How to Create Categories and Subcategories in Microsoft Teams
Question details
The user wants to set up a structured discussion forum with top-level categories (e.g., Movies) and nested subcategories (e.g., Horror, Drama, Comedy).
- Product
- Microsoft Teams / Viva Engage
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Structuring a community workspace or discussion forum into distinct topics and sub-topics for better organization.
- Observed behavior
- Viva Engage and Microsoft Teams do not support natively nested communities or subcommunities, preventing a direct category-subcategory hierarchy.
Ensure you have the necessary administrative or owner permissions to create new Teams and Channels within your Microsoft 365 organization workspace.
Use Teams for Categories and Channels for Subcategories
Since Microsoft Teams and Viva Engage lack nested subcommunities, creating a main Team and adding Channels is the official recommended workaround for organizing topics.
By treating a Microsoft Team as your main category and its channels as subcategories, you can mimic a nested forum structure. This allows you to compartmentalize discussions effectively.
You can also utilize privacy settings on individual channels to control which team members have access to specific subcategories.
Open Microsoft Teams, click on 'Teams' in the left sidebar, select 'Join or create a team' at the bottom, and click 'Create team'. Name this team after your main category (e.g., 'Movies').
Click the More options (...) icon next to your newly created Team name and select 'Add channel'. Name this channel after your subcategory (e.g., 'Horror', 'Drama', or 'Comedy').
Under the 'Privacy' dropdown in the channel creation window, choose 'Standard' if everyone in the Team should have access, or 'Private' if you need to restrict access to specific members.
Enhance Your Team Collaboration with WPS Office
While structuring your communication in Microsoft Teams, you will need a reliable productivity suite for creating and sharing documents. WPS Office is a free, lightweight, and powerful alternative to Microsoft Office that makes teamwork highly efficient.
- 1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the free download button for your operating system.
- 2. Install the software: Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
- 3. Start collaborating: Open WPS Office to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and share them directly with your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create sub-communities directly in Viva Engage?
No, Viva Engage currently does not support nested subcommunities. If you need a hierarchical structure, using Microsoft Teams and Channels is the best alternative.
What is the difference between standard and private channels in Microsoft Teams?
Standard channels are open to all members of the team, allowing anyone to view and participate in the discussions. Private channels are restricted to specific team members who are explicitly invited by the channel owner.
Is it possible to share a subcategory channel with people outside the main Team?
Yes, Microsoft Teams offers a 'Shared channel' feature. This allows you to invite individuals or groups from outside the main host Team without giving them access to the entire parent Team.
