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Category Management

Prerequisites

  • mini_mod_enabled must be on
  • enable_category_group_moderation must be on (Discourse core setting)
  • User must be in a group assigned as a moderation group on at least one category

What core Discourse already gives category group moderators

Before the plugin even gets involved, Discourse core grants category group moderators these abilities in their moderated categories:

  • Edit topics (title, content)
  • Close/open, archive, pin/unpin topics
  • Unlist/relist topics
  • Split/merge topics
  • Move posts
  • Edit staff notes
  • Reply on closed and archived topics (treated as "trusted" by can_create_post_on_topic?)

The plugin does not add these — they come from core's can_perform_action_available_to_group_moderators?. Note that the plugin does revoke two of these abilities by default (replying on closed topics, and reopening closed topics) — see Restrictions the plugin applies by default below.

What the plugin adds

Per-category mode (default)

  • Create subcategories under moderated categories, or create top-level categories
  • Edit moderated categories (name, description, permissions, settings, etc.)
  • Delete moderated categories (must have no topics and no subcategories)
  • Bulk change topic category — move topics from a moderated category to another moderated category

What they cannot do in per-category mode

  • Edit or delete categories they don't moderate
  • Edit topics in categories they don't moderate
  • Move topics from/to categories they don't moderate

Manage all categories mode

Enable mini_mod_manage_all_categories to expand permissions beyond moderated categories.

  • Create subcategories under any category
  • Edit any category
  • Delete any empty category
  • Edit topics in any visible category (not just moderated ones)
  • Bulk change topic category — move topics between any visible categories

Note: core moderation abilities (close, pin, unlist, etc.) still only work in moderated categories — manage_all_categories does not extend those.

How bulk topic category change works

When a user selects topics and uses the "Change Category" bulk action:

  1. The plugin checks can_edit_topic? for each topic — with manage all, this passes for any visible topic
  2. Discourse core's PostRevisor checks can_move_topic_to_category? for the target — the plugin allows any visible category
  3. Topics are moved and the response includes the changed topic IDs

Without the plugin, non-staff users who pass the base can_edit_topic? check (e.g., topic authors) can still move topics to public categories where they can create topics. The plugin extends this for category group moderators.

Restrictions the plugin applies by default

Discourse core treats category group moderators as "trusted" users for two actions that the plugin revokes by default:

  1. Replying on closed topics. Core lets category group moderators bypass the closed-topic posting block. The plugin's can_create_post_on_topic? override removes that bypass when mini_mod_can_post_in_closed_topics is false (the default).
  2. Reopening closed topics. Core lets category group moderators close, archive, and reopen topics in their categories. The plugin's can_open_topic? override removes only the reopen ability when mini_mod_can_reopen_topics is false (the default).

Both restrictions are intentionally narrow:

  • Site staff are unaffected — admins and moderators retain core's trusted-user privileges independently.
  • Other category group moderator abilities (closing topics, archiving, editing, category management, etc.) are untouched.
  • Only the specific Guardian methods listed above are overridden; every other path through core is left as-is.

To restore either ability, flip the corresponding site setting to true. See docs/settings.md for the full setting reference.

How it works technically

The plugin prepends Guardian extensions that override these methods:

Method What it controls
can_create_category? Creating new categories
can_edit_category? Editing category settings
can_edit_serialized_category? Whether the category shows as editable in the site category list
can_edit_topic? Editing topics in non-moderated categories (manage all mode only)
can_move_topic_to_category? Moving topics to a different category
can_create_post_on_topic? Replying on closed topics (blocked unless mini_mod_can_post_in_closed_topics is true)
can_close_topic? Reopening closed topics via the manual close/reopen toggle (blocked unless mini_mod_can_reopen_topics is true); closing open topics still works
can_open_topic? Reopening closed topics via topic timers (blocked unless mini_mod_can_reopen_topics is true)

Most methods call super first — if the base Discourse permission allows it, the plugin doesn't interfere. The plugin only adds permissions, with two exceptions: can_create_post_on_topic? and can_open_topic? revoke specific core "trusted user" privileges from category group moderators by default. Either can be restored with the corresponding site setting.

The admin JS bundle is preloaded for mini-mod users so the category edit/create routes (which live in the admin bundle) work in the browser.