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Categories help you organize your item catalog into logical groups for easier navigation, reporting, and management. Items can belong to multiple categories, allowing flexible classification.

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What are Categories?

Categories are classification groups that help you:
  • Organize items by type, season, or use case
  • Filter and search items more easily
  • Generate category-based reports
  • Structure your catalog logically
  • Apply category-based pricing rules
Items can belong to multiple categories. For example, “Tomato Seeds” could be in both “Vegetables” and “Seeds” categories.

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Category Properties

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Basic Information

Each category includes:
  • Code: Unique identifier for the category (e.g., “VEG”, “SEEDS”)
  • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., “Vegetables”, “Seeds”)
  • Unit of Measure (UOM): Numerical multiplier for quantity calculations (integer)
  • Eaches: Number of units per case or bundle (integer)

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Unit of Measure

UOM is a numerical multiplier that affects quantity calculations:
  • 1 - Base unit (standard quantity)
  • 2 - Double the base unit
  • 3 - Triple the base unit
  • Higher numbers for larger multiples
UOM is a positive integer that multiplies the base quantity. For example, if an item has UOM of 2, ordering 1 unit actually means 2 base units.

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Eaches

The “eaches” field indicates:
  • How many individual units in a case/pack
  • Used for pricing and quantity calculations
  • Example: Case of 12 → Eaches = 12
Eaches is primarily used when you sell by the case but need to track individual units for inventory or pricing purposes.

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Creating Categories

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Add a New Category

  1. Navigate to Product → Categories
  2. Click Add Category
  3. Fill in the category information:
    • Code: Short, unique identifier (required)
    • Name: Descriptive name (required)
    • UOM: Numerical multiplier (required, positive integer)
    • Eaches: Units per bundle (required, positive integer)
  4. Save the category

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Category Codes

Best practices for category codes:
  • Keep them short (3-6 characters)
  • Use consistent formatting (all caps recommended)
  • Make them intuitive (VEG for Vegetables, ANN for Annuals)
  • Avoid special characters
  • Don’t reuse codes

Category Code Examples

  • VEG - Vegetables
  • HERB - Herbs
  • SEED - Seeds
  • 4IN - 4-Inch Pots
  • FLAT - Plant Flats
  • ANN - Annuals
  • PER - Perennials

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Managing Categories

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Viewing Categories

The category list shows:
  • All categories in your catalog
  • Code, name, UOM, and eaches for each
  • Can be displayed in grid or card view
  • Sortable and searchable

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Editing Categories

To modify a category:
  1. Find the category in the list
  2. Click to open category details
  3. Click Edit
  4. Update the information
  5. Save your changes
Changing a category code may affect items assigned to that category. Use caution when modifying codes used by many items.

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Bulk Import via CSV

For setting up many categories at once:
  • Import categories in bulk using CSV files
  • Include code, name, eaches, and UOM for each category
  • Automatically update existing categories with matching codes
  • Create new categories that don’t exist

Bulk Import Categories

Learn how to bulk import categories using CSV files for faster catalog setup.

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Removing Categories

To remove a category:
  1. Ensure no items are assigned to the category
  2. Open the category details
  3. Click Delete
  4. Confirm removal
You typically cannot remove categories that are assigned to items. Remove the category from all items first, or mark the category as inactive if available.

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Assigning Categories to Items

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During Item Creation

When creating a new item:
  1. In the item form, find the categories field
  2. Select one or more categories
  3. Categories can be multi-select
  4. Save the item with assigned categories

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Editing Item Categories

To change item categories:
  1. Open the item details
  2. Click Edit
  3. Add or remove categories
  4. Multiple categories can be assigned
  5. Save the changes

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Multiple Category Assignment

Items can have multiple categories:
  • Useful for cross-classification
  • Enables flexible filtering and reporting
  • Items appear in all assigned category filters
Example: 
Item: Organic Tomato Seeds 4" Pot
Categories:
- Vegetables
- Organic
- 4-Inch Pots
- Seeds

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Using Categories

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Filtering by Category

Use categories to filter item lists:
  1. Go to Product → Items
  2. Apply category filter
  3. View only items in selected category
  4. Combine with other filters as needed

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Category-Based Reporting

Categories enable reporting:
  • Sales by category
  • Inventory levels by category
  • Performance comparisons between categories
  • Seasonal category analysis

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Pricing by Category

Some pricing systems allow:
  • Price levels based on category
  • Category-wide pricing rules
  • Discounts for specific categories

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Common Category Structures

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By Plant Type

- Annuals
- Perennials
- Shrubs
- Trees
- Vegetables
- Herbs

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By Size/Container

- 4-Inch Pots
- 6-Inch Pots
- 1-Gallon
- 2-Gallon
- 5-Gallon
- Flats

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By Season

- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
- Winter
- Year-Round

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By Growing Method

- Seeds
- Plugs
- Transplants
- Bare Root
- Containerized
You can use multiple category structures simultaneously by assigning items to categories from different schemes. This provides maximum flexibility.

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Best Practices

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Category Planning

Category Organization Tips

  • Plan your category structure before creating many items
  • Use consistent, intuitive category names
  • Don’t create too many categories (harder to manage)
  • Consider how you’ll use categories for filtering and reporting
  • Review and refine categories as your catalog grows

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Naming Conventions

For category names:
  • Use clear, descriptive names
  • Be consistent with terminology
  • Avoid abbreviations in names (use them in codes)
  • Use singular or plural consistently
  • Keep names concise

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Category Maintenance

Regularly review your categories:
  • Remove unused categories
  • Combine duplicate or redundant categories
  • Update category assignments as items change
  • Ensure new items are categorized properly
  • Train staff on category system

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Integration with Other Features

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Item Lists

Categories appear in item lists:
  • Filter items by category
  • Sort items by category
  • Display category in item details
  • Search within categories

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Orders

Categories may appear in:
  • Order line items (for reference)
  • Item selection during order creation
  • Reports and analysis

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Pricing

Categories can affect:
  • Price group levels (price by category)
  • Discount rules (category-based discounts)
  • Pricing calculations

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Inventory

Categories help with:
  • Inventory organization
  • Physical counting (count by category)
  • Stock level monitoring by category
  • Availability tracking

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Troubleshooting

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Can’t Remove Category

If you can’t remove a category:
  • Check if items are assigned to it
  • Remove category from all items first
  • Verify you have permission to remove categories
  • Try marking as inactive instead (if available)

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Category Not Showing in Filters

If a category doesn’t appear:
  • Verify category is active
  • Check if any items are assigned to it
  • Refresh the page
  • Clear browser cache

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Items Missing from Category

If items don’t appear in a category view:
  • Verify items are assigned to that category
  • Check if items are active
  • Ensure no conflicting filters applied
  • Review item category assignments

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Next Steps