☀️Welcome to the Guide: "Right Category, Right Discussion"

[shinybrightstar]

🚀 TL;DR: Help Keep Discussions Organized by Helping Each Other Recategorize!

If you spot a discussion in the wrong category, give the poster a friendly nudge and guide them on how to move it to the right place. Keeping things organized helps everyone find answers faster!

🔹 Suggested Response:

"Hi, you are more likely to get a helpful response if you post your question(s) in the applicable category. This post belongs to the ....category. You can move it to that category. All the best!"

🔄 Pro Tip: Save this response to your "Saved Replies" for quick and easy use in the future!

💬 Got questions or challenges with categorization? Share your feedback in the comments.

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Hello everyone!

This guide will help you understand each category in our Community and how to use them effectively. Understanding each category’s purpose will make it easier for everyone to find and contribute to relevant topics! You can also look at this Quick Start Guide and 4 ways your discussions categories can be better optimized for posting tips.

Before creating a new discussion, ask yourself these questions: 🙏

What is the main purpose of my post?

Determine if you are asking for help, sharing an innovative idea, or providing product feedback.
Example: If you are encountering a bug in your code and need troubleshooting assistance, your post is primarily asking a question. On the other hand, if you have a suggestion for a new GitHub feature, you should classify your post as Product feedback.

Am I asking for help, sharing an idea, or sharing product feedback?

Clearly defining your post's purpose helps guide readers to the right category, ensuring you get the responses you need.
Example: For a post requesting help, include detailed error messages and a description of what you've already tried. For product feedback or enhancements, outline the potential benefits or improvements you foresee so others can provide constructive insights.

Who is my audience?

Consider whether your discussion is intended for a specific group, such as experienced developers, or for the broader community, which includes newcomers.
Example: A post about advanced debugging techniques might be best suited for experienced users, whereas a question about setting up your first GitHub repository would benefit new users more.

Is this meant for a specific category or the entire community?

Decide if your post is more relevant to a particular category, such as API and Webhooks or Programming Help, rather than a general discussion that applies to everyone.
Example: A technical query about a GitHub API issue should be posted under API and Webhooks to attract experts familiar with troubleshooting, while a broader discussion on collaborative practices could fit well in the General category.

Is it already addressed elsewhere? Check existing discussions to avoid duplicates.

Before posting, use the search function to see if your topic has already been discussed. This prevents fragmentation and consolidates valuable insights into one thread.

Example: If you want to start a discussion on best practices for managing open-source projects, search for similar threads. Consider adding your perspective there rather than starting a new discussion if a relevant discussion exists.

Tips for Proper Categorization 🏢

Review the Category Descriptions: Each category has a short description that appears when you create a new discussion to help you decide if this is the right category for your post.
Be Specific in Titles: A clear title helps others quickly understand your topic.
Use Labels: Labels help others find your discussion, even within the correct category.

What If You Make a Mistake? 🥲

Don't worry! If your discussion is misplaced, moderators or other community members might suggest the correct category. As the author of the post, you can recategorize your posts too–awesome right…? In the future, we encourage you to review the guidelines to get your discussion in the right category so you can get the best help possible!

How you can help 🆘

If you see someone posting in the wrong category, help them out. Share how they can recategorize themself. Here is a response you can use this reply:

Hi, you are more likely to get a helpful response if you post your question(s) in the applicable category. 
This post belongs to the .... category. You can move it to that category. All the best!

You can add this to your saved replies as shown in this screenshot.

We'll add a new section into our check-ins celebrating all the members that help out with recategorization and help us keep the community organized.

Share Your Feedback 🗣️

We're here to make categorization easier for everyone. If you find anything unclear or face challenges, please post in the comments. Let us know if you found this guide helpful!
Thank you for keeping our community organized!
Together, we can ensure the GitHub Community remains a helpful and engaging space for all users. 🙏

[flumadi]

Thanks for the guide

[ebamine]

please i have this problem any solution?

[shinybrightstar]

Welcome to the GitHub Community, @ebamine, we're happy you're here! You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting your question in the GitHub Education category and are explicit about what your project entails--giving a few more details might help someone give you a nudge in the right direction.

[esparzar]

Hi! @ebamine, for your GitHub Education benefits application question, I'd recommend:

Search these in the community:

• category:education "verification"
• tag:github-education "application"
• "school detection" "education benefits"

Also check:

• Education category discussions
• Tags: github-education, student-benefits, verification

This will help you find existing solutions from users who faced similar school verification and location issues! 🎓

Pro tip: Save your search to quickly find new answers as they're posted.

[cyberpvn7]

thanks for this

[harshsahu383]

Thanks for this

[bstum9334-beep]

Help mme

[Harrydunk990]

Thank you so much

[Priya-C-016]

Thanks for sharing

[RUSSL90]

Thank you

[kirub295]

Thanks

[HyperPenetrator]

Tysm ;]

[AshishPandey26]

Helpful guide

[akeel0078]

Thanks for this

[akeel0078]

Welcome

[DevA6O]

Thank you!

[hmtr6011-art]

Thank you!

[Tamilvendhan23]

Hi everyone! 👋

Thanks for sharing this guide — it's super helpful, especially for those of us who are new to the community or unsure about where to post our queries.

I liked how it encourages us to think before posting: “Am I asking for help, giving feedback, or sharing ideas?” ,that one question itself can really reduce confusion and help us all get better responses.

Also, the tip about using specific categories like API and Webhooks or Programming Help is really useful, ’ve sometimes posted in general threads without realizing there was a more suitable place for it.

Appreciate the reminder that it’s okay to make mistakes and that we can always recategorize later ,it takes the pressure off and encourages participation without fear.

Looking forward to contributing more and helping others with categorization too! 🙌

Thanks again for making this space more organized and welcoming! 😊

[jayanth119]

Thanks again for making this space more organized and welcoming! 😊

[Renan-Vargas]

thanks for this

[Shriraj888]

thanks , it helpful

[TheNikhilRaj]

Hello everyone!!

[aaronedev]

hola!

[bstum9334-beep]

Hi

[TheNikhilRaj]

hola!

hello

[Nishant-0203]

Thanks for putting this guide together @shinybrightstar 🙌

I really like the reminder that we can recategorize our own posts later. That takes a lot of pressure off new members who might feel anxious about “posting in the wrong place.”

One small suggestion I’d add is that it might help if we could see examples of common misplacements (e.g., people posting account recovery issues in General instead of Account & 2FA). Having a couple of “before/after” examples could make it even easier for newcomers to spot the right category faster.

Overall, this guide makes it clear and welcoming for everyone — thanks again for helping the community stay organized! 🙏

[ysnyuki2321]

tks

[VictorMoni]

Very helpful, thanks for the guide ❤️

[KailashSatkuri-warangal]

very helpful

[esparzar]

Great guide! This will really help keep the community organized. Thanks for putting this together! 👍

[RUSSL90]

Thank you