diff --git a/src/main/engine/MenuEngine.ts b/src/main/engine/MenuEngine.ts
index e2fabae..78f7bd6 100644
--- a/src/main/engine/MenuEngine.ts
+++ b/src/main/engine/MenuEngine.ts
@@ -172,7 +172,11 @@ function parseOutlineNode(node: OpmlOutlineNode): MenuItemData {
       : rawType === 'home'
         ? 'home'
       : 'page';
-  const title = normalizeNonEmptyString(node['@_text']) || normalizeNonEmptyString(node['@_title']) || 'Untitled';
+  const textTitle = normalizeNonEmptyString(node['@_text']);
+  const explicitTitle = normalizeNonEmptyString(node['@_title']);
+  const title = kind === 'category-archive'
+    ? explicitTitle || textTitle || 'Untitled'
+    : textTitle || explicitTitle || 'Untitled';
 
   return {
     id: normalizeNonEmptyString(node['@_id']) || generateMenuItemId(),
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/CategoryInput/CategoryInput.tsx b/src/renderer/components/CategoryInput/CategoryInput.tsx
index 9964768..64ef915 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/CategoryInput/CategoryInput.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/CategoryInput/CategoryInput.tsx
@@ -2,11 +2,17 @@ import React, { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import '../TagInput/TagInput.css';
 import './CategoryInput.css';
 
+export interface CategoryOption {
+  name: string;
+  title: string;
+}
+
 interface CategoryInputProps {
-  categories: string[];
-  onSelectCategory: (categoryName: string) => void;
+  categories: CategoryOption[];
+  onSelectCategory: (category: CategoryOption) => void;
   placeholder?: string;
   createCategoryArchiveLabel: string;
+  allowCreate?: boolean;
   disabled?: boolean;
   autoFocus?: boolean;
   inlinePlain?: boolean;
@@ -17,6 +23,7 @@ export const CategoryInput: React.FC<CategoryInputProps> = ({
   onSelectCategory,
   placeholder = '',
   createCategoryArchiveLabel,
+  allowCreate = true,
   disabled = false,
   autoFocus = false,
   inlinePlain = false,
@@ -34,7 +41,7 @@ export const CategoryInput: React.FC<CategoryInputProps> = ({
 
     const query = inputValue.toLowerCase().trim();
     return categories
-      .filter((categoryName) => categoryName.toLowerCase().includes(query))
+      .filter((category) => category.title.toLowerCase().includes(query) || category.name.toLowerCase().includes(query))
       .slice(0, 8);
   }, [categories, inputValue]);
 
@@ -62,23 +69,33 @@ export const CategoryInput: React.FC<CategoryInputProps> = ({
     return () => clearTimeout(timer);
   }, [autoFocus, disabled]);
 
-  const createArchive = (label: string): void => {
-    const trimmed = label.trim();
-    if (!trimmed) {
+  const selectCategory = (category: CategoryOption): void => {
+    onSelectCategory(category);
+    setInputValue('');
+    setShowSuggestions(false);
+    setSelectedIndex(-1);
+  };
+
+  const createArchiveFromInput = (label: string): void => {
+    const trimmedName = label.trim();
+    if (!trimmedName) {
       return;
     }
 
-    onSelectCategory(trimmed);
+    onSelectCategory({
+      name: trimmedName,
+      title: trimmedName,
+    });
     setInputValue('');
     setShowSuggestions(false);
     setSelectedIndex(-1);
   };
 
   const exactMatchExists = inputValue.trim()
-    ? suggestions.some((item) => item.toLowerCase() === inputValue.trim().toLowerCase())
+    ? suggestions.some((item) => item.title.toLowerCase() === inputValue.trim().toLowerCase() || item.name.toLowerCase() === inputValue.trim().toLowerCase())
     : false;
 
