How to Set Up Equipment Categories

In this article:

Key Concepts for Categories
Primary IDs - Key Identifier
How to Manage & Set up Categories
Advance Category Logic
Best Practices

Categories are the backbone of a well-organised equipment system in Site App Pro. Think of them like smart folders for your gear. Before you start adding equipment, setting up your Categories is the first and most important step.

But Categories aren’t just for grouping items — they act as a blueprint for everything inside. By customising the fields (or properties) for each Category, you make sure you capture consistent, relevant info for all your equipment, from vehicles to power tools.

Key Concepts for Categories

To make the most of Categories, it helps to understand a few key concepts about how they work.

Custom Categories and Sub-categories

You can create custom categories from scratch to match your inventory perfectly. You can also nest categories to build a clear visual hierarchy :

EG: Vehicles > Utes > Ford Ranger

This makes it easy to organise your equipment in a way that makes sense for your business.

How Properties Work

Each category has its own set of customizable properties — these are the data fields like Last Maintenance Date. When you add new equipment to a category, it automatically inherits that category’s properties.

Please Note: When you edit a Category, the changes won’t update existing equipment in that Category — they’ll only apply to new equipment added after the edit

Moving Equipment Between Categories

If you move a piece of equipment to a different category, it keeps all its existing data and properties. It does not automatically inherit the properties of the new category — so nothing you’ve already entered is lost. If the new category has additional properties added later, you’ll have the option to include them.

Duplicating a Category

Need a similar category setup? You can duplicate an existing category. This copies the category structure and its properties, but not the equipment within, allowing you to quickly create a consistent layout without duplicating items.

Primary IDs - Your Key Identifier

For each category, you can set a Primary ID. This is the single most important identifier for the equipment in that category, which helps your team recognise it at a glance.

For example:

For a Vehicles category, the Primary ID might be the Registration Number .
For a Power Tools category, it might be the Serial Number .
For Lifting Equipment, it could be a unique Asset ID .

Why is the Primary ID important? The Primary ID is the field that is prioritised and displayed most prominently on the mobile app. This ensures your team in the field sees the most relevant piece of information first.

While the Primary ID is set at the category level, it can be overridden on an individual equipment profile if a specific item has a more unique identifier.

How to Set Up and Manage Categories

There are two ways to create categories, depending on whether you need a quick folder or a fully customised blueprint.

Method 1: Quick Add from the Equipment List

Use this method when you need to create a basic category quickly while adding equipment.

From the Equipment List, hover your cursor over "All Categories" in the left-hand panel.
Select the three dots (...) that appear.
Select Add Category. This will create a new category with a default set of properties.

Method 2: Full Customisation from Settings (Recommended)

This is the best practice for setting up your categories properly. Using the settings page gives you full control over the category's properties and its Primary ID.

Navigate to Equipment from the main admin console menu.
Under the Equipment section, select Settings
Select Add Category.
Go through the list of available properties and tick the boxes for all the fields you want to include for this category.
At the top of the configuration page, select and configure the Primary ID you want to use for this category.
Save your changes.

Advanced Category Logic

Categories are designed to be flexible. Here’s what you need to know, especially when working with parent and sub-categories:

Sub-categories are independent: A new sub-category starts with a copy of its parent’s properties, but after that, it works on its own.
Changes don’t update automatically: If you change a parent category (like adding a new property), sub-categories won’t automatically update.
Propagate changes if needed: When adding a new property to a parent, you can choose to “propagate” it to all child categories.
Moving a category: If you move a category under a new parent, it keeps its properties and doesn’t inherit the new parent’s properties.

Best Practices:

Your category structure is the single most important part of a successful equipment management system. A little planning here will save you a lot of time later.

Plan Before You Build. Before creating anything in the system, sketch out your ideal structure. Start with broad parent categories (e.g., Vehicles , Power Tools , Safety Equipment ) and then think about the logical sub-categories within them (Vehicles > Utes ). A simple plan on paper makes the setup process much faster.
Customise Properties for Consistency. The main power of categories is ensuring you collect the same information for similar items. Use the Settings page to customise the properties for each category. For example, ensure every item in your "Safety Harnesses" category has a field for Next Inspection Date and Serial Number . This consistency is critical for effective reporting and filtering.
Choose a Meaningful Primary ID. The Primary ID is the first piece of information your team sees on the mobile app. For each category, choose the identifier that is most useful for your field team. A Registration Number is perfect for vehicles, while a unique Asset ID might be better for expensive power tools.
Understand the Hierarchy Logic . Remember that sub-categories are independent after they are created. Changes to a parent category (like adding a new field) won't automatically flow down. Think of a sub-category as a "smart copy" of its parent—it gives you a great starting point, but you can then customise it for its specific purpose.
Keep it Simple to start. It's easy to get carried away creating many deep levels of sub-categories. Start with a relatively flat and simple structure. You can always add more complexity and move equipment later as your needs evolve. A simpler structure is often easier for your team to navigate.

Creating and Managing Equipment Profiles - Learn to add individual items after your categories are set up.
Equipment Management: An Overview - Start here for a high-level look at the whole system.
Finding, Filtering, and Managing Your Equipment List - Master the tools to find and manage your gear.