ag_roQ: When do you expect to overhaul category structure?
Hi Jason,
Bought 2 licenses in July'2025, I faced significant limitations. Found system to be buggy & unstable at times. Raised multiple concerns with support team on few I could not get back owing to technical troubleshooting required. My 2 tier-5 licenses have been UNUSED since then.
A major & very basic features that brought my project to knees is the Inability for a member to select multiple top-level category. Support's reply - Use 2nd level category. Not ideal since it leaves 2 level structure only. This is a MUST feature.
It feels this limitation is planned since BD is Wordpress based which does not have 3-level limitation. Maybe to promote 3P developers from your marketplace (Support's reply to me)? Right after purchase it felt very bad to hear 'hire a guy' to do basic stuff.
ANY TIMELINE? NEED THIS ASAP PLZ.
Jason_BrilliantDirectories
Dec 8, 2025A: Thanks for your question and for taking the time to check us out — and thank you as well for your patience and honesty. I know how it feels when a project pauses because something isn’t lining up the way you expected. I’ll walk through everything clearly and respectfully.
First, while you’re waiting to continue your build, it’s always a good idea to get your homepage and core SEO content online so your domain can start aging and indexing in Google. With the AI Setup Wizard and AI SEO Page Builder, you can have a clean homepage, starter content, and a fully functioning site online in minutes — even before finalizing your category structure.
Now, about top-level categories:
⭐ Top-level categories in BD are intentionally designed to be broad “containers.”
For example, you might have a single general bucket such as Local Business, Service Provider, or General Member.
From there:
• Members can select unlimited subcategories,
• And unlimited sub-subcategories,
• Which gives you all the segmentation you need while keeping the top level clean and functional.
This structure is intentional — not to restrict you, but to ensure the core search and filtering systems remain stable, fast, and predictable across tens of thousands of BD-powered websites.
That said, I completely understand why you would want multiple top-level selections in your specific use case. It’s valid feedback, and you’re not wrong for wanting it. It’s simply not how the system is architected today.
Regarding your concerns:
• BD is not built on WordPress — it’s its own platform built from the ground up.
• We do not limit top-level categories to promote third-party developers.
• The guidance you received (“use subcategories instead”) is the current recommended best practice for 99% of directory models.
Our support team is always here to help, and you are absolutely welcome to reach out anytime. I’m also here if you want help mapping your category structure in a way that accomplishes what you need while staying within BD’s strengths.
Please let us know if you have any more questions — always happy to help.
Hi Jason,
Thanks for your quick reply.
I can understand the reason to restrict but then it should be optional. with ability to flex this bit if need arises. This is a serious limitation since not all directories should function the same predefined way. A general yellow pages, service providers, freelancers or more niche hobby directories - all structure differently.
If support directs me to 3rd party developers for a basic stuff then surely it doesn't feel justified that too for a basic feature that should be inbuilt.
If a developer can implement this, then why not bring this as a core feature, if BD is built fully ground up?
It's a basic system infra, not heavy fancy feature that should call for customization right after purchase.
Also, external customizations tend to break with future updates. So it will be like getting caught in a cycle of development and redevelopment/maintenance after almost every update.
Need 3 levels with top-level as multi-select. Given it multi-thought but unable to get a structure. May work now, but difficult to ideate for growing structure.
Vague example- plumber vs painter vs both (1st level - multiselect), new work vs maintenance & repair (2nd level), city limits vs suburbs (3rd).
Can discuss in detail via email, but certainly NEED this feature,
Thanks for sharing this example! Locations don't need to be used as "categories". Users select the locations they service as separate settings, then any searches for that location display the members in those locations.
🔹 Top-Level Category (broad bucket)
If a member can be both Plumber and Painter, then those should not be top-level categories. Top-level should be something broad enough that any type of service provider fits comfortably inside, such as “Trades,” “Home Services,” or “Contractors.”
🔹 Second-Level Category (your Plumber / Painter types)
Here the member can multi-select “Plumber,” “Painter,” or both — this gives you the flexibility you need without breaking the hierarchy.
🔹 Third-Level Category (specializations / service types)
These would be your detailed service areas like:
• Plumbing → New Installations, Repairs, Maintenance
• Painting → Interior, Exterior, Touch-ups, Color Consultation
Members simply select the services relevant to the categories they picked.
This approach gives you the clarity of a 3-tier system without boxing yourself into a structure that
And just to reassure you — everything you’re trying to accomplish can be done using the platform’s default features. Locations don't need to be used as your categories. No custom coding is needed, and we generally don’t recommend customization when you’re first setting up your site. The built-in tools already cover these structures well and will keep your project easy to manage as it grows.