Discover a simple step-by-step guide to configure your category preferences in Jack portal. Learn how this feature can be tailored to your company's needs, whether you want it activated, required, or optional for each transaction.
Table of Contents
Understanding Category Preferences
Jack's Categories feature is designed with your company's unique needs in mind. Whether you're a startup, SME, or enterprise, you have full control over how this feature operates, ensuring it seamlessly aligns with your workflow.
Activation Options
You have the freedom to decide if you want to activate the Categories feature or not. If you choose to turn it off, neither you nor your company will see a category field for each transaction. This minimalist approach can be handy when you're in the early stages and categorization isn't a top priority. However, when you do activate it, you unlock comprehensive categorization capabilities (see image below). Seeing the category field for each transaction can significantly reduce the time spent on manual categorization, making it ideal for more established businesses seeking greater financial precision.
Requirement Options
Beyond activation, you can also customize how the Categories feature functions by making it Required or Optional. Making it required means that each transaction must have a designated category. This is a powerful tool for maintaining meticulous records and ensuring every financial action is accurately categorized. By selecting the Required option, Jack goes the extra mile by actively assisting you in identifying transactions that lack a category. This valuable feature is denoted by a missing details icon on the Transaction page, ensuring you can swiftly spot any gaps in your financial data at a glance.
Moreover, Jack introduces a dedicated Missing Details section on the Task page, which serves as a convenient hub for promptly addressing any uncategorized transactions.
On the other hand, setting it as optional grants you flexibility. The transaction category field during transaction creation is not mandatory to be filled, which can be particularly useful when your focus is on agility and adaptability. In addition to that, you will not see any missing details icon on transactions without category information and any uncategorized transactions will not appear in the Task page.
Easy Steps to Set Up Category Preferences
Before managing the preferences, you need to know that Jack wants to ensure the capabilities of the setup are for employees who are trusted by your company. Thus, users who can manage preferences are Business Owner, Admins, and Bookkeepers only. This action can only be done in Jack Portal.
Set Up Category Preferences for The First Time
If you first time landed on our Jack Portal and you have not set the Categories feature, follow these simple steps to activate it:
Login to your Jack Portal, then click your profile icon on the left-bottom corner of the Jack Portal.
Click Categories.
Inside the Categories page, click the Set up categories button.
You have the choice to make the category input during transaction creation as required or optional, depending on your company's financial workflow. Select your preference and click Continue.
In the final step of setting up Jack, you'll be presented with two choices:
Keep as it is: This option provides a quick way to configure your Categories. Jack will automatically fill them with our predefined 10 default categories, saving you time and effort.
Edit: If you prefer a more tailored approach, select this option. You can customize the default categories to align with your company's Chart of Accounts. Additionally, you have the flexibility to import your categories using a CSV file or add a new, empty row. This empowers you to shape your categories precisely to suit your company's unique requirements.
Congratulations! You've successfully activated the Categories feature for the first time. You can monitor all active categories in the Categories page inside the Active tab.
To keep everyone in the loop, we'll send out an email notification to all company users with the subject: "Update: Categories are required for all transactions" (if you've set them as required).
You can easily modify your active categories (add new categories, edit the existing ones, archive, or permanently delete the categories) anytime you want. Learn more in this article.
Edit Category Preferences
Deactivate the Categories Feature
While it’s important to keep turning on the categories, you can deactivate or turn off the Category feature only in Jack Portal. To turn it off, follow these simple steps:
Login to your Jack Portal, then click your profile icon on the left-bottom corner of the Jack Portal.
Click Categories.
Inside the Categories page, click the gear icon.
On the category preferences popup, slide the toggle to the left to turn the Categories off.
On the confirmation pop up, click Deactivate to confirm the deactivation of the Categories feature.
Click Save Changes.
You have successfully turned off the Categories feature for your company account in Jack.
Once you've deactivated the Categories feature, you'll notice a streamlined interface for your transactions. You won't encounter any category fields associated with each transaction. However, Business Owner, Admin, and Bookkeeper are still able to access the Categories page and manage categories there. Unlike them, this page is not accessible to all employees unless the Categories feature is activated again.
The changes will be notified to all company users through an email with the subject: “Update: Categories Deactivation”.
Re-activate the Categories Feature
You can activate or turn on the Categories feature again only in Jack Portal. To turn it on, follow these simple steps:
Login to your Jack Portal, then click your profile icon on the left-bottom corner of the Jack Portal.
Click Categories.
Inside the Categories page, click the gear icon.
On the category preferences pop up, slide the toggle to the right to turn the Categories on.
On the confirmation pop up, click Activate to confirm the re-activation of the Categories feature.
The requirement options will appear, you can select which option suits best your company's workflow, then Click Save Changes.
Congrats, you have successfully reactivated the Categories feature for your company account in Jack. You can monitor all active categories used in the Categories page inside the Active tab.
After successfully reactivating the Categories feature, it's important to note that if you've opted to make Category Preferences required, this will affect all team members assigned as Drafters. They will now be prompted to categorize each transaction they create. For enhanced visibility, you'll also notice a new "Category" column on the Transactions page, making it effortless to track and manage expenses by category. To ensure comprehensive categorization, users will receive a helpful yellow icon as a gentle reminder, both on the Transactions page and My Tasks page, nudging them to complete any missing details.
The changes will be notified to all company users through an email with the subject: Update: Categories are required for all transactions (if you set it required).
By configuring category preferences in this manner, your financial records will be effortlessly organized, and you'll have the power to control how categorization aligns with your workflow.
Don't miss out on the opportunity to optimize your expense management process. Follow these steps and harness the potential of Categories features in Jack to simplify your financial operations.
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