Product Categories

Product Categories organize your inventory into logical groups for easier navigation, reporting, and management.

Overview

Product Categories enable you to:

• Organize products hierarchically
• Create category trees
• Assign products to categories
• Filter inventory by category
• Generate category reports
• Manage category attributes

Accessing Categories

Navigate to Inventory → Categories from the main menu.

Category List

Viewing Categories

Product Categories

Category Tree:
├─ 📁 Electronics (245 products)
│   ├─ 📁 Computers (89 products)
│   │   ├─ Laptops (45)
│   │   ├─ Desktops (32)
│   │   └─ Accessories (12)
│   ├─ 📁 Mobile Devices (78 products)
│   │   ├─ Smartphones (45)
│   │   └─ Tablets (33)
│   └─ 📁 Audio Equipment (78 products)
├─ 📁 Office Supplies (189 products)
│   ├─ 📁 Paper Products (67)
│   ├─ 📁 Writing Instruments (52)
│   └─ 📁 Organization (70)
├─ 📁 Industrial Equipment (156 products)
└─ 📁 Safety & PPE (98 products)

Total Categories: 24
Total Products: 688

[+ New Category]

Creating Categories

Add New Category

1. Click New Category
2. Enter category details
3. Select parent category (optional)
4. Configure settings
5. Save category

Category Form

New Category

Basic Information:
├─ Name: [_________________________]
├─ Code: [_________] (auto-generated)
├─ Description:
│  [                                                    ]
└─ Status: [Active ▼]

Hierarchy:
├─ Parent Category: [Select Parent ▼]
│  ├─ (None - Top Level)
│  ├─ Electronics
│  ├─ Office Supplies
│  └─ ...
└─ Display Order: [___]

Attributes:
├─ Enable for this category:
│  [ ] Color variants
│  [ ] Size variants
│  [ ] Custom attributes
└─ Inherit from parent: [x]

Display:
├─ Show in Navigation: [x]
├─ Show in Portal: [x]
├─ Featured Category: [ ]
└─ Category Image: [Upload Image]

[Cancel] [Save Category]

Category Hierarchy

Understanding Levels

Level	Description	Example
Root	Top-level category	Electronics
Level 1	Main subcategory	Computers
Level 2	Sub-subcategory	Laptops
Level 3+	Further nesting	Gaming Laptops

Managing Hierarchy

Edit Category Hierarchy

Current: Electronics → Computers → Laptops

Move Category:
○ Keep current position
○ Move to different parent:
  [Select New Parent ▼]
○ Make top-level category
○ Merge with another category

Child Categories:
├─ Gaming Laptops (12 products)
├─ Business Laptops (18 products)
└─ Budget Laptops (15 products)

[  ] Also move all child categories
[  ] Reassign products to parent

[Cancel] [Apply Changes]

Drag and Drop

Reorganize categories by dragging:

1. Click and hold category
2. Drag to new position
3. Drop under new parent
4. Confirm move

Category Details

Viewing Category

Category: Electronics → Computers → Laptops

Category Information:
├─ Name: Laptops
├─ Full Path: Electronics → Computers → Laptops
├─ Code: LAP-001
├─ Status: Active
├─ Products: 45
└─ Created: January 5, 2024

Subcategories:
├─ Gaming Laptops (12 products)
├─ Business Laptops (18 products)
└─ Budget Laptops (15 products)

Attributes:
├─ Screen Size (inherited)
├─ Processor Type (inherited)
├─ RAM (category-specific)
└─ Storage Type (category-specific)

[Edit] [Add Subcategory] [Add Products] [Delete]

Assigning Products

Add Products to Category

Add Products to Category: Laptops

Current Products: 45

Search Products: [_________________________] [Search]

Available Products:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [x] │ Dell Latitude E15   │ LAP-DEL-001 │ Uncategorized  │
│ [x] │ HP ProBook 450     │ LAP-HP-002  │ Uncategorized  │
│ [ ] │ Lenovo ThinkPad    │ LAP-LEN-001 │ Business Laptops│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Selected: 2 products

[  ] Also add to subcategories
[  ] Remove from current categories

[Cancel] [Add to Category]

Bulk Category Assignment

1. Select multiple products from inventory
2. Click Actions → Assign Category
3. Select target category
4. Choose assignment options
5. Apply changes

