> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.funeralestimatorpro.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Service Type Visibility

> Control which categories appear for each service type, so families only see what's relevant to their choice.

Not every category makes sense for every service type. Caskets belong to burial. Urns belong to cremation. A catering category might apply to a traditional cremation but not to a direct cremation. Visibility settings let you tailor the estimator so families only see what's relevant to their situation.

To manage visibility, open any category in **Estimator → Categories & Pricing** and scroll to the **When this appears** section.

***

## The three visibility options

For each service type (and sub-type), you can set one of three visibility states for each category:

| Setting        | What families see                                                                 | When to use it                                                                                                      |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Active**     | The category appears and is fully interactive                                     | The category is relevant and families should be able to choose from it                                              |
| **Greyed out** | The category is visible but dimmed, with a short note explaining it doesn't apply | The category isn't relevant, but you want families to know it exists (so they don't wonder if something is missing) |
| **Hidden**     | The category doesn't appear at all                                                | The category is completely irrelevant and would only cause confusion                                                |

<Tip>
  When in doubt, **Hidden** is usually cleaner than **Greyed out**. Families don't need to see a Caskets category when they've chosen direct cremation — it just adds noise. Reserve Greyed out for situations where you genuinely want families to know the option exists, even if it doesn't apply to their choice.
</Tip>

***

## Common visibility patterns

Here are the most common configurations for NZ funeral homes:

### Burial service type

| Category              | Visibility |
| --------------------- | ---------- |
| Caskets               | Active     |
| Urns                  | Hidden     |
| Floral arrangements   | Active     |
| Venue / Chapel        | Active     |
| Catering              | Active     |
| Crematorium fee       | Hidden     |
| Death certificates    | Active     |
| Professional services | Active     |

### Cremation service type (traditional)

| Category              | Visibility |
| --------------------- | ---------- |
| Caskets               | Hidden     |
| Urns                  | Active     |
| Floral arrangements   | Active     |
| Venue / Chapel        | Active     |
| Catering              | Active     |
| Crematorium fee       | Active     |
| Death certificates    | Active     |
| Professional services | Active     |

### Direct cremation sub-type

| Category              | Visibility             |
| --------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Caskets               | Hidden                 |
| Urns                  | Active                 |
| Floral arrangements   | Greyed out (or Hidden) |
| Venue / Chapel        | Hidden                 |
| Catering              | Hidden                 |
| Crematorium fee       | Active                 |
| Death certificates    | Active                 |
| Professional services | Active                 |

***

## Setting visibility for a category

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the category">
    Go to **Estimator → Categories & Pricing** and click the category name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the 'When this appears' section">
    Scroll down past the name, description, and component type fields.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review each service type">
    You'll see a row for each of your service types (and any sub-types). Each row has a visibility selector showing Active, Greyed out, or Hidden.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the visibility for each">
    Choose the right setting for each service type. Changes are saved when you click **Save category**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview the result">
    Open **Estimator → Preview** and switch between service types to see how the estimator looks for each one.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## How visibility affects the estimate

When a category is hidden for a service type, it doesn't appear in the estimator at all — it's as if it doesn't exist for that family. Any options within it won't be included in the estimate.

When a category is greyed out, it appears in the estimator's flow but is visually dimmed and can't be interacted with. A short note is displayed explaining why it doesn't apply. The category won't contribute any cost to the estimate.

***

## Sub-type visibility

If you've set up sub-types (for example, Direct Cremation and Traditional Cremation within Cremation), visibility can be configured separately for each sub-type.

This is the most powerful way to tailor the estimator. A family choosing Direct Cremation and a family choosing Traditional Cremation are planning quite different services — what they see in the estimator should reflect that.

Sub-type visibility rows appear in the same **When this appears** section, nested under their parent service type.

<Note>
  If you haven't set up sub-types yet, you'll only see rows for your top-level service types. Sub-type visibility becomes available once you add sub-types in **Settings → Service Types**. See [Service Types and Base Pricing](/setup/service-types) for how sub-types work.
</Note>

***

## Relationship to the estimator flow

Visibility settings and service type choices work together to create a personalised estimator flow. Here's the sequence:

1. Family arrives at the greeting screen
2. Family chooses a service type (and sub-type if applicable)
3. The estimator hides or shows categories based on your visibility settings
4. Family works through only the categories that apply to their choice
5. The estimate reflects only the costs relevant to their service type

This means families planning a direct cremation won't see venue hire or casket options — the estimator feels cleaner, faster, and more relevant to them.