diff --git a/public/src/admin/manage/categories.js b/public/src/admin/manage/categories.js
index ad1d8465398c..4e436410dfc8 100644
--- a/public/src/admin/manage/categories.js
+++ b/public/src/admin/manage/categories.js
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ define('admin/manage/categories', [
 	};
 
 	Categories.create = function (payload) {
-		socket.emit('admin.categories.create', payload, function (err, data) {
+		api.post('/categories', payload, function (err, data) {
 			if (err) {
 				return app.alertError(err.message);
 			}
diff --git a/src/admin/search.js b/src/admin/search.js
index 301e14f0e5db..d4cbe287b5e5 100644
--- a/src/admin/search.js
+++ b/src/admin/search.js
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ async function buildNamespace(language, namespace) {
 const cache = {};
 
 async function getDictionary(language) {
-	console.log('get dictionary', language);
 	if (cache[language]) {
 		return cache[language];
 	}
diff --git a/src/api/categories.js b/src/api/categories.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..673155b43606
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/categories.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const categories = require('../categories');
+const events = require('../events');
+
+const categoriesAPI = module.exports;
+
+categoriesAPI.create = async function (caller, data) {
+	const response = await categories.create(data);
+	const categoryObjs = await categories.getCategories([response.cid], caller.uid);
+	return categoryObjs[0];
+};
+
+categoriesAPI.update = async function (caller, data) {
+	await categories.update(data);
+};
+
+categoriesAPI.delete = async function (caller, data) {
+	const name = await categories.getCategoryField(data.cid, 'name');
+	await categories.purge(data.cid, caller.uid);
+	await events.log({
+		type: 'category-purge',
+		uid: caller.uid,
+		ip: caller.ip,
+		cid: data.cid,
+		name: name,
+	});
+};
diff --git a/src/api/index.js b/src/api/index.js
index 56961e1c9bf2..592092d0482c 100644
--- a/src/api/index.js
+++ b/src/api/index.js
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ module.exports = {
 	users: require('./users'),
 	groups: require('./groups'),
 	topics: require('./topics'),
+	categories: require('./categories'),
 };
diff --git a/src/controllers/write/categories.js b/src/controllers/write/categories.js
index dcd0f862ec60..05ba627ebca1 100644
--- a/src/controllers/write/categories.js
+++ b/src/controllers/write/categories.js
@@ -1,37 +1,26 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const categories = require('../../categories');
-const events = require('../../events');
+const api = require('../../api');
 
 const helpers = require('../helpers');
 
 const Categories = module.exports;
 
 Categories.create = async (req, res) => {
-	const response = await categories.create(req.body);
-	const categoryObjs = await categories.getCategories([response.cid]);
-	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, categoryObjs[0]);
+	const response = await api.categories.create(req, req.body);
+	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, response);
 };
 
 Categories.update = async (req, res) => {
 	const payload = {};
 	payload[req.params.cid] = req.body;
-
-	await categories.update(payload);
+	await api.categories.update(req, payload);
 	const categoryObjs = await categories.getCategories([req.params.cid]);
 	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res, categoryObjs[0]);
 };
 
 Categories.delete = async (req, res) => {
-	const name = await categories.getCategoryField(req.params.cid, 'name');
-	await categories.purge(req.params.cid, req.user.uid);
-	await events.log({
-		type: 'category-purge',
-		uid: req.user.uid,
-		ip: req.ip,
-		cid: req.params.cid,
-		name: name,
-	});
-
+	await api.categories.delete(req, { cid: req.params.cid });
 	helpers.formatApiResponse(200, res);
 };
diff --git a/src/socket.io/admin/categories.js b/src/socket.io/admin/categories.js
index b12882c849ba..fa5093976845 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/admin/categories.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/admin/categories.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const categories = require('../../categories');
 const privileges = require('../../privileges');
 const plugins = require('../../plugins');
 const events = require('../../events');
+const api = require('../../api');
 const sockets = require('..');
 
 const Categories = module.exports;
@@ -18,8 +19,7 @@ Categories.create = async function (socket, data) {
 	if (!data) {
 		throw new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]');
 	}
-
-	return await categories.create(data);
+	return await api.categories.create(socket, data);
 };
 
 // DEPRECATED: @1.14.3, remove in version >=1.16
@@ -42,15 +42,7 @@ Categories.getNames = async function () {
 Categories.purge = async function (socket, cid) {
 	sockets.warnDeprecated(socket, 'DELETE /api/v3/categories/:cid');
 
-	const name = await categories.getCategoryField(cid, 'name');
-	await categories.purge(cid, socket.uid);
-	await events.log({
-		type: 'category-purge',
-		uid: socket.uid,
-		ip: socket.ip,
-		cid: cid,
-		name: name,
-	});
+	await api.categories.delete(socket, { cid: cid });
 };
 
 Categories.update = async function (socket, data) {
@@ -59,8 +51,7 @@ Categories.update = async function (socket, data) {
 	if (!data) {
 		throw new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]');
 	}
-
-	return await categories.update(data);
+	return await api.categories.update(socket, data);
 };
 
 Categories.setPrivilege = async function (socket, data) {