diff --git a/includes/class-newspack-blocks-api.php b/includes/class-newspack-blocks-api.php
index df7f77f36..c52301020 100644
--- a/includes/class-newspack-blocks-api.php
+++ b/includes/class-newspack-blocks-api.php
@@ -159,7 +159,9 @@ public static function newspack_blocks_get_primary_category( $object ) {
 			return '';
 		}
 
-		return $category->name;
+		$linked_category = '<a href="#">' . $category->name . '</a>';
+
+		return apply_filters( 'newspack_blocks_categories', $linked_category );
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/blocks/carousel/edit.js b/src/blocks/carousel/edit.js
index e69d0b91c..60dd904ec 100644
--- a/src/blocks/carousel/edit.js
+++ b/src/blocks/carousel/edit.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { InspectorControls } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
 // eslint-disable-next-line @wordpress/no-unsafe-wp-apis
 import { dateI18n, __experimentalGetSettings } from '@wordpress/date';
-import { Component, createRef, Fragment } from '@wordpress/element';
+import { Component, createRef, Fragment, RawHTML } from '@wordpress/element';
 import {
 	BaseControl,
 	Button,
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ class Edit extends Component {
 														{ showCategory &&
 															( ! post.newspack_post_sponsors ||
 																post.newspack_sponsors_show_categories ) && (
-																<a href="#">{ decodeEntities( post.newspack_category_info ) }</a>
+																<RawHTML>{ decodeEntities( post.newspack_category_info ) }</RawHTML>
 															) }
 													</div>
 												) }
diff --git a/src/blocks/carousel/view.php b/src/blocks/carousel/view.php
index 1c48ac005..ab90772f2 100644
--- a/src/blocks/carousel/view.php
+++ b/src/blocks/carousel/view.php
@@ -111,36 +111,10 @@ function newspack_blocks_render_block_carousel( $attributes ) {
 									</span>
 									<?php
 								endif;
-								$category = false;
 
-								// Use Yoast primary category if set.
-								if ( class_exists( 'WPSEO_Primary_Term' ) ) {
-									$primary_term = new WPSEO_Primary_Term( 'category', $post_id );
-									$category_id  = $primary_term->get_primary_term();
-									if ( $category_id ) {
-										$category = get_term( $category_id );
-									}
-								}
-
-								if ( ! $category ) {
-									$categories_list = get_the_category();
-									if ( ! empty( $categories_list ) ) {
-										$category = $categories_list[0];
-									}
-								}
-
-								if ( $attributes['showCategory'] && $category && ( empty( $sponsors ) || Newspack_Blocks::newspack_display_sponsors_and_categories( $sponsors ) ) ) :
-									?>
-									<?php $category_link = get_category_link( $category->term_id ); ?>
-									<?php if ( ! empty( $category_link ) ) : ?>
-										<a href="<?php echo esc_url( get_category_link( $category->term_id ) ); ?>">
-									<?php endif; ?>
-										<?php echo esc_html( $category->name ); ?>
-									<?php if ( ! empty( $category_link ) ) : ?>
-									</a>
-										<?php
-										endif;
-									endif;
+								if ( $attributes['showCategory'] && ( empty( $sponsors ) || Newspack_Blocks::newspack_display_sponsors_and_categories( $sponsors ) ) ) :
+									echo wp_kses_post( newspack_blocks_format_categories( $post_id ) );
+								endif;
 								?>
 								</div>
 							<?php
diff --git a/src/blocks/homepage-articles/edit.js b/src/blocks/homepage-articles/edit.js
index 6959ed601..4f69da4ee 100644
--- a/src/blocks/homepage-articles/edit.js
+++ b/src/blocks/homepage-articles/edit.js
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ class Edit extends Component {
 							) }
 							{ showCategory &&
 								( ! post.newspack_post_sponsors || post.newspack_sponsors_show_categories ) && (
-									<a href="#">{ decodeEntities( post.newspack_category_info ) }</a>
+									<RawHTML>{ decodeEntities( post.newspack_category_info ) }</RawHTML>
 								) }
 						</div>
 					) }
diff --git a/src/blocks/homepage-articles/templates/article.php b/src/blocks/homepage-articles/templates/article.php
index 547a4d026..f11439096 100644
--- a/src/blocks/homepage-articles/templates/article.php
+++ b/src/blocks/homepage-articles/templates/article.php
@@ -56,21 +56,6 @@ function( $data ) {
 		if ( $attributes['fetchPriority'] && in_array( $attributes['fetchPriority'], [ 'high', 'low', 'auto' ], true ) ) {
 			$thumbnail_args['fetchpriority'] = $attributes['fetchPriority'];
 		}
-		$category = false;
-		// Use Yoast primary category if set.
-		if ( class_exists( 'WPSEO_Primary_Term' ) ) {
-			$primary_term = new WPSEO_Primary_Term( 'category', $post_id );
-			$category_id  = $primary_term->get_primary_term();
-			if ( $category_id ) {
-				$category = get_term( $category_id );
-			}
-		}
-		if ( ! $category ) {
-			$categories_list = get_the_category();
-			if ( ! empty( $categories_list ) ) {
-				$category = $categories_list[0];
-			}
-		}
 
