Categories

Categories

Categories

Estimated reading: 2 minutes

Path: Admin → Lists → Categories

Categories help you organize and structure information throughout your dispensary. They are used to group ingredients, formulas, products, and add-on services, making it easier for users to browse, filter, and manage items.


What Is a Category?

A category is a way to group items that share common characteristics. Categories improve organization and usability by allowing items to be filtered and displayed in a structured way across the system.

You can create categories for:

  • Ingredients

  • Formulas

  • Products

  • Add-On Services (Custom Formulas)


Public vs Private Categories

  • Public Categories
    Visible to practitioners and patients (where applicable). These are commonly used for organizing products or formulas into meaningful groups.

  • Private Categories (Admin Only)
    Used for internal organization and management. These categories are not visible outside the admin interface.


Parent and Child Categories

Categories can be organized hierarchically using parent and child relationships.

Parent Category

A broad, top-level category that acts as a container for more specific subcategories.

Example:

  • Fruits (Parent)

Child Category

A more specific category that belongs under a parent category.

Example:

  • Citrus Fruits (Child of Fruits)

This structure creates a tree-like hierarchy, making large category lists easier to manage and navigate.


Add a Category

To create a new category:

  1. Click Add New Category (top-right of the page)

  2. Enter the Category Name (required)

  3. Select a Parent Category

    • Choose Root Category if this category has no parent (required)

  4. Set the Status

    • Select Admin Only for private categories (required)

  5. (Optional) Upload a category image

    • Accepted formats: JPEG or PNG

  6. (Optional) Enter a category description

  7. Save the category


Delete a Category

  • A category can only be deleted if no products, formulas, ingredients, or services are associated with it

  • The Delete button will only appear when the category is unused

  • Deleted categories are moved to the Trash

  • Categories are not permanently removed until they are also deleted from the Trash


Summary

The Categories section allows you to:

  • Organize items across your dispensary

  • Create public or internal-only groupings

  • Build parent/child category hierarchies

  • Improve filtering and navigation

  • Safely manage category removal through Trash

Well-structured categories make your dispensary easier to manage and significantly improve the user experience.