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Changing a product’s category is quick and easy — you just need to edit the product directly. There are a couple of ways to get there, both outlined below. After the walkthrough, you’ll find answers to the most common questions about categories. A heads-up: some historical data on reports may be affected by a category change.
  • Finding the Product & Opening to Edit
  • Specific Scenarios
    • One Product, Multiple Categories - Split based on Percentages
    • One Product, Multiple Categories - Split based on Location
  • Related Issues & Questions
    • Can I restrict the categories for a specific vendor?
    • Can I add a new category?
    • Can I change categories for multiple products at the same time?
    • Sometimes I buy the same product but I want it categorized two different ways, can you do that?
    • What happens to my reports if I change a product’s category?
    • How can I find a specific product?
    • What if the “Edit Product” button is disabled?
  • Finding the Product and Opening to Edit
  • Specific Scenarios
    • One Product, Multiple Categories - Split based on Percentages
    • One Product, Multiple Categories - Split based on Location
  • Related Issues and Questions

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FIRST - Select the product and open to edit it

There are two pathways: There are two pathways for this: Go to Products > View All Products on the left side of the screen. Use the search bar to find your product, select it, and click Edit Product.

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Option 2:

From Product > New Vendor Item Review, click on the product name (hyperlinked in blue).

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SECOND - Edit the Category

Right under the product name, you’ll see the option to keep the category the same across all locations or set it differently by location. The blue shading shows the current setting. In this example, Limes are set as “Produce” in all locations. To change it, click the category dropdown and pick the new one you want this product reported under. After you select the category, click Save and you are good to go.

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ONE PRODUCT, MULTIPLE CATEGORIES - Split Based on Percentages

Want to split a product across multiple categories? Click the “Add a category” plus sign and select the additional category. Then adjust the percentages — they need to add up to 100. (Note: the category can’t change based on specific invoices or vendors. Once defined, it applies across all vendors and invoices within a single location.) Select your category, click Save, and you’re all set.

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ONE PRODUCT, MULTIPLE CATEGORIES - Split Based on Location

If you need a product reported to different categories depending on the location, select “Different by Location”. (Note: same rule as above — the category can’t change by invoice or vendor. It’s set per location.) Once you pick “Different by location,” you’ll see the current Default Category and which locations are using it. Click the “Add a category assignment” plus sign to make your changes. Choose the category and then choose the location that should use it for this product. Now you’ll see the updated Default Category and the new Location-based Category assignment. In this example, Wasabi Natick is classifying Limes as “Liquor,” while the other two locations continue to classify it as “Produce.” When you’re done, click SAVE. For more on editing products, see Finding and Editing Your Products in Garde. You can also keep an eye on new product categories through the Product > New Vendor Item Review page.

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Can I restrict the categories for a specific vendor?

Yes. If you want to lock your linen vendor to only allow “Linen,” or restrict Office Depot to “Office Supplies,” or limit a wine distributor to “Wine” — you can do that. Set one category (or a handful) as the only allowed options for a vendor using Category Restrictions. Details are in Vendor Settings & Accounting Configuration.

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Can I add a new category?

Absolutely. If you don’t see the category you need, you can create it yourself. Check out How to Add a New Category in Garde for a walkthrough. If you need a new Custom Category Type beyond the standard FWBL types, see Adding a Custom COGS Category Type.

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Can I change categories for multiple products at the same time?

Yes. Here’s how to do that from the Product page: How To Change Product Categories in Bulk. Yes, you can do that from the Product page using the bulk edit feature. You can’t change a product’s category on a per-invoice basis — Garde codes items per product, not per invoice. That said, you can set a product to report proportionally to more than one category. For example, every time you purchase limes, 10% goes to “Bar Consumables” and 90% goes to “Produce.” Defining an average split is the way to handle coding one product to two categories.

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What happens to my reports if I change a product’s category?

Garde reports show everything based on the product’s current category. The one exception is Budget reporting, which reflects both the historical and current coding. All other reports treat it as if that product has always been in its current category — even if it was somewhere else last month. A closed invoice won’t reflect a category change, and if that invoice has already been exported to your accounting system, no updates will be pushed.

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How can I find a specific product?

You can get to a product directly or through its associated Vendor Item. Here are your options: Products page — Go to Products > View All Products, search for the product, click its row, then click “Edit Product.” Vendor Items page — Go to Vendors > Vendor Items and search by vendor name or item name. Click the row, find the associated Product, and click “Edit Product.” Vendors page — Go to Vendors > Vendors and select the vendor. On the Vendor Details page, find the Vendor Items tab, select the item, and click “Edit Product.”

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What if the “Edit Product” button is disabled?

You likely don’t have the right permissions. Ask your manager to add Restaurant Admin access to your user account.