When to Use Categories vs. Picklists in Jama Connect®

Patrick Knowles
Patrick Knowles
  • Updated

Published Date: July 11, 2025

Validated: Yes

Audience: Everyone

Products and Versions Covered:

  • Jama Connect®

Summary

Choosing between Categories and Picklists in Jama Connect® can be challenging. This article provides guidance to help users, administrators, and others who use Jama Connect determine which option is best for their use case.

The best choice depends on the differences between Categories and Picklists and how the metadata will be used.

Resolution

Review the following differences between Categories and Picklists when determining which option best fits your use case.

  Categories Picklists
Pros
  • Can be added to any or all projects instantly
  • Works across all Item Types and containers
  • Optionally can be updated on locked items
  • Automatic filters
  • Multi-select or single-select options
  • Dedicated field within an item while editing
  • Enables lookup tables and calculated fields
Cons
  • Always multi-select
  • Cannot be set for only specific Item Types
  • Requires a field to be set up per Item Type
  • Requires filters to be created

Determining Which Option to Choose

Start simple by asking the following questions:

  1. Do users need to access this while editing an item?
  2. Will this information need to be single-select only?
  3. Is this metadata specific to just one or two Item Types?

If the answer is yes to any or all of these questions, a Picklist will likely suffice. If the answer to any of the questions is no, a set of Categories may be a better option.

Consider the pros and cons above when making your decision. When optimizing a Jama Connect instance, trying one option is also a reasonable approach. Items with assigned Categories or Picklist metadata can be updated later to switch between the options.

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