Overview

Categories define the structure of item lists in Product Catalog. They can be organized into a hierarchical tree structure based on common attributes, allowing logical grouping of items. Every item must belong to one category or subcategory, and there is no limit to the number of categories or subcategories.

Categories and subcategories can be best explained with the tree analogy. For instance, considering “furniture” as the main category or root, the branches are subcategories like “tables” and “chairs,” and the leaves represent individual products. In this example, a leaf could be an oak dining table that seats 4. Visually, it looks like this:

📘 Example of the Tree Analogy

  • Root: Furniture
    • Branch: Tables
      • Leaf: Dining Tables
        • Product: Oak dining table seating 4
        • Product: Oak dining table seating 6
      • Leaf: Coffee Tables
        • Product: Oak coffee table
        • Product: Oak coffee table, glass top
    • Branch: Chairs
      • Leaf: Dining Chairs
        • Product: Oak dining chair
        • Product: Oak dining chair, with arms
      • Leaf: Office Chairs
        • Product: Computer chair
        • Product: Computer chair, reclining

Any attribute applied to a category is inherited by its subcategories, known as attribute inheritance. However, inherited attributes can be overwritten by assigning the attribute to the subcategory itself. For example, the broad “office chairs” category could have a “material” attribute set to leather, but a specific subcategory could be set to nylon.

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