What families see
The first section of the category editor controls the text families see in the estimator.- Name: the heading families read above the category, for example “Caskets”, “Floral Arrangements” or “Catering”. Use plain, familiar language. Avoid internal jargon or supplier codes.
- Instruction for families: one short line above the options, telling families what to do here. Leave it blank and we write it for you based on how the category is set up, so a multi-select category says “Choose as many as you’d like” and a quantity stepper says “Set how many you need”. Fill it in when you want to say something the settings can’t, such as “All venue hire includes set-up and one hour of use”.
Most categories need nothing in the instruction field. A list of choices with prices explains itself, and we leave it blank rather than add a line that states the obvious.
How this category works
These settings control the functional behaviour of the category.Component type
The component type determines how options are displayed to families. Choosing the right one makes a real difference to how natural and easy the estimator feels. You pick it from a row of cards under How families choose, each showing a small picture of what that choice looks like in the estimator. The live preview beside the editor updates as soon as you save, so you can see the effect on your own options rather than guessing from the name.Cost type
Cost type controls how the estimate is grouped and labelled in the estimate summary. Families see costs separated into three sections, which helps them understand what they’re actually paying for.Third-party disbursements are shown in a dedicated section of the estimate with a short explanation. This transparency is important — families can see that a crematorium fee is charged by the crematorium, not by you. It builds trust and avoids misunderstandings about what your fee actually covers.
Pricing type
Pricing type determines how the cost of this category is calculated.When this appears
The visibility settings control which service types and sub-types show this category. Different service types suit different categories. Caskets make sense for burial. Urns make sense for cremation. Direct cremation likely doesn’t need a catering category at all. You have three visibility options for each service type:
See Service Type Visibility for full details on configuring this.
Display options
A few additional settings that affect how the category is presented.- Required vs Optional — Required categories must be engaged with before families can continue. Optional categories include a “Skip this section” option for families who don’t need them. Mark catering as optional if not all families will want it; mark caskets as required if burial families must choose one.
- Allow multiple selections — Available for Text list categories only. When enabled, families can tick several options instead of picking just one. Options with a $0 price are automatically shown as “Included” and permanently checked, so families can see what’s already part of their package alongside optional extras they can add. See Text list with multi-select for setup examples.
- Category icon — Choose an icon that represents the category. Icons are decorative and pulled from your chosen icon theme (set in Appearance).
- Show total in sticky bar — The sticky price bar at the bottom of the screen shows the running estimate total. For most categories this is on by default.
What’s Included panel
Available for Included item categories only. When turned on, this category appears in a dedicated panel at the top of the estimator, above all the builder sections families work through. The panel is always visible and expanded, with a tick icon next to each item. This is the right place to surface your professional services fee and any other costs that families should see upfront — before they start adding extras. It makes clear what’s already part of the service without burying it at the bottom of a long list. The panel is filtered by service type, so a category only appears for burial or cremation families depending on your visibility settings. Third-party fees that vary or items that are less central to the core service can stay in the main builder instead.When “Allow multiple selections” is turned on, the “Allow none” option is automatically hidden. Families can simply leave all the optional items unchecked if they don’t want any of them.
Link to your website
If you have more information about a category on your website, you can add a link here. It appears as a small “Learn more” button within the category, opening in a new tab. This is useful for:- Linking to a casket gallery page
- Pointing to a venues page with photos and floor plans
- Showing catering menus in more detail
Keep links optional and supplementary. The estimator should stand on its own. A link to more info is a nice touch; relying on it to explain pricing or options is a sign that your descriptions might need more detail.