What are Service Types and Categories in Arketa, and how do I manage them?
Service Types and Categories in Arketa are essential tools for organizing and managing your offerings, such as classes, appointments, or events. This article provides an overview of their purpose, setup, and management, along with troubleshooting tips for common issues.
Overview of Service Types and Categories
Service Types: These are reusable templates for your offerings, such as classes or appointments. They define the structure of your services at a granular level. For example, you might create service types for different class formats or levels (e.g., beginner yoga, advanced pilates). Service types are the foundation for creating and scheduling classes.
Categories: Categories are broader groupings that help organize service types for easier management and client discovery. For instance, you might group service types under categories like "Yoga," "Pilates," or "Workshops." If a service type is marked as "Uncategorized," it means it hasn’t been assigned to any category, which can make it harder to find in summary views or filters.
Managing Service Types
Setting Up Service Types
Navigate to Setup > Service Types in your Arketa dashboard.
Create a new service type template for each offering you plan to provide.
When creating a class, link it to the appropriate service type template. This ensures consistency and simplifies scheduling.
Scheduling Classes
If a service type shows as "Not scheduled," it means the template exists, but specific dates and times haven’t been added. To schedule classes:
Go to the Service Types section.
Select the relevant service type and choose the "Schedule classes" action.
Add the specific dates and times for the class.
Once scheduled, the class will appear on your calendar. Note that deleting a service template won’t remove already scheduled classes, and duplicating or editing a service type affects all linked classes.
Managing Service Types Across Locations
To set up the same service type at multiple locations, create a duplicate of the service type and assign each copy to a different location. This ensures each location has its own instance of the service.
Troubleshooting Visibility Issues
"Uncategorized" Service Types
If a service type is "Uncategorized," assign it to a category to improve its visibility in summary views and filters. Categories help clients discover your offerings more easily.
Missing Appointment Service Types in the Branded App
If appointment service types aren’t appearing in the Branded App, ensure they are configured correctly in your Arketa dashboard:
Go to Setup > Service Types > Appointments.
Add the service type as an Appointment.
Changes made in the dashboard will reflect in the app for clients.
Conclusion
Service Types and Categories in Arketa provide a structured way to manage your offerings, ensuring they are organized and accessible to clients. By understanding their setup and management, you can optimize your scheduling and improve client discovery. For further assistance, consult your Arketa dashboard or contact support.