains:

Category
Save
Discard

13.28 Renaming a Category

Replace the existing name with the new category name.

Example:

Old name: Projects

New name: Completed Projects

Select Save after entering the new name.

The category record is updated rather than replaced with a separate category.

13.29 When to Rename a Category

Rename a category when:

  1. The existing name is unclear.
  2. The category’s purpose has changed.
  3. A spelling error needs correction.
  4. The organization changed its terminology.
  5. The category should match current branding.
  6. The category is too broad.
  7. The category is too specific.
  8. The capitalization is inconsistent.

13.30 Renaming Categories with Assigned Media

When a category already contains gallery items, editing the category name is generally more efficient than deleting the category and creating another one.

For example:

Old category: Customer Work
New category: Completed Client Projects

This preserves the existing category record while giving it a clearer name.

After renaming, open Galleries and confirm that the new name appears with the appropriate media.

13.31 Duplicate Names During Editing

The updated category name must also remain unique within the VCard.

For example, when the card already has:

Events

another category cannot be renamed to the same exact name.

Choose a distinct name instead:

Community Events
Corporate Events
Training Events

13.32 Saving Category Changes

Select Save after editing.

When the update is accepted:

  1. A success message appears.
  2. The Edit Category window closes.
  3. The category list refreshes.
  4. The revised name appears.
  5. The revised name becomes available in the Gallery category selector.

Review existing gallery entries after making a major category-name change.

13.33 Discarding Category Changes

Select Discard to close the Edit Category window without saving.

The previously saved category name remains unchanged.

Discard does not remove the category or its related gallery assignments.

Assigning Categories to Galleries

13.34 Category Selection in the Gallery Form

After categories are created, open Galleries and select Add Gallery.

The Gallery form contains a Category dropdown.

The category is selected independently from the media Type.

A gallery entry can therefore be configured as:

Type: Image
Category: Completed Projects

or:

Type: Video
Category: Completed Projects

13.35 Category Selection Is Optional

A gallery entry can be created without selecting a category.

Use an uncategorized entry when:

  1. Only one or two gallery items exist.
  2. The item does not belong to an existing group.
  3. Categories are not needed for the card.
  4. The media is temporary.
  5. The template’s standard gallery presentation is sufficient.

For larger galleries, category assignment is recommended.

13.36 Categories Are Listed Alphabetically

The Gallery form loads categories belonging to the current VCard and arranges them by category name.

This makes categories easier to find when many have been created.

For example:

Awards
Certificates
Events
Products
Projects
Team

Use clear names because the same names appear in the selection dropdown.

13.37 Changing a Gallery Item’s Category

To move an existing media item:

  1. Open Galleries.
  2. Locate the gallery entry.
  3. Select Edit.
  4. Open the Category dropdown.
  5. Select the new category.
  6. Select Save.
  7. Review the public gallery.

The media does not need to be uploaded again solely to change its category.

13.38 Removing a Category Assignment

To make an existing gallery item uncategorized:

  1. Open Galleries.
  2. Edit the gallery item.
  3. Clear the Category selection.
  4. Select Save.
  5. Review the public display.

The media entry remains in the gallery but no longer belongs to the previous category.

Deleting Categories

13.39 Reviewing a Category Before Deletion

Before deleting a category, determine whether gallery media is assigned to it.

The category list does not provide a media-count or bulk-reassignment control.

A safe process is:

  1. Open Galleries.
  2. Review gallery entries assigned to the category.
  3. Edit each affected item.
  4. Move it to another category or clear its category.
  5. Return to Gallery Category.
  6. Delete the unused category.

This prevents confusion or unintended changes to the gallery organization.

13.40 Deleting a Category

Select the Delete icon beside the category.

Review the confirmation message and approve the deletion.

The category record is removed from the selected VCard.

The category will no longer appear in the Gallery category selector.

13.41 No Undo or Restore Control

The Gallery Category screen does not provide a recycle bin or restore button.

After a category is deleted, recreate it manually when it is needed again.

