# Backstock Categories & Locations Categories and locations are the organizational backbone of Backstock. Categories describe *what* is in a bin, while locations describe *where* a bin is stored. Setting these up correctly makes it easy to find, filter, and manage your inventory. ![Categories and Locations Modals](/images/support/articles/backstock_categories_locations.png) *The Categories modal (left) and Locations modal (right) for managing your organization system* --- ## Understanding the Two Types of Categories Backstock uses two types of categories, and understanding the difference is important: ### 1. POS Subcategories (System Categories) These come directly from your point-of-sale system and represent product types your store sells. Examples include: - Women's Tops - Men's Jeans - Kids' Shoes - Handbags - Jewelry POS subcategories are used as the **Main Category** on each bin. They are labeled with a blue `POS` badge in dropdowns and cannot be edited or deleted from within Backstock -- they are managed in your POS system. ### 2. Custom Categories (Store Categories) These are categories you create yourself for additional organization. Examples: - Holiday - Clearance - High Value - Needs Sorting - Seasonal Custom categories are used as **Additional Tags** on bins. They appear with a gray `Custom` badge in dropdowns and can be freely created, edited, and deleted. --- ## How Categories Work on a Bin Each bin has: | Field | Source | Required | Purpose | |-------|--------|----------|---------| | **Main Category** | POS subcategories only | Yes | The primary product type -- used for replenishment tracking and aging reports | | **Other Categories** | Both POS + Custom | No | Additional tags for filtering and cross-referencing | When you look at the bin table: - The **Main Category** column shows a single category with a colored background - The **Other Categories** column shows tags as colored badges that you can click to filter the table --- ## Managing Custom Categories ### Opening the Categories Manager Click `Categories` in the action toolbar on the Backstock home page. The Custom Categories modal opens showing a table of your existing categories. ### Adding a New Category 1. Click `Add Category` 2. A form row appears with two fields: - `Category Name` -- The display name for the category - `Color` -- A color picker to assign a visual color 3. Enter the name and pick a color 4. Click the save button to create the category The new category is immediately available in all category dropdowns throughout Backstock. ### Editing a Category 1. Click the edit button (pencil icon) on the category's row 2. Modify the name or color 3. Save the changes Changes apply to all bins that currently use this category. ### Deleting a Category 1. Click the delete button (trash icon) on the category's row 2. Confirm the deletion > **Warning:** You can only delete a category if no bins are currently using it. If bins are assigned to the category, you must first remove the category from those bins or reassign them. --- ## Managing Locations Locations represent the physical places where bins are stored. Each location is classified as either **on-site** (at your store) or **off-site** (external storage). ### Opening the Locations Manager Click `Locations` in the action toolbar on the Backstock home page. The Manage Locations modal opens showing a table of your existing locations. ### Adding a New Location 1. Click `Add Location` 2. Fill in: - `Location Name` -- A descriptive name like "Back Room", "Storage Unit 112", or "Basement" - `Type` -- Choose **On-Site** or **Off-Site** 3. Save the new location ### Understanding On-Site vs. Off-Site | Type | Icon | Meaning | |------|------|---------| | **On-Site** | Green checkmark | The storage area is at your physical store (back room, stockroom, shelves) | | **Off-Site** | Building icon | The storage area is external (storage unit, warehouse, another location) | This distinction matters because: - The dashboard stats grid counts on-site and off-site bins separately - Events and reports can filter by location type - The Workbook's "Bins to Pull" feature prioritizes off-site bins that need to be retrieved ### Editing a Location 1. Click the edit button on the location's row 2. Change the name or toggle between on-site and off-site 3. Save the changes All bins assigned to that location automatically reflect the updated name and type. ### Deleting a Location 1. Click the delete button on the location's row 2. Confirm the deletion > **Warning:** You can only delete a location if no bins are currently assigned to it. Move or delete bins at that location first. --- ## Recommended Setup ### For a Typical Store A common starting configuration: | Location | Type | Description | |----------|------|-------------| | Back Room | On-Site | Primary on-site storage | | Under Counter | On-Site | Small items stored under the register | | Storage Unit | Off-Site | External storage unit for overflow | | Custom Category | Color | Purpose | |----------------|-------|---------| | High Value | Red | Bins containing expensive items needing extra attention | | Needs Sorting | Yellow | Bins with unsorted mixed inventory | | Holiday | Green | Seasonal holiday merchandise | | Clearance | Orange | Items marked for clearance pricing | ### Naming Tips - **Locations**: Be specific. "Storage Unit 112" is better than "Storage" if you have multiple units. - **Categories**: Keep names short -- they appear as tags in the table and long names get truncated. - **Colors**: Use distinct colors so tags are easy to tell apart at a glance. --- ## How Categories Appear in the Table In the bin table on the Backstock home page: - **Main Category column**: Shows the category name with its color as the cell background. This makes it easy to visually scan for product types. - **Other Categories column**: Shows each additional tag as a small colored badge. Tags longer than 14 characters are truncated with "..." but the full name appears on hover. ### Filtering by Category Click any colored tag in the **Other Categories** column to instantly filter the table to show only bins with that tag. A filter bar appears at the top of the table showing the active filter. Click the X button to clear the filter. --- ## Troubleshooting ### I do not see POS subcategories in the Main Category dropdown POS subcategories are loaded from your store's POS integration. If the dropdown is empty, your POS integration may not be configured. Contact your store administrator. ### A category I need is missing from the dropdown Check whether you need a POS subcategory (for Main Category) or a custom category (for Additional Tags). POS subcategories come from your POS system and cannot be created in Backstock. Custom categories can be created using the Categories manager. ### I cannot delete a location or category Locations and categories that are in use (assigned to one or more bins) cannot be deleted. First reassign or remove the bins from that location/category, then delete it. --- ## Related Articles - [Backstock Overview](/support/articles/backstock-overview) -- Understanding the Backstock dashboard - [Managing Bins](/support/articles/backstock-managing-bins) -- How to add, edit, and manage individual bins - [Bulk Bin Creation](/support/articles/backstock-bulk-create) -- Creating many bins at once - [Events & Aging](/support/articles/backstock-events-aging) -- Seasonal events and aging reports