Assets are the equipment, machines, vehicles, and other items you maintain in UpKeep. This article explains how to create assets, organize them in your asset hierarchy, and update existing asset records on web and mobile. UpKeep supports up to a 4-level asset hierarchy, so you can track parent assets and their components with more precision.
Available on: Lite, Starter, Professional, and Enterprise
Before you begin
Keep these behaviors in mind when working with assets:
Work orders are tied to the exact asset and location selected when the work order is created.
If a work order is assigned to a child asset or sublocation, it appears under that specific record in reports and searches. It does not automatically roll up to the parent unless your filters include lower levels of the hierarchy.
Renaming an asset updates the asset name on related work orders, including historical ones.
Changing an asset’s location does not retroactively update the location shown on current or past work orders. Those work orders keep the original location used at the time they were created.
Best practice: Use a clear naming convention so your team can easily find the correct asset and understand where it belongs in the hierarchy. The current article recommends unique names, often including both the asset type and location.
Create an asset on web
Navigate to Assets.
Click Create Asset.
Enter the asset name and any other details, such as description, model, serial number, and category.
To link the asset to a location or sublocation, click Set Location under Structure and Settings.
Select the correct location. To view sublocations, click the arrow icon to expand the list.
Click Set Location.
When you’re done, click Create Asset.
Create a child asset, grandchild asset, or great-grandchild asset
Use this when you want to track components under a larger parent asset.
Go to Assets.
Click Create Asset.
Enter the asset name and any other details.
Under Structure and Settings, click Set Parent Asset.
Select the correct parent asset.
To create a grandchild or great-grandchild asset, expand the hierarchy using the arrow icon until you find the correct parent.
Link the asset to the appropriate location.
If you choose a different location than the parent asset, the asset will only appear under that selected location.
Click Create Asset.
Note: UpKeep supports a 4-level asset hierarchy.
Edit an existing asset on web
Go to Assets.
Open the asset you want to update.
Click Edit.
Make your changes.
Click Save Changes.
Warning: Deleting an asset is permanent and removes the asset data anywhere that asset has been used in UpKeep.
Create an asset on mobile (iOS and Android)
Open the UpKeep mobile app.
From the Home screen, tap the + icon.
Select Assets.
Enter the asset details.
Save the asset:
On iOS, tap Submit
On Android, tap the save icon shown in the app
Edit an asset on mobile
Open the asset in the mobile app.
Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
Tap Edit.
Make your changes.
Save the update:
On iOS, tap Submit
On Android, tap the save icon shown in the app
Note: A user’s role determines what they can create or edit. Administrators can edit and update anything, while technicians can create assets but can only edit items they created.
FAQs
Can I update an asset’s location later?
Yes. You can edit an asset’s location at any time. However, existing and past work orders will continue to show the original location used when those work orders were created.
Does the asset name matter?
Yes. Use unique, descriptive names so your team can quickly identify the correct asset. One recommended format is to include both the asset type and location, such as: HVAC - UNIT 1 - MAIN WAREHOUSE.
Can an asset exist without a location?
Yes. Assets do not need to be linked to a fixed location. This is useful for mobile assets such as vehicles.
In those cases, reporting is tracked under the asset itself. Some teams choose to use a placeholder location like “Garage,” but that is optional.