File Categories
File categories help you organize and visually identify documents in SharePoint through color coding. This page explains how to configure and use file categories.
What Are File Categories?
Categories are labels you can apply to files in SharePoint:
- Visual identification: Color-coded display in FactBox
- Organization: Group similar documents
- Filtering: Find documents by type
- Automation: Auto-attach to emails
Category Features
Color Coding
Each category can have a color:
| Color Option | Visual Effect |
|---|---|
| (None) | No special formatting (blank) |
| Standard | Default text style |
| Blue | Blue text |
| Bold | Bold text |
| Blue + Bold | Blue and bold text |
| Red + Italic | Red italic text |
| Blue + Italic | Blue italic text |
| Bold + Green | Bold green text |
| Bold + Italic + Red | Bold italic red text |
| Yellow | Yellow highlighting |
| Grey | Grey text |
Email Integration
Categories can be used to control which files are automatically attached to emails. This is primarily configured through the Auto Email Categories Filter field on the Table Mapping Card (not on the category itself).
Note: The File Categories table has an
Auto attach to emailsfield, but this field is currently not visible on the File Categories page. Use the Table Mapping Card's Auto Email Categories Filter for email attachment control.
Configuring Categories
Accessing Category Setup
The File Categories page is not searchable in Business Central and is not reachable from SharePoint Setup. Open it from the Categories action on the Table Mapping Card — the page opens pre-filtered to that mapping's table.
Category Fields
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Table No. | Set automatically from the Table Mapping the page was opened from (not shown on the page) | 18 (Customer) |
| Category | Category name (Text[20]) | "Contract" |
| Color Coding | Visual style (enum) | Blue + Bold |
Creating Categories
- Open the Table Mapping Card for the relevant table and choose the Categories action
- Click New
- Enter Category name
- Choose Color Coding
- Save
Example Categories
For Customers (Table 18):
| Category | Color Coding |
|---|---|
| Contract | Blue + Bold |
| Invoice | Standard |
| Quote | Bold + Green |
| Correspondence | Grey |
| Legal | Bold + Italic + Red |
For Vendors (Table 23):
| Category | Color Coding |
|---|---|
| Agreement | Blue + Bold |
| Invoice | Standard |
| Certificate | Bold + Green |
| Compliance | Red + Italic |
Applying Categories to Files
Assigning a Category
- View file in FactBox
- Click the Category column for the file (uses AssistEdit)
- Select from available categories in the lookup
- Category appears in file list with color coding
Changing Categories
- Click the Category column for the file again
- Select a new category from the lookup
Note: The lookup has no blank option — once assigned, a category cannot be cleared from the FactBox.
Category Display
Once assigned:
- Category name appears in Category column
- Color coding applies to the Category cell (not the whole row)
- Helps identify files at a glance
Category Best Practices
Designing Categories
| Consideration | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Number | 5-10 categories per table |
| Names | Short, descriptive |
| Colors | Consistent meaning across tables |
| Purpose | Clear, non-overlapping |
Suggested Category Structures
Sales-Related Tables:
| Category | Purpose | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Quote | Quotations | Green |
| Order | Order documents | Blue |
| Invoice | Invoices | Standard |
| Contract | Contracts | Blue + Bold |
| Correspondence | Communications | Grey |
Purchasing-Related Tables:
| Category | Purpose | Color |
|---|---|---|
| PO | Purchase orders | Blue |
| Invoice | Vendor invoices | Standard |
| Agreement | Vendor agreements | Blue + Bold |
| Certificate | Certifications | Green |
Color Meaning Consistency
Use consistent color meanings:
| Color | Suggested Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | Approved, positive, complete |
| Blue | Standard business documents |
| Red | Urgent, attention needed, legal |
| Yellow | Pending, in progress |
| Grey | Archived, historical |
Categories vs Subfolders
When to Use Categories
| Scenario | Use Categories |
|---|---|
| Visual identification needed | Yes |
| Few document types | Yes |
| Quick filtering | Yes |
| Email attachment control | Yes |
When to Use Subfolders
| Scenario | Use Subfolders |
|---|---|
| Many documents | Yes |
| Access control differences | Yes |
| Hierarchical organization | Yes |
| SharePoint views/permissions | Yes |
Combined Approach
You can use both:
/Customers/Contoso/
├── Contracts/ ← Subfolder for all contracts
│ ├── MSA.pdf ← Category: "Active"
│ └── Old NDA.pdf ← Category: "Archived"
├── Invoices/
│ ├── 2024/
│ └── 2025/
└── General/
├── Welcome.pdf ← Category: "Correspondence"
└── Logo.png ← Category: "Marketing"Category Metadata
Storing in SharePoint
Categories are stored as SharePoint metadata:
- Appears as a column in SharePoint
- Can be used in SharePoint views
- Can be searched/filtered in SharePoint
Configuring Category Column
In Mapping Metadata, you can configure:
- Show category in file list
- Map to specific SharePoint column
- Export column to SharePoint
Troubleshooting Categories
Categories Not Appearing
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| No categories in dropdown | Are categories configured for this table? |
| Can't assign category | Do you have permissions? |
| Color not showing | Is color coding set? |
Wrong Categories Available
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| Categories from wrong table | Verify table number in category setup |
| Missing categories | Create categories for this table |
Color Not Displaying
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| Standard color always | Check Color Coding setting |
| Browser issue | Try different browser |
Advanced Category Usage
Metadata Integration
Categories can be included in metadata mapping:
- Configure category in File Categories
- Add category field to Mapping Metadata
- Category syncs to SharePoint column
- Use in SharePoint views
Email Automation
Auto-attach is configured at the Table Mapping level, not per category:
- Open the Table Mapping Card for the relevant table
- Set Auto Email Categories Filter to specify which categories (by name) should be attached
- Optionally set Auto Email Sub Folder to restrict the search to a specific subfolder of the record's SharePoint folder
- When you send a document email from BC, matching files from the record's SharePoint folder are attached automatically
The SharePoint Category EFQ table has an internal AutoAttachOnEmails boolean, but it is not exposed on the File Categories page in the current app and the email subscriber that would read it is not active. Use the Table Mapping approach.
See Table Mapping for details.
Reporting
Categories enable:
- SharePoint views filtered by category
- Document inventory by type
- Compliance reporting