After that, appointments to Naidaijin mostly fell into the following four categories: appointments given to young nobles from the Sekkan-ke (the families which produced regents), which would qualify them to become Sessho Kanpaku (regent and chief adviser to the Emperor); appointments given as a reward to a shukuro (chief vassal) or noble with significant achievements; appointments given simply as a plum job for nobles at the level of head dainagon (a chief councilor of state) who would then become the "third Minister" (with the exception of the Daijo-daijin [grand minister of state]); or appointments given to the head of the samurai government or in a position to succeed him.
以後、内大臣には主として摂関家の若手公卿に摂政・関白就任資格を付与するための任命、宿老もしくは功績多大な公卿に対する礼遇のための任命、単に筆頭大納言に相当する公卿への待遇が「3番目の大臣（太政大臣を除く）」に改められた任命、武家政権の長あるいはそれに次ぐ地位の者に対して与えられる任命の4つに分けられるようになる。