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Categories, Types, and Subtypes

Asset Management groups everything in three levels. You don't have to use all three, but the structure is always the same:

Category → Type → Subtype

Examples:

  • Computing → Laptops → Ultrabook
  • Networking → Switches → 48-port
  • Mobile → Phones (no subtype needed)

Why three levels​

Two levels (category, type) are usually enough for filtering and reporting. The third level (subtype) is there for when you need finer detail — a "Laptop" filter is useful, but sometimes you specifically want to see "Ultrabooks" or "Workstations".

Setting them up​

Go to Settings → Categories, Types, Subtypes.

Asset Settings → Categories tab listing Computing, Flight & Robotics, Lab Equipment, Mobile Devices, Networking, Test & Measurement, and User Peripherals & Misc with Add Category, edit, toggle, and delete actions

  • Categories are flat. Add as many as you need.
  • Types belong to a category. Pick the category, then add types under it.
  • Subtypes belong to a type. Pick the type, then add subtypes under it. This level is optional.

Each one has a name, an optional description, and an active flag.

Deactivating instead of deleting​

The delete button doesn't actually delete — it deactivates. The category, type, or subtype disappears from the Add Asset form but existing assets keep their classification.

This is on purpose. Deleting a type that already has 200 assets attached would orphan those records.

To bring a deactivated entry back, switch off the Active only filter and reactivate it.

Custom fields per category​

Different equipment needs different details. A laptop has a CPU and RAM; a network switch has port count and firmware version. Custom fields let you attach those extras at the category level.

See Templates and Custom Fields for how to define them.

The left sidebar lists your categories and types. Clicking Computing → Laptops runs a filtered asset search, so the navigation doubles as a quick filter.

Asset Manager sidebar showing the Assets hierarchy (Computing, Flight & Robotics, Lab Equipment, Mobile Devices, Networking) expanded with their types, plus Licenses and CMDB sections below

This is built on the same /assets API that powers the search box, so any filter you can make in the UI you can also run via the API or save as a Saved Filter.