> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jingjaiops.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Categories Settings

> Managing inventory categories — adding, editing, reordering, deactivating, and Thai names.

Categories settings is where you define how your inventory is organized. Read [Inventory Categories](/inventory/categories) for an overview of what categories do across the app — this page focuses on management.

## Opening categories settings

**Settings → Categories** in the sidebar. Admin or Super Admin role required.

The settings screen shows a list of all categories with:

* English name
* Thai name
* Asset ID prefix
* Active or Deactivated state
* Item count (how many items use this category)
* Drag handle on the left for reordering

## Adding a category

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click 'New Category'">
    Top right.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set name (English)">
    Required. Will appear in inventory filters and on PDFs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set name (Thai)">
    Strongly recommended. Used for Thai-language PDFs and the portal.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the prefix">
    3–5 uppercase letters. Used for new Asset IDs in this category.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Category is active and selectable on new inventory items.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Editing a category

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the category">
    In the list. You can search if there are many.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the pencil icon">
    Edit name (EN), name (TH), or prefix.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Changes apply immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Editing English name

Safe at any time. Existing items in the category get the new name in their display.

### Editing Thai name

Same — safe, applies immediately. Especially valuable when you first set up a category and didn't have the right Thai term yet.

### Editing the prefix

<Warning>
  You **cannot** change the prefix of a category that already has items assigned. The prefix is part of every existing Asset ID and changing it would break scan history.
</Warning>

To effectively change a prefix:

1. Archive the existing category (deactivate, leaving items intact).
2. Create a new category with the new prefix.
3. Bulk-reassign items from the old category to the new (one item at a time, or via CSV bulk update).

For most businesses, picking the right prefix at the start is easier than changing later.

## Reordering categories

Drag the handle on the left of any category to reorder. The order applies to:

* The category filter dropdown in the inventory list
* The grouping when inventory is grouped by category
* Quote PDF order if grouped by category

Most businesses put the most-used categories at the top.

## Deactivating vs deleting

You **cannot delete** a category that has any items, even archived items. Instead, **deactivate**.

### Deactivating

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the category">
    Click the category in the list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click 'Deactivate'">
    Confirm.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The deactivated category:

* No longer appears in new-item creation
* Existing items keep their assignment (so old PDFs still render correctly)
* Can be reactivated at any time

### Deleting (rarely needed)

If you really want to delete a category:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Reassign every item">
    Move every item out of the category. Use bulk edit on the inventory list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the empty category">
    The Delete button is now active.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click 'Delete'">
    Confirm. The category is gone permanently.
  </Step>
</Steps>

For audit cleanliness, we recommend deactivating instead of deleting. Deactivation preserves historical data; deletion erases it.

## Thai name field

Every category has a separate **Thai name** field. This Thai name is what Thai customers see:

* On bilingual quote and invoice PDFs (Thai-first if the customer is Thai)
* In the customer portal when language is set to TH
* In AI Job Reports translated into Thai

If you don't set a Thai name, the English name is shown in both languages — which works but isn't ideal for Thai customers.

## Suggested Thai names

If you're not sure what Thai term to use:

| English      | Thai              |
| ------------ | ----------------- |
| Camera       | กล้อง             |
| Lens         | เลนส์             |
| Audio        | ระบบเสียง         |
| Lighting     | แสง / ไฟ          |
| Grip         | กริป (อุปกรณ์ยึด) |
| Power        | ไฟฟ้า / แบตเตอรี่ |
| Cases & Bags | กระเป๋าและเคส     |
| Accessories  | อุปกรณ์เสริม      |
| Drone        | โดรน              |
| Tripod       | ขาตั้ง            |
| Monitor      | จอมอนิเตอร์       |

When in doubt, ask a Thai-speaking team member or customer what term they actually use — industry conventions vary.

## Audit trail

Every category change is logged in **Settings → Audit Log** — who created, edited, deactivated, or deleted, with timestamps. Use the audit log to investigate any unexpected category changes.