The quick answer
Go to Setup > Marketing > Categories and click New. Type a Name, pick the parent in Subcategory of, and optionally choose a Default Lead Source. Save. The Campaign Categories list shows the new category indented under its parent, and campaigns in it show the category as Parent : Child, such as Online : Paid Search. In this walkthrough, saving also filed the chosen lead source, Ad, under the new category.
The screenshots show sample data. Person and company names are fictional. Use your own categories and values when following the steps.
Before you start
In this example, a marketing manager at Tidemark Bicycle Co. is starting paid search ads and wants that spend reported under the Online channel, separately from Banner Ads and Social Media. Each campaign carries one category, and lists and reports can group by it, so a Paid Search subcategory under Online keeps the channel numbers comparable.
Campaign categories need the Customer Relationship Management and Marketing Automation features, and a role with access to marketing setup. The walkthrough uses the Administrator role, but any role with access to campaign category setup works. Create the lead-source campaign first if you want to use one as the default.
01. Check the lead sources
Open Lists > Marketing > Marketing Campaigns. The list is sorted by Category. The lead-source campaigns Ad, Web, Partner Referral and Other have Manager -System- and no Category. With Marketing Automation on, lead sources are campaigns, so they show up here.
02. Review the existing categories
Open Setup > Marketing > Categories. Broadcast, Online, Print, Purchased Lists and Trade Show are listed, each followed by its subcategories, indented. Online has Banner Ads and Social Media.
03. Create the subcategory
Click New. In Name, type Paid Search. In Subcategory of, choose Online. The dropdown lists every category alphabetically with subcategories indented, so check you picked the parent you meant. Stick to category and subcategory; deeper nesting makes reports harder to read.
In Default Lead Source, choose Ad. In this account, the dropdown only offers lead sources that aren't already in another category. In Description, type Search engine ads billed per click. Leave Available Externally checked and Inactive clear. Available Externally lets the category be offered on eligible online forms, such as a "How did you hear about us?" question, if the form exposes the category field. It doesn't publish any campaign.
Click Save. The Campaign Category shows Name Paid Search, Subcategory of Online and Default Lead Source Ad.
04. Check the hierarchy
Click List. Paid Search appears indented under Online, after Banner Ads, with its description.
05. Check the lead source
Open Lists > Marketing > Marketing Campaigns again. The Ad lead-source campaign now shows Category Online : Paid Search and sorts with the other Online campaigns. Leads attributed to Ad now roll up with the rest of the Online channel.
Check the result
- Campaign Categories lists Paid Search indented under Online.
- The Paid Search record shows Subcategory of Online and Default Lead Source Ad.
- On Marketing Campaigns, the Ad lead source shows Category Online : Paid Search.
The Default Lead Source also matters for web leads. When a visitor picks the category on an online customer form, NetSuite can use the category's Default Lead Source as the new record's Lead Source, but only if no other lead source was supplied, for example by the form's own Set Lead Source setting. It applies when the record is created and doesn't change the lead source on existing records.
Common questions
How do I create a campaign category subcategory in NetSuite?
Go to Setup > Marketing > Categories and click New. Type a name, pick the parent in Subcategory of, and click Save. The new category shows up indented under its parent on the Campaign Categories list.
Where do I set up marketing campaign categories?
Under Setup > Marketing > Categories, in the Campaign Management part of the Marketing setup menu. The list shows each top-level category followed by its subcategories, indented.
What does Default Lead Source do on a campaign category?
It ties a lead source to the category. In the walkthrough, saving Paid Search with Default Lead Source Ad filed the Ad lead-source campaign under Online : Paid Search. On online customer forms that let visitors pick a category, NetSuite can also use it as the new record's lead source when nothing else supplies one.
Why did my lead source get a category after I saved a campaign category?
Because you picked it as the category's Default Lead Source. With Marketing Automation on, lead sources are campaigns, and saving the category files that campaign under it. Here the Ad campaign went from no category to Online : Paid Search.
How do I group paid search campaigns under Online?
Create a Paid Search category with Subcategory of set to Online, then give your paid search campaigns that category. On the Marketing Campaigns list they show as Online : Paid Search and sort with the other Online campaigns.
What does Available Externally mean on a campaign category?
It lets the category be offered on eligible online forms, such as a "How did you hear about us?" question. It doesn't publish a campaign or put anything on your website by itself.
How do I hide a campaign category I no longer use?
Edit it and check Inactive. It stops showing up for new selections but isn't deleted, and Show Inactives on the Campaign Categories list brings it back into view.