-  const showCreateOption = inputValue.trim() && !exactMatchExists;
+  const showCreateOption = allowCreate && Boolean(inputValue.trim()) && !exactMatchExists;
 
   const handleKeyDown = (event: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLInputElement>): void => {
     if (event.key === 'ArrowDown') {
@@ -97,15 +114,18 @@ export const CategoryInput: React.FC<CategoryInputProps> = ({
     if (event.key === 'Enter') {
       event.preventDefault();
       if (selectedIndex >= 0 && selectedIndex < suggestions.length) {
-        createArchive(suggestions[selectedIndex]);
+        selectCategory(suggestions[selectedIndex]);
       } else if (selectedIndex === suggestions.length && showCreateOption) {
-        createArchive(inputValue);
+        createArchiveFromInput(inputValue);
       } else {
-        const exactMatch = categories.find((categoryName) => categoryName.toLowerCase() === inputValue.trim().toLowerCase());
+        const exactMatch = categories.find((category) => {
+          const query = inputValue.trim().toLowerCase();
+          return category.name.toLowerCase() === query || category.title.toLowerCase() === query;
+        });
         if (exactMatch) {
-          createArchive(exactMatch);
-        } else if (inputValue.trim()) {
-          createArchive(inputValue);
+          selectCategory(exactMatch);
+        } else if (allowCreate && inputValue.trim()) {
+          createArchiveFromInput(inputValue);
         }
       }
       return;
@@ -144,14 +164,14 @@ export const CategoryInput: React.FC<CategoryInputProps> = ({
 
       {showSuggestions && (suggestions.length > 0 || showCreateOption) && (
         <div className="tag-suggestions">
-          {suggestions.map((categoryName, index) => (
+          {suggestions.map((category, index) => (
             <button
-              key={categoryName}
+              key={category.name}
               type="button"
               className={`tag-suggestion ${selectedIndex === index ? 'selected' : ''}`}
-              onClick={() => createArchive(categoryName)}
+              onClick={() => selectCategory(category)}
             >
-              <span className="tag-suggestion-name">{categoryName}</span>
+              <span className="tag-suggestion-name">{category.title}</span>
             </button>
           ))}
 
@@ -159,7 +179,7 @@ export const CategoryInput: React.FC<CategoryInputProps> = ({
             <button
               type="button"
               className={`tag-suggestion create-new ${selectedIndex === suggestions.length ? 'selected' : ''}`}
-              onClick={() => createArchive(inputValue)}
+              onClick={() => createArchiveFromInput(inputValue)}
             >
               <span className="tag-suggestion-icon">+</span>
               <span>{createCategoryArchiveLabel}</span>
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/CategoryInput/index.ts b/src/renderer/components/CategoryInput/index.ts
index c4ff9eb..b14b79e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/CategoryInput/index.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/components/CategoryInput/index.ts
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 export { CategoryInput } from './CategoryInput';
+export type { CategoryOption } from './CategoryInput';
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/MenuEditorView/MenuEditorView.css b/src/renderer/components/MenuEditorView/MenuEditorView.css
index 633c1e9..b50435c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/MenuEditorView/MenuEditorView.css
+++ b/src/renderer/components/MenuEditorView/MenuEditorView.css
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 .menu-editor-view {
   padding: 1rem;
   height: 100%;
+  flex: 1;
+  min-height: 0;
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
   gap: 0.75rem;
   position: relative;
+  overflow: hidden;
 }
 
 .menu-editor-header {
@@ -33,6 +36,7 @@
   flex-direction: column;
   min-height: 0;
   flex: 1;
+  overflow: hidden;
 }
 
 .menu-editor-tree-wrap {
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/MenuEditorView/MenuEditorView.tsx b/src/renderer/components/MenuEditorView/MenuEditorView.tsx
index dcbb714..78e6ef0 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/MenuEditorView/MenuEditorView.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/MenuEditorView/MenuEditorView.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useI18n } from '../../i18n';
 import { showToast } from '../Toast';
 import type { MenuDocument, MenuItemData, PostData } from '../../../main/shared/electronApi';
 import { PageInput } from '../PageInput';
-import { CategoryInput } from '../CategoryInput';
+import { CategoryInput, type CategoryOption } from '../CategoryInput';
 import { createAutoExpandController } from './menuAutoExpand';
 import { resolveInsertTarget } from './menuInsertTarget';
 import { isPickerCloseKey } from './menuPagePicker';
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ export const MenuEditorView: React.FC = () => {
   const [isSaving, setIsSaving] = useState(false);
   const [isLoadingPages, setIsLoadingPages] = useState(false);
   const [pagePosts, setPagePosts] = useState<PostData[]>([]);
-  const [categories, setCategories] = useState<string[]>([]);
+  const [categories, setCategories] = useState<CategoryOption[]>([]);
   const [isLoadingCategories, setIsLoadingCategories] = useState(false);
   const [editingEntryId, setEditingEntryId] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [editingEntryType, setEditingEntryType] = useState<'page' | 'category' | null>(null);
@@ -354,8 +354,16 @@ export const MenuEditorView: React.FC = () => {
 
