Every post you write needs a category, and it can use a post format too. Pick your defaults once, and WordPress fills them in for you from then on.

## Prerequisites

- An Administrator account for your site, or another account that's allowed to change your site's settings.

## Steps

### Step 1: Open the Writing settings and set your defaults

In the menu on the left, click **Settings**, then click **Writing**. Open the **Default Post Category** dropdown and pick where new posts should land, then open the **Default Post Format** dropdown and pick the format you write most. If you're unsure about the format, leave it on **Standard** — that's the everyday format most themes expect.

![Open the Writing settings and set your defaults](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTA4MzYsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--2ab63a95a35f34fc55dac3f1f7ff0643df2bca7a/block_set-your-defaults.png)

### Step 2: Save your changes

Click **Save Changes** at the bottom of the page. WordPress will use your new defaults for every post you write from now on.

![Save your changes](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTA4MDYsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--5e7484daea7d9ef09c604e40cd9f8353203dc566/block_save-changes.png)

## Tips

- The **Default Post Category** list shows every category on your site, so you can pick one without leaving this page.
- You can still change the category or format on any single post as you write it — these defaults are just the starting point.

## Summary

Your default category and post format are set. Every new post now starts with those choices already made, and you can override them per post whenever you like.