Categories & Types

Categories and types form the classification hierarchy for your assets. Every asset belongs to a type, and every type belongs to a category.

Categories

Categories are the top-level groupings. Common examples:

• IT Equipment
• Furniture
• Vehicles
• Tools & Equipment
• Audio Visual

Managing Categories

Navigate to the categories page from the sidebar. From here you can:

• Add a new category with a name and code
• Edit an existing category's name or code
• Delete a category (only if it has no types assigned)

Managing categories requires the Admin role.

Types

Types sit within categories and provide more specific classification. For example, under IT Equipment you might have:

• Laptop
• Desktop
• Monitor
• Printer
• Network Equipment

Managing Types

Navigate to the types page from the sidebar. The list shows each type with its parent category. You can:

• Add a new type — select a category, then provide a name and code
• Import types in bulk from CSV
• Edit a type's name, code, or parent category
• Delete a type (only if no assets are assigned to it)

Bulk Import

Use Import Asset Types on the types page to create categories and types from a CSV file.

• The CSV uses Category Name, Type Name, and optional Type Code
• Missing categories are created automatically
• If Type Code is blank, batapp generates the next available code
• batapp validates duplicates before importing

Planning Your Structure

A few guidelines:

• Categories should be broad — You'll typically have 5–10 categories. If you're creating more than 20, some might work better as types.
• Types should be specific — These appear in the asset form dropdown, so they should be meaningful without needing the category context.
• Codes are for exports and reports — Choose short, recognisable codes (e.g. IT for IT Equipment, FURN for Furniture).
• You can restructure later — Types can be moved between categories, so don't overthink the initial setup.