Overview
Categories are labels you define and attach to records, so you can filter and group them — on Dashboards, in lists and in the Gallery. Mobaro has five kinds, each created in its own place and used only by its own module: Assignment, Checklist, Question, Downtime and File Categories. This article covers what each kind is for and how to create it.
At a glance |
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Who can do this | Super Users, or a Role with Organization › Administrate (Assignment, Checklist, Downtime and File Categories) or Question Category Hierarchies › Create (Question Categories) |
Where | Configuration › Assignments, Checklists, Downtime or Files tab; Checklists › Question Categories |
Works on | Backend (web) to create. Categories are applied in the Backend and the Mobile app. |
Availability | All organizations |
💡 Why this matters: Categories turn a pile of records into something you can analyze. "Which Assignment types recur most?", "how does this group of Checklists score?", "what's our downtime by cause?" — each is a Category filter, not a manual sort.
The five kinds of Category
Kind | Create it in | Use it to |
Assignment | Configuration › Assignments | Filter and compare Assignments by subject |
Checklist | Configuration › Checklists | Filter Dashboards and the Location overview to a group of Checklists |
Question | Checklists › Question Categories | Group scores by theme across Checklists |
Downtime | Configuration › Downtime | Record and compare the causes of downtime |
File | Configuration › Files | Filter and flag images in the Gallery |
🛑 Critical: Deleting a Category removes it from every record that uses it — all Assignments, Checklists, Downtimes or files with that Category, and, for an Assignment Category, any assignment triggers that set it. Dashboards and filters that relied on it lose that grouping. Rename the Category instead if you only need a new name.
Assignment Categories
Go to Configuration › Assignments, click Create new category, enter a name and click OK. People then pick categories in the Assignment Categories field when they create or edit an Assignment, and you can filter and compare them on Dashboards. Assignment Definitions can also have categories of their own; see Managing Assignment Categories.
Checklist Categories
Go to Configuration › Checklists, click Create new category, enter a name and click OK. To apply one, open the Checklist in the editor, go to Settings and add it under Categories. To categorize several Checklists at once, select them in the Checklists list and use Bulk edit categories and folders.
Question Categories
Question Categories group individual questions, across several Checklists if you like, so you can analyze scores by theme such as Cleanliness or Guest safety. Expand Checklists in the sidebar and open Question Categories. Click Create, name the hierarchy, then build it with Create group and Create category. Attach categories to questions in the Checklist editor's Question Categories panel. See Comparing scores across Checklists with Question Categories.
Downtime Categories
Go to Configuration › Downtime, click Create new category, enter a name and click OK. On the same tab, Selection type sets whether a Downtime takes one category (Single Choice) or several (Multiple Choice), and Required makes every Downtime have one. The same list is used in the Backend, the app and RideOps. See How to Get Started with Downtime in Mobaro.
File Categories
Go to Configuration › Files, click Create new category, enter a Name, an optional Description and a Color, then click OK. Apply categories to an image from its Categories section in the Gallery, using Configure Categories. The color shows on the image, and people subscribed to a category are notified when it's applied. See Use the Gallery to review images and Gallery filtering and Categories — advanced workflows.
Best practices
Keep each set of Categories small, distinct and consistently named. Categories only pay off when everyone applies the same one to the same kind of thing.
Agree the list before you roll it out, and rename rather than delete when wording changes.
For Downtime, tick Required so every Downtime is classified.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I create new categories?
In Configuration, on the tab for the kind you need — Assignments, Checklists, Downtime or Files — click Create new category. You need Organization › Administrate. Question Categories are under Checklists › Question Categories instead.
What's the difference between checklist categories and checklist folders?
Folders (Permission Folders) control who can see and work with Checklists. Categories don't affect access; they're labels for filtering Dashboards and reports. A Checklist can be in a folder and have categories. See Managing permissions for checklists, schedules, and data.
Is the "Unit category" on a number question one of these categories?
No. Unit category belongs to a number question's measurement unit and has nothing to do with the five kinds of Category in this article.
How do I create categories for inventory products?
Inventory has its own Categories for Products, separate from these five kinds. See Products and Categories (early access).
Can I assign more than one category to the same task?
Yes. Assignments, Checklists, Downtimes and images can each have several categories. Downtimes are limited to one when Selection type is Single Choice, and an Assignment Definition can also be set to Single Choice for its categories.