Hierarchical Categories
Categories can be multi-level. A subcategory is simply written as a path, using / to separate the levels:
Marketing/Digital/Social Media
This keeps large libraries well organized without any change to the data model — a category is still a single text field, with the path stored in the value.
Backward compatible
Existing single-level categories (e.g. Marketing) keep working unchanged and appear as root nodes in the tree.
Tree in the value-list editor
PPPTools → Settings → Value Lists → Categories
Categories are shown here as a tree. Each node shows its origin (○ public / ● private) and a usage counter (number of objects using that node or any of its subcategories).
Add a new subcategory
- Select the desired parent node in the tree, e.g.
HR/Employees - Enter the new value in the text field, e.g.
Contract - Click Add (or press Enter)
→ Result: HR/Employees/Contract
If no node is selected, the entered value is created as a root category. You can also type a full path with / directly into the text field.
Rename (subtree moves with it)
- Select a node in the tree
- Enter the new name in the text field
- Click Rename and confirm
The node gets the new name, and all subcategories and affected objects move with it automatically. Example: HR/Employees → HR/Personnel turns HR/Employees/Contract into HR/Personnel/Contract.
Caution
Renaming immediately updates all snippets, slides and storylines across the entire subtree. The change cannot be undone. The confirmation dialog shows the number of affected objects.
Delete (node + subtree)
- Select a node in the tree
- Click Delete and confirm
The node and all subcategories are removed from the value list; the category field is cleared on all affected objects.
Write protection
As with all value lists: Rename and Delete are only active when an editable node is selected — as admin for all values (○/●), as a user only for your own private values (●).
Assigning a category when saving
When editing or saving a snippet, slide or storyline, a 📁 button sits next to the category field. It opens a tree picker:
- Click an existing node → the path is applied
- Or type a new path in the path field (e.g.
Sales/Offers) → a new (sub)category is created automatically once it is used
The 📁 picker is available in the detail panel (manage view), in bulk editing, and in the "Save as Storyline" dialog.
New path = just type it
There is no separate "create hierarchy" step. A path that does not yet exist appears in the tree automatically as soon as an object uses it.
Display in gallery and manage view
Every gallery and the manage view offer two hierarchical views:
| View | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Tree | Shows the categories as a collapsible tree. Intermediate levels are created automatically. |
| By category | Groups the tiles; subcategories are indented by level. |
Filtering by category
When you select a category in the filter, all subcategories are included as well. The filter Marketing therefore shows every object with path Marketing or starting with Marketing/ (e.g. Marketing/Digital/SEO).
Sync behavior
Hierarchical categories need no dedicated infrastructure — they run through the same value-list mechanism as all other metadata values. Public category paths (○) maintained by the admin are distributed to all users on sync; private paths (●) stay local. See Value Lists for details.