 		// Support Newspack Listings hide author/publish date options.
 		$hide_author       = apply_filters( 'newspack_listings_hide_author', false ); // phpcs:ignore WordPress.NamingConventions.PrefixAllGlobals.NonPrefixedHooknameFound
@@ -105,19 +90,20 @@ class="<?php echo esc_attr( implode( ' ', $classes ) ); ?>"
 		<?php endif; ?>
 
 		<div class="entry-wrapper">
-			<?php if ( ! empty( $sponsors ) || ( $attributes['showCategory'] && $category ) ) : ?>
-				<?php $category_link = get_category_link( $category->term_id ); ?>
+			<?php if ( ! empty( $sponsors ) || ( $attributes['showCategory'] ) ) : ?>
+
 				<div class="cat-links <?php if ( ! empty( $sponsors ) ) : ?>sponsor-label<?php endif; // phpcs:ignore Squiz.ControlStructures.ControlSignature.NewlineAfterOpenBrace ?>">
 					<?php if ( ! empty( $sponsors ) ) : ?>
 						<span class="flag">
 							<?php echo esc_html( Newspack_Blocks::get_sponsor_label( $sponsors ) ); ?>
 						</span>
-					<?php endif; ?>
-					<?php if ( $attributes['showCategory'] && ! empty( $category_link ) && ( empty( $sponsors ) || Newspack_Blocks::newspack_display_sponsors_and_categories( $sponsors ) ) ) : ?>
-					<a href="<?php echo esc_url( $category_link ); ?>">
-						<?php echo esc_html( $category->name ); ?>
-					</a>
-					<?php endif; ?>
+						<?php
+					endif;
+
+					if ( $attributes['showCategory'] && ( empty( $sponsors ) || Newspack_Blocks::newspack_display_sponsors_and_categories( $sponsors ) ) ) :
+						echo wp_kses_post( newspack_blocks_format_categories( $post_id ) );
+					endif;
+					?>
 				</div>
 				<?php
 			endif;
diff --git a/src/blocks/homepage-articles/view.php b/src/blocks/homepage-articles/view.php
index 700f48c79..fab045aef 100644
--- a/src/blocks/homepage-articles/view.php
+++ b/src/blocks/homepage-articles/view.php
@@ -337,6 +337,40 @@ function ( $accumulator, $author ) use ( $author_info, &$index ) {
 	return implode( '', $elements );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Renders category markup plus filter.
+ *
+ * @param string $post_id Post ID.
+ */
+function newspack_blocks_format_categories( $post_id ) {
+	$category = false;
+	// Use Yoast primary category if set.
+	if ( class_exists( 'WPSEO_Primary_Term' ) ) {
+		$primary_term = new WPSEO_Primary_Term( 'category', $post_id );
+		$category_id  = $primary_term->get_primary_term();
+		if ( $category_id ) {
+			$category = get_term( $category_id );
+		}
+	}
+	if ( ! $category ) {
+		$categories_list = get_the_category();
+		if ( ! empty( $categories_list ) ) {
+			$category = $categories_list[0];
+		}
+	}
+
+	$category_link      = get_category_link( $category->term_id );
+	$category_formatted = esc_html( $category->name );
+
+	if ( ! empty( $category_link ) ) {
+		$category_formatted = '<a href="' . esc_attr( $category_link ) . '">' . esc_html( $category->name ) . '</a>';
+	}
+
+	if ( $category ) {
+		return apply_filters( 'newspack_blocks_categories', $category_formatted );
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * Inject amp-state containing all post IDs visible on page load.
  */