--- title: "How do I create asset categories?" date: "2025-01-09T14:20:18+00:00" summary: image: type: "page" url: "/acquia-dam/how-do-i-create-asset-categories" id: "57e787b8-4454-4f7f-a26c-889d3f1c3cf6" --- Table of contents will be added Asset [categories](How-do-I-add-assets-to-categories) are a way to organize and find assets within Acquia DAM. Think of asset categories like big buckets of assets divided into smaller buckets depending on how you want to browse. Use them for browsing when you're not sure what you need. Asset categories allow anyone with [permission](What-does-each-permission-mean) to search for assets unique to their business environment. If you are a DAM admin, you can create and assign assets into categories; arrange, manage, and delete asset categories; organize child asset categories; and determine how the asset category search structure displays. You will see parent and child asset categories in the DAM. Parent categories are the top-level categories, while child categories are like sub-categories. Parent categories display before child categories. If there are no assets in a parent or child category, the category will not display.  Parent and child categories display in the Categories menu on the [dashboard](/acquia-dam/what-will-i-see-dashboard "What will I see on the dashboard?") and in the left navigation in search results. Note Asset(s) must be assigned to a parent or child category via the Asset Details page for that category to be visible in the category tree.  ![Search categories using the menu at the top or under Categories in the left navigation.](https://acquia.widen.net/content/f4384bd5-8f1d-4587-9ffe-c8f9affe88fb/web/ka0Pb0000006qAP00N6g00000WDN1a0EM6g000005Lvr7.png) Best practices for asset categories ----------------------------------- While you can create up to 500 asset categories across all levels, we recommend using only a few parent categories and one or two child categories as a best practice. Fewer categories are easier to use and help with site speed. Anything beyond two levels of depth should be reviewed as possible metadata fields. Here are some more best practices to consider when making decisions about the asset categories in your site: * You just need enough parent categories to provide a starting point for your users to search. Use controlled vocabulary fields in combination with asset categories to allow users to start with a category search and then refine the results with custom metadata filters. * Assign assets to parent categories that correlate to assets’ unique traits, then use metadata for the attributes that can be applied to multiple assets regardless of their category. * If the majority of your users are coming from an internal network shared drive or other system using a folder structure, consider using the same or similar structure to ease the transition and build adoption. * Avoid overlapping asset categories and metadata fields. We recommend using controlled vocabulary fields to avoid redundancy. * Organize asset categories alphabetically or in order of importance. Create asset categories ----------------------- To create asset categories: 1. Go to the Admin app. 2. Click **Asset categories** under Search Settings in the left navigation. 3. Click **Create parent category**. 4. Enter a category name and, if applicable, a description. When naming a category, [avoid using certain characters](Are-there-good-and-bad-characters-for-filenames) that can cause errors.  Select to list the category before other categories, at the end of the category list, or to display it alphabetically. 5. Click **Create**. ![Create parent categories on the Asset categories page in the Admin app.](https://acquia.widen.net/content/ce25fa69-42a7-4ab2-ae5f-a52e1e950ecd/web/ka0Pb0000006qAP00N6g00000WDN1a0EM6g000005Lvr2.png) After you have created parent categories, click the plus (+) sign by the category name to add a child category or the arrow by the parent to view existing child categories. Child categories are created the same way as parent categories. The maximum number of categories of any level that can be created is 500. For example, you could have 20 parent categories and 480 child categories.  ![Select the arrow to see child categories that are included in a parent category.](https://acquia.widen.net/content/077d0a44-d68e-4738-a554-3f80fcda656e/web/ka0Pb0000006qAP00N6g00000WDN1a0EM6g000005Lvr0.png) Parent and child categories can also be created from locations on the site where categories can be edited during [upload](How-do-I-upload-assets), from the Selection panel, and on the [Asset Details page](/acquia-dam/where-can-i-see-asset-details "Where can I see asset details?"). As a best practice, communicate your approach to adding categories to fellow DAM admins to keep categories maintainable and scalable as needs change. Edit asset categories --------------------- If you need to make updates to asset category names, descriptions, or where they display, you can edit the category. 1. Go to the Admin app. 2. Click **Asset categories** under Search Settings in the left navigation. 3. Click the category name to edit the name, description, or display location. 4. Click **Update**. ![Select a category to make edits to the name, description, or where it displays.](https://acquia.widen.net/content/156ed22e-4d5f-47a6-8f59-b22a42f4ee5a/web/ka0Pb0000006qAP00N6g00000WDN1a0EM6g000005Lvr5.png) Delete asset categories ----------------------- Click an asset category name, then delete the category to remove the category. Deleting a category does not delete the assets in that category. Organize categories ------------------- If you would like to change the way parent asset categories are organized, reorder them by clicking a category name and dragging and dropping the category into the correct position in the list on the Asset Categories page. Categories can only be reordered within the same level. Child asset categories can be reorganized by dragging the child category in the list below the parent category, then dropping it into your preferred order. Child categories cannot be moved from one parent category to another. ![Click and drag a child category to rearrange it within a parent category.](https://acquia.widen.net/content/1ed86471-531b-4251-affd-bdf65b26bf1f/web/ka0Pb0000006qAP00N6g00000WDN1a0EM6g000005Lvr1.png) To display asset categories alphabetically, check Display alphabetically on the Edit Asset Category page or choose to display the category before another category, then click Update when you are done! ![Display a parent category before another parent category or organize categories alphabetically.](https://acquia.widen.net/content/57243c76-74a9-4583-ba27-90c027cc1e22/web/ka0Pb0000006qAP00N6g00000WDN1a0EM6g000005Lvr3.png) Asset categories and metadata ----------------------------- While both asset categories and [metadata](What-is-metadata) can be used as search tools, a strong metadata structure is a best practice recommendation to enhance the searching experience. Often, child categories can be repurposed into searchable [metadata fields](/acquia-dam/what-are-metadata-fields "What are metadata fields?"). Start by reviewing child categories and determine if any can be turned into values for one or more new metadata fields. The DAM Customer Support team is available to help assist in this process. Another approach to consider is adding new [controlled vocabulary fields](/acquia-dam/what-are-controlled-vocabulary-fields "What are controlled vocabulary fields?") while keeping the category structure intact. An interview with your users can be helpful in guiding your decisions. Assets without categories ------------------------- See a list of asset groups that include assets without categories in the [Asset-Related Tasks section](/acquia-dam/what-asset-related-tasks-are-admin-dashboard "What asset-related tasks are on the Admin dashboard?") of the Admin dashboard. Click the asset group name or View to assign those assets to categories individually from the Asset Details page or in a batch using the Selection panel. ![See assets without categories from the Admin Dashboard.](https://acquia.widen.net/content/8100d24d-0d0d-4c13-a18f-a58303230113/web/ka0Pb0000006qAP00N6g00000WDN1a0EM6g000005Lvr8.png) Asset category permissions -------------------------- Asset categories display for anyone with permission to view at least one asset in the category. There is not a way to allow users to see only certain categories. One user may see 10 assets in a category while another may see 20 assets in the same category because the user's role has permission to view additional [asset groups](How-do-I-create-asset-groups). Assets can be included in as many categories as you'd like. As long as roles and asset groups are organized appropriately, users will see only the assets they have permission to view. You can map an [upload profile](/acquia-dam/how-do-i-create-upload-profiles "How do I create upload profiles?") to a specific category and asset group. After assets are uploaded using the mapped upload profile, assets will be automatically assigned to the category and asset group.