Product categories
Overview
Categories structure the catalogue as a tree — with levels, ordering and their own content per category. They additionally carry texts and SEO details, because they become pages of their own in a shop.
An item has one lead category and any number of additional categories. The distinction is useful: the lead category is the single classification that reporting and navigation hang off; additional categories are multiple assignments for findability.
Core tasks
Create a category. New category requires a name and a kind — service, product or licence, matching the catalogue kinds.
Change the structure. Reorder or nest by dragging; changes are saved immediately. Without a parent, an entry sits at the top level. With the keyboard, arrow keys move within a level.
Search and review. Search filters the tree; categories can be expanded, collapsed and selected in bulk.
Hide from navigation. A category can exist and still be hidden in shop navigation — useful for collective categories that have to exist but that nobody should see.
Fields in detail
The What it does column answers what changes in the system — not what the field is called. The grey name behind the label is the API field: the same thing runs under that name through automation, import and AI tools.
Creating and editing a category
| Field | Required | Values / format | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
Name name | yes | text, max. 150 characters | What the category is called in navigation and selection. |
Parent category parentUlid | no | an existing category | Where it hangs in the tree. Without one it sits at the top level. |
Content kind kind | no | service, product, licence | Which article kind the category is meant for. It keeps the tree clean instead of filing services among goods. |
Entry type categoryType | no | page, structure, link | What the entry does in the catalogue. Page shows articles, structure only groups, link leads elsewhere — a grouping level without a page of its own is possible without creating an empty page. |
External address externalUrl | with "link" | address, max. 500 characters | Where the link leads. |
Open in new window linkNewTab | no | yes/no | Whether the link opens a new window. |
Show in navigation visibleInNavigation | no | yes/no | Whether the category appears in the menu. Off means reachable but not advertised — useful for special cases and remainders. |
Show nested articles displayNestedProducts | no | yes/no | Whether the category page also lists articles of categories below it. On is convenient for the customer but makes long pages. |
Rule (product group) streamUlid | no | existing product group; empty removes the rule | An article belongs to the category if it is assigned manually (lead or additional category) OR meets the rule of the product group. The article assignments stay unchanged — the rule writes nothing onto the article. The category's article list and promotions on the category see both ways. The article count in the category tree counts rule members too — each article once, even if it is assigned AND meets the rule, and only articles of the brands you may see. |
Image mediaFileId | no | image file | The category image in the catalogue. |
Translations translations | no | name per language | What the category is called in other languages. |
Order sortOrder | no | number | Position among siblings. |
Active active | no | yes/no | Off takes the category and its subtree out of the catalogue without losing the articles' assignments. |
Interface and automation only
| Field | Values / format | What it does |
|---|---|---|
parentId | internal number of the category | The same target as parentUlid, addressed by the internal number — for imports from systems that only know numbers. |
Settings & permissions
- Module
module.products. - Permission
products.catalog.manage. - Immediate saving while dragging — there is no cancel. Move deliberately.
- The category kind matches the item kind. Services do not belong in a product category.
FAQ & troubleshooting
A category does not appear in the shop. Check two things: the active state and the hidden in shop navigation marker.
An item sits in the wrong category. Check the lead category on the item — not the additional categories, which may occur several times.
I moved something by accident. Changes are saved immediately; drag the entry back into place.
How deep should the tree be? As flat as possible. Every level costs a click and a decision — and items are often found faster through properties and search than through levels.