How to Create and Organize Product Categories

This article explains how to create, edit, and manage product categories in DecoNetwork. Categories help organize your catalog so customers can quickly navigate your website and find what they’re looking for. You can add categories and subcategories, assign products in bulk or individually, and optimize categories with SEO details. Watch the video below for a walkthrough, then follow the step-by-step instructions in this guide.

In this article

• Prerequisites
• Why Use Categories
• Step 1: Add a New Category
• Step 2: Add a Divider
• Step 3: Edit a Category
• Step 4: Assign Products to Categories
• Step 5: Update Categories on Individual Products
• Best-Practice Tips
• Troubleshooting
• FAQs
• Additional Resources

Prerequisites

Why Use Categories

Categories let you structure your online store in a logical way, making it easier for customers to browse and purchase. Using categories effectively provides:

• Smoother navigation for customers on your storefront.
• Better organization of products into logical groups and subgroups.
• SEO improvements through meta tags, titles, and descriptions.
• Faster catalog management with bulk category assignments.

Step 1: Add a New Category

1. In Admin, go to Products → Categories.
2. Click Add to create a new category.
3. Enter a category name (e.g., Specials).
4. Write a description, and add a thumbnail image.
5. Configure meta tags: title, keywords, and description.
6. Click OK.
7. Drag the category to your desired position in the list.

Step 2: Add a Divider

1. Click Add Divider and enter a label (e.g., Specials Below).
2. Use dividers to separate groups of categories for easier Admin management.

Step 3: Edit a Category

1. Select a category and click Edit.
2. Update the name, write a description, and add a thumbnail image.
3. Configure meta tags: title, keywords, and description.
4. Choose whether to allow search engine indexing.

Step 4: Assign Products to Categories

1. Go to Products → advanced search to filter the products you want to update.
2. Select products in bulk and click Bulk Action → Modify Categories.
3. Choose to add or remove categories for the selected products.
4. Click Apply to save changes.

Step 5: Update Categories on Individual Products

1. Open a product in Products.
2. Select the Categories tab.
3. Assign or delete categories as needed.
4. Click Save to update the product.

Best-Practice Tips

• Keep category names short and customer-friendly.
• Use subcategories to break large groups into manageable sections.
• Update meta tags for categories to boost SEO.
• Review and update categories periodically as your catalog grows.

Troubleshooting

• Problem: Category doesn’t appear on the storefront.
  Solution: Confirm at least one active product is assigned to the category.
• Problem: Divider is showing on the website.
  Solution: Dividers are internal only—verify you didn’t create a standard category by mistake.

FAQs

• Q: Can I reorder categories after creating them?
  A: Yes, drag and drop categories in Admin to change their order.
• Q: Do products have to belong to only one category?
  A: No, products can be assigned to multiple categories.
• Q: Will dividers help SEO?
  A: No, dividers are for internal Admin use only.

Additional Resources

• Configuring Product Views
• Advanced Product Search