Overview
If your Ply account is integrated with HouseCall Pro (HCP), your category structure is synced from HCP. HCP acts as the source of truth for categories, which means all category changes must originate there, not in Ply.
How Categories Work with HCP
HCP Pricebook folders → become Categories in Ply
Folders within folders in HCP → become Subcategories in Ply
⚠️ Any changes made to categories in HCP will sync to Ply after running a Pricebook sync.
Can I Delete Categories Directly in Ply?
No. If your account is synced with HCP, categories cannot be deleted directly in Ply. They must be deleted from your HCP Pricebook first, then synced over.
Steps:
1. Go to your HCP Pricebook and delete the folders/categories you no longer need
2. In Ply, go to Settings > Catalog > Categories and run a Categories Sync
3. The updated category structure will now reflect in Ply
⚠️ Deleting a category in HCP will not delete the materials inside it. Those materials will remain in your Ply catalog but will show as Uncategorized. You will need to reassign them manually or make a bulk update from Ply.
Here is how you can add later your new categories to your materials: How to Add a Category to a Material
Adding Subcategories
Ply does not allow you to add subcategories under a parent category if that parent already contains materials. To work around this:
Remove all materials from the parent folder in HCP (or move them to Uncategorized)
Create the desired subfolders in HCP (e.g., by size, type, or model)
Reassign the materials to the appropriate subfolder in HCP
Run a Pricebook Sync in Ply
Bulk Recategorization
If you have a large number of materials to recategorize, the Ply support team can help you do this in bulk. To request this:
First, make sure all your categories and subcategories are set up correctly in Ply
Prepare a file (Excel) listing each material and the category/subcategory it should be assigned to
Send the file to the Ply support team and they will process the bulk update on the backend
Tips & Best Practices
Plan your category structure before making changes: know which parent categories and subcategories you need before deleting anything
Always set up your category structure in HCP first, then sync to Ply
If you need to start fresh, delete categories in HCP → sync → rebuild your structure → bulk reassign materials
Materials without a category will always show as Uncategorized in both HCP and Ply
Still need help? Contact Support!