Organize items with categories
A category files items inside one collection, and categories can nest to any depth. They answer the question "where does this belong" once a collection grows past the point of scrolling.
You need the editor or owner role to create or change categories. Everyone in the account can browse them.
When categories help
Noah's "Vinyl" collection passed three hundred records, and scrolling stopped working. He creates categories for "Rock" and "Jazz", then nests "Bebop" and "Fusion" under "Jazz". Each record is filed in exactly one place, and each category page shows only its own slice of the collection.
Categories suit one collection's internal structure. If you want a label that cuts across collections instead, use tags. If you are tracking a finite list to complete, use a set.
Create and nest categories
Open the collection and go to its Categories.
Choose New category and give it a name. To nest it, pick a parent category. Noah creates "Jazz" first, then "Bebop" with "Jazz" as its parent.
::screenshot{label="New category form with the parent picker"}
When adding or editing an item, choose the category on the item form. An item belongs to at most one category.
Browse a category
Opening a category shows the collection filtered to just that category, with its own item count and a statistics panel for that slice. It is the fastest way to answer "how much jazz do I actually have".
Rename, move, and delete
You can rename a category or move it under a different parent at any time. Items stay filed where they are.
Deleting is a soft delete: the category goes to the trash and can be restored for a while.
Deleting a category also deletes every category nested underneath it. The items themselves are never deleted, they simply become uncategorized, but the whole branch of the filing tree goes to the trash together.
Where to next
- Compare the three grouping tools in Categories, sets, and series.
- Track what you still need with Track a set to completion.
- Recover a deleted category in Restore something from the trash.