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title: "Reporting Categories | SpotOn Express"
canonical: "https://help.spoton.com/space/SK/5711593548/Reporting%20Categories%20%7C%20SpotOn%20Express"
format: markdown
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## Overview

See your sales the way you think about your business. You might want Food vs. Beverages, or Drafts vs. Cocktails, without changing how your Point of Sale (POS) menu is organized. Reporting categories group your items for reports only.

**There are two Reporting Category levels:**

- **Parent reporting categories**, for broad group rollups such as Food or Beverages
- **Reporting categories**, for more detail such as Entrees or Cocktails

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**Quick Links **

> Macro (toc)

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## Set up reporting categories

### Primary Setup

> ℹ️ We recommend setting up Reporting Categories in the Dashboard from **start to finish** in the same session. Once category setup begins, Dashboard and POS reports immediately transition from menu categories to reporting categories. Incomplete setups may result in unassigned items.

#### Step 1: Access Reporting Categories 

1. Log in to <u>**[SpotOn Dashboard](https://dashboard.spoton.com/)**</u>
2. Navigate to  **Account & Settings** >** **Reports & notifications** **>** Reporting categories**


#### Step 4: Add, Edit, or Delete reporting categories** **

1. To edit or delete an existing reporting category or group, select the three-dot menu **⋮** next to the item and select **Edit** or **Delete**.


> ℹ️ Changes take approximately **5 minutes** to populate across reports and POS.

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### Add Menu Items to existing Reporting Categories as you update your menu

1. Navigate to **Menu & Tables **>** Items**
2. Select **Add menu item **or open an existing item's details to edit
3. Under Item details, select a value in the **Reporting category** field
4. **Save**

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## How it works

**Before setup is started:** Reports continue to use menu categories, so existing reports keep working.

**After setup is complete**: The Item Sales by Category view in your POS end-of-day report uses them. Your POS and Dashboard reports will then match to reflect reporting categories.

Items without a reporting category appear as **Unassigned** in your reports.

### Reporting

- **Product Mix:** You can view sales by Parent Reporting Category, Reporting Category, Menu Category, or specific menu items.
- **Daily Recap** in Dashboard and POS FOH> **Item sales by category:** Once reporting categories are set up, Daily Recap will use them instead of menu categories.
- Report **List views** and** exports** include the reporting category.

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## What staff will see

After you set up reporting categories, the Item Sales by Category view in your POS end-of-day report uses reporting categories instead of the menu categories. Your POS and Dashboard reports will then match.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**Will this change my POS menu?**  
No. Reporting categories only change how sales are grouped in your reports. Menu categories remain the same on the POS.

**Can an item be in more than one category?**  
No. Each item belongs to one reporting category.

**How do modifiers get categorized?**  
Modifiers keep their own reporting tabs in Product Mix, so reporting categories don't change their organization.

**Does setting up or changing reporting categories retroactively update past sales reports?**  
Yes. Changes also apply to past sales reports.

**What happens to past sales if I delete a category?**  
When you delete a category, keep **Keep historical data in reports** checked to preserve its history. Deleting can't be undone.

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