# Product Categories

_Applications › Configurations › PMSettings_

![Product Categories](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/73d13560818cbb8c6115e0fbbef00801.png#atloria-annotations=%7B%22annotations%22%3A%5B%7B%22type%22%3A%22box%22%2C%22x%22%3A86.86%2C%22y%22%3A4.86%2C%22w%22%3A5.11%2C%22h%22%3A4.55%2C%22label%22%3A%221%20%20New%22%7D%5D%7D)
*Product Categories — Configurations › PMSettings › Product Categories*

![New](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/1194af5f8cbc3184311157280355f023.png)

## Overview

Product Categories provides a central list of product-category records used in PM-related operations. Sales representatives, project managers, purchasing officers, warehouse managers, and finance users can use this list to review available categories, locate an existing category, add a new record when permitted, attach supporting files, and export the displayed information.

Use Product Categories before relying on a category in project, purchasing, Warehouse, Stock, or Job Profitability work. Maintain category records carefully so that users can identify the appropriate product grouping consistently.

## Settings

Open the Product Categories list from **Configurations** > **PMSettings** > **Product Categories**.

![Product Categories](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/5c3036fa5d71b50a99a14d885765eff1.png#atloria-annotations=%7B%22annotations%22%3A%5B%7B%22type%22%3A%22box%22%2C%22x%22%3A86.86%2C%22y%22%3A4.86%2C%22w%22%3A5.11%2C%22h%22%3A4.55%2C%22label%22%3A%221%20%20New%22%7D%5D%7D)
*Product Categories — Configurations › PMSettings › Product Categories*

![New](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/b0ba3dc6d755779f4d2af8c05fd8e6fa.png)

The screen provides a **Settings (icn icn-settings)** action. Use this action only when you need to review settings that are available to your user account. The captured screen does not expose individual setting names or options; therefore, this page does not define additional configuration values.

> **Note:** Product Categories is a PMSettings feature. Confirm that you are working in the correct company and PM context before maintaining category records.

The screen also provides a **Files (files[])** field for file-related information. Use attachments only when a supporting document is relevant to the category record or the category-maintenance activity.

## Workflow

### 1. Open the category list

1. Navigate to **Configurations** > **PMSettings** > **Product Categories**.
2. Review the available category records in the list.

![Product Categories](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/51045518536127ede3b022b08a78a566.png#atloria-annotations=%7B%22annotations%22%3A%5B%7B%22type%22%3A%22box%22%2C%22x%22%3A66.58%2C%22y%22%3A3.0%2C%22w%22%3A3.48%2C%22h%22%3A4.55%2C%22label%22%3A%224%20%20OK%22%7D%5D%7D)
*Product Categories — Configurations › PMSettings › Product Categories*

![OK](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/d14c0d23afd1acaab7e0288cd4f45150.png)

The list may contain existing category records, including categories used for storable products or project-related items. Review the list before creating a new category to avoid maintaining duplicate records.

### 2. Decide whether to locate an existing category or create a new one

If the category already exists, locate it in the current list. If you need to narrow the displayed records, use **Filter (icn-filter)** and work with the filtering options presented on screen.

1. Click **Filter (icn-filter)** when the list contains more records than you need to review.
2. Apply the available filter criteria to display the relevant category records.
3. If the displayed information needs to be refreshed, use **Update (icn-update)**.

![Product Categories](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/c768ff51463e12789a8cf6f44103df56.png#atloria-annotations=%7B%22annotations%22%3A%5B%7B%22type%22%3A%22box%22%2C%22x%22%3A66.58%2C%22y%22%3A3.0%2C%22w%22%3A3.48%2C%22h%22%3A4.55%2C%22label%22%3A%224%20%20OK%22%7D%5D%7D)
*Product Categories — Configurations › PMSettings › Product Categories*

![OK](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/57386829ad12f750f6b31e1ab6e4a096.png)

> **Tip:** Search for an existing category before selecting **New**. This reduces the risk of creating categories with similar names or purposes.

