Categories overview
Categories organise downloads into a hierarchy. They are similar to forum nodes: each category has a parent, a position in the tree, and inherits permissions and settings from its ancestors.
Where categories live
| Surface | Path |
|---|---|
| Public | /downloads/categories/<slug>.<id>/ |
| Admin | AdminCP > [MC] Downloads Manager > Categories |
| API | GET /api/mc-dm-categories/ |
What a category controls
Categories carry settings across several areas:
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Identity | Title, description, icon, cover image, parent, position in the tree, breadcrumb. |
| SEO | Open Graph title, meta title, meta description, sitemap and search-index inclusion. |
| Behaviour | Whether the category accepts new downloads, whether new uploads need approval, whether versioning is enabled, whether the category appears in the top-level overview. |
| Content terms | The per-category nouns used instead of "download" and "downloads". |
| File policy | Allowed extensions, file size caps, multi-file vs single-file, files-per-version cap. |
| Discussion | Native comments toggle, thread mode, target forum, thread title and first-post template. |
| Reviews | Whether reviews are accepted, voting mode, anonymous reviews, review approval. |
| Throttling | Per-category download rate limits for guests and members. |
| Previews | Which preview types are enabled (text, image, audio, video, PDF, archive). |
| External URLs | Whether external URL uploads are allowed in this category, and which schemes. |
| Custom fields and prefixes | Which fields and prefixes apply in this category. |
| Tagging and teams | Minimum tags required at upload, whether teams are allowed, max team size. |
For the full list of per-category settings, see per-category settings.
Content terms
Each category can rebrand "download" with its own noun. A category for graphic assets might use "asset" / "assets"; a category for software releases might keep the default. The terms appear in:
- Page headings on the category and download views.
- Action buttons ("Add asset" instead of "Add download").
- Some breadcrumb labels.
To set them, edit the category and fill in Content term and Content term plural. Leave both blank to keep the default "download" / "downloads".
Tree structure
Categories nest like forum nodes. Each category has a parent (or no parent, making it a root category). Permissions inherit down the tree. Most settings inherit too, with explicit per-category overrides where set.
How many categories
There is no upper limit on category count. Sites in production run with 100+ categories without performance issues.
Default seed category
A fresh install seeds one category named "Downloads" with Accept new downloads off. Edit it before exposing the public surface, or create a fresh tree and remove the seed.