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

# Plugin Categories

> Organize your Audio Unit instruments and effects into custom categories that sync across your Macs.

**Plugin Categories** are the top-level folders in the [Instruments](/features/inspector#instruments) and [Effects](/features/inspector#effects) inspector tabs. Each plugin can live in one or more categories, and you control the order inside each category.

Categories are app-wide — the same layout applies to every project. With iCloud enabled, your categories, plugin assignments, and ordering sync across your Macs.

## Default categories

Gridshift ships with a starter set of categories. Effect categories appear in the **Effects** inspector tab:

* **EQ**
* **Dynamics**
* **Reverb**
* **Delay**
* **Modulation**
* **Distortion**
* **Utility**

Instrument categories appear in the **Instruments** inspector tab:

* **Synths**
* **Sampler**
* **Keys**
* **Drums**
* **Strings**

Defaults behave like any other category — you can rename, reorder, or delete them.

## Auto-categorization

When a plugin is scanned for the first time, Gridshift drops it into a matching category based on its name — a plugin called "Fab Reverb" lands in **Reverb**, "SSL Compressor" in **Dynamics**, and so on. Once a plugin has any explicit assignment, that assignment takes over and the name isn't consulted again.

Plugins that don't match any category land in **Other**.

## Manage categories

Right-click a category header in the **Instruments** or **Effects** inspector tab:

| Action            | Effect                                                       |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Rename "…"**    | Rename the category                                          |
| **Delete "…"**    | Delete the category; assigned plugins fall back to **Other** |
| **New Category…** | Create a new category                                        |

**Favorites** and **Other** are built-in — they can't be renamed or deleted.

Drag a category header up or down to change the order it appears in.

## Assign plugins

Right-click a plugin row to open its context menu. Under **Assign to Category** you'll see every category for the current inspector tab:

* A checkmark marks categories the plugin already belongs to.
* Clicking a category toggles membership — a plugin can live in multiple categories at once.
* **New Category…** at the bottom creates a fresh category and assigns the plugin in one step.

You can also drag a plugin onto another category header to move it, or drag up or down within a category to reorder plugins.

### Favorites

The **Favorites** section at the top of each inspector tab is toggled per plugin via the **Favorite** context-menu item. Favorites sync alongside your categories.