# About the Categories API

The Categories API allows you to manage service categories. Wix Bookings
displays services ordered by category on the live site to customers and
in the dashboard for the business.

With the Categories API, you can manage service categories.

## Before you begin

It’s important to note the following points before starting to code:

- [Wix Bookings](fallback::https://www.wix.com/app-market/web-solution/bookings)
  must be installed on a site before you can use the Categories API.
- Wix Bookings displays services ordered by category to the business and
  customers. Within a category, services are ordered by the *service's*
  `sortOrder` field
  ([SDK](portalId::b85dea5b-341b-493b-b99e-4d4ca12baaa2resourceId::d1c98af6-5ad1-4df4-a38f-0b67797af4d4slug::setup*fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk/backend-modules/bookings/services/introduction) | [REST](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/rest/business-solutions/bookings/services/services-v2/introduction)).
- You can't connect a service to more than a single category.
- By default, Wix Bookings creates a category with
  `{"name": "Our Services"}`.

## Use cases

- Create a category and connect a service
  ([SDK](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk/backend-modules/bookings/categories/sample-flows#create-a-category-and-connect-a-service) | [REST](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/rest/business-solutions/bookings/services/categories-v1/sample-flows#create-a-category-and-connect-a-service)).

## Terminology

- **Category**: An entity used to group multiple services together, helping
  businesses manage them and customers find what they need.
- **Service**: A business offering, which can be a class, course, or
  appointment. For example, a fitness studio might offer 30-minute personal
  training sessions, 1-hour yoga classes every Monday at 7:00 PM, and
  introductory HIIT courses consisting of 3 training sessions
  on specific dates.

For a comprehensive glossary of Wix Bookings terms, see *Terminology*
([SDK](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk/backend-modules/bookings/terminology) | [REST](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/rest/business-solutions/bookings/terminology)).

## See also

- *Services V2 API*
  ([SDK](portalId::b85dea5b-341b-493b-b99e-4d4ca12baaa2resourceId::d1c98af6-5ad1-4df4-a38f-0b67797af4d4slug::setup*fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk/backend-modules/bookings/services/introduction) | [REST](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/rest/business-solutions/bookings/services/services-v2/introduction)).

# Sample Use Cases and Flows

This article shares a possible use cases you could support, as well as a sample
flow that could support it. This can be a helpful jumping off point as you plan
your implementation.

## Create a category and connect a service

You can create a new category and connect an existing service to it.

To create a category:

1. Call *Create Category*
   ([SDK](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk/backend-modules/bookings/categories/create-category) | [REST](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/rest/business-solutions/bookings/services/categories-v1/create-category)).
   Specify a descriptive category name, since it's displayed to customers.
   Save the category ID.
1. Call *Update Service*
   ([SDK](portalId::b85dea5b-341b-493b-b99e-4d4ca12baaa2resourceId::d1c98af6-5ad1-4df4-a38f-0b67797af4d4slug::update-service*fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk/backend-modules/bookings/services/update-service) | [REST](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/rest/business-solutions/bookings/services/services-v2/update-service)),
   specifying the category ID in `service.category.id`.
1. Optional: If you want to adjust the order in which categories are displayed,
   call *Update Category*
   ([SDK](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk/backend-modules/bookings/categories/update-category) | [REST](fallback::https://dev.wix.com/docs/rest/business-solutions/bookings/services/categories-v1/update-category))
   for all categories you want to rearrange. Specify the desired `sortOrder`.

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