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

# How do industries and categories work on a lender?

> Pick the industries a lender funds or refuses, one at a time or a whole category, and fix entries NextLevel MCA doesn't recognise.

Most lenders describe what they fund in broad terms: "no trucking", "no adult", "construction OK". NextLevel MCA uses one industry list for deals and lenders, grouped into categories, so a lender's industry rules can be matched exactly against each deal's industry.

You set industries on a lender's **Criteria** tab, in the **Business profile** group. You need the **Edit Lenders** permission.

## Allowed and prohibited industries

There are two industry fields:

* **Allowed industries**: if you fill this in, the lender only matches deals in these industries. Leave it blank for a lender that funds everything except its prohibited list. Most lenders only need the prohibited list.
* **Prohibited industries**: deals in these industries never match the lender. They show as red chips.

Both are yes/no rules: a deal in a prohibited industry, or outside the allowed list, rules the lender out for that deal (it shows as **Disqualified**, though you can still submit if you choose to).

<Note>
  There is no separate "restricted" setting. If a lender lists an industry as restricted or case by case, either add it to **Prohibited industries** or leave it off and judge those deals yourself. You can note the restriction in the lender's **Notes**.
</Note>

## Pick industries

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the lender's Criteria tab">
    Go to **Lenders**, click the lender, open **Criteria** and click **Edit criteria**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the Allowed industries or Prohibited industries field">
    A searchable list opens. Type part of a name (for example *truck* or *auto*) to narrow it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tick a whole category or single industries">
    The list starts with the categories, each ending in **(all)**, such as **Automotive (all)**. Below them are the single industries, such as **Automotive repair** or **Automotive sales (used)**. Tick as many as you need, then click **Done**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save criteria">
    The Match impact card shows how many recent deals the change affects before you save.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What a category covers

A category covers every industry in it. For example, **Automotive (all)** covers automotive detailing, parts, rental, repair, new and used sales, towing, car wash, car wrapping, motorcycle sales and repossession.

The categories are: Adult, Agriculture, Alcohol, Automotive, Bars & nightlife, Beauty & personal care, Cannabis & tobacco, Construction & trades, Education & child care, Entertainment & events, Equipment, Financial services, Firearms, Fitness & sports, Food & grocery, Gambling & gaming, Gas stations, Government, Healthcare, High-risk sales, Home & property services, Hospitality & travel, Legal, Manufacturing & industrial, Non-profit & religious, Pets, Professional services, Real estate, Restaurants, Retail, Technology & telecom, Transportation & logistics, and Wholesale & distribution.

Things worth knowing:

* **Some industries sit in more than one category.** Lounges and bars are in both Alcohol and Bars & nightlife; veterinarians are in both Healthcare and Pets. Prohibiting a category blocks every industry in it, including ones shared with another category.
* **Categories match whole industries, not words.** **Adult (all)** blocks adult entertainment businesses but not adult day care, which is in Education & child care.
* **A deal's industry is taken literally.** A deal filed under the single industry *Healthcare* matches a lender that allows **Healthcare (all)**, but not one that only allows *Dentists*. Put the deal in the most specific industry you can.

## Entries in a lender's own words

Lenders added through the API or an AI assistant, or saved before the industry list existed, can carry the lender's own wording, such as "car dealers", "trucking" or "doctors". When the criteria are saved, NextLevel MCA maps common wording onto the list: "car dealers" becomes **Automotive (all)**, "trucking" becomes *Transportation (trucking)*, "doctors" becomes *Medical doctor*.

Anything it can't map is kept exactly as written and shown with a **dashed amber outline**. Hover it to see *Not recognized*. An unrecognised entry only matches a deal whose industry is spelled exactly the same, so in practice it matches almost nothing, and a prohibited entry that isn't recognised won't block anything.

To fix one: click **Edit criteria**, remove the outlined chip with its **×**, pick the matching industry or category from the list, and click **Save criteria**.

## When the deal has no industry

If a lender has an industry rule and the deal's industry is blank, the check shows as unknown. The lender isn't ruled out, but its score drops and its confidence falls. Set the industry on the deal to get a firm answer. See [How the match score works](/help/match-score).


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.