> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getveles.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Product Categories > Organize your product catalog into logical groups that control catalog navigation, reporting, and rule logic. Categories group your products into logical families. They work like Product Families in Salesforce or Product Types in HubSpot -- simple labels that control how products are organized, filtered, and reported on across Veles. Categories serve three purposes: 1. **Catalog navigation.** When a rep opens the product catalog during quoting, categories appear as filters so they can quickly find the right products without scrolling through the full price book. 2. **Reporting.** Categories let leadership slice revenue data by product line (e.g., total ARR from "SaaS Subscriptions" vs. "Professional Services"). 3. **Rule criteria.** Categories can be used as conditions in [Pricing Rules](/get-started/rules-and-approval/pricing-rules) and [Validation Rules](/get-started/rules-and-approval/quote-validation-rules). For example, you could create a rule that automatically adds a "Shipping" fee whenever a product from the "Hardware" category is included in a quote. Create your category structure before importing or building products. Assigning categories during product setup is faster than going back to edit each product later. *** ## Creating a category 1. Navigate to **Admin > Price Books > Categories**. 2. Click **+ New Category**. 3. Enter a **name** for the category. Use clear, descriptive names that your reps will recognize (e.g., "SaaS Subscriptions", "Professional Services", "Hardware", "Add-ons"). 4. Click **Save**. The category is immediately available for assignment to products. ### Naming conventions Keep category names concise and consistent. Avoid abbreviations that might confuse reps who didn't create them. Common patterns: * By product type: "Software", "Hardware", "Services" * By business model: "Recurring", "One-time", "Usage-based" * By product line: "Core Platform", "Analytics Suite", "Integrations" Choose whatever structure maps to how your team thinks about your catalog. There's no hierarchy or nesting -- categories are flat labels. *** ## Assigning categories to products ### During product creation When creating a new product, the **Category** dropdown appears in the product setup form. Select the appropriate category before saving. ### On existing products To add or change the category on an existing product: 1. Navigate to **Admin > Price Books > Products**. 2. Select the product you want to update. 3. Click **Edit** on the Product Details page. 4. Select a category from the dropdown and **Save**. Each product can belong to one category. If you need to filter products across multiple dimensions (e.g., by region and by product type), use [Custom Fields and Filters](/get-started/pricing-and-packaging/product-filters) alongside categories. *** ## Using categories in rules Categories become especially useful when combined with the [Rules Engine](/get-started/rules-and-approval/learn-the-basics). You can reference a product's category as a condition in any rule type: **Validation rules:** Prevent certain product combinations. For example, "a quote cannot include products from both the 'Enterprise' and 'Startup' categories." **Pricing rules:** Apply automatic adjustments based on category. For example, "apply a 5% bundle discount when a quote includes products from both 'Core Platform' and 'Analytics Suite'." **Approval rules:** Route quotes for review based on what's being sold. For example, "require VP approval when total value from the 'Professional Services' category exceeds \$50,000." *** ## Editing and deleting categories To rename a category, navigate to **Admin > Price Books > Categories**, select the category, and update the name. The change applies everywhere the category is referenced. To delete a category, remove it from all assigned products first. Products that lose their category assignment will appear as uncategorized in the catalog. If a category is referenced in any active rules, deleting it may cause those rules to stop matching. Review your rules before removing a category. *** ## What's next Control which products reps see based on segment, region, and custom dimensions. Add metadata to products for multi-dimensional filtering and reporting. Full reference for product setup, pricing plans, and rep permissions. Use categories as conditions in pricing, validation, and approval rules.