### 3. Create a category when no suitable record exists

When no existing category meets the business requirement, create a new category record.

1. Click **New**.
2. Complete the category information available in the new-record screen.
3. Decide whether to keep or abandon the new record:
   - Click **Ok** to accept the entered information.
   - Click **Cancel** to stop without accepting the current entry.

Use **Cancel** when you determine that an existing category should be used instead, or when the category information is incomplete. Return to the list, review the available records again, and create a new record only when necessary.

> **Warning:** Do not use a new category as a substitute for an existing category merely because the existing name is not immediately visible. Filter or refresh the list first.

### 4. Attach supporting files when required

If you need to associate supporting material with the category-maintenance activity, use the attachment controls available on screen.

1. Open the relevant category context.
2. Click **Attach**.
3. Add the required item through **Files (files[])**.
4. Click **Ok** to accept the attachment activity, or click **Cancel** if you do not want to proceed.

The screen also provides **Tickets**. Use **Tickets** only when your process requires the ticket action available from this screen. No ticket fields or ticket workflow are exposed in the captured Product Categories screen.

### 5. Export the displayed category information

When you need a copy of the current Product Categories information for review or operational use, use the export action.

1. Adjust the list display with **Filter (icn-filter)** if necessary.
2. Confirm that the displayed records are the records you want to include.
3. Click **Export**.

Export the list only after checking the current display. If you export before filtering, the output may include more category records than required for the task.

## Examples

A project manager needs to confirm whether a category for a pump-related product already exists before beginning PM work.

1. The project manager opens **Configurations** > **PMSettings** > **Product Categories**.
2. The manager uses **Filter (icn-filter)** to narrow the visible category records.
3. The manager finds the existing pump-related category in the list and decides that a new category is not required.
4. Where supporting documentation is required, the manager clicks **Attach**, adds the document through **Files (files[])**, and clicks **Ok**.
5. The manager clicks **Export** to produce an output of the currently displayed category records for review with the project team.

The result is that the project team uses the existing Product Category record rather than creating a duplicate. The exported list reflects the filtered category information that was reviewed.

## Tips

> **Tip:** Use **Update (icn-update)** after changing your working context or when you need to review the current list again.

> **Note:** The available Product Categories list is the authoritative starting point for checking whether a category already exists.

> **Warning:** Select **Cancel** rather than **Ok** when the entered category information is not ready to be accepted.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| You cannot find the category you expect in the list. | The list contains many records or the current display does not show the required record. | Use **Filter (icn-filter)** to narrow the list, then use **Update (icn-update)** if you need to refresh the displayed information. |
| A new category was started but should not be retained. | An existing category was found, or the category details are incomplete. | Click **Cancel** rather than **Ok**, then return to the category list and review the existing records. |
| The export contains records that are not relevant to the request. | The list was exported before the display was narrowed. | Apply **Filter (icn-filter)** first, confirm the displayed records, and then click **Export** again. |
| A supporting file was not accepted. | The attachment activity was cancelled or was not completed. | Use **Attach**, provide the file through **Files (files[])**, and click **Ok** to accept the activity. |

## See Also

Related PMSettings navigation includes **PM statuses** and **Product serial combination**. Use these features only when your operational process requires PM status maintenance or Product Serial Combination tracking.

## Related pages

- [PMStatuses](doc:pmstatuses)
- [Product Serial Combination](doc:product-serial-combination)
- [Configurations — Learning Path](doc:workflows-configurations)
- [Configurations — Overview](doc:configurations-overview)
- [2 Factor Authentication](doc:2-factor-authentication-guide)
- [Account Managers](doc:account-managers-guide)
- [Branches](doc:branches)
- [Flags](doc:flags)
- [Frequent Currencies](doc:frequent-currencies)
- [Products](doc:products-guide)
- [Custom Fields](doc:custom-fields-guide)
- [Dashboard Settings](doc:dashboard-settings-guide)
- [Dynamic Validation](doc:dynamic-validation-guide)
- [Banks](doc:banks)
- [Invoice Settings](doc:invoice-settings)