# Categories Categories organize your transaction descriptions. The indented list shows parents and children: greater indentation means the category is beneath the one above it. You may select a parent or a more specific child when classifying. ## Browse the tree Use **Default categories** for the supplied tree and **Your categories** for custom additions. A custom category beneath a default parent appears with the necessary parent context. Click a branch arrow to expand or collapse it. Search finds matching paths. **Show inactive** includes categories hidden from normal choices. ## Activate or deactivate The Active checkbox controls whether a category is offered for new classification choices. Deactivating a parent hides its descendants too. Reactivating the parent restores descendants except those individually deactivated. Existing assignments remain intact. An inactive category already assigned to a transaction remains visible there. **Unspecified** is always available and cannot be deactivated. ## Add or edit your categories **Add custom category** creates a root. Open a category's ⋯ menu and choose **Add subcategory** to create a child. Enter its name and save. Custom categories can be children of default or custom categories. Use **Edit category** to change a custom category's name. Its parent is fixed: to correct placement, delete the erroneous category and create another in the right place. Similar names in different branches are separate categories. Default names and placement are supplied by the application. This editor offers activation and custom additions, not editing or deleting default definitions. ## Delete a custom branch Choose **Preview deletion…**. Review every listed category, affected transaction and rule, current classification reference, and retained historical reference before confirming. Deleting a parent also deletes its custom descendants. Affected current transaction categories and rule targets become **Unspecified**. Those transactions return to the unfinished list. Historical records remain readable. Cancel makes no changes. If affected information changes after the preview, deletion is rejected and you must review a new preview. Categories neither set nor limit a transaction's Use. See [Classify statements](statement-classification.md).