Creating categories

If we are expanding the store inventory or changing your category structure, we can add a category.


Before starting

We can add a category by completing one of the following tasks:

Note: If we are using the extended sites model, the parent category can come from the asset or extended site store. A product belongs to the asset store if it is identified with the following icon .


Procedure

  1. Open the Catalogs tool.

  2. Create a category using one of these methods:

    • To copy an existing category, navigate to the category in the explorer tree:

      1. On the explorer tree, right-click the category; then, click Show Subcategories on the context menu. The Categories list view displays.

      2. On the explorer tree or list view, right-click the category that we want to copy; then, on the context menu, click Copy.

      3. On the list view, right-click anywhere; then, on the context menu, click Paste.

        The Category Properties view displays.

    • To create a category in the master catalog:

      1. From the explorer filter, select Master Catalog Categories.

      2. On the explorer tree, right-click on a category; then, click New Category to create a subcategory, or from the File menu click File > New > Category, to create a new top category.

        The Category Properties view displays.

    • To create a category in a sales catalog:

      1. From the explorer filter, select Sales Catalog.

      2. On the explorer tree, right-click on a category; then, click New Sales Category to create a subcategory, or from the File menu clickFile > New > Sales Category, to create a new top category.

        The Category Properties view displays.

  3. Click the Manage Category tab.

  4. Expand General Category Information. Complete the following information:

    Code The language independent category identifier. Name The name of the category. This field can be edited in multiple languages. Short description Type a brief description of the category. Long description

    Type a detailed description, if applicable. We can enter HTML code in this field. If you choose to specify HTML code, you should receive this source code from your developers. Before you paste HTML code into the field, we must select Source in the editor toolbar. For more information about rich text editors, see Rich text editor (CKEditor).

    Keyword Type one or more keywords, which are separated by a comma and a space that describe the contents of the Web page. Some Internet search engines use these keywords to determine whether your page satisfies a search query. This field can be edited in multiple languages. Parent category (master catalog) The category to which an object such as a category, product, or SKU belongs, or the catalog to which a top category belongs.
    Property Description

  5. Expand the Display section. Complete the following fields:

    Display to customers Select this check box to indicate that customers can view this category in the storefront. Thumbnail All image files must be placed in the store's defined image directory. Determining the correct image directory and whether you need an absolute or relative path depends on the store's configuration. For example, the WebSphere Commerce starter store images use a relative path that points to the default installation directory under the store name. Use of a relative path is most common. Use of an absolute path is dependent on the initial configuration. Ask a store developer with Site Administrator authority for the correct image directory if we are unsure. Or, if we are using Watson Content Hub, all image files must be stored as an asset in Watson Content Hub. This field can be edited in multiple languages. Full image Type the path to the full-size image and the name of the image, such as images/shirt.jpg. The path can be either a full path, or a relative path from the store directory. Or, if we are using Watson Content Hub, the full path to the full-size image stored in Watson Content Hub. To select a full-size image, click the Edit icon. Then find and select the full-size image that we want to use. The find dialog searches for images in Watson Content Hub and saves the full path in the full image field. If a full-size has already been assigned from the Content tab, the path and image is displayed as read-only, and instead must be updated from the Content tab.
    Property Description

  6. Optional: Click the Search Engine Optimization tab. We can override the default values for fields by using text and SEO substitution parameters. To insert an SEO substitution parameter, use the format: <seo:SEOSUBSTITUTIONPARAMETER />. For example, to add the page title "Shop coffee-makers from Aurora" in the coffee maker category page: "Shop <seo:CategoryName /> from <seo:StoreName />"

      SEO substitution parameters

      <seo:StoreName/>

        The name of the store. For example, Aurora.

        <seo:StoreDescription/>

          The store's description. For example, Online Department Store.

          <seo:CategoryName/>

            The name of the category. For example, Furniture.

            <seo:CategoryKeyword/>

              The category keyword. For example, housewares,furniture,chairs,desks,tables,sofas,loveseats,outdoor.

              <seo:CategoryShortDescription/>

                The category's short description. For example, Furnish your entire home with this elegant collection.

                <seo:CategoryHierarchy/>

                  The category hierarchy. For example, Furniture/Lounge Chairs/.

                Override the default values for any of the following fields:

                URL keyword Specify a unique name for the category to be used in the URL on the storefront. If you do not specify a keyword, the name is used. Page title The language-specific page title for this category. The title that you provide displays in the title bar in the customer's browser. Meta description The language-specific meta description for the page. The meta description is used by a search engine to provide a description of the site and this category on a search results page. The text that you provide is put in the page's META tag. Image alt text The language-specific image alternative text for the category image. The alt text describes the contents of the image for search engines to accurately rank and index the image. The text that you provide displays when a customer hovers over the category image.
                Property Description

              • If Watson Content Hub integration is enabled: Click the Content tab to associate content from Watson Content Hub. Content includes catalog objects such as images, and attachments such as videos or articles.

                To associate content from Watson Content Hub:

                1. Search for content by entering a keyword and selecting Find and Add. The search results are displayed in the utilities view.

                2. Drag the object from the search results to the open Content tab.

                3. Select a language for the content.

                4. To use more than one language for the content, copy the object and select the additional language in the next object row.

                5. Optional: Expand the General Information and Assets sections to get more information about the content that we are associating with the catalog entry or business object.

                General Information:

                Language The language that the asset is associated with in Watson Content Hub. For example, United States English. Identifier The unique identifier of the asset in Watson Content Hub. Name The name of the asset in Watson Content Hub. For example, the product or category name. Content Type The content type of the asset in Watson Content Hub. For example, AuroraCatalogEntryImages for products, or AuroraCatalogGroupImages for categories. Description The description of the asset in Watson Content Hub.
                Property Description

                Assets:

                Asset The asset to manage from Watson Content Hub. For example, for catalog entry or category images, the image file is displayed. Asset Name The asset name. For example, for catalog entry images, the asset name might be main_fullimage to represent the full image, or main_thumbnail to represent the thumbnail image. Asset Path The full path to where the asset is stored in Watson Content Hub. Asset MIME Type The MIME Type of the asset. For example, for catalog entry or category images, the MIME Type might be image/jpeg.
                Property Description

              • Click Save; then click Close.


Related concepts
Categories