One of the most common mistakes MSPs make when building ticket categories is trying to classify everything.
They start with a simple goal:
"We want better reporting."
Six months later they have 200 categories, technicians are picking values at random, and the reports are useless.
The goal of categorization isn't to describe every technical detail of a ticket. The goal is to identify patterns.
You want to answer questions like:
- Are VPN issues increasing?
- How much time are we spending on password resets?
- Which clients generate the most email tickets?
- Should we invest in WiFi upgrades or user training?
You do not need categories detailed enough to explain exactly why every issue occurred.
For example, if a user can't print, does your reporting really benefit from knowing whether the root cause was a print driver, spooler service, print queue, or bad USB cable?
Probably not.
For most small MSPs, simpler categories produce better data because technicians actually use them consistently.
A Practical Category Structure for Small MSPs
The following structure is broad enough to identify trends while remaining simple enough for technicians to classify quickly.
| Category | Common Subcategories |
|---|---|
| Account & Access | Password Reset, MFA, Permissions, User Account |
| Email & Collaboration | Email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Calendar |
| Workstation | Performance, Hardware, Software, Printing, Login |
| Network | Internet, VPN, WiFi, LAN |
| Business Applications | Accounting, CRM, Line of Business App, Browser |
| Server & Infrastructure | Active Directory, File Server, Virtualization, Remote Access, Storage |
| Security | Malware, Phishing, Security Alert, Endpoint Protection |
| Service Request | New User, User Offboarding, Software Install, Hardware Request, Access Request |
Why Smaller Is Better
Imagine a technician receives a ticket:
"I can't get to email."
At ticket creation, nobody knows whether the issue is:
- Outlook
- DNS
- WiFi
- VPN
- Microsoft 365
- MFA
- A local profile problem
- A global outage
If your category list requires technicians to determine the root cause before they've even investigated the ticket, you'll get inconsistent data.
Instead, categorize based on what is known at triage.
For example:
Category: Email & Collaboration
Subcategory: Email
Simple. Fast. Consistent.
Later, if you want deeper analysis, you can use ticket notes, resolutions, tags, AI analysis, or problem records.
The "Can We Report On It?" Test
Before adding a new category, ask:
"What decision will this help us make?"
If you can't answer that question, don't add it.
For example:
Good
- VPN
- WiFi
- Password Reset
- New User
These often drive operational decisions, automation opportunities, or client recommendations.
Not So Good
- Print Queue
- Print Driver
- DHCP
- DNS Cache
- Outlook Profile Corruption
These are troubleshooting details, not reporting categories.
Most MSPs will never make a business decision based on how many print queue issues occurred last quarter.
Build for the MSP You Are
Large enterprises may have hundreds of categories. They also have dedicated service management teams, reporting analysts, and formal ITIL processes.
Most small MSPs do not.
A category structure that takes five seconds to classify correctly is usually more valuable than one that takes five minutes to understand.
The best ticket categorization system is not the most detailed one.
It's the one your team will actually use consistently.
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