WordPress does have have a Preview Theme feature, so it is not so far-fetched to think that a category page preview is out of bounds.
I did expect that my category template would be viewable when I went to that particular category even if there are no posts in that category. I put the additional HTML outside of The Loop.
Have I misunderstood that as well?
https://www.motherhoodwithattitude.com/category/guest-bloggers/
(which is https://www.motherhoodwithattitude.com/?cat=3)
category-3.php
<?php get_header(); ?>
<?php get_sidebar(); ?>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff" width="560" align="center"><!-- S T A R T M A I N C O N T E N T -->
<table align="center" width="530"><tr><td class="content">
<div align="right"><a href="<?php bloginfo('rss2_url'); ?>" title="<?php _e('Syndicate this site using RSS'); ?>"><img src="https://www.mozilla.org/images/feed-icon-14x14.png" alt="RSS Feed" title="RSS Feed" /></a></div>
<table>
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<td><img src="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/blogger_yolanda.jpg" width="137" height="125" alt="" border="0" align="right" hspace="5">
<b>Yolanda, Healing</b><br />
I am a NJ-based freelance writer, belly dancer, massage therapist and musician! I have two children (ages 5 and 7) and have found myself on a journey in which healing is fueled by my art and vice versa.
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<img src="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/blogger_jody.jpg" width="137" height="125" alt="" border="0" align="right" hspace="5">
<b>Jody, Mom of 5 (teenagers on up!) and a grandmother</b><br />
I am a pre-menopausal mother of five... two teenaged daughters, and three older sons, one of whom just completed his second tour in Iraq. I have literally changed thousands of diapers in my years as a mother and more recently as a grandmother. I dream... nay, I live for the day when the proverbial reversal of roles kick in and my kids have the pleasure of changing my diapers.
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<img src="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/blogger_hillary.jpg" width="137" height="125" alt="" border="0" align="right" hspace="5">
<b>Hillary , Mom of three, one of whom has autism</b><br />
I am an eight-year veteran of motherhood with three boys: one Type A, one Type Z and one autistic (Type Q?). My main goal of each day is to make it through with a sense of humor and no martinis before noon. I live in the Midwest with my husband and boys and enjoy my role as the only female in the house!
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</td>
<td><img src="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/blogger_yolanda.jpg" width="137" height="125" alt="" border="0" align="right" hspace="5">
<b>Dani, Mom of three, ages 4 to 17.</b><br />
I am the mother of three kids who are loud enough to drown out a passenger jet, ages 17, 7 and 4. At this point I feel like I've 'been there, done that' with most everything related to parenthood aside from getting any of them OUT of the house. I spent most my life in the Denver area but currently live on another planet: Houston, Texas
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<img src="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/blogger_yolanda.jpg" width="137" height="125" alt="" border="0" align="right" hspace="5">
<b>Megan,</b><br />
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<img src="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/blogger_yolanda.jpg" width="137" height="125" alt="" border="0" align="right" hspace="5">
<b>Geri, Full-time working mom of 2-year-old twins and a 7-month-old</b><br />
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</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div id="main">
<?php if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
<div class="post">
<h3 class="storytitle" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>"><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark">
<?php the_title(); ?>
</a></h3>
<div class="meta">
<?php the_date('','',''); ?> — <?php the_author() ?> @ <?php the_time() ?>
<?php edit_post_link(__('Edit This')); ?>
</div>
<div class="storycontent">
<?php the_content(__('(more...)')); ?>
</div>
<div class="feedback" align="right">
<?php wp_link_pages(); ?>
<?php comments_popup_link(__('Comments (0)'), __('Comments (1)'), __('Comments (%)')); ?>
</div>
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</div>
<div class="postend">• • •</div>
<?php comments_template(); // Get wp-comments.php template ?>
<?php endwhile; else: ?>
<p>
<?php _e('Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.'); ?>
</p>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php posts_nav_link(' — ', __('« Previous Page'), __('Next Page »')); ?>
</div>
</td></tr></table><!-- E N D M A I N C O N T E N T -->
<?php get_footer(); ?>
