This article refers to functionality available to agents using LeadDesk version 25.34 or higher.
Categories are a way of tracking the status of contacts' queries. They can be applied to a whole conversation or individual messages within it.
Exactly how categories are used in your organisation will be up to your administrators. They could create categories to classify the types of issues you deal with, or to track the progress of issues through your systems, they can choose not to use them, or make them mandatory.
This article represents only one way to use categories.
Before applying categories
Before you apply categories to a conversation, it is important to understand the relationship between categories and outcomes, and categories and queues.
Categories and outcomes
Categories are an excellent way to track the progress of a conversation, but they do not replace outcomes. When you close a conversation once it is finished you will still need to select an outcome for the conversation.
Categories and queues
The categories available for a conversation are determined by the queue it associated with. If a conversation's queue is not selected, you will not be able to select categories. If the wrong queue is selected, you may not see the correct category options.
To select or change the queue for the messages or calls involved in a conversation, in the contact's History:
- Click the name of the conversation to open it.
At the top of the conversation is the Queue setting. If it currently shows Not selected, or has the incorrect queue selected, it will need to be updated before you can use categories.
- Click the pen icon
next to the current Queue selection.
- In the Change queue dialog, click the Queue drop-down list to select the correct queue.
- Click the Change queue button.
Applying categories to a conversation
To apply a category to a conversation, in the contact's History view:
- Click in the row of the table for the conversation you want to categorise.
- Click the Categories tab in the right-hand column of the interface.
The list of categories available for this conversation will be displayed. If you have many categories, you can Search for the one you need.
To apply a category:
- Click the checkbox next to the category you wish to apply.
Your administrator may have allowed you to choose multiple categories, or you may only be allowed to select one. You can click to untick the checkbox again to remove the category.
If you see a page icon 
next to a category (as with the Technical category in the screenshot above), there is a note associated with that category.
- Click the Save link at the top of the Categories list.
Note that in the History table, the Category column displays all categories selected for that conversation, including categories selected for individual messages within the conversation.
Applying categories to a message
To apply a category to a message inside a conversation:
- In the History view, click the name of the conversation to open it.
- Check that the Queue is selected correctly.
To choose a particular event to categorise:
- Click the icon that indicates the type of message. In this example, we click the email icon,
, to the left of the message.
The icon will change to a tick, and the message is shown with a blue background:
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To choose a category go to the right-hand column:
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If you see a page icon next to a category (as with the Technical category in the screenshot above), there is a note associated with that category.
- Click the Save link at the top of the Categories list.
The message will now be flagged with the selected category:
Categories and webchat
You can apply categories to webchats while in the webchat interface.
Categories with associated notes
As noted above, your Admin may have associated a note with particular categories. If there is an associated note, it is indicated by the page icon .
If you apply a category with an associated note to either a conversation or message, when you click Save, the Note tab at the top of the screen will be automatically selected, with the associated note template already showing.
To add the note to the contact's history:
- Type any additional information required for the note. You can use canned messages as usual.
- If necessary, click the drop-down next to the Add button and select the type of note. Check with your Admin which note types to use.
- Click the Add button.
The note will be added to the contact's history.
If needed, you can change the note type by clicking the drop-down underneath the note.