---
title: "Assigning general ledger codes to categories"
slug: "assigning-general-ledger-codes-to-categories"
updated: 2026-08-19T15:06:38Z
published: 2026-08-19T15:06:38Z
canonical: "help.cintra.co.uk/assigning-general-ledger-codes-to-categories"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cintra.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Assigning general ledger codes to categories

A GL code maps each category to the corresponding nominal record in your accounting software. It is a mandatory field on every category and is applied to the expense line at the point of creation, and re-evaluated before export.

GL codes can be simple numeric codes, or combined with tags to create more complex coding structures for detailed analysis.

> **Remember**: GL codes are mandatory within a category.

### **Assigning a GL code**

1. Go to **Setup > Categories**.
2. Click **+ Category** to create a new category, or click the **Edit** icon on an existing one.
3. Click in the **GL Code** field to open The General Ledger Code form.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(375).png)

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image-XBT17JSL.png)

1. Enter the numeric **Code**, e.g. *4200*.
2. Optional: select one or more **Tags** to combine with the code. The GL code will be generated as a combination of the numeric code and the tag values.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(376).png)

1. Click **Save** on the General Ledger Code form, then **Save** in the category record.

**Note:** For more complex analysis, tags and costing records can be used alongside GL codes. See [Introduction to tags](/docs/tags).