For this reason, confirm the category name and review its related gallery content before approving deletion.

13.42 Delete Versus Rename

Use Rename when:

  1. The category is still needed.
  2. Only the wording is incorrect.
  3. Existing media should remain grouped together.
  4. The category should be made more specific.
  5. The category should match updated branding.

Use Delete when:

  1. The category is no longer needed.
  2. It contains no relevant media.
  3. Its media has been reassigned.
  4. It was created by mistake.
  5. It duplicates another category’s purpose.

Category Visibility

13.43 Categories Do Not Have Individual Status Switches

Gallery Categories do not include separate:

Active
Inactive
Show
Hide

controls.

A category is available after it is created and remains available until it is edited or deleted.

Public display is primarily determined by:

  1. Whether gallery media has been assigned to the category
  2. Whether the Galleries section is enabled
  3. How the selected VCard template presents categories and media

13.44 Empty Categories

A category can exist without any assigned gallery items.

An empty category may not provide visible public content because there is no media associated with it.

Delete unused empty categories or retain them only when content will be added soon.

Too many empty categories can make the Gallery category selector harder to manage.

13.45 Controlling the Complete Gallery Section

The Manage Sections area controls whether the complete Gallery section appears on the public VCard.

Hiding Galleries does not require deleting Gallery Categories.

This is useful when:

  1. Gallery content is being updated.
  2. Media is not ready for public display.
  3. The VCard is being redesigned.
  4. The gallery is seasonal.
  5. The card should temporarily emphasize other sections.

The saved categories and gallery items can remain available for later use.

Managing Category Changes

13.46 Combining Similar Categories

The interface does not provide an automatic Merge Categories button.

To combine two categories:

  1. Decide which category name will remain.
  2. Open Galleries.
  3. Edit each item assigned to the category being removed.
  4. Assign the remaining category.
  5. Confirm that all items were moved.
  6. Return to Gallery Category.
  7. Delete the unused category.

Example:

Categories before:
Projects
Completed Work

Combined category:
Completed Projects

13.47 Dividing a Broad Category

To divide one broad category into smaller groups:

  1. Create the new categories.
  2. Open Galleries.
  3. Edit each item from the original category.
  4. Assign the appropriate new category.
  5. Review the public gallery.
  6. Rename or delete the original category when no longer needed.

Example:

Original:
Properties

New:
Residential Properties
Commercial Properties
Rental Properties

13.48 Changing Category Strategy

As the VCard grows, the original category structure may no longer be effective.

Review categories when:

  1. The gallery becomes difficult to browse.
  2. Several categories contain only one item.
  3. One category contains most of the media.
  4. Category names overlap.
  5. Business services have changed.
  6. New products or locations are added.
  7. The card’s audience changes.

A simple, clear structure is usually more useful than a large number of narrow categories.

Public Gallery Review

13.49 Previewing Categorized Content

After creating categories and assigning media:

  1. Return to VCards.
  2. Open the public card or preview.
  3. Locate the Gallery section.
  4. Confirm that media appears.
  5. Review category names when the template displays them.
  6. Confirm that media belongs to the correct group.
  7. Test images, videos, audio, files, and YouTube content.
  8. Review the gallery on desktop and mobile devices.

The exact category controls and presentation can differ according to the selected VCard template.

13.50 Reviewing Mobile Presentation

Category names should be short enough to fit comfortably on a phone.

Confirm that:

  1. Category labels are readable.
  2. Long names do not crowd the layout.
  3. Visitors can move between media groups.
  4. Gallery media remains accessible.
  5. Category controls do not overlap other buttons.
  6. The page remains easy to scroll.

Rename categories when their labels are too long for the selected design.

13.51 Reviewing Category Accuracy

Confirm that each gallery item belongs in the correct category.

For example:

Certificate PDF → Certificates
Product video → Product Demonstrations
Office photograph → Company
Customer interview → Testimonials
Property walkthrough → Virtual Tours

Incorrect assignments reduce the usefulness of the category structure.