Category Attributes

Managing Attributes

Category Attributes: Laptops

Inherited Attributes (from Computers):
├─ Screen Size [Required]
├─ Processor Type [Required]
└─ Operating System [Optional]

Category-Specific Attributes:
├─ RAM Capacity [Required]
├─ Storage Type [Required]
├─ Graphics Card [Optional]
└─ [+ Add Attribute]

Available Attributes:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Attribute       │ Type    │ Values              │ Required │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Battery Life    │ Number  │ Hours               │ [  ]     │
│ Weight          │ Number  │ kg/lbs              │ [  ]     │
│ Touchscreen     │ Boolean │ Yes/No              │ [  ]     │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

[Save Attributes]

Creating Custom Attributes

New Category Attribute

Attribute Name: [_________________________]

Attribute Type:
○ Text (free text entry)
○ Number (numeric value)
○ Select (single choice)
○ Multi-select (multiple choices)
○ Boolean (yes/no)
○ Date

For Select/Multi-select:
Options:
├─ [Option 1                    ] [Remove]
├─ [Option 2                    ] [Remove]
└─ [+ Add Option]

Settings:
├─ Required: [  ]
├─ Show in filters: [x]
├─ Show in product list: [x]
└─ Searchable: [x]

[Cancel] [Save Attribute]

Category Display

Navigation Settings

Category Display Settings

Navigation:
├─ Show in Main Menu: [x]
├─ Menu Position: [5]
├─ Show Product Count: [x]
└─ Show Subcategories: [x]

Portal Settings:
├─ Visible in Portal: [x]
├─ Portal Order: [3]
└─ Featured on Homepage: [ ]

Images:
├─ Category Icon: [Upload]
├─ Category Banner: [Upload]
└─ Thumbnail: [Auto-generate from icon]

SEO:
├─ URL Slug: [laptops]
├─ Meta Title: [Laptops - Shop Now]
└─ Meta Description: [Browse our selection...]

[Save Display Settings]

Category Reports

Category Performance

Category Report: Electronics

Date Range: January 1 - January 22, 2026

Sales by Subcategory:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Category         │ Products │ Units Sold │ Revenue        │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Computers        │ 89       │ 156        │ $124,567.89    │
│ Mobile Devices   │ 78       │ 234        │ $98,456.78     │
│ Audio Equipment  │ 78       │ 189        │ $45,678.90     │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Total            │ 245      │ 579        │ $268,703.57    │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Top Products:
├─ MacBook Pro 14" - $45,678.90
├─ iPhone 15 Pro - $34,567.89
└─ AirPods Pro - $12,345.67

Inventory by Category

Inventory Report by Category

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Category         │ Products │ Total Stock │ Value         │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Electronics      │ 245      │ 3,456       │ $567,890.00   │
│ Office Supplies  │ 189      │ 12,567      │ $45,678.90    │
│ Industrial       │ 156      │ 2,345       │ $234,567.00   │
│ Safety & PPE     │ 98       │ 5,678       │ $67,890.00    │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Total            │ 688      │ 24,046      │ $916,025.90   │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

[Export Report]

Import/Export Categories

Export Categories

Export Categories

Format:
○ CSV
○ Excel
○ JSON (for backup)

Include:
[x] Category hierarchy
[x] Attributes
[x] Product assignments
[ ] Sales data

[Export]

Import Categories

Import Categories

Upload File: [Choose File]

Options:
○ Create new categories only
○ Update existing categories
○ Full sync (create, update, delete)

Matching:
├─ Match by: [Category Code ▼]
└─ If not found: [Create New ▼]

[Preview Import] [Import]

Best Practices

Category Structure

• Keep hierarchy manageable (3-4 levels max)
• Use clear, descriptive names
• Be consistent with naming
• Plan structure before creating

Organization

• Group related products logically
• Consider customer navigation
• Balance category sizes
• Avoid overlapping categories

Maintenance

• Review categories regularly
• Merge underused categories
• Update product assignments
• Archive obsolete categories

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Products not showing in category

• Check product assignment
• Verify category is active
• Check visibility settings
• Refresh product index

Cannot delete category

• Move or reassign products first
• Check for subcategories
• Remove category attributes
• Verify no active references

Category not in navigation

• Check display settings
• Verify "Show in Menu" enabled
• Check menu position
• Clear navigation cache

Attributes not appearing

• Verify attribute assignment
• Check inheritance settings
• Confirm attribute is active
• Review attribute type

Related Documentation

Learn about Products to manage items within categories.