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

# Exclude or include companies in Standards

> Keep companies out of Standards scoring without deleting their company records or Planner work.

**Audience:** MSP staff maintaining Standards. This action needs Planner Write permission and active billing, in addition to access to read the matrix.

Open **MSP Tools > Standards**. Exclusion removes a company from Standards scoring and hides its matrix row by default. It does not delete the company, its tickets, devices or Planner items.

## Exclude a company

1. Find the company in the matrix. Check the exact row, especially where parent and child companies appear together.
2. Right-click its **company-name cell**.
3. Choose **Exclude from Standards**.
4. Wait for the success message. The row normally disappears because excluded companies are hidden by default.
5. Use **Show N excluded**, when present, to inspect the excluded rows.

Selecting Exclude saves immediately; there is no separate confirmation. Press Escape or click outside before choosing to dismiss the menu without a change. Excluding a parent row does not automatically exclude its child companies; review each company separately.

## Include the company again

1. Use **Show N excluded**. The number reflects excluded companies in the loaded set.
2. Search for the company if needed. Check its **Excluded** badge and crossed-out name.
3. Right-click its company-name cell and choose **Include in Standards**.
4. Wait for the result and confirm it returns to the normal matrix and scoring.

Re-inclusion uses the existing deployment records. It does not reset all standards to Not Started or mark them Deployed. **Hide N excluded** only changes whether excluded rows are displayed; it does not re-include them.

## Understand the boundaries

| Action                            | Effect                                                                                 |
| --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Search companies                  | Temporarily filters displayed rows and summary.                                        |
| Show or hide excluded             | Changes whether excluded rows are visible.                                             |
| Exclude from Standards            | Saves a company exclusion from Standards scoring.                                      |
| Include in Standards              | Removes that saved exclusion.                                                          |
| Mark one standard N/A or Declined | Changes one deployment's applicability or decision, not the whole company's inclusion. |

An excluded company does not contribute to the Standards score even when displayed. Column bulk updates skip it. Its own row menu can still update its recorded standards while shown.

Exclusion does not change Company user permissions, hide all Planner work from the client portal, deactivate the company or stop a provider integration. It also does not remove the company from the **Sync All Companies** operation, which targets active companies. To control new Planner visibility during that operation, see [Sync Standards to companies](/user-guides/settings/sync-standards).

## Troubleshoot a missing row

Check the top company scope, company search and **Show N excluded**. If the company is inactive, outside your loaded scope or unavailable to your account, the Show control does not bypass those restrictions. A failed exclusion update can restore the visible row; reopen the matrix to confirm its saved state.

Company users should follow [Understand Standards items in Planner](/user-guides/planner/understand-standards-items) for the work shared with them.

## FAQs

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I exclude a company from Standards?">
    In MSP Tools > Standards, right-click its company-name cell and choose Exclude from Standards. The choice saves immediately.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does exclusion delete the company or its Planner work?">
    No. It excludes the company from Standards scoring and hides its row by default while keeping its records.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I bring an excluded company back?">
    Choose Show N excluded, right-click its company-name cell and select Include in Standards.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Show excluded put companies back into the score?">
    No. It only reveals their rows. Use Include in Standards to remove the saved exclusion.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does re-inclusion reset deployment statuses?">
    No. It uses the existing deployment records.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does excluding a parent exclude its children?">
    No. Review and manage each company separately.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will excluded companies receive a column bulk status change?">
    No. Column actions skip them; their individual row menu can still be used while shown.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does exclusion stop Standards sync for that company?">
    No. Sync All Companies targets active companies and is not restricted by the Standards exclusion flag.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does exclusion hide the company’s Planner items from Company users?">
    No. Company visibility and permissions are separate from Standards scoring exclusion.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can I still not find a company after showing excluded?">
    Check the top company scope, search, active status and your access. Showing excluded does not bypass those filters or permissions.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>