Category Naming Best Practices

13.52 Name Categories for the Audience

Use language familiar to the visitor.

For a customer-facing card:

Our Work
Customer Results
How-To Videos
Product Guides

For a professional portfolio:

Case Studies
Presentations
Certifications
Media Appearances

For an internal or technical audience:

Technical Documents
Implementation Videos
System Architecture
Training Resources

13.53 Avoid Internal Abbreviations

Do not use internal abbreviations that visitors may not understand.

Unclear:

Q3 IMP
OPS VIDS
PM DOCS
CLT PRJ

Clearer:

Quarter Three Improvements
Operations Videos
Project Documents
Client Projects

13.54 Avoid Dates Unless Needed

Do not create a separate category for every date unless the gallery is intentionally organized by year or event.

Overcomplicated:

January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026

Simpler:

2026 Events

Use individual media names or descriptions elsewhere when detailed dates are needed.

13.55 Use Location Categories Carefully

Location-based categories are helpful when each location has meaningful media.

Example:

Detroit Projects
Chicago Projects
Atlanta Projects

Do not create location categories when each contains only one unrelated item.

Troubleshooting Gallery Categories

13.56 The Category Will Not Save

Confirm that:

  1. The Category field is completed.
  2. The name contains actual text.
  3. The name is not longer than 255 characters.
  4. The same name does not already exist on the VCard.
  5. The browser session remains active.
  6. The form has not been submitted repeatedly.

13.57 Duplicate Category Error

A category with the same name already exists on that VCard.

Use the existing category or enter a distinct name.

Example:

Existing:
Events

Alternative:
Community Events

13.58 The Category Does Not Appear in Galleries

Confirm that:

  1. The category was saved successfully.
  2. The Gallery form was opened after the category was created.
  3. The correct VCard is being edited.
  4. The Add or Edit Gallery window has been refreshed.
  5. The category was not deleted.
  6. The category belongs to the current VCard.

Close and reopen the Gallery form when the selection list has not refreshed.

13.59 The Category Appears on the Wrong VCard

Gallery Categories are created for the VCard currently being edited.

Return to the VCards list and confirm the card name before creating additional categories.

Delete the category from the incorrect card and recreate it on the appropriate card when necessary.

13.60 A Renamed Category Still Shows the Old Name

After saving the change:

  1. Refresh the Gallery Category screen.
  2. Close and reopen the Gallery form.
  3. Refresh the public card.
  4. Open the public card in a private browser window.
  5. Confirm that the correct category was edited.
  6. Confirm that the success message appeared.

13.61 The Category Is Empty Publicly

A category may not have any gallery items assigned to it.

Open Galleries and confirm that at least one media entry uses the category.

Also confirm that the complete Gallery section is enabled in Manage Sections.

13.62 The Category Cannot Be Found After Deletion

Deletion removes the category record.

Recreate it through Add Category, then edit the relevant gallery items and assign the recreated category.

13.63 Too Many Categories Appear

Review the category list and remove:

  1. Empty categories
  2. Duplicate-purpose categories
  3. Outdated categories
  4. Test categories
  5. Categories with unclear names

Combine related groups manually by reassigning their gallery items.

13.64 Gallery Category Checklist

Before completing the Gallery Category section, confirm that:

  1. The correct VCard is being edited.
  2. Every category has a clear purpose.
  3. Category names are concise.
  4. No duplicate names exist.
  5. Capitalization is consistent.
  6. Categories were created before adding media.
  7. Gallery entries are assigned to the correct categories.
  8. Empty or outdated categories were removed.
  9. Media was reassigned before deleting categories.
  10. The Gallery section is enabled when it should be public.
  11. The categorized gallery has been reviewed on desktop and mobile.

Chapter Completion

At the end of this chapter, the user should understand how to plan, create, rename, organize, and delete Gallery Categories; assign categories to gallery media; combine or divide category groups; and troubleshoot category-selection issues.

Write Your Comment