---
schema_version: "1"
id: 33a085a12404648a6d8896812359533807560a579a181e9a1d6036145ff2a45b
title: Enabling the Categories Field
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/ideas_multicat.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.ideas_multicat.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 2faaea8527a3c200002d2cab53ff891b39fc7d36d91346f57a61aad9b9902cbe
description: Switch from the Category field to the multi-select Categories field which allows zone members to associate more than one category with an idea.
products:
  - Service Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Enabling the Categories Field

Switch from the Category field to the multi-select Categories field which allows zone members to associate more than one category with an idea.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.legacy_editions.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
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        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d37268e54">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d37268e54 ">To customize Ideas settings: </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d37268e54 ">Customize Application</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

The Category field only allows one category to be associated with an idea.

![Warning](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_legacy-264-0-0-production-enus/081af4ec-6c06-4d4b-9443-cb3516bbc46d/images/icon_warning.png)

Warning Once you enable the Categories field, you cannot disable it. Also, enabling the Categories field automatically disables the old Category field in Salesforce and the API.

When you enable the Categories field, Salesforce automatically does the following:

- Checks your organization's workflow rules, triggers, validation rules, custom fields, and Apex code and lists any area that references the Category field. You must manually fix or remove these references before Salesforce allows you to enable the Categories field.
- Automatically moves all picklist values and search layouts from the old Category field to the new Categories field.
- Ensures each idea is associated with the appropriate picklist value in the new Categories field.
- Makes the new Categories field available in Salesforce and the API.

To enable the Categories field:

1. From Setup, enter Ideas Settings in the Quick Find box, then select **Ideas Settings**.
2. Click **Enable**located below the Categories message at the top of the page. This button is not displayed if your organization already has the Categories field enabled. Salesforce checks your organization's workflow rules, triggers, validation rules, custom fields, and Apex code for references to the Category field and lists any areas where this reference needs to be removed.
3. If you need to remove references to the Category field, click **Cancel**. Once you have removed the references, try enabling the Categories field again.
    
    ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_legacy-264-0-0-production-enus/081af4ec-6c06-4d4b-9443-cb3516bbc46d/images/icon_note.png)
    
    Note For validation and workflow rules you must delete the rule or fix the Category reference within the rule. It is not sufficient to deactivate the rule. If you need to delete a custom field that references the Category field, make sure to erase the field after it has been deleted. .
4. Read the information in the pop-up window, and click **Enable**. It may take several minutes for Salesforce to enable the new field.
5. Fix any custom reports that reference the old Category field.

#### See Also

- [Enable and Customize Ideas Settings](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.ideas_settings.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Manage organization-wide settings for Ideas.")
- [Select Picklist Values and Defaults for a Zone](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.ideas_add_category.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "After you define picklist values for the Categories and Status fields, you can add and remove picklist values from these fields on a per-zone basis and specify a default value.")
- [Define Picklist Values for the Categories and Status Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.ideas_edit_picklist.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "For zone members to assign categories to an idea or view an idea's status, the Ideas administrator must define picklist values for the Categories and Status fields.")