Categories let you group products together for organization, promotions, and merchandising. This article covers where to manage categories, the settings that control where they appear, and features you can enable for them.
Where to manage categories
Go to Products > Categories to see all your categories, create a new one, or click into an existing category to edit its settings.
You can also create a category directly from a product's detail page. Scroll to the Categories section, select Create a New Category, and assign the product to it.
Inside a Category Detail Page
When you click into a category, you’ll see the full Category Detail Page. This is where you make edits, add details, and manage how the category behaves. Products are added to a category from the Product Detail Page, not from here.
Category Details
Category Name: Identifies the category and shows as the title on your shop page.
Display Brand & Display Title: These are both optional settings. Please reach out directly to enable.
Slug: Controls the category's URL. The direct link below this field updates automatically based on the Slug you enter.
Description: This is the description that shows on the direct link to the category page, and under the category title on the main shop page.
Short Description & Extended Description: These are both optional settings. Please reach out directly if you'd like to enable these.
Category Images
Category pages support adding images, but this must be enabled before it will display. If you'd like category images to appear on your site, reach out to support@offsetpartners.com.
Details
Status: Controls if a category is visible on the shop page or on the POS.
Website Visibility: Controls if the direct link to the category is available.
Classification: Helps to organize the category. Choose from a variety of options including Standard, Event, Features, etc.
Buy Button: Enables a toggle to "Buy The Collection" on the category page, letting customers add every product in the category to their cart with one click
Category Visibility Controls
Within a category's details page, there are some key settings that will determine how the category functions.
Status: Active vs. Inactive
Active: The category is available on the POS and is eligible to appear on your Shop page.
Inactive: The category is not available on the POS, is removed from the Shop page, and is only reachable via a direct link.
NOTE: Status only affects Shop page display if your shop has multiple categories enabled. If your shop runs a single category only, then Status has no effect on what shows there. If you're unsure, please reach out to support@offsetpartners.com.
Website Visibility: Visible vs. Hidden
Visible: The category's direct link works.
Hidden: The direct link to the category is disabled, and the category page can't be reached at all, even with the direct URL.
Scenarios for How Status and Visibility Combine
Below are a few different use cases to help determine the best option for your scenario. If you are unsure how you should set up a category, please send a message to support@offsetpartners.com.
Scenario #1: Active + Visible (standard setup)
The category shows on the Shop page (if multiple categories are enabled), the direct link to the category works, and it's available on the POS.
Scenario #2: Inactive + Visible
The category is removed from the Shop page, but the direct link still works. It's not a visible category on the POS. This is useful for a promotion shared only via a specific email send, where you don't want general Shop browsers finding it.
Scenario #3: Inactive + Hidden
The category is removed from the Shop page, the direct link is dead, and it's not available on the POS. This is useful for categories that you want to keep internal on the commerce platform only.
Scenario #4: Active + Hidden
The category is removed from the Shop page and the direct link is dead, but it remains available on the POS.