> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ravenna.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set up categories

> Set up Ravenna categories to automatically classify new tickets by topic, department, or any structure that matches how you report on requests.

Categories are a workspace-wide classification system. Once you define them, Ravenna classifies each new ticket against your list automatically, which is what makes reporting and category-driven routing possible.

**Time:** about 10 minutes.

<Tip>
  Categories and [forms](/documentation/tickets/forms/overview) do different jobs. A form captures the details for one specific kind of request. A category gives every ticket in the workspace a high-level label, whether it came from a form, a Slack message, or an email.
</Tip>

## What categories are used for

* **Assigned to tickets** automatically at creation, or by hand at any point
* **Referenced in agent rules** as `@Category Name`, so an agent can classify a request during conversation
* **Trigger workflows** through the Category Assigned trigger
* **Filter views** so a team sees only the requests it owns
* **Group analytics**, so you can see which topics actually drive volume

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Interactive walkthrough" />

  <Tab title="Step-by-step">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open workspace settings">
        Click your workspace name and select **Settings**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Go to Categories">
        Click **Categories** in the left sidebar. You can write your own or import a prebuilt set from the template library.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Create a category">
        Click **New Category**, or browse the **Template Library** to import a ready-made set.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Fill in the details">
        * **Name** it after the kind of request, not the team that handles it
        * **Description** matters more than you would expect. Ravenna uses it to decide which category fits an incoming ticket, so write it as guidance: "Use for requests to add, remove, or change access to a SaaS application."
        * **Color** so categories are distinguishable at a glance in views
      </Step>

      <Step title="Set a default (optional)">
        Toggle **Set as default** if this category should be preselected when someone creates a ticket.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Save">
        Click **Save**. The category is now available across the workspace.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Add the rest">
        Repeat for each kind of request your team handles. A typical IT Operations starting set:

        * Software access
        * Account issues
        * Equipment
        * Network and connectivity
        * Security and compliance
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## How many categories?

Between five and twelve. Automatic classification degrades when categories overlap, and a list nobody can hold in their head is a list nobody reports on. If you find yourself wanting a fifteenth category, it is usually a [tag](/documentation/tickets/organize/tags) instead.

<Callout icon="link" color="#6B7280">Learn more about [categories](/documentation/tickets/organize/categories) and how they differ from [tags](/documentation/tickets/organize/tags)</Callout>

## Next

Capture the specific details your team needs for a specific kind of request.

<Card title="Set up a form" icon="arrow-right" href="/guides/day-one/set-up-form">
  Build a form so every request of a given type arrives complete and actionable.
</Card>


## Related topics

- [Set up a triage channel](/guides/day-one/set-up-triage-channel.md)
- [Day one](/guides/day-one/overview.md)
- [What is Ravenna?](/documentation/get-started/overview.md)
- [Set up your first workflow](/guides/day-one/set-up-first-workflow.md)
- [Set up an AI agent](/guides/day-one/set-up-agent.md)


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