---
key: add-a-catalog-category
title: Add a catalog category
audience: staff
section: settings/scheduling
routes: ["/settings/org/schedule-catalog-categories"]
permissions: ["schedule.catalog_categories.create"]
features: ["schedule.service_templates"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Create the categories that group your services and your products and parts, nest them under a parent, and deactivate ones you no longer use.
keywords: [category, group services, group parts, service category, parts category, catalog, organize items]
related: [create-an-offering, add-a-product-or-part, set-offering-pricing-and-tax]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Catalog Categories** under **Jobs & Booking**. The page address is `/settings/org/schedule-catalog-categories`.

## Before you start

- Categories are labels for sorting and filtering. They do not change prices or booking rules.
- One category can serve services, products and parts, or both, depending on its **Domain**.
- Your role needs permission to create categories. Otherwise **Add category** is missing.

## Steps

1. Press **Add category**. A drawer opens.
2. Under **Domain**, choose **Offering** for services, **Inventory** for products and parts, or **General** for both.
3. Type a **Name**, such as "Heating" or "Filters".
4. Leave **Key** blank; the field reads "auto-generated if blank". Type one only if you want a fixed short code.
5. Add a **Description** if the name is not self-explanatory.
6. To nest it, search under **Parent category** and pick the category it sits under.
7. Set **Sort order** to control where it appears in lists; lower numbers come first.
8. Press **Create category**. **Initial status** is always active.

## What you see

- The list shows **Name**, **Domain**, **Key**, **Parent**, **Sort**, **Status** and **Updated**. Search with **Search categories**; **Filters** narrows by **All domains** and **All statuses**.
- Each row's menu offers **Edit** and **Deactivate**. A deactivated category shows **Reactivate** instead.
- **Manage columns** (the columns icon) lets you show or hide fields, such as **Description**, and drag them into a new order.

## If something looks different

- The list reads **No categories found.**: nothing has been created yet.
- Depending on your organization's reason rules, deactivating may first ask you to confirm and give a reason. Anything already in that category keeps it; the category just stops being offered for new records.
- You picked a category on an offering and it is not here: offerings can create a category on the spot, and it lands in this list under **Offering**.

[[route:/settings/org/schedule-catalog-categories|Open Catalog Categories]]