# Summary

From this screen you can manage your Category details. It can be used to add a new Category, or amend an existing one.

Categories are used for a variety of purposes:

- Creating a hierarchy of web products (also used in the POS)
- Reporting purposes
- Powering the main menu on the website
- Allowing the user to create content based pages

## Setup

You can also amend the [Meta Tags](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/general/page/meta-tags "Meta Tags") for the Category from this page.

### Category Details

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-field-purpose-catego" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-width: 1px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 50%;"></col><col style="width: 50%;"></col></colgroup><thead><tr><td>Field</td><td>Purpose</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Category Name\*</td><td>*The name of the Category*

*This will also be used as the H1 text, to define the default URL and will be the default for the [Meta Tags](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/general/page/meta-tags "Meta Tags")*

</td></tr><tr><td>Alternative Short Name</td><td>*If used, this will overnight the Category name in the main menu, allowing you to save space, e.g. 'Living Room' becomes 'Living'*

*The Category Name will still be used as the H1 text, to define the default URL and will be the default for the [Meta Tags](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/general/page/meta-tags "Meta Tags")*

*Optional field*

</td></tr><tr><td>Category Parent</td><td>*Select the Parent Category from the drop down*

*This allows you to take a Sub-Category and make it a top level Category, or alternatively, to take a top level Category and turn it into a Sub-Category*

*Linked Products will be automatically updated*

</td></tr><tr><td>Product Assignment</td><td>*Choose between:*

- *Manual*
- *Dynamic (rule based)*

*Defaults to Manual*

</td></tr><tr><td>Live</td><td>*Determines whether a Category is visible*

*Defaults to No for new Categories*

</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Layout options

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-field-purpose-displa" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-width: 1px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 50%;"></col><col style="width: 50%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td>Field</td><td>Purpose</td></tr><tr><td>Display Content</td><td>*Choose the types of content you want to display on this page*

- *Products*
- *Sub-Categories*
- *Collections*
- *Content*

*By default, all are enabled*

</td></tr><tr><td>Include Sub-Category Products?</td><td>*If you enable this, the Category page will show Products which have been assigned to its Sub-Categories*

*Defaults to no*

</td></tr><tr><td>Show Swatch Previews?</td><td>*Enable to show [Swatch Previews](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/product-listing-page/page/swatch-previews) on this Product Listing Page*

</td></tr><tr><td>Product Layout</td><td>*Determines the way in which Products will be displayed on your website in desktop mode on the [Product Listing Page](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/product-listing-page/page/product-layouts), if this Category has been enabled to show product content (see above)*

*Choose from*

- *Grid*
    
    
    - *2 Column*
    - *3 Column*
    - *4 Column*
- *List*
    - *Standard List*
    - *Compact List*
- *Advanced*
    - *3 Column (first large)*
    - *4 Column (first large)*
    - *3 Column (original aspect)*
    - *4 Column (original aspect)*
- Funky 
    - *Funky (alternating)*
    - *Mega-Funky (mixed)*

*Defaults to 3 column*

</td></tr><tr><td>Default Sort Order</td><td>*Choose the Default Sort Order for Products within this Category - choose from:*

- *Manual ([Manual Sort](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/categories/page/how-to-resequencing-products-within-categories))*
- *Auto-Ranking (System generated recommendations)*
- *Product Name (A-Z)*
- *Price Low to High*
- *Price High to Low*
- *Bet Selling*
- *Newest First*
- *Biggest Discount*
- *Custom 1-3 (Defined in [Site Settings](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/site-settings "Site Settings"))*

*Defaults to Manual*

</td></tr><tr><td>Hide Left Navigation</td><td>*Choose to show the Filters on the Product Listing Page, or to hide them behind a button*

*If the latter, they will slide out when selected*

*More detail available [here](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/product-listing-page/page/hide-left-navigation "Hide Left Navigation")*

</td></tr><tr><td>Hide Page Title</td><td>*Hide the H1 text from the Category*

*Not recommended unless you add H1 text within the Category Content*

</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Images

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-field-purpose-catego-1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-width: 1px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 49.881%;"></col><col style="width: 49.881%;"></col></colgroup><thead><tr><td>Field</td><td>Purpose</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Category Image</td><td>*Upload an image to be used as the Sub-Category tile throughout the website*

*If not uploaded, IXO Commerce will use the image from a Product assigned to that Category*

</td></tr><tr><td>Size</td><td>*Use this to determine the size at which the Sub-Category tile will be displayed throughout the website*</td></tr><tr><td>Main Menu Image</td><td>*Upload an image to be shown within the main menu on the website*

*These may only be uploaded to top level Categories*

</td></tr><tr><td>Menu Image Link URL</td><td>*Add a URL, which will turn the Main Menu Image into a button*</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Third-Party Category Mapping

Use this section to map your Category for integrations. These options will only be visible if you have these integrations enabled.

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-field-purpose-find-m" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-width: 1px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 49.947%;"></col><col style="width: 49.947%;"></col></colgroup><thead><tr><td>Field</td><td>Purpose</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Find matching Categories</td><td>*Use this to update the contents of the 3rd party category drop downs below*

*Defaults to Category Name*

</td></tr><tr><td>Google Shopping Category</td><td>*Use this to select the Google Shopping Category*

*This will be used when editing the [Product](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/categories/page/google "Google")*

</td></tr><tr><td>eBay Category</td><td>*Use this to select the eBay Category*

*This will be used when editing the [Product](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/categories/page/ebay "eBay")*

</td></tr><tr><td>Amazon Category</td><td>*Use this to select the Amazon Category*

*This will be used when editing the [Product](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/categories/page/amazon "Amazon")*

</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Additional Options

<table border="1" id="bkmrk-field-purpose-footer" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-width: 1px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 49.881%;"></col><col style="width: 49.881%;"></col></colgroup><thead><tr><td>Field</td><td>Purpose</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Footer Text</td><td>*Text to be shown just above the footer on the Category page*</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Category Content

This uses IXO Commerce's [Modular Block](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/general/chapter/modular-blocks "Modular Blocks") system to allow you to manage your content.

<p class="callout warning">If your content is not showing, please ensure that Content is ticked under Layout Options.</p>

## Assignment

### Manual

Products may be assigned to Categories manually, either in bulk via the [CSV Import/Export](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/import-export "Import Export"), or alternatively on the [Categories](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/categories/page/categories "Categories") tab of the Product.

### Dynamic

If a Category is set to Dynamic assignment in the Category Details section, then product assignment will be [rule based](https://bookstack.iconography.co.uk/books/categories/page/dynamic-categories "Dynamic Categories").