--- sourceDocument: Australia Platform Analytics sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/now-intelligence Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Platform Analytics ft:clusterId : - par bundleId : - par workflow : - Platform --- # Categorization concepts # Categorization concepts in Task Mining {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated August 27, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Categorization concepts in Task Mining Task Mining categorization organizes workstation activities by grouping similar tasks with user-friendly category and application names. This improves dashboard clarity, reduces clutter, and enables anonymization of personal information. Categorization determines how data appears in analysis and helps distinguish different activity types for better insights. Show full answer Show less ## How Categorization Works Categories are defined by creating rules using a condition builder, which matches activities based on application name, window name, or URL using operators like Equals, Contains, Starts with, or Ends with. Multiple conditions can be combined with "and" / "or" logic to target a range of activities with one rule. Each rule has a rank that controls the order in which it applies. ## Categorization Workflow * An analyst mines sample data of applications and windows to capture exact values used in categorization. * A power user creates and ranks categorization rules based on this mined data. * The analyst previews the analysis to verify how data is visualized and requests refinements. * The power user adjusts rules and adds or modifies categories and applications for clarity. * Data is re-mined and categorized until no more than about 10% of activities remain uncategorized, balancing detail and efficiency. ## Predefined Categorization Rules Five default rules are fixed and ordered to manage special activity types: * **Private:** Marks non-productive activities or private mode. * **Lock:** Defines breaks when the workstation is locked. * **Off:** Marks when the workstation is turned off. * **Idle:** Applies during targeted recordings when the user is idle. * **MAX:** Captures uncategorized apps that don't match any rule; these activities are hidden from dashboards and grouped as Other. ## Category and Application Naming Best Practices * Use meaningful category names that describe the work type; avoid using "Other" as it is reserved for uncategorized activities. * If an app doesn't fit existing categories, add a new category or use a generic one like "Misc." * Assign unique application names linked to a single category to maintain accurate visualization (e.g., treemap charts). * Keep consistent categories for the same application accessed via different methods (native vs. browser) to avoid fragmentation. ## Benefits for ServiceNow Customers Implementing categorization in Task Mining helps ServiceNow customers by: * Enhancing dashboard readability and analytical clarity through organized data grouping. * Facilitating anonymization of sensitive information within specific categories. * Allowing precise control over how workstation activities are classified and displayed. * Enabling iterative refinement of categorization rules to achieve comprehensive data coverage with manageable complexity. Categorization rules organize and add context to your data by grouping similar workstation activities with user-friendly category names. ## Purpose of categorization {#configuration-concepts__section_gp3_gdc_ycc} Task Mining categorization determines how information displays in analyses and provides several benefits. * Grouping apps into categories makes dashboards more easily readable and enables you to distinguish between different types of activities. * Displaying only categorized apps avoids cluttering the analysis with unwanted information. * Anonymization of personal information such as a client name in window names for specific categories with replacement text you specify. * Grouping similar activities using categories and application groups making dashboards clearer. {#configuration-concepts__ul_wgt_kcg_4cc} ## How rules match activities {#configuration-concepts__section_nhv_zn4_jkc} You define a categorization rule with a condition builder. Each condition is a combination of a field (Application Name, Window Name, or URL), an operator (Equals, Contains, Starts with, or Ends with), and a value. A rule matches an activity when its conditions evaluate true against the activity's application name, window name, and URL values. Combine conditions with and and or logic to match a range of activities with a single rule. ## Categorization workflow {#configuration-concepts__section_jvv_mjy_w2c} The process to categorize activities is as follows: 1. A Task Mining analyst mines a sample of data of the applications and windows used in your project. Starting with mined data makes categorization easier as you have the exact values used to categorize activities already available in the data. For more information, see [Run a mining job](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/36VU399E4uDQK3k3ikbEEw "Run a mining job on a Task Mining project to generate an analysis of your project data according to your categorization rules so you can make data-driven decisions."). 2. The Task Mining power user creates categorization rules with the condition builder. Each rule has a rank that determines when it applies relative to other rules and how data from apps and windows is shown on dashboards. For more information, see [Categorize workstation activities to simplify analysis](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dzFsVpKEA_lVCR94o4cFeg "Organize and add context to your data by grouping similar workstation activities with user-friendly category names."). 3. The Task Mining analyst previews the analysis to see how the collected data is visualized and handles requests. For more information, see [Refine the presentation of your data](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/JJrSldgPtNkmyaNI4ah2MQ "Improve your Task Mining project's analysis before sharing the project to identify gaps in categorization."). 4. The Task Mining power user adjusts categorization rules. Applications and application categories are added and modified to provide more detail. 5. A Task Mining analyst mines the project data again. 6. Activities are categorized until uncategorized activities represent no more than approximately 10% of the total data. This level of detail provides a comprehensive view. Further refinement beyond this amount provides diminishing returns. {#configuration-concepts__ol_edn_cbz_w2c} ## Predefined categorization rules {#configuration-concepts__section_u1f_qbp_rcc} Rules are ordered to define which rule applies first. The following five categorization rules can't be changed. These rules are ordered 1,2,3,4 and MAX. The first four rules apply first by default, and the MAX rule applies last. 1. Private: Defines the activity as non-productive, and is used when the agent is in private mode and used when activities are defined as private. 2. Lock: Defines the activity as a break, and is used when the workstation is locked. 3. Off: Defines the activity as off, and is used when the workstation is turned off. 4. Idle: Defines the activity as idle, and is used on analyses during targeted recordings when the agent is idle. 5. MAX: Applies to uncategorized apps that don't match any rule. By default, this uncategorized activity doesn't appear in dashboards and falls into the Other category. {#configuration-concepts__ol_x33_vcp_rcc} ## Category and application names {#configuration-concepts__section_abk_hvg_vfc} Organizing your activities with categories and application names adds context to your data by grouping similar workstation activities with user-friendly names. Add sensible category and application names to the list available on the categorization rule form before creating the rule for the activity. Category : Describes the type of work that applications are related to. Don't use the Other category as other is used by the Max rule and represents uncategorized apps that don't match any rule. For example, if you have an app that doesn't fit any category, either use Misc or add a category to the list available on the categorization rule form to describe the type of work that application is related to. Application : Describes the application names available for creating categorization rules. Don't use an application name with more than one category as it corrupts the treemap chart. For example, you could use the user-friendly application name "Teams" with categories Communication or Core Desktop Apps. However, if you create rules for activities in both the native application and accessing the application in a browser, don't use different categories for the two rules. **Related tasks** * [Categorize workstation activities to simplify analysis](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dzFsVpKEA_lVCR94o4cFeg "Organize and add context to your data by grouping similar workstation activities with user-friendly category names.") * [Refine the presentation of your data](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/JJrSldgPtNkmyaNI4ah2MQ "Improve your Task Mining project's analysis before sharing the project to identify gaps in categorization.")