Create categories
Introduction
This guide explains how to create new categories and edit existing categories. Categories are containers to which items (products) are assigned.
Video
Category overview
In the shop administration under “Categories”, you can manage the category structure of your shop.
There are four category types:
- Main categories : Main categories are displayed on the first level. They can also have subcategories.
- Subcategories: Subcategories always have a parent category, but can also have further subcategories.
- Virtual categories: These are categories to which no items can be assigned directly, as the assignment is defined by assignment rules, such as “all items in the shop with promotions” or “promotional items”.
- System categories: System categories must never be deleted. This applies in particular to the system category “Unassigned”, to which all items are assigned that are not assigned to any other category.
An item can be assigned to several categories at the same time. The categories are displayed to the customer in the main menu.
Create category
To create a new category, select “Categories” → “New” in the shop administration. Then use the arrows to select where the new category should be inserted.
Name
In the “Name” field, you can specify the category name. This is required for the menu structure.
Description
In the description, you can enter text that will be displayed at the top of the category page. You can also insert a content editor page (see Content above / Content below).
To display the text, you must activate the “Show description” field.
Category heading
Category heading is a label that is placed in front of a group of categories. It can be used to subdivide individual categories on the same category level. The category heading is only displayed in the administration and is for internal purposes.
SEO fields
SEO title and description are determined automatically. By deactivating the checkbox, you can determine the SEO fields yourself.
Content above / Content below
You can also display pages that you have created with the Content Editor below or above the article list in the category.
Activation
The “Activation category” option controls whether the category is displayed or not. If the checkbox is not selected, the category will no longer be displayed to customers.
Automatic assignment
Sales Promotions
If you activate the checkbox here and the category does not contain any articles, all promotional articles in this shop will be displayed together.
Promotions
If you activate the checkbox here and the category does not contain any articles, all promotional articles in this shop will be displayed together.
VAT rate:
If the items in this online shop are subject to VAT and VAT management has been activated via “Settings” → “General information”, you can specify the standard VAT rate here, which will be assigned to each newly added item in this category if “Use standard VAT rate for category” is selected there.
Category assignment
Here you can change the category assignment.
Edit category
To edit a category you have created, click on the category or on the pencil icon to the right of it. This will take you to the same overview as in the Create category section.
Edit configuration
To edit the configuration of the categories, click on “Categories” in the shop administration and then on “Settings”.
Category display
The categories can be displayed either as a tree or in a drop-down menu.
Behaviour when clicking on a category with subcategories
If a category has subcategories, this is where you define how the shop behaves when such a category is clicked.
- “Show subcategories for selection”: When a category with subcategories is clicked, the shop displays the subcategories as a list for selection.
- “Open first subcategory at lowest level”: When a category with subcategories is clicked, the shop jumps to the first category at the lowest level and opens these products immediately.
Cross-category item display
If the drop-down menu is active, 21.Shop automatically lists all items from all subsequent subcategories when a category is clicked on from the defined level.
Category images
Here you can configure the settings for displaying the category image.
If image harmonisation is used, the images are adjusted to the size defined below.
Further help
If you have any questions or problems, our support team will be happy to help. To do so, open a support ticket:
- Go to the Swiss21 portal.
- Click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Click on “Support”.
- Click on “Contact support”.
- Fill out the form and our support team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Support opening hours: Monday – Friday I 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. I 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.