Categories & catalog
The categories organize items into a hierarchy (parent › child); root families can carry a color. The sales catalog gathers the items checked "In the catalog", with their icons.
Overview
Categories classify the items in the reference database. A category can have a parent category, forming two-level families (parent › child). The catalog is the sales showcase: it gathers the items whose In the catalog flag is enabled. This screen complements the item record, where each item chooses its category and its presence in the catalog.
Business goal
- Structure the reference database into coherent families
- Filter / navigate items by category
- Visually identify families (color, icon)
- Feed the sales catalog (CRM, point of sale)
Target audience
- Product management — define the hierarchy
- Sales reps / point of sale — use the catalog
- CRM admin — set colors and icons
Link with the item
Each item is attached to a category; the parent › child chain is shown on its card. The catalog flag, meanwhile, is set item by item.
Access and navigation
Left-hand side menu: Stock → Categories.
List of categories
The list shows the company's categories with their label, their parent category and, for root families, their color.
| Label⇅ | Category parent⇅ | Color | Action(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronics | — (root) | |||
| IoT modules | Electronics | — | ||
| Food | — (root) | |||
| Grocery | Food | — |
Table columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | Name of the category (mandatory, unique within the company). |
| Parent category | Root (none) or the parent family. |
| Color | Color swatch (root families, CRM module). |
| Actions | Edit · View · Delete. |
Parent / child hierarchy
A category without a parent is a root family; attaching a category to a parent creates a subcategory. Items display the parent › child chain.
Example hierarchy
- Electronics (root)
- IoT modules
- Wiring
- Food (root)
- Grocery
Good to know
- Color only applies to roots
- In multi-domain mode, a category belongs to a domain
- Drilling down by category filters the list of items
Create / edit a category
Click New. Fill in the label, optionally the domain, the code, the parent category, the color (root), the description and the icons, then save.
Form fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Domain * | Parent domain (visible in multi-domain mode with separate categories). |
| Code * | Category code (shown if code management is enabled). |
| Label * | Name of the category (mandatory, unique). Arabic version if the company is bilingual. |
| Parent category | Leave empty for a root, or choose a family to create a subcategory. |
| Color | Color picker — only for a root (CRM module). |
| Description | Free text describing the category. |
| Active / inactive icon | Images used in the catalog (CRM catalog / ordering modules). |
Some fields (domain, code, color, icons, customer-specific) only appear depending on your company's configuration (multi-domain, code management, CRM, production module, catalog module).
Family colors
A root category can be assigned a color, used in certain screens (CRM, point of sale) to visually identify product families. Subcategories inherit the context of their root.
Use contrasting colors between families: point-of-sale sellers spot a category at a glance on the colored tiles.
The sales catalog
The catalog gathers the items checked "In the catalog" on their record. It serves as a showcase for sales reps and the point of sale.
Cataloged item
Filled star on the card. Visible in the sales catalog.
Not in catalog
Listed in stock only, not offered in the catalog.
The catalog flag is decided item by item; the category, meanwhile, provides the organization and the icons shown in the catalog.
Icons & highlighting
When the catalog modules (CRM / ordering) are enabled, a category can carry two images: an active icon and an inactive icon, used to represent it in the catalog screens.
| Icon | Usage |
|---|---|
| Active icon | Represents the category when it is selected / available. |
| Inactive icon | Greyed-out / default variant when the category is not active. |
Lifecycle (workflow)
flowchart LR
A([Create category]):::p --> B{Parent?}:::d
B -->|none| R[Root family
+ color]:::p
B -->|parent chosen| S[Subcategory]:::s
R --> T[Linked items]:::ok
S --> T
T -->|catalog flag| C([Sales catalog
+ icons]):::ok
classDef p fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,color:#92400E;
classDef s fill:#F5F3FF,stroke:#8B5CF6,color:#5B21B6;
classDef d fill:#f3f1ff,stroke:#7366fe,color:#1f1c3d;
classDef ok fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,color:#065F46;Business rules
Unique label — two categories cannot have the same label within the company (and the same code if code management is active).
Color = roots only — the color picker only appears for a category without a parent, when the CRM module is active.
Related deletion — a category used by items must not be deleted without reassigning them first.
Catalog on the item side — catalog presence is set on each item, not on the category; the category provides the organization and the icons.
FAQ & Tips
I don't see the Color field?
Color only appears for a root category (without a parent) and when the CRM module is enabled.
An item doesn't appear in the catalog?
Check the In the catalog flag on the item's record: the catalog is managed item by item.
Tip — flat hierarchy
Keep a maximum of two levels (family › subcategory): a simple hierarchy stays readable for sales reps and the point of sale.