     setIsLoadingCategories(true);
     try {
-      const nextCategories = await window.electronAPI.meta.getCategories();
-      setCategories(nextCategories);
+      const [nextCategories, projectMetadata] = await Promise.all([
+        window.electronAPI.meta.getCategories(),
+        window.electronAPI.meta.getProjectMetadata().catch(() => null),
+      ]);
+
+      const categoryMetadata = projectMetadata?.categoryMetadata ?? {};
+      setCategories(nextCategories.map((categoryName) => ({
+        name: categoryName,
+        title: categoryMetadata[categoryName]?.title?.trim() || categoryName,
+      })));
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Failed to load categories:', error);
       showToast.error(tr('menuEditor.categoryPicker.loadError'));
@@ -414,33 +422,60 @@ export const MenuEditorView: React.FC = () => {
     setEditingEntryType(null);
   };
 
-  const setDraftAsCategoryArchive = (categoryName: string): void => {
+  const setDraftAsCategoryArchive = (category: CategoryOption): void => {
     if (!editingEntryId) {
       return;
     }
 
-    const trimmed = categoryName.trim();
-    if (!trimmed) {
-      return;
-    }
+    const draftEntryId = editingEntryId;
 
-    setItems((previous) => mapItems(previous, (item) => {
-      if (item.id !== editingEntryId) {
-        return item;
+    void (async () => {
+      const trimmedName = category.name.trim();
+      const trimmedTitle = category.title.trim();
+      if (!trimmedName) {
+        return;
       }
 
-      return {
-        ...item,
-        title: trimmed,
-        kind: 'category-archive',
-        pageId: undefined,
-        pageSlug: undefined,
-        categoryName: trimmed,
-      };
-    }));
+      let nextCategoryName = trimmedName;
+      const exists = categories.some((item) => item.name.toLowerCase() === trimmedName.toLowerCase());
 
-    setEditingEntryId(null);
-    setEditingEntryType(null);
+      if (!exists) {
+        try {
+          const updatedCategories = await window.electronAPI.meta.addCategory(trimmedName);
+          const matched = updatedCategories.find((item) => item.toLowerCase() === trimmedName.toLowerCase());
+          nextCategoryName = matched || trimmedName;
+          setCategories((previous) => {
+            if (previous.some((item) => item.name.toLowerCase() === nextCategoryName.toLowerCase())) {
+              return previous;
+            }
+            return [...previous, {
+              name: nextCategoryName,
+              title: trimmedTitle || nextCategoryName,
+            }];
+          });
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error('Failed to create category from menu editor:', error);
+        }
+      }
+
+      setItems((previous) => mapItems(previous, (item) => {
+        if (item.id !== draftEntryId) {
+          return item;
+        }
+
+        return {
+          ...item,
+          title: trimmedTitle || nextCategoryName,
+          kind: 'category-archive',
+          pageId: undefined,
+          pageSlug: undefined,
+          categoryName: nextCategoryName,
+        };
+      }));
+
+      setEditingEntryId(null);
+      setEditingEntryType(null);
+    })();
   };
 
