Manage the Standards catalog

Audience: MSP staff with Standards settings access. Company users should follow Understand Standards items in Planner. Open Settings > MSP Tools > Standards. The older /settings/tool-stack address redirects here. Settings defines the shared catalog; MSP Tools > Standards is the company deployment matrix. Viewing needs Standards settings Read permission. Creating, editing, deleting and syncing need Manage permission and active billing. Company administrator access does not automatically grant these MSP settings.

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Create a category

1. Select Add Category. This immediately creates New Category.
2. Select the category name, enter a distinct name, then press Enter or move focus out of the field. Escape cancels the name edit before it is submitted.
3. Use the category’s pencil, labeled Edit category details, to add its description and icon.
4. Choose Planner Type in the category header. On a narrow screen, this choice is inside the category details popover.
5. Wait for automatic saving, then reopen the page to confirm the result before distributing it.

Rename New Category before adding another category. If that placeholder already exists, Add Category reports a duplicate-name error; it does not open a second draft. The catalog’s names must be distinct within the MSP. Planner Type classifies the linked work when you sync Standards. Selecting a type does not itself create tasks, and No planner type does not prevent sync from creating them.

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Add and edit a standard

1. Expand the category using its chevron.
2. Select its plus, labeled Add item. In an empty category you can also use Add one.
3. The new New Item opens for editing. Give it a distinct name within that category before adding another item there.
4. Complete the fields below. Select an existing item row whenever you need to reopen its editor.

New items are Required by default in an ordinary category and Optional in a one-of group. An optional standard can still receive company tracking and Planner work during sync.

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Require one of a group

Use Edit category details > Require one of group when the category lists alternatives. For example, a company needs one suitable backup product from the group. Turning this on changes existing items in the category to Optional and disables their individual Required switches. The group contributes one applicable required check; any deployed member satisfies it. Items display Group, and the category displays 1 of N required. Turning the group rule off does not restore the earlier Required choices. Open the items and turn Required back on where needed. For scoring exclusions, optional items and tiers, see Read the Standards matrix.

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Organize the list

Use category chevrons or Collapse all / Expand all to change what is open. These controls do not delete or disable standards. Use the grip handles to reorder categories or items within their category. Reordering saves immediately; a reported failure can restore the previous order. Dragging an item between categories is not supported by this screen.

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Understand automatic saving

There is no overall Save or Cancel button. Creating a category or item saves the placeholder immediately. Item fields save shortly after typing stops; category names save after Enter or blur, and category descriptions save after leaving their field. Finish typing and wait before navigating away. A value changing on screen is not proof it saved: if an error appears, reopen the page and check the stored value. Closing a popover does not undo fields already saved. An empty item name is not a valid saved name. Catalog saving and distributing Planner changes are separate. Review Sync Standards to companies before using Sync All Companies. To remove definitions, follow Retire Standards definitions.

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FAQs