Create and configure categories

A category is a type of custom property in an AODocs document. Learn more: What are categories?

A category is composed of a set of values – for example, a list of electronic products or countries. Users can select from the predefined category values in a drop-down list when a document is in edit mode.

Categories are configured at the library level. You can assign them to category properties in document classes.

Administrators can create and configure categories. Category values managers can configure categories once they've been created by an administrator. Learn more: What are roles?

This article explains how to:

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Create categories in the Categories screen

Note: You can also create a category when you create a custom property in the document class configuration.

1. Open the library administration.

2. Select Categories in the left panel.

#Legacy library administration #New library administration

3. Select Add new value.

4. Enter the name of the new category.

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3. Select Create category.

4. Enter the name of your new category and click Create.

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Note: All category names appear in the drop-down list when you create a category property in the document class configuration.


Create category values

After creating your category, you can add as many values as required.

#Legacy library administration #New library administration

1. Click Define values next to a category.

2. Select Add new value.

3. Enter a category value and press Enter.

4. If required, add a short name for the category value.

Notes:
– Values appear on the document page (view mode) where users assign values to categories.
– Short names appear in views.

5. Select the edit button to rename values or short names. 

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1. Click a category. 

2. Click Add value to [category name].

3. Define the value and press Enter.

4. If required, add a short name for the category value.

Notes:
– Values appear on the document page (view mode) where users assign values to categories.
– Short names appear in views.

5. Select the edit button to rename the category name, values, or short names.

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Learn more:


Allow users to add category values

By default, the list of category values is frozen and contributors can only select values from the predefined list. You can allow contributors to add new category values to the predefined list. New values added by contributors are then available for all users.

Note: Category values managers can't allow users to add values. Learn more: What are roles?

Tip: As contributors can add new values to a dynamic category, library administrators are recommended to check the list of category values regularly for duplicate or irrelevant values.

#Legacy library administration #New library administration

1. Select the checkbox in the Dynamic values column.

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1. Click the name of a category. 

2. Select Users can add values.

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Set category values as outdated

You can set category values as outdated. In the user interface, outdated values aren't available for selection in the list of values for a category.

However, outdated values are kept:

  • in the list of values in the library administration
  • in documents where the outdated value was previously assigned – contributors can still save the document without changing the value
#Legacy library administration

#New library administration

1. In the list of categories, click Define values to open the list of category values.

2. Select the checkbox in the Outdated column.

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Note: If you quickly select then deselect the Outdated checkbox for Category values, AODocs  displays an information message. You can't edit the interface for the length of time it takes for AODocs to update all the values in any sub-levels.
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1. Click a category. 

2. Select one or more values. 

3. Click Outdate.

A confirmation message opens. The value is tagged Outdated.

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Delete categories or values

Delete categories

Important:
– You can't delete categories that are defined elsewhere in the library configuration – for example, if they're assigned to a property or configured in a view.
–  You can't delete values that are assigned in documents (current or previous versions). Instead, we recommend setting the value as outdated.

#Legacy library administration

#New library administration

1. In the list of categories, click Delete.

2. Click Delete in the confirmation dialog.

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1. In the list of categories:

  • select Delete in the More actions menu next to the category you want to delete
  • click Confirm in the confirmation dialog

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Delete category values

#Legacy library administration

#New library administration

1. In the list of categories or the list of values, click Delete.

2. Click Delete in the confirmation dialog.

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1. In the list of values:

  • select one or more values
  • click Delete 
  • click Delete value in the confirmation dialog

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Comments

4 comments
  • I have a requirement to fill the category with values of a property of another document class. For example the Document class "Admin Users" has the details of some users from the Active Directory. And my Category "Admins" should have the names of all the users from the Document class "Admin Users". How can I achieve this?

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  • You could either use Document relations where your relate your documents of the class "Admin Users" to your other class. Or use custom scripts to synchronize your category with the values from the properties or the title of a document class.

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  • Hello,

    Is there a way to dynamically add to categories via calculated fields? I have tried making a category field dynamic and setting the field equal to the document Title. My hope was that the user would have the opportunity to save the value as a new category value prior to saving.

    However, I just receive a validation error.

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  • Hi Taylor,
    Thank you for your comment!
    At the moment, it is not possible to add a new value to a dynamic Category via a conditional logic formula.
    Feel free to open a new feature request about this need; please include as many details about your specific use case (naming Category values after the documents’ titles) as you can. Those help us shape the future of the product.
    Regards,
    Marine, for AODocs Product team

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