   const startCreateEntry = async (): Promise<void> => {
diff --git a/tests/engine/MenuEngine.test.ts b/tests/engine/MenuEngine.test.ts
index a34de7a..d4a5b4f 100644
--- a/tests/engine/MenuEngine.test.ts
+++ b/tests/engine/MenuEngine.test.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,24 @@ describe('MenuEngine', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('preserves custom title for category archive entries when OPML includes both text and title', async () => {
+    const menuPath = normalizePath(`${menuEngine.getMetaDir()}/menu.opml`);
+    mockFiles.set(
+      menuPath,
+      `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>\n<opml version="2.0">\n  <head><title>Blog Menu</title></head>\n  <body>\n    <outline id="menu-home" text="Home" type="home" pageSlug="home"/>\n    <outline id="cat-news" text="news" title="Editorial Highlights" type="category-archive" categoryName="news"/>\n  </body>\n</opml>`,
+    );
+
+    const result = await menuEngine.getMenu();
+
+    expect(result.items).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(result.items[1]).toMatchObject({
+      id: 'cat-news',
+      kind: 'category-archive',
+      categoryName: 'news',
+      title: 'Editorial Highlights',
+    });
+  });
+
   it('writes menu state as OPML and can read it back', async () => {
     const saved = await menuEngine.saveMenu({
       items: [
@@ -130,4 +148,27 @@ describe('MenuEngine', () => {
 
     expect(saved.items.some((item) => item.id === 'menu-home')).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  it('persists category archives as menu references without category metadata fields', async () => {
+    await menuEngine.saveMenu({
+      items: [
+        {
+          id: 'cat-news',
+          title: 'Newsroom',
+          kind: 'category-archive',
+          categoryName: 'news',
+          children: [],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    const menuPath = normalizePath(`${menuEngine.getMetaDir()}/menu.opml`);
+    const xml = mockFiles.get(menuPath);
+
+    expect(xml).toBeDefined();
+    expect(xml).toContain('categoryName="news"');
+    expect(xml).toContain('text="Newsroom"');
+    expect(xml).not.toContain('renderInLists');
+    expect(xml).not.toContain('showTitle');
+  });
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/renderer/components/MenuEditorView.test.tsx b/tests/renderer/components/MenuEditorView.test.tsx
index 59004c6..51b3356 100644
--- a/tests/renderer/components/MenuEditorView.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/renderer/components/MenuEditorView.test.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ describe('MenuEditorView entry editor', () => {
       meta: {
         ...(window as any).electronAPI?.meta,
         getCategories: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(['news', 'tech']),
+        getProjectMetadata: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+          name: 'Project 1',
+          categoryMetadata: {
+            news: { title: 'Newsroom', renderInLists: true, showTitle: true },
+            tech: { title: 'Technology', renderInLists: true, showTitle: true },
+          },
+        }),
       },
       posts: {
         ...(window as any).electronAPI?.posts,
@@ -228,4 +235,44 @@ describe('MenuEditorView entry editor', () => {
     expect(screen.queryByText(/^submenu$/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it('uses category titles for suggestions and outline while saving category slug internally', async () => {
+    render(<MenuEditorView />);
+
+    const categoryButton = await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /add category archive/i });
+    fireEvent.click(categoryButton);
+
+    const input = await screen.findByPlaceholderText(/type a category name/i);
+    fireEvent.input(input, { target: { value: 'room' } });
+
+    const suggestion = await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /newsroom/i });
+    fireEvent.click(suggestion);
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('Newsroom')).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    const saveButton = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /^save menu$/i });
+    fireEvent.click(saveButton);
+
+    const saveMock = (window as any).electronAPI.menu.save;
+    expect(saveMock).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const payload = saveMock.mock.calls[0][0];
+
+    const categoryItem = payload.items.find((item: any) => item.kind === 'category-archive');
+    expect(categoryItem).toBeDefined();
+    expect(categoryItem.title).toBe('Newsroom');
+    expect(categoryItem.categoryName).toBe('news');
+  });
+
+  it('allows creating a new category archive from free text', async () => {
+    const { container } = render(<MenuEditorView />);
+
+    const categoryButton = await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /add category archive/i });
+    fireEvent.click(categoryButton);
+
+    const input = await screen.findByPlaceholderText(/type a category name/i);
+    fireEvent.input(input, { target: { value: 'not-existing-category' } });
+
+    const createSuggestion = container.querySelector('.tag-suggestion.create-new');
+    expect(createSuggestion